Joy Comes In The Morning

[Pastor Gary]

Sorry Brother, but I don't desire to LEARN the new songs that don't rhyme or have any musical style.

YOU ARE GREAT
(John Larson - Highlands Worship)

how great is the love
that You lavished on me
how infinite Your majesty

You formed the mountains
You calmed the raging seas
and redeemed this heart in me

You are great
Your mercies never fade
Your grace is all i need
forever, forever i will sing
You are great

You are great
the heavens boast Your praise
my heart has been set free
forever, forever i will sing
You are great

-- Brother, all I can say is, if you can't worship to this song and these lyrics, your worshipper is busted.

[cndlou]

we are in the heart of Dixie and I know that makes a difference.

Sorry, I disagree... I also live in the South. While I do enjoy the Gaither type music....I love the "new" worship songs and prefer it when worshipping, alone or in a group setting. The words to the new songs are so much deeper to me... When I actually "read" the words of the new songs instead of just singing the words to the old songs I have heard forever it seems to make something click inside of me... It takes me directly into the throne room... As I said, I enjoy the old stuff but I think people that refuse to try the new are missing out....

[Martha]

I love P&W music and I love the hymns. A little of southern gospel goes a long way with me. I agree that P&W songs can carry you into intimate worship of God. However, I too, think the music has become so intricate that most musically untrained people have difficulty singing the songs. I have been attending one of the largest churches in my city and they sing only P&W songs. The worship choir spends hours practicing and learning the music. However, the audience is usually left behind. I have spent many years as a church musician as well as worship leader. I led folks (sometimes kicking and screaming) into using P&W music projected on the wall (or screen.) In recent years it seems that even I can't follow many of the new songs.

Maybe what we need to do is at the very beginning of a service, when introducing a new song, take a little time to have the people just read aloud the words. Then introduce the melody line. This should only take a few minutes. It may help those of us who are older to enjoy the new music much more.

While I'm on the subject, there are many old hymns that can be incorporated into P&W quite easily. We need to use them when possible. Our children need to be taught those hymns as well as P&W songs.

[PastorP]

I heard it this way: "Some sing from a book, some sing off the wall, and some sing not at all!"

Shouldn't the real objective be to worship the Lord, instead of having our own agenda when we are in church.

[PastorP]

PLEASE!!! Don't build me a cabin in the corner of gloryland or just allow me to only make it in. I would rather be praising with "How Great Is Our God!"

[dbserv]

Maybe this would be the correct one in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uRuNNmTXNs

Thanks, Paul, but that's not the one.

[Pastor Gary]

I too, think the music has become so intricate that most musically untrained people have difficulty singing the songs... In recent years it seems that even I can't follow many of the new songs.

Martha, I'd love to learn from this: would you cite a couple of examples of songs your church sings that are difficult to catch on for you?

[Rascal]

I believe that each of us has the right to choose which style of music we like to worship with. There is nothing wrong with the new songs on- the- wall. I just simply don't like them. Not my style. I have tolerated them for 2 years and I am OK with them. I just don't enjoy them. One good thing is our minister of music does allow a variety of music. We usually will sing an old hymn (on- the- wall) and sometimes a Gaither style, southern gospel is sung. I will give him credit, he tries to give us a variety.

I will address one reason why it is difficult to learn these new songs. They will usually sing one and they may not sing that one again for weeks. It seems he continues to feed us new material. The P&W team does know the material, so it quickly becomes a team song. Of course, these are not offered to the congregation in written form, so we must rely on- the- wall. I realize many people can worship with these and our church has a lot of success with this especially with the youth.

I also realize that generation X has their own style of worship and I can accept that. I am for reaching the lost anyway we can. That does not mean that I want to learn these songs. Nor, does it mean I am not capable of learning them. I simply just don't like them. I can assure you I do not have a learning disability as some might think.

The tech age is only begining and cyberspace is the limit. We do have the ability to stream our services on line all over the world. It is a new tool to spread the gospel and to connect Christians as never before. I could stay at home and worship with friends on line. Nothing wrong with that. I just don't want to. Projection screens make it possible for us to sing without song books saving us $. Nothing wrong with that. I hope we can include some hymns so our grandchildren will learn Amazing Grace and some other top ten hymns. Nothing wrong with that either. I could throw my Bible away and use my computer. Nothing wrong with that either, I just don't want to. I like to carry my Bible to church.

All of this is just a matter of preference. We are all different and I think the Lord made us that way. I would not want everyone to be like me, then I would not be ME!

PS, I still don't like to sing the unknown songs on the wall..........

[soulsearcher]

In reality, we don't know what we like - we like what we know. Can't remember where I heard that but it rang a bell loud and clear for me years ago.

I've been through the Blue Book, the Brown Book, the Red Book, The Green Book, The Baptist Hymnal, Songs of Inspiration #1-Upteen, and I have a personal vintage collection of antique paper-back gospel songbooks. I can play virtually 90% of everything in there. I cut my teeth on southern gospel, convention songs and shaped notes.

In recent years I've gone through everything Hosanna, Hillsong, Houghton, Munizzi, Tomlin, Jesus Culture, Gungor, Sanchez, Stockstill, Deluge, and United.

I love Bynum, Crouch, Franklin, Hammond, Hawkins, McClurkin, Smallwood, Walker, Winan, Yohe and ANYTHING Clark Sisters.

And guess what? It's ALL good to me if it lifts up the name of Jesus. In a book, on a wall, or printed nowhere at all. On a pew, in a chair, under a tree, on a stair, by the sea. Matters not where or how His precious name is lifted in song - just as long as it's lifted.

We are talking SUBSTANCE here, right? Because if we're talking STYLE, well then... that's a different story; one of mere preference.

[dbserv]

Thank you SS!!!

You have worded my answer so much better than I could have. I've been trying all day to come up with words that expressed my thoughts on this. You have done it for me.

Thank you! Thank you!

[dbserv]

I will add:


We have 2 worship pastors. One is a rock & roll musician - so our Saturday nights are definitely heavy rock - my personally preferred style. On Sunday morning, the other pastor leads and he uses a complete mix from old hymns to rock & roll (though not as heavy as Sat. nights). Usually the "old hymns" have been rearranged with a modern tempo that compliments the message of the song.



Just because a song gets the people "shouting" or clapping doesn't mean it has any value at all. Some time back, our senior pastor paused during a sermon and had the band start the song "Hold The Fort". In no time, the old timers were clapping along and singing. At the end, they all stood and applauded.

I just sat there because of my recollection of a Jack Pruitt sermon back in the 70's and his opinion (which I shared from that day on) that the song is one of complete and utter defeat and gives the enemy the signal to bring it on because we are about to go down!!!

Our pastor proceeded to point out the very same opinion of the song and the old timers were trying to crawl under their seats before he was done. He used it to make a point that we need to pay more attention to the words and message of a song than we do to the style of music that is used to convey the message!!!

[soulsearcher]

dbserv, here is your song, performed here by a young boy named Logan (a Vestal Goodman sing-a-like!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL_RWmQBZP0

[dbserv]

Thanks SS.

That's it!!!

Dan