David Peterson is my Hero

I've listened to all the podcasts on worship on the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary website - well, all the ones that were decent. I'm not very far into becoming an expert on the topic from a literature sense, but I was lucky enough to strike gold on the third 'Theology of Worship' book that I read.

Engaging with God by David Peterson is simply amazing. Its theologically deep and scripturally based - wading through the normal rhetoric of the worship wars as a gem.

To be honest - I can't give a better review than what others have posted on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Engaging-God-Biblical-Theology-Worship/dp/0830826971/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325800399&sr=8-1

Its not light reading - I will admit. But the centrality of the gospel flows like a river through the text - taking the reader on a ride that shows that the modern American idea of what worship really means is so much smaller than the God to which we sing.

Tradition vs. Modernity in Worship

Ray sent out the following article on Hymns and what makes a good hymn.

http://www.rcnzonline.com/fnf/backissues/Sep_2011.pdf

What I liked best about the article is that they made the point that good hymns are congregational in nature. There is a distinct difference between 'excellent art' in worship tunes and and 'excellent hymn'. The two are not mutually exclusive - but I've heard wonderful Christian songs that I couldn't ever sing because of their technicality - and I've heard lousy hymns that are really easy to sing (most of them live in the Baptist hymnal - no offense intended).

What the articles represent in much of what they say is that there are two diametric viewpoints about modern worship. Here are the sides
TraditionalistsTypical mainstream denominations (Lutherans, Presbyterians, Church of Christ) who believe that either Hymnody and Psalter are the only methods for worship. They can also lean toward the "Only sing Psalter without instruments" on the far conservative end. There is traditional and Biblical precedence for this - I don't denounce it.
The ModernistsI do not mean this in the philisophical sense - but as part of what I will call the 'modern worship movement'. These are your mega-churches and anyone who uses 'contemporary worship' - guitars, piano, and musical styles that replicate or emulate some manner of modern 'rock'. This is what you hear on your Christian radio and the churches that adapt it.

Biblical Truth vs. Emotion

Archaic vs. Relevant

Tradition vs. New Age

What I find interesting across the board in all the traditionalist is their over-generalization of modern music - "too simple and forgetful" with a "lack of scriptural base". Strict Hymnody fans really have nothing to bring to the table for anything 'new'. They draw explicitly on tradition to establish the fact that hymnody is superior.

On the other hand we have the modernists are trying to remove the 'dreariness' of the tradition of their fathers - something should be new and relevant - for the sake of relevence and newness. They fall too far in distancing themselves from hymnody. They forget that the Bible itself is 'tradition' and you aren't going to find much 'new revelation'. The two viewpoints are universally opposed. As much as I read - I find very few people of similar mind that are trying to 'bridge the gap'. We know - what - 3 groups that are modernizing hymns? Indelible Grace, the Gettys, the guys at 'Reformed Praise'?

A recent goal that I have had is to establish a 'meter' chart for our modern songs. Instead of falling back on 'How Deep the Father's love for us" - which is a great tune - I want to move other less known hymns into our modern choruses. Take wonderful words that nobody knows and stick a well known chorus with it that people will know. I want somebody going through hard times to have the verses of "Jesus Loves Me" going through their heads - not "I could Sing of Your love forever". When in a hospital in pain - modern contemporary worship gives little course for respite from pain for the weary. There are always exceptions...

Honestly, I'm probably not going to write anything half as good as what a few hundred years of hymnody has already done - and unless lead by the Spirit to do so - I probably won't. I'm trying to take what's been done with beautiful biblical truth and make it into something that people will remember. THAT is the power of music. When I was leading bible study at work I told everyone at the table that music makes you remeber things. So I sang "Row, Row, Row Your boat - gently down the stream" - and 2 of them sang back "Merilly merily merily, life is but a dream". Then I said "Now imagine if that was scripture... ". Oh to know scriptural truth as well as I remember nursery rhymes!

Horatius Bonar on Hymns

I found this to be an interesting statement made by the writer of over 600 hymns! He understood the allure of music perfectly.

"One is often inclined to ask how far some of these exulting hymns may be the utterance of excitement or sentimentalism...hymns are often the channels through which much unreality is given vent to in 'religious life'. Song, like music, is often deceitful, making people unwittingly believe themselves to be what they are not. The amount of superficial similarity, which has, in all ages, been introduced into and fostered in the Church by music, is incalculable. High-wrought feeling produced by it in conjunction with song has in many case misled both the singer and the listener into a belief that their heart was beating truly and nobly towards Christ, when all the goodness was like the morning cloud and early dew."

Worship Book

I recently read a short book on worship music

The book turned out to be a bust in my opinion. Even though it had the endorsement of a man I truly respect, J. Ligon Duncan III, IMHO, this book was not very compelling.

Before I go much further, I want to say that I agree, by and large, with many of the arguments in the book; i.e. that CCM is inappropriate for worship, and that many (if not most), CCM/modern worship songs are insipid and totally narcissistic. Where I feel that the author went afoul of a solid argument is when he began with the mantra that 'drums' are somehow part of the devil's music.

Now, he did not say that in those words, but he intimates it heavily throughout. And the old boogie man of the 'backbeat' somehow conjuring up Satan in the church is simply not true.

His argument for using classical music is that it is so far removed from anything evil that it is safe to be used in the church - although, in it's day, this music too was frowned upon by many within the church.

This is written from a Western man's view of music - drums and music of the type that he disparages, are used in other parts of the world where people have always used drums as part of their heritage. they also do not have organs, pianos and the other western instruments.

As I said earlier, I agree that CCM has no place in the worship life of the church, and I am a staunch believer in hymns, and even Psalter singing, however the arguments put forth by Mr. Lucarini just don't hold water from a musical standpoint. I would have enjoyed a much more theological argumentation, as opposed to the almost 'mystical' perspective that a certain beat and instrumentation is inherently evil.

Sadly, as I work through the changes in our worship style; attempting to jettison some of the inherited CCM and replace it with more solid modern hymns and Psalter singing, these types of books are really useless. I am going to pick up Michael Horton's A Better Way. This was recommended by a pastor that I truly respect.

I have also found Hughes Oliphant Old's books to be quite useful -- his Worship book is fantastic, as is his Leading in Prayer workbook.

Books such as Dan Lucarini's simply provide no useful theological argumentation - but instead, rely on the same arguments that the CCM folks use to introduce the drivel that they call worship music. I think there is a better way, and I believe that we can use arguments that transcend the 'drums are bad' mentality.

The Heart of Worship

Worship is not music, and it has nothing to do with music. They are associated merely by happenstance. 'The world' has delegated the word to meaning 'singing songs about God'. It so much more than that.

Worship is a sacrifice. I never really thought about how people pray that line 'may what we sing be a sacrifice to you'. Really, I thought it had to do with what we 'offer': I offer songs and they offered goats. It's not.

Its the acknowledgment to God that I am His creature: a created being, not worthy to look upon that creator, not worthy to do His work, not worth the salt and water in my body. But I have laid myself aside to kneel before that creator and tell HIM of his WORTH.

'WORTH-SHIP' is where the word comes from.

Its not about me, its not about what I like. It's my personal outpouring of 'thankfulness' or 'lament' or 'gospel truth'. This idea that we need to hear a certain 'style' of music to get 'in the mood' or 'feel the presence'. This is a false! If its about you, the worshipper, then its not worship. If you had anything to do with it, its not worship. These concerns of what people want to hear, what they like, what the worship leader or the band wants to play; it doesn't matter.

What matters is that God is glorified, not that people merely 'feel his presence'. What matters is that we sing to our God! And if we don't, he'll find someone else or the rocks will cry out in our place(Luke 19:37 to 40). What matters is that we acknowledge that its not about 'us'. Our sacrifice is the death of ourselves for a moment, that moment where we know Christ is King, and that He has done mighty works for His creation.

The words of His Word, the heart of the believer, this is what God wants with praise and worship. From the man humming a hymn tune in his head, to tribes in Indonesia that sing praises without music. From east Indian devotional songs, to Psalter in China whispered... carried by the wind to the ear of the creator.

THAT is what God delights in.

Worship leaders don't choose songs based upon their personal preferences or a theme.... they prayerfully consider what the worship team (which comprises the entire congregation) needs to sing to their creator.

And sometimes, they have some instruments to help that congregation find the notes.

PROCLAIM HIS SALVATION

"Biblical worship involves proclamation and leads to proclaiming God's truth with our lives. We're doing more than emoting or having a 'worship experience.' We're declaring why God is so great, what he has accomplished, and all that he has promised. We all need to be reminded, and proclamation helps us remember.

Peter tells us that we have been saved "that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). We're meant to fulfill this command both in our meetings and in our lives.

People come into our churches proclaiming all sorts of things with their words and actions. Through close-fisted giving, some are asserting how much their own personal wealth matters. Others, by their complaining, are declaring that personal comfort matters. Teens in the latest fashions may be proclaiming that being cool matters. Others confirm through their smiles or frowns that their musical preferences matter.

But we want each of them to leave proclaiming this: THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST MATTERS.

God's Word commands us to "proclaim his salvation day after day" (Psalm 96:2, NIV). Proclaiming this salvation should be a daily practice and preoccupation for as long as we live."

-Bob Kauflin -

Psalm 19

A great Psalm on worship!

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,

which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.