Featured A service for worship & nothing else?

EXTREMELY well said in my opinion!

 

Brother Luke, how could anything I posted be construed as sloppy worship? What I am trying to convey, and apparently failing miserably, is that one doesn't have to be in a church building, or even in a crowd of two or three, to worship God. Worship comes from the heart, and that heart must be turned towards God before true worship can be obtained. I have been coming home from work, and listening to some christian music, and have a worship service in my car. I am not saying you don't believe this is possible, but nothing I have posted in this thread even alludes to sloppy worship, IMO.

 

I didn't say that YOU were advocating sloppy worship.

That is what this thread is about.

I am saying though that your comments represent a very one sided view of worship.

EVERYBODY today believes that you worship God by "thanksliving". Me, you, Arminians, Calvinists, Traditionalists, Contemporarians (i made it up:smilewinkgrin.

But the problem is that people advocate THAT in the place of reverent corporate worship.

It is not either, or. It is both and.

 

I honestly think we may sum-up the discussion by including "Luke's" words here:

This is to say that....those who are in defense of modern musical forms and some "freedom" or "laxity" or "stylistic defferrence" in music are absolutely NOT "WRONG"....yes...Drums and electric guitars are absolutely possibly appropriate instruments to use.....God has told us to "clap your hands"...and "clapping hands" is nothing but keeping time with what is essentially "Percussion"....that isn't the argument...attitude is.

I think Luke has a point. and the point is summed-up perfectly by his explanation that the OT must be referred to when it comes to an appropriate "Spirit" or "Attitude" when it comes to approaching God. And though we in the "NT era" have some freedom to express (what with us being mostly gentiles and what-not)....the Spirit of how we should approach God is simply one of true AWE and I say again....FEAR.

The OT gives us some insight into this. And I think we need to pause when we incorporate drumsets and electric guitars (none of which are INHERENTLY bad) to insure that we have created an atmosphere truly conducive to the approaching the audience of ONE with the appropriate sacrifice of praise.
We are NOT singing to the congregation...we are singing to GOD.


Does "GOD".........want to hear an off-key choir? Or are we simply too weak and scared to tell someone that they are no good...and they should NOT sing in the choir as their talents are no good here....and it's cute that you want to join us...but God never "called" you to sing with us, as you are deaf and sound horrid...and I simply WILL NOT put that in front of my Lord God and King. <----This last paragraph (BTW) is ENTIRELY HoS...don't blame Luke for any of it. :thumbs:

 

But...Did you grasp the un-mitigated AMAZING-NESS of PETRA????
I cite here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVYTULb33kU

Yes, I know....they are THAT GOOD...The key-boardist is this good earlier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6xv1D9C4OI
No...... Greg X. Volz was NOT singing "falsetto" when he sang the Soprano part of the "Hallelujah Chorus" (one octave lower).....and yes the keyboardist is simply that good...

So, yes....you "Can" use drums and electric guitars to "worship"....but, get the attitude right first.......:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

Take THAT "Jars of Clay"........

 

I would say that worship is for God. Jesus Christ told the woman at the well:

John 4:21-23
21. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.

We worship God and if our worship is in spirit and in truth, is acceptable to God, then we are blessed by God.

I agree with Luke that a spirit of reverence is necessary for true worship of God. If we don't reverence God we sure cannot worship Him. That being said worship cannot be elitist. So what if someone in the choir misses a note. We are told to make a "joyful noise unto the Lord", not sing in complete harmony. If that were required we could simply use a CD of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! Some of the mega-churches may be able to assemble a choir that never misses a note but I suspect that most churches are unable to assemble such.

Back to the need for reverence. It is my opinion that what passes for worship in the so-called contemporary services are irreverent and not acceptable to God.

 

I appreciate what you are saying. I would just say that the same Bible that says to make a joyful noise says to play "skillfully" and no where says to make that noise poorly.

The point is that we ought to do the best we can with what God has given us and always be seeking to do better and better.

 

I agree. But a given church must use what talent they have. A small congregation with a hundred or so adults is unlikely to be able to assemble a choir in which no one misses a note.

Frankly, I have often believed that the Church might be better off if the choir were dispersed among the congregation. Too often the choir is devoted to presenting a flawless performance, worthy of congregational praise, rather than making joyful and reverential music worthy of acceptance by God as worship!

I don't believe anyone could disagree with that as long as the end gal is acceptable worship of God.

I would also add that I believe all those who are routinely employed in Church functions whether it be singing in the choir, teaching a SS class, or teaching in any capacity ahould be members of the Church, not outside help.

 

This is not about whether the music is contemporary or old.

It is about whether or not it is conducive to an environment of reverence, transcendence and awe which is suitable for the worship of Almighty God.

It is also an error to presume that "reverence" is strictly subjective.

It is not and we all know it.

Many of us watched the service at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier today.

They did not invite Gallhager for a reason.

Reverence is not subjective.

We know when something is mostly about being cool and hip and we know when something is primarily geared to be transcendent and reverent.

Let's don't act like we don't.