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» Singing to Jesus or My Prom Date?

The New York Times recently featured a story about a popular CCM/worship band. The article has interesting things to say about the state of Christian music and the evangelical subculture.

Read the article here.

Read Dick Staub's comments here.

» Martin Luther: Pastor-Musician

Gene Edward Veith reviews the 4-CD set, Martin Luther: Hymns, Ballads, Chants, Truth. This is one of my favorite "worship albums." It offers a great look at a pastor who loved for the church to worship God in song. It features every work ascribed to Luther. The songs are interspersed with quotes from Luther on the topic of worship.

» Stuck in a Rut?

Good post, Eric. Sometimes I think some of our churches are like pre-Vatican II Catholic ones. Everybody is talking in a completely different language. Nobody but the dudes up front know what is going on.

On the other hand, a lot of evangelicalism today is so completely disconnected from history. This is one thing that I think we can learn from the emerging church. Young people today don't just want relevance; they want historical connectedness. They want a big story to which they can tie themselves.

So, let's not overreact, Reformed community, and act like any pursuit of relevance amounts to selling out.

» Stuck in the Rut…Stuck in the Rut…Stuck in the Rut…Stuck in the Rut…Stuck in the Rut…Stuck in the Rut…Stuck in the Rut…

Does this quote apply to our congregational gatherings?
Sometimes we Christians are not very wise, as Jesus seems to have realised (see Lk. 16:8). On occasion we get stuck in the rut of a tradition that it is not in itself biblical. We fail to recognise that the words we use or the precise activities in which we engage are no longer appropriate. Instead of showing the contemporary relevance of the gospel, we veil that relevance and strip it of its power.
By our actions, we are really conveying an unspoken message that the gospel belongs to a past generation, or is permanently enshrined in some ancient tradition. But Christ and the gospel are always contemporary. We need to see to it that we live, speak, act, and witness in ways that are appropriate to him and to our time.
Sinclair Ferguson, The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World, page 156 (emphasis and odd Scottish spellings are the author's).

» Family Worship Book Details

Eric,

We're not yet in the position where we could make them available outside of the church, but at some point I hope to put together a website that will have the contents available. Anyone interested can contact me and I can send them a PDF that they can print out double sided to make their own booklet.

Here is where the contents from from:
Family Readings: The Revised Common Lectionary
Catechism Questions: A Catechism for Boys and Girls by Carey Publications (though I'm doing some editing on this, so you can use another catechism like the Baptist Catechism)
Memory Verse: I'm choosing it to go along with the catechism questions
Daily Readings: From Back to the Bible
Hymn: I choose one to go along with the catechism questions and memory verse if possible. I suggest that people learn the tunes from CyberHymnal.org. Here are the 52 hymns that I identified as those I felt families would do well to learn together (we'll probably cycle the same ones again next year unless I make some changes). Keep in mind that the list was prepared with a view towards children being able to participate... (continue reading...)

» Screwtape on Worship

Bob Kauflin has posted today a great letter from "Tapescrew" to "Woodworm." This is a play off of C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. This short letter gives much truth about the problems in modern worship.

» Family Worship Book

Great thoughts, David, on family worship! I appreciate the emphasis on "moment-by-moment" worship. I do think we do a sort of spiritual damage when we stress God to our children at certain times and ignore Him the rest of the time. This only teaches our children that God is someone to give part of your life to, rather than your all and everything.

How can a reader get a copy of your "family worship book"?

» More Thoughts on Family Worship

Thanks for pointing out Jim Hamilton’s comments on family worship, Eric. I especially liked the way he explained doing various God-focused tasks with the kids at various times throughout the day.

When I reflect on my own experiences with family worship, I am reminded how often I fall into the thinking that once I’ve done certain “spiritual” tasks with the family (and my wife), I have effectively led them in family worship (or put another way, I have checked off my spiritual headship box for the day). We do the same thing with our private worship (a.k.a quiet times or devotions) and corporate worship when we assume that a great time with the Lord in the morning is like a can of spinach to Popeye – it gives us the spiritual power we need to make it to the next meeting. In one sense this is true, that these times of worship are refreshing and reinvigorating, but in another it is not. God tells us that worship is bigger than just special times where we focus our attention on the Lord. Romans 12 begins:

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your... (continue reading...)

» Sunday Morning Peep Shows

It is that time of year again when seasonal candy reminds what our songs, prayers, sermons and services must not be!
Brothers, don't let your worship service be a Sunday morning peep show!

» Serving Assorted Preferences and Future Generations in Our Songwriting: Kevin’s Quick Response

An observation and follow-up question:

In our efforts to give authentic voices to the praises of modern people, we have, I think rightly, attempted to write modern worship songs. However, it often seems to me that much of the "modern" music really isn't that modern. This is possibly because it's written by more mature saints (a good thing), but the tunes often sound like they're microwaved from the previous decade.

Is it worth the effort to write "modern" worship songs?How can we give voice to modern man without becoming obsessed with being "hip?"How do we balance being culturally relevant with being historically connected? Or are either important at all?