Saturday
Aug022003
Sing a new song
Saturday, August 2, 2003 at 10:10PM
Actual letters of complaint received when new songs were introduced at church:
"What's wrong with the inspiring hymns with which we grew up? When I go to church, it is to worship God, not to be distracted with learning a new hymn. Last Sunday's was particularly unnerving. While the text was good, the tune was unsingable and the new harmonies were quite discordant." (What a Friend We Have in Jesus - from an 1890 letter to a minister) "Was it the organist's idea or yours that our peaceful worship service was shattered by that new hymn last Sunday? The music was sacrilegious; something one would expect to hear in a den of iniquity, not a church! Don't expect me even to attempt to sing it next time!" (I Love To Tell The Story - written in 1874) "Pastor, I am not music scholar, but I feel I know appropriate church music when I hear it. Last Sunday's new hymn, if you call it that, sounded like a sentimental love ballad one might expect to hear crooned in a saloon. If you persist in exposing us to rubbish like this in God's house, don't be surprised if many of the faithful look for a new place to worship. The hymns we grew up with are all we need." (Just As I Am - letter dated 1865)
Reader Comments (3)
Good find. Some things never change eh..
It is amazing, isn't it? I'm visiting some family here in sunny Ft.Lauderdale this week, and my uncles refuses to attend my brothers church because of their "new worship" style. "A bunch of commies..." is the best he can come up with. He may have deeper problems. We went to their Saturday Night service tonight (the Flock that Rocks, as they call it) and left pretty inspired. Tomorrow we're going to Calvary Chapel, Ft. Lauderdale, the largest church on the east coast (19,000 per weekend). See if we can pick up some ideas for our little flock in Newmarket. I'm becoming more convinced than ever that it's all about relevance. Where did we get so badly derailed? Brian
Nice, but do you have a source for this. Not that I don't believe, but it'd be good for back up someday. Then again. those guys in the late 19th century didn't have people telling them to clap along with "Shine, Jesus Shine," or the 300th rendition of "Breathe" sung every week. There's got to be a happy medium...