As part of our mission to drag our church out of the early 1980's and broaden their song repertoire we are leading the second of a series of New Songs Workshops tonight.
Last Sunday was a perfect example of what is wrong. We were not leading the worship and turned up blessedly late. Well, on time, just not really early like we have to be most weeks. LOL! There were 8 songs and apart from a hymn at the end, every single song was written in 1981 and 1982. Now I like Graham Kendrick as much as the next person, but this is not good! {g}
I looked around the room and counted the number of people there. A full quarter of those in the church were teenagers. And not one single song they sang had been written in their life-time. I felt so sorry for them.
And another thing! One of the songs the congregation (played and) sang at half speed, with no discernible enthusiasm, was :
'Rejoice! Rejoice! Christ is in you!
The hope of glory in our hearts
He lives! He Lives! His breath is in you
Arise a mighty army, we arise!'
which is a fabulous song, but it is meant to be sung quite fast and with JOY! I think sometimes that we forget how precious it is to be saved! Our job, as worship leaders, is to remind the people of that joy! Because, otherwise, what's the point?
So, to the New Songs Workshops tonight. Baptist churches are loosely linked in 'clusters' and the other churches from the cluster have been invited. It's based around a shared tea. I've been baking cakes the last couple of days and there will be tablecloths on the tables, tea pots and cakes for everyone who comes. There'll be a time of fellowship and 'meet and greet' and then the band will kick off playing and singing some newer songs to help folk become more familiar with what's out there. The possibilities are endless!
Meanwhile our Sunday mornings are a compromise of blended worship. This morning we'll have 3 hymns and 6 songs. One will be a children's song. The rest are from the last 20 years, Redman, Hughes, Tomlin et al. There ought to be something for everyone in the congregation.
Though there's no Kendrick in sight this week. How will they react to being torn from his comforting arms?{g}
I'll let you know!
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8 comments:
Goodness me, the 1980s?!
We generally don't make it past the 1780s!
Graham who? What's wrong with Issac Watts and Frances Ridley Havergal?!
:D
serious question: why exactly is newer better? Discuss!
LOL! We went back in time this weekend with a bunch of old songs from the past - Sweet By and By, When We All Get To Heaven, etc., all done up in a country/bluegrass sort of style. It was a BIG HIT! People were all clapping and enjoying this "fun" day of worship!
Jackie, did I say newer was 'better'?{g} We want the congregation to have access from the best christian music from ALL eras, including important contemporary music.
I've many times on this blog described my admiration for Watts. I also love most Wesley hymns. I also love a few Kendrick. Hey, I quite like Gregorian chant and, at times, have even found listening to the Nunc Dimitus at evensong spiritually edifying.
The reason we were asked to come to this church was to help develop their music. The whole diaconate are determined to prepare the church for a new direction (outwards not inwards). We're doing what we've been called to do: update, expand repertoire, teach about worship etc And to do all that with no one stomping off and leaving. It's a tough job. LOL!
If your question is 'why new songs'? Here are some answers:
Psalm 33:3
Psalm 96:1
Psalm 144:9
Psalm 149:1
Isaiah 42:10
Of course, I could write several blog posts on this subject as it's so dear to my heart. And probably will!
PS We taught them a new (old) hymn yesterday: 'All to Jesus I surrender'. Gorgeous!
Cindy, Bluegrass worship? It's not on a publically available mp3 recording, is it? How fabulous!
It's great to do new arrangements of old songs from time to time, isn't it? Instead of merely going through the motions, we are more likely to actually read the words and engage with them afresh. We do this quite a bit, though I don't think Jamie could do blugrass or country particularly well.LOL!
Well I rather like the Peasall Sisters, does that count? (we like bluegrass!)
I had to smile last night - we have a lot of visiting preachers, as we share a pastor, and this one had selected three of our usual hymns, from time immemorial, and one from a battered leaflety book we've got which was from the 80s.
It was dire. This made me smile, to the puzzlement of my family!
I do see what you mean about new songs, and I admire what you do immensely - I just think there are some churches who will always sing hymns (there are more modern hymns, obviously, even by living composers, well composer .. I'm not sure if anyone other than Vernon Higham makes it into Christian Hymns!) - and I also think that's OK.
Of course there are modern hymns! 'In Christ Alone' by Stuart Townend meets all the supposed hymn criteria and it WILL last (unlike at least half of dearest Isaac's total oevre!) Most of what is being produced today won't last either!
We have a (brethren) church here in our town which only sings hymns. They like their hymnal. There are 50 hymns and no more are permitted. Once, someone at a meeting asked if they could sing something more modern. She was from Korea and didn't understand the culture of that church. A letter was written to her, accusing her of trying to undermine the authority of the church and telling her she could no longer be 'in fellowship' with them. This is a church which has not made a new disciple in years and is slowly dying out. Tragic.
There are extremes at both ends of the 'church music' spectrum. We aren't anywhere near either extreme.{g} We've just been charged to prepare the church for dramatic change. One of the things they are doing to prepare for that change is to update the repertoire.
The change? MISSION! They've never done that before. They've always just expected people to walk in off the street and get saved, just because the church is there. People don't usually come to faith that way.{g}
And their lack of outreach is the reason this fellowship has fewer members than it did when it was founded 200 years ago.
We used to lead a youth worship band where we did a country-music version of What a friend I have in Jesus. That was cool. I'm really enjoying reading your ponderings on worship. Our church was firmly in the 1970's yesterday. It spends quite a lot of time there. Except when we're playing our guitars, when we generally reach the '90s.
Hey Jan,
I'm glad you are enjoying these thoughts. I'm definitely not finished thinking about these things yet! But I am finally piecing things together which have lurked separately in different parts of my brain for some time now! Having to teach on worship for our church is definitely challenging me to get my biblical facts straight!
The 70's was an interesting period, wasn't it? There was some new writing but not much which has lasted. (Well, not round here anyway!)
Guitars give different opportunities, don't they? I've just been listening to Superchick's version of Redman's Holy Moment with FANTASTIC guitar sound and wondering if our Life-Songs guitarist ahs a hope of reproducing it for our next concert.Mmmmm....
Have a listen, Jan and tell me if you like it. {vbg}
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