tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post4047055098993075677..comments2024-01-27T11:06:22.538-05:00Comments on ADORATE (Worship) : The Problem with PraiseAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430203597916623529noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-79655227003234666222013-09-29T23:56:41.092-04:002013-09-29T23:56:41.092-04:00A while back I wrote a book that's essentially...A while back I wrote a book that's essentially an exegetical look in Scripture at Christian music per se. What I did was locate in Scripture every song and every song clearly labeled as a praise song. You can see the results of my study in Writing And Performing Christian Music: God's Plan and Purpose for the Church.<br /><br />For example, there are different types of praise songs. The very first published praise song in Scripture was by Miriam called The Horse and The Rider. It's an extended work found in Exodus. <br /><br />The second published song is found in Deuteronomy called The Song of Moses. It's a prophetic song and it's also an extended work.<br /><br />The type of praise song that brought the glory into Solomon's temple was called a halal which means shout. It was a short two-line lyric though sometimes it would be longer. <br /><br />My analysis found that the Psalms contained both songs and praise songs. Sometimes the songs in this collection were also sung prayers. <br /><br />Why aren't lyricists more into the Psalms? <br /><br />For one reason we keep telling people they're poems. They're not. They're song lyrics. Second, in light of what you've taught about Finney, they're not evangelical enough. In fact, they're not really evangelical at all! Third, they're emotional, and sometimes weepy and whiney. We don't do emotions in church. Fourth, as Bruce Waltke points out, all the Psalms are Scripture, and we don't sing a lot of Scripture in church any more, either. Fifth, there's the Purpose Driven Church Seminar which teaches only to use happy songs with major chords. Don't use songs with minor chords in a Sunday morning service. Honest. That's actually taught. <br /><br />Now, Suzanne Haik Vantoura. She discovered that the hooks in the Masoretic text were hand motions showing which pitches to sing. Check this out:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv4VIB6cBL0<br /><br />All the Psalms can be decoded this way. Listen to the 23rd Psalm and see how the melody follows the Hebrew. Anyway, a few thoughts!<br /><br />Peter Alexander<br /><br />Peter Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410356738017389311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-31365313970289187092013-09-20T23:38:03.017-04:002013-09-20T23:38:03.017-04:00Tom, I agree with you. If you are up front lookin...Tom, I agree with you. If you are up front looking back you can see how many aren't singing just looking bored. I'm not sure what the answer is. We live in an entertainment driven society. I'm still thrilled when I see some of the kids (teens, pre-teens, and even younger) singing out with that look of sincerity on their facesHarry H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-26523230601275737472013-09-20T17:39:44.882-04:002013-09-20T17:39:44.882-04:00I liked the way you personalized this topic. It... I liked the way you personalized this topic. It's not just modern praise and worship that can tempt us to think we are in relationship with God just because we sing the "right" songs. Singing psalms in corporate worship doesn't necessarily mean we are communicating on a personal level with God either. We need to pour out our personal situations, doubts, sins, struggles, fears and pain to God. No matter what type of music you sing in church, that doesn't exempt you from a one-on-one real conversation with God.Deb Pottshttp://debpotts.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-4060600363501895422013-09-19T14:58:26.963-04:002013-09-19T14:58:26.963-04:00Great blog post, I will add this book to my list o...Great blog post, I will add this book to my list of books to read. I wholeheartedly agree with the need to be silent and listen before God. I wonder if a deeper issue would be that we really don't understand and seek what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus. Disciples of any Jewish rabbi sought to imitate every characteristic of their teacher. How he ate, what he wore, how he spoke and ultimately his interpretation of the Torah. No one can learn to follow Christ and imitate him without listening and digging deeper beyond sunday praise and worship! Thanks for the book referral!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-74119105479244592342013-09-19T00:56:43.277-04:002013-09-19T00:56:43.277-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18073276641209395010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-7200710527304230402013-09-19T00:56:04.783-04:002013-09-19T00:56:04.783-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18073276641209395010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-51959938888773118532013-09-19T00:55:50.813-04:002013-09-19T00:55:50.813-04:00Good stuff. I think the psalms also communicates a...Good stuff. I think the psalms also communicates a wrestling with Godthat is pretty standard part of relationship with God for a lot of people. Like psalms 13, wrestling with God's silence but still trusting him because he has shown his goodness. Christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18073276641209395010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-67130665344682792292013-09-18T20:56:40.332-04:002013-09-18T20:56:40.332-04:00mmm... it seems I posted a sentence in my comment ...mmm... it seems I posted a sentence in my comment that said...the proportion given over to withing affirming the greatness of God. "Withing affirming?" My HP laptop clearly misunderstood my fingers. I need a Mac.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11430203597916623529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-26904948307086546492013-09-18T20:53:52.676-04:002013-09-18T20:53:52.676-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11430203597916623529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-38745999223437969242013-09-18T20:40:11.046-04:002013-09-18T20:40:11.046-04:00Brendan -
You are right to point out the story doe...Brendan -<br />You are right to point out the story doesn't fully reflect the variety of recent praise and worship music available. Of course, the story posted exaggerates (I prefer caricatures) the reality of contemporary worship music. Many have noted a kind of theological maturing in both the artists and in their music. Some of it does address suffering. Some will even address personal sin and confession. But, the proportion given over to withing affirming the greatness of God or our desire to experience the greatness of God is still at proportion that is not consistent with Psalms or with the reality of being a follower of Jesus. <br /><br />In part, I am pointing people to get a hold of Wright's new publication, with its appeal to reclaim a more active use of the themes and ideas of the Psalms in our worship.<br /><br />Good feedback. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11430203597916623529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23235649.post-81046217645421629872013-09-18T19:59:43.738-04:002013-09-18T19:59:43.738-04:00I like it but I don't. Yes a lot of modern mu...I like it but I don't. Yes a lot of modern music focuses on praise, but I think it's unfair to say that modern music ignores suffering. This parable of yours is a bit of a straw man argument.Brendanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10543858458336844899noreply@blogger.com