Part 2 of Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #004. |
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JESUS calls US to be members of His church |
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The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide. |
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More Thoughts on Music StylesBrief Bible Study #4-A from Ray Downen. Comments in reply
to an e-mail missive from Ray on 11/22/97.Date sent: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 06:34:43 -0800
From: Sooz <sooz@texas.net> To: Ray Downen <outreach@sofnet.com>
Subject: Re: (Fwd) 6 Things God Hates–#4 StudyThe e-mail from Ray said – Hi, I received a response today from an e-mail study that had just gone out, but that many of my friends have received by now (one group is at study #4 while the ones who have been with me longest are at study #34 or so). You may be interested –
–––- Forwarded Message Follows –––-
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 14:17:05 -0600
To: outreach@sofnet.com Subject: 6 Things God Hates–#4 StudyI note comments of Doug Oakes about the article by Lyle Emsminger – "...hit the nail on the head.That definitely is one of the things which God hates (a divisive or factious person)! Yet, it is one of the most prevalent problems among church members today."
I just recently had a 2-hour session with a "rogue cop" who told me that it didn't matter if we lost 1/3 of the congregation over his style of "Praise" rock & roll. They were "babies" if they left over such an issue. In his opinion, everyone else needed to change or leave. He could not see his own judgmental attitude or his lack of grace to include any other opinion or the value of those members. Granted, he is young and very immature in several areas, yet he is intelligent (perhaps too much so) and very strong-willed. He would wreak havoc in our church and not give a care if we lost 1/3 or more. Sad. How many other young people [Ray asks–Is it just YOUNG people?] out there are like this?? It scares me to think they could miss how divisive they are. I love "Praise" music. But, I think I know how a "blended" service can reach both and not alienate up to half of the people who could not be content with "Rock Praise" with guitars ablazing. The real issue is not the music, but the attitude!! Very Sincerely,
– One who loves music and loves the Lord
and who loves the people of the Lord, young or old!Our sister from Texas.net comments–
Fascinating – that could have been written about my husband. He led worship at a Christian Reformed church for a couple of years. Why they invited him, no one's quite sure: he has long hair, and met Jesus during the late 60's/early 70's "Jesus movement", and looks like it. He's intelligent, loves Jesus, and is spiritually mature. Heck, he's been an "active" Christian longer than our pastor has. His knowledge of scripture and "realness" during worship is overwhelming. It's not a typical "music act" when he leads worship; rather, he invites the congregation to join him in worshipping with song.
3/4 of the membership loved "guitars ablazing" (the pastor is an incredible guitarist), synthesizers singing, and drums banging. It put them in a worshipful mode more than the funeral dirge-type songs they'd grown up with. An anonymous survey was even taken to determine what type of music the congregation preferred, and honest, worshipful music with a contemproray style won by a landslide. However, the pastor was still afraid to go that route, and continued on with traditional Christian Reformed "bumper music" – songs that are stuck between prayers and Bible readings, and don't provide the worshipper time to get in, and stay in, a mode of worship with music.
The Bible teaches us to sing "Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." Any tune that fits into those categories is good worship music. Style is irrelevant to God, or it would have been mentioned in the Word. "Sing unto him a new song", etc. If a song being old makes it more worshipful, I'd like to see scriptural backup for that.
Let's not forget that worship through song involves more than "praise." There's songs of honor, repentance, forgiveness, adoration, etc.
–submitted by one who loves, which was our #1 job description from Jesus.From: "HILDA SALIBA" <HILDASAL@cyberia.net.lb>
To: "Ray Downen" <outreach@sofnet.com>
Subject: Re: (Fwd) 6 Things God Hates-#4 Study
Date sent: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 13:23:16 +0200Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus,
First I like to thank you for these studies you were forwarding, they are of great help, but I liked very much what I received yesterday, Viewpoint Study #4A. It is what we are suffering today in our churches–lack of love and understanding, using the law with each other instead, although it is our calling as Christians who were saved by the love of calvary. May this study speak to the hearts of many as it spoke to mine. God bless you. –Hilda Saliba from Beirut, Lebanon
To go to Viewpoint first page, click here. Or go back to Viewpoint Study #4.
Brief Bible Study #4-A from Ray Downen. For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.
