A Practical Inquiry into Psalm Singing

As I read Terry Johnson's chapter on Psalmody in the church, I began to realize how little of this I personally had experienced. Other than the fragments that are typical of contemporary music (some of which is biblical, edifying, and useful), and an occasional Watts paraphrase (the inclusion of which in a discussion on Psalms is open to question), I do not remember singing Psalms with a church body. To be honest, this never concerned me. It never approached the forefront of my inquiry. However, I believe that Mr. Johnson is correct is affirming the Psalms as an essential part of the church's praise to God.

Instead of continuing to speak about my personal experience (let that suffice as a background), I would like to pose a question: pending acceptance of Johnson's analysis of the causes behind the lack of hymn singing (ignorance, supposed lack of accessibility, assumption of the outdated nature of the music, fear of numerical decline, etc.), how do we, as future pastors, music leaders, and/or laymen influence the church local and universal positively toward singing Psalms consistently?

Psalms as a Picture of True Christianity

Today's reading from Terry Johnson's article outlined several reasons why Psalms are an important part of Christian worship. As I reflected on this, I realized how influential the Psalms can be in helping believers to live a life pleasing to God. Through their laments, pleadings, questions, resignations, and praises to God they set an example and precedent for Christians of all times. They exemplify a life in which an understanding of God's character and actions are ultimately the basis for every action. Whether it is David in Psalm 3 placing his utmost hope for protection in God himself or if it is the psalmist in Psalm 96 calling the whole earth to praise God because of His greatness, the Psalms depict a life lived in light of and in dependence on God. They point out to their readers who God is and how that in turn is to affect their lives. All these things are lessons that would greatly aid Christians today, if learned correctly. And what better way to meditate on and remember an important truth than to put it to music and sing it?

Christless Christianity

Doc, I hope you do not mind me doing this - I am going to put a plug in here for Michael Horton's new book Christless Christianity.
Set for release on Oct. 31, Christless Christianity deals with the so-called "alternative Gospel of the American Church". Having read the first chapter online, I sense that this will provide a much-needed glimpse into the areas in which much of the American church has strayed from the truth. Horton addresses issues such as the problem of moralistic preaching facing the church today, the danger of downplaying or ignoring doctrine, and the pervasiveness of self-centered Christianity. Since this work handles the topic of American Christianity, it will certainly be applicable in many ways to our understanding of modern Christian worship.
As good as this book looks, there is even more good news; if you pre-order it (before Oct. 31) you can get it for $10.00, 50% off the list price. Shipment is slated for the first week of November.
If you have a chance, read the the first chapter (http://tinyurl.com/3mqzuz) to get a taste for what it's like.

http://www.christlesschristianity.org/

Gospel Worship

"Gospel worship is the joyful sanctifying of God's Name by glorifying God as God in the face of Jesus Christ through the enablement of the Holy Spirit."

I read this quote in a book I've been reading. It's an article from GQ magazine written by Walter Kirn. This man, a novelist and GQ's literary editor, decided to examine evangelical Christianity from the viewpoint of an outsider. He spent seven days doing nothing but Christian things, listening to Christian music, watching Christian movies, etc. This is what he said on the seventh day:

"[Evangelical Christianity] is mall Christianity. It's been malled. It's the upshot of some decision that to compete with them - to compete with 'N Sync and Friends and Stephen King and Matt and Katie and Abercrombie and Fitch and Jackie Chan and AOL and Sesame Street - the faithful should turn from their centuries-old tradition of fashioning transcendent art and literature and passionate folk forms such as gospel music...and instead head down to Tower or Blockbuster and check out what's selling, then try to rip it off, on a budget if possible and by employing artists who are either so devout or so plain desperate that they'll work for scale. What makes the stuff so half-assed, so thin, so weak and cumulatively so demoralizing...has nothing to do with faith. The problem is lack of faith."

I thought this was pretty interesting.

Preaching in Song

As we discussed the Lewis paper in class on Tues. a few connecting thoughts came into my head. When a preacher does his role rightly and speaks the Word, Truth will penetrate minds, hearts, even souls, and the result will be conviction of sin, repentance, and changed lives. This is true worship according to Romans 12:1-2 -- that we be living sacrifices seeking conformity to the Truth as it is seen and revealed in scripture and in Christ. Certainly we may acknowledge that this is not often comfortable. But it is always good and pure and true and right and admirable and holy. It is indeed the necessary job of the preacher to make the flock uncomfortable at times, to break the legs of the sheep if they are found to be habitual wonderers. If, then, it is true, as we have said in the past, that the song texts in congregational worship are "the other sermon" does it then stand to reason that our worship in singing might not always be comfortable by design or reception?

Finding Intentions In Prayer

Too many a times in the pulpit, you will see a pastor or music leader asking to for the congregation to come into prayer without any inclination of what will come out of there mouth next. Finding purpose, and placing intention in prayers is important. Planning a prayer, which is described in GPTG pg163, is essential as not to lead your people before the throne with no plan on how your going to get there. "By the blood of Jesus" saith the preacher, but i say that without a foreknowledge of prayer, you will be leading into a prayer lacking the most important issues and settling for a intermission between speaking instead of grabbing hold onto the power of God to heal, fix, grow, change... and thats just intersession!
The three points of what to avoid in prayer, that are listed on page 165, ring true almost once a week in either my church or chapel. To have brief prayers where it is best to keep it short is SO distracting. Experiencial, having a short prayer for someone comming to speak is worth having at least one thought prior. Also, planning some certian praises, pations, or presenting sin is worth planning before hand. (look at all the "P''s ) Preaching in prayer is impersonal, it's almost like talking to friend while having another friend on the phone.

Meditation On The Implication Of God's Eternality In Our Worship From The Reading In Gospel Worship

From the reading in Burroughs, if God is eternal, then we must view our sin - past and present - as if it had just been done [pg 122-123 of the old version]. God does. I tend to enter into worship in a frame of mind proportionate to the amount of sin I committed recently. Instead, I should always enter into worship with the conscious realization of who God is - HOLY - and who I am and what I've done to offend his holiness. This is why our worship must be done through a mediator. I cannot come into God's presence because of my sin. It is only through Christ's righteousness imputed to me that I can. The realization of who I am, what I've done, and who I am in Christ should compel not a boastful and arrogant disposition but a heart that is humble and contrite, desiring God's glory alone.