If Satan Wrote Biblically Sound Worship Music, Would You Sing It In Church?

Disntr ^ | July 10, 2024 | staff

[Scarlett156]

“I prefer old fashion hymns out of old fashion hymn books.
Now turn in your hymn book to page 358 and let’s all sing “Amazing Grace” Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found; Was blind, but now I see.”

This may bother some folks for me to say this, but: My opinion is that the songs sung during a worship service should be traditional songs known by all the congregation. There should not be any sort of change to this practice AT ALL, except in the following circumstances:

* If there are members of the congregation who long to express themselves in terms of pop musick and who are, you know, decent singers/musicians, those should be allowed to have a service, however often as convenient, under the auspices of the church. The entire community should have a chance to hear the singers/musicians doing their thing and whoever wishes to take part should be welcome, even if not a member of the church. (All the musick thus presented would of course be screened by the clerics and singers/musicians who are already a part of the sabbath service for appropriateness regarding doctrinal elements in the text, melodic/chordal progressions, and whatever else might bother the established congregation - like if it’s too fast, too hard to sing, etc.) In any case, a cleric should always be present and not leave things up for grabs of open interpretation. A worship service should never bother or challenge anyone, EXCEPT during the sermon, when various members might get called out for their transgressions. (But that’s the sermon, not the musick.)

* Assuming the above is adopted, members of the congregation may choose to include a favorite song as part of the worship service. This will only be after the approval of clergy and established congregation.

The sermon is supposed to be challenging and perhaps confrontational.

The musick, not so! Bach, the inventor of the so-called “well tempered system” that musicians still use today, stuck to CLERGY-APPROVED chord progressions in all his musick, which he apparently also taught to his 155 children, some of whom were also famous musicians.

Musick during a worship service should set a worshipful mood, not call attention to the performer of said musick. And as far as traditional songs being boring: Go to the internet some time and look up an old church song like “oh nob our help in ages past” or “doxology” and just SEE how many ways you can phrase or sing those b1tches. It’s almost endless!

Some more modern pop songs lend themselves quite easily to a worship service - I always liked the song “Day By Day” from the Broadway play “Godspell” - it’s easy and the chord progression falls into the church’s “acceptable” category.

Day by day
Day by day
Oh dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day

[Telepathic Intruder]

They don’t call it “Christian country”, because the two are often not that different anyway. Unlike “Christian rock”, which they have to specify so that you know it’s that, and otherwise might have missed. But the modern urban country stuff, however, is not the same. It’s all going downhill as you say. To the ducks. Down to the fishies in the deep blue sea. Give me that old time Gospel music.

[bigbob]

Guess Christian Hiphop would be a no then, too...

Even with the bad words censored?

[Jumper]

Modern Christain music is written in a single fashion today. It is written for people to sing along, with extended verses repeating over and over. Many churches have replaced their worship with music. They are music ministries. It’s popular, feel good, and the pastors can steer clear of today’s issues or politics. Another popular thing is being the wine and bread portion of service every Sunday, which again allows the music to be played while people wait in line to get their grape juice and bread. Everything is designed to participate with the exception of announcements.

There are literally no Christian songs popularized on the radio today that were not designed for extended worship service. K-Love Industry has resulted in Chruches and music ministries that essentially every amature musician in the community shows up to be a part of service to play or sing.

It is an amazing phenomenon to see evolve.

[larrytown]

If Satan himself wrote biblically sound worship music

If pigs could fly...

If my aunt had balls...

The premise is invalid, so all conclusions drawn from it are invalid.

[Redcitizen]

“ If Ozzy wrote it, maybe”

Here you go: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NV2FaWhbS3U

[grumpygresh]

I dont believe Satan could write Biblicaly sound music. It could contains some or much truth but there would always be a lie designed to harm the listener. Satan comes to deceive kill and destroy.
Only God cannot lie.

[Fiji Hill]

I prefer old fashion hymns out of old fashion hymn books.

Amen! Preach on! I hate both the "praise music" and the insipid contemporary "songs" (for some reason, they are no longer called hymns) that dominate Christian worship today.

Hymn-writing has become a lost art. Once upon a time, hundreds of great hymns would come out each year, but for some reason, hymn-writing went into decline aftet World War I. In my opinion, the last great hymn that was ever written was Each Step I Take, composed in 1953.

[50sDad]

If you could teach whooping cranes to play the oboe, would you pay koalas to tapdance?

[LilFarmer]

Our church has a wonderful balance. No “production”, no smoke and lights, but our music guy sets Psalms to music. Simple, guitar and piano. Absolutely beautiful.

[alternatives?]

Did Jesus ever sing a solo? He did sing a hymn with the apostles.

I have a problem changing the worship service where everyone sings equally into one where those onstage account for 50% or more of the singing volume. At that point, it seems to end being worship and changes into a performance. Look at how good I can sing. Not sure that is a worship service.

[21twelve]

Years ago at church the little kids did a song in rap form.

I mentioned to an older gal afterwards that I couldn’t stand rap, but the kids have fun with it.

“Well - it was the same way when I was a child. My parents couldn’t stand my music.”

“Um - what?”

“They only allowed classical music in the house. But I liked the big band music. Dad said the horns in the music was from the Devil.”

[Fiji Hill]

One of my favorites. My mother is one of the singers.

Precious Hiding Place--The Old Fashioned Revival Hour Chorus Choir (1952)

[21twelve]

There was a South Park episode where they are trying to form a rock group but they are terrible and nobody will hire them. “Hey - we’ll do Christen Rock instead!”

That said, I listen to some of what my kids listen to (Christian Rock) and it is okay. My son used to listen to Christian “Screamo” music. I gave him a hard time about that in a joking matter.

“Yeah - I like how they balance the staccato bass and drum death metal and the shrill screaming voice with the lyrics about the love of Jesus.”

[21twelve]

“...with extended verses repeating over and over. Many churches have replaced their worship with music.”

I mentioned to my pastor once about the repetitive nature of the modern songs. He agreed that it was repetitive. And that there was a reason. “You know how growing up you did the repetitive, rote responses between the preacher and the congregation? Well, we don't have that anymore.”

It is in the song. I can't remember precisely why he said that repetition is important. But he said what he does (and what I now do make the songs bearable) is to focus on God. Every time the verse repeats about how God is good, full of grace or whatever, focus on an individual way that God is “good” (or whatever) each time that word is sung. I've found that very helpful and worthwhile.

[lurk]

I see very little scripture being used on this thread.

[joethedrummer]

“You get them in the door, and then you use the opportunity to share the word of God with them.“

I get what you’re saying, but non-believers do NOT go to church to hear a good band. The world has PLENTY of WAY better ones.
Any non-believer who takes that step into a church -is looking for something deep. Something to change ‘things’..

[21twelve]

Good friends of ours (Mormon) invited us to their son’s baptism. We hemmed and hawwed about it, but figured we wouldn’t view it as worshiping - but as supporting our Mormon friends.

It was fine, except for singing one of the hymns. It had the same melody as a familiar hymn, and IIRC familiar words. “By his blood we are saved, we are set free...” type stuff.

Until it got to some later verse where it went something like “Surely Joseph Smith doth died for me....” (We quit singing!)

[joethedrummer]

“..our music guy sets Psalms to music.“

THERE ya go! - singing God’s Word to Him - in song.

I believe that this brings Him joy.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

130 years ago the Salvation Army took old saloon piano tunes and wrote new words to them, then played them on the streets. Caused quite a scandal at that time.
When asked why they did this the answer was..”Why should the Devil have all the best tunes?”
Many of those same tunes are in churches today.