DiscerningMUSIC: The Purpose of Church Music

RANDOM QUOTES ~

"I just love to sing those old songs; they go way down deep into the inner parts of our heart and bring out the expression of our love to Thee, the living God." - William Branham

"...hymns have been a powerful instrument of God to draw people closer to His Word and the saving riches therein."

-- Billy Graham

The difference between the old

songs and some of the new ones that are being

sung in our churches today is like comparing

the King James Version of the Bible with the

New International Version. Somehow, the

poetry is just not there. -- Rebekah Branham Smith

"What a way to learn great theology! That's what comes to mind whenever I sing one of those old hymns. "And Can It Be" is like putting the doctrine of salvation to music. "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" is a melodic lesson in grace. No wonder good hymns make for strong faith!

-- Joni Eareckson Tada

CS Spurgeon said, "When your heart is full of Christ, you will want to sing!"

I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to.

-Elvis Presley - US rock singer (1935 - 1977)
~

All of our songs out here, is all some kind of this old jazz music and everything, screaming out. You can't even go in a restaurant and eat without that stuff going on. It's a shame. I go in one, I see it, I turn around and go out, if I can, get away from there.
No, sir. That kind of stuff leads right down to destruction. The devil is in that thing, and it'll finally pull you into it. Shun the appearance of evil. Now, you're going to think I'm a holy-roller, sure enough. But I'm telling you, brother, I'm warning you to keep away from all things that pertains to sin. - William Marion Branham

~

“If we had

more of

those old

songs,

instead of so

much of this

carrying-on

that we do have, I

believe that the church

would be better off.” -- William Branham

~

"One student came to me and told me that God was obligated to accept all worship given to Him. I asked him what he thought of Cain." -- David Ledgerwood

"Sometimes I need to reject the music proposed for my songs because the musicians misunderstand that the Fanny Crosby who once wrote for the people in the saloons has merely changed the lyrics. Oh my no. The church must never sing it's songs to the melodies of the world." - Fanny Crosby

"We might as well pray by machinery as sing by it" and "Israel was at school, and used childish things to help her learn; but in these days when Jesus gives us spiritual food, one can make melody without strings and pipes... we do not need them. That would hinder rather than help our praise. Sing unto Him. This is the sweetest and best music. No instrument like the human voice." Charles Spurgeon, Commentary on Psalm 42

"The organ in the worship service is a sign of Baal." - Martin Luther

“Sing praises with understanding” (Psalm 47:7).
~

Someone told me not long ago, "Brother Branham, music in the church is wrong."
I said, "It is?" I said, "Do you think God changes in nature?"
"No."
I said, "Then, when the prophet got all stewed up and said, 'Bring a minstrel,' and when the minstrel began to play, the hand of the Lord came upon the prophet. If music brought the power of God then, it'll bring the power of God now." God's still the same God. You might not be the prophet, but you could be the minstrel or you can be part of it anyhow, to bring the power of God. -William Marion Branham

~

"Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of the conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of mind with his truth; the purifying of imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of will to his purpose—all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable." - William Temple

> F A C T E X P A N S I O N <

The idea of a church hymn began in the Renaissance, and many of them were composed by Martin Luther.

~

AMAZING GRACE
these words are engraved on John Newtons tombstone:
John Newton, a clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.

~

The speed with which Handel completed Messiah (24 days) has led some to believe that he was truly divinely inspired. It's his most famous piece...
It does not have a linear plotline.
It is a disconnected series of meditations on Christ and recitations of biblical prophecies.
It premiered in Dublin in 1742.

~

Charles Wesley wrote over eight thousand hymns!

~

Mozart teamed with Lorenzo Da Ponte for Don Giovanni. While writing the libretto for Don Giovanni, Da Ponte holed up by himself in a room in his patron's house. In the next room there was a constantly stocked table of food and wine; and in a third room, a prostitute who was available for inspiration at the ring of a bell!

~

King Solomon - better known for other achievements - composed 1,005 songs!

"And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five." (1 Kings 4:29-32)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Purpose of Church Music

Have you ever stopped to consider what the point of your church music program ought to be? What should a "mission statement" for the music department look like?

Biblically, the aim of our music is to:

Praise the Lord (Psalm 69:30)
Worship the Lord (Psalm 66:4)
Remind believers of the goodness of God (Psalm 145:7)
Reflect our personal thankfulness for what He has done (Psalm 28:7)
Teach sound doctrine (Deuteronomy 31:19-22, Colossians 3:16)
Be a convicting testimony to the lost (Psalm 40:1-3)

Everything that is done musically in your church ought to revolve around these concepts. If you have never done so, you need to read and study all of the references to music in the Bible. God is very clear about what is acceptable music.

Please note some of the concepts that are conspicuously absent from the previous list. Church music is NOT about:

Entertaining
Drawing a crowd for a special occasion
Appealing to a worldly audience
Hosting concert tours
Raising money
Selling recordings
Increasing weekly church attendance
Keeping the interest of young people
Impressing visitors
Creating newsworthy events
Manipulating the emotions of the congregation
Creating interludes or "bumper music" between events
Promoting "Christian" celebrities
Giving favors or positions of prominence to certain church members

Every so often, it is good for us to reflect on how we use music in our church services. Let's not trivialize or cheapen this powerful tool of communication by imitating the world's philosophy of music. Keep your music clean, purposeful, God-honoring and Biblical.

DiscerningMUSIC

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Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Purpose of Church Music

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DiscerningMUSIC

Support the Haiti Disaster Relief Effort

comments, suggestions, questions? Email me:

RANDOM QUOTES ~

> F A C T E X P A N S I O N <

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Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Purpose of Church Music

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