This is the third installment on a series of posts exploring John Wesley’s Rules for Singing. Reflections on Rule #1Reflections on Rule #2 3. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, as to be heard above, or distinct from, the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound. Just as rule #2 was an expansion of rule #1, so this rule is a check … Read More
The Artistry of the Ancient Won Me Over…I Kept Coming Back
I see this testimony time and again. It is my own story, too. I continue to meet young people, attracted to the ancient faith that their parents abandoned and they never knew. Ritual…liturgy…hymns. This is the testimony of Stephanie S. Smith at worship.com. It’s written so well. Here’s the first half, but you can read the full post here. It’s just another example of why new generations are interested in the convergence of old things and new things: old hymns … Read More
Two Styles Don’t Have to Mean Two Churches within a Church
Don Sweeting has recently left our church to become President of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. On his way out, he has given some valuable reflections on how God shaped worship at our church during his tenure. You can read his whole post, but here are some highlights: In my current pastorate we have multiple services and mulitiple styles. Our mission calls us to more than one direction stylistically…For our main services, currently we have what we call a classical … Read More
Meditation: A Blind Spot in Traditional Worship
Traditional worship (of which I am a big fan) does a great job pointing out the blind spots of contemporary worship—self-centeredness, low view of God, shallow theology, biblical illiteracy, etc. Modern worship, for the most part, does not return the favor, so I’d like to point out a blind spot in traditional worship that modern worship has exposed. As I’ve talked about before, traditional worship has often criticized contemporary worship for their “7-11 songs”–songs which have seven words, sung eleven … Read More
Singing Corpses: John Wesley on Lackluster Worship
The following is part of a series of blog posts dedicated to exploring John Wesley’s Rules for Singing. Reflections on Rule #1 2. Sing lustily, and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of it being heard, than when you sing the songs of the world. Wesley is obviously using rule #2 to press … Read More
On Technology, In-Ears, and Personal Sacrifice for the Sake of the Congregation
My friend Mark will be contributing his mad electric guitar skills to our band this Friday night for Ascent GA, a fusion of modern worship and rich liturgical elements. We had our dress rehearsal last Saturday, and it was Mark’s first experience with in-ear monitors. The listening transition is always a shock. I can always count on Mark to think deeply and reflect biblically on every aspect of life. It’s something I admire about him. Sure enough, Mark has … Read More
Worship as a Cross to Bear: John Wesley’s Anti-Consumeristic Approach
The following is part of a series of blog posts dedicated to exploring John Wesley’s Rules for Singing. 1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing. For every Sunday that I have led worship; for every special event where I have led congregational singing, there is … Read More
John Wesley’s Rules for Singing
Perhaps many have seen this. It has circulated far across the world wide web. I find it fascinating how relevant Wesley’s points are today. These rules for singing used to be a mainstay in Methodist/Wesleyan hymnals. I’ve printed them in our worship bulletins, and they’ve elicited interesting responses. Here they are: 1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is … Read More
How Great Thou Art is NOT an Old Hymn
I’m currently reading T. David Gordon’s, Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns (Phillipsburg, P&R, 2010). A full review will be coming, Lord-willing, in which I disagree with the premise and many of the arguments. But there are still important insights he’s making, and perhaps I’ll share them along the way. This particular diatribe sounded strikingly similar to a post of my own (“The Same Old List: Evangelicals and Our So-Called ‘Old Hymns’”), only it was written with more brevity and clarity: … Read More
“We Throw One Hymn into the Mix Every Sunday”
I try to stay connected to several online worship leader forums. On one of them, under a discussion of “Contemporized Hymns,” I found this insightful comment left by Robert Cottrill: H-m-m… It seems to me the wording speaks volumes–“this church throws one hymn into the mix every Sunday.” Sounds rather like a bone tossed to a barking dog to keep him quiet! This approach is all too familiar. A church committed to contemporary music, that tries to keep the old … Read More