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Why Men Have Stopped Singing in Church (L)

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5923 **9/19/13 5:47 am**

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/afewgrownmen/2013/05/why-men-have-stopped-singing-in-church/

And yet worship leaders feel like they're failing if they're not constantly introducing new music....interesting!
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Re: Why Men Have Stopped Singing in Church (L)

Acts-dicted Posts: 8065 **9/19/13 9:00 am**

Acts-dicted Posts: 8065 **9/19/13 9:28 am**

I found the article on a link that was not blocked.

Wow!! Great article!! I've had an uneasiness in my spirit for more than 10 years about the direction worship has taken in our churches. The couple of times I've diplomatically tried to speak up, I've been smacked down by angry worship leaders.

I removed myself from music ministry all together about a year ago because of all this micro-management. I was on the list to sing special songs once a month, usually on Wednesday night. I had tons of soundtracks from the 70's, 80's and 90's on cassette, and I had them transferred to CD with the sound quality cleaned up. Every time I sang one of them , people over 40 would go nuts! "WHERE did you find that soundtrack? Oh my God! That song really impacted me in my early years as a Christian! Thank you!!" Even our youth sat up and took notice. One night I sang Don Francisco's "I Don't Care Where You've Been Sleeping". Not a dry eye in the place. Ah, but the music minister DID NOT LIKE IT! Why? Because it did not fit the direction he wanted to take the music department.

I've never bucked authority or tried to rock the boat. I just ease out of sight. Three years ago I posted on my FB page a short exhortation by Jack Hatford from the early 90's where he predicted and warned against this trend of complexity in worship services. All I commented was, "I found this word to be challenging and thought provoking, but I'd like to hear the opinion of others." Our worship leader and guitar player went NUTS!! They took it as some sort of personal attack. But I was not aiming it at them in the slightest. Their reaction certainly made me think it stepped on their toes and brought to the surface their insecurities.
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"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves UPCI

Good Article

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6385 **9/19/13 11:09 am**

One sentence hits home.. "People enjoy singing songs they know."

A Few Questions

New Member Posts: 17 **9/19/13 11:17 am**

I pastor a multigenerational church and many of our older members say they can't sing with our newer songs. So, this topic is dear to my heart. I think we have to ask ourselves a few questions concerning worship as this conversation is progressed.

1) Who is worship for? Is worship for the unsaved visitor, the member, or is it for God. I do believe our music must be attractional, but I also believe the visitor must see passionate worship coming from those who have already come to know Jesus. I respect the contribution that the older generation has made in building and sacrificing at times to maintain the only Church of God left in our city. However, we all agree we must reach the next generation. I was very proud during a recent discussion one of our older members said, "I'm here and going to be here, but I want something left at this church when I'm gone".

2) Is singing worship? Does someone actually have to sing the songs to be worshipping? I know that singing can be worship, but I'm not sure that just because someone isn't singing that they aren't worshipping. Is it just a condition like we have to clap during fast songs and lift our hands during slow songs?

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **9/19/13 11:34 am**

I have always felt that having a good blend of songs old and new was the wisest and most scriptural approach. Both extremes (only the new is anointed, or only the old is) are silly at best and prideful at worst.

The attitude of many seems to be that nothing but the latest and greatest "cutting edge" songs are worthy of singing. Like junior high schoolers, they look with disdain on anything other than the latest Top 40.

The other extreme, that only the old-time gospel songs are capable of being anointed, is just as wrongheaded and silly. Even the old hymns were originally contemporary.

I like a mix of songs...

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **9/19/13 12:54 pm**

although I personally lean toward new music, I know that in worship we need a familiarity with the songs and activities of worship.

I do have one question:

"If I only find deep inspiration in the songs of 40 years ago, am I devaluing the work of the Holy Spirit in song writers of today?"

Corallary:

"If I only find value in songs of today, am i devaluing and disrespecting the ageless truth of the past?"

I hear far too often that only songs of the past charge up a congregation. This may wound harsh, but that congregation has settled for a move of God in the past and try to re-create the history of that particular body. A church body that is moving toward the end of time will move, change and shift with time while remaining respectful and finding value in the great moves of God in the past.

Some of the best modern congregations use old songs in almost every set. I would commend to you Flood Church in San Diego, CA at www.diveintoflood.com and Red Mountain Church in Birmingham, AL at http://www.redmountainchurch.org/.

Two very different churches that have deep respect for the past.

I would also commend Jadon Lavik as an artist who is making the past alive and real to a whole new generation of listeners.
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Have a song leaders...

Acts Mod Posts: 25305 **9/19/13 1:48 pm**

Whose voice has changed and can lead songs in a manly key. Laughing

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Doctor of Bovinamodulation

Re: Have a song leaders...

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **9/19/13 2:17 pm**

Re: Good Article

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16509 **9/19/13 4:29 pm**

Re: Good Article

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16646 **9/19/13 5:51 pm**

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16509 **9/19/13 6:17 pm**

Music is one of the most controversial things in the church. The problem comes when a church decides to change their music style.

Re: Good Article

Acts-dicted Posts: 8065 **9/19/13 6:27 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **9/19/13 10:10 pm**

My introduction to the praise team 'fad' was in the mid 80s among the charismatics. Being from a fairly traditional Pentecostal background where we primarily sang from the hymnal and were led by a solo songleader, it seemed very strange to see 5 or 10 or more singers all with mics on the stage, lyrics projected on the wall, etc.

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5923 **9/19/13 10:25 pm**

As I commented to my FB friend that posted this, in a perfect world, we have a blend of old/new & traditional/contemporary. We have "hymn nights" every so often, but we are somewhat limited by the piano player (me!) Everyone seems to enjoy the old hymns, and I enjoy singing from the heart and not having to remember a special arrangement or how many times we sing the chorus before we go to the bridge. LOL

And as someone here commented, it saddens me that there are churches that don't recognize the beauty and yes, the tradition of the hymns. I've seen many people post that they don't sing hymns at their churches anymore, and it's sorely missed. On the other hand, it also saddens me when folks feel like the only songs worth singing are in the Redback, and if you aren't singing them, it's just not anointed.

I think some of the truth is that we are nostalgic about things from our younger days, and the older we get, the fonder we recall those things.

My kids didn't learn the hymns in the COG, but in the Baptist church where they went to school. Kind of sad in a way that we are not passing that heritage on to our children. I enjoy & respect that heritage, but at the same time, I wouldn't want to do just hymns every week.

I bet some of our older generation would be horrified to learn that a lot of the great hymns of the church were new songs written and put to the tunes of bar songs. Music history tells us that they used the music from the bar tunes because people were familiar with them already.

I also agree that you can worship without music, but it is a tool to enhance worship, IMHO. It helps gets our focus off ourselves and our problems and helps us become God-focused.

The prophet Elisha asked for a minstrel when he needed to hear from the Lord. As the minstrel played & worshiped, God spoke to Elisha.

A lot of the contemporary music is complex, but I don't think the intention was ever that the congregation should stop singing. Sometimes we get so caught up in "getting it right" that we lose the importance of the message in the song. Again, a balance is needed to make it truly work for a congregation.
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A good old convention song...

Acts Mod Posts: 25305 **9/20/13 8:54 am**

Would totally baffle many young believers Laughing

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Doctor of Bovinamodulation

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5431 **9/20/13 7:39 pm**

Re: Good Article

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **9/20/13 8:44 pm**

Re: Good Article

Friendly Face Posts: 104 **9/21/13 1:57 am**

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16509 **9/22/13 7:43 am**