Happy Monday Everybody!
Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on "My Wall-Smacking Incident." It's good to be encouraged by other believers and also to know that I'm not the only one that does not see the occassional wall! Today's post was promised to my friend S.O. a long time ago - and I typed it out but never posted it. Slacker. I know. Anyway, better late than never! So, here we go! A Real Sermon in a Song!
I was browsing the internet when I came across an interesting video.
I just was not ready for what I saw.
The pastor of the church was singing secular music…in the Sanctuary…at the podium, to describe the way that he felt about the Lord. He said that the music was alright so long as you recognized who you were singing to. When the original artists composed and sang the songs, they were speaking of a relationship between a man and a woman. Something about that video rang wrong within me. I could not relate – I could not understand why this servant of the Lord would ever bring sensual and sexually-oriented music into the Sanctuary and promote it from the pulpit.
I began to feel sorrow for the congregants – most of who knew the words to the songs and were singing right along with the pastor. God calls us to be different – peculiar. We are not to be like the world. The sanctuary is not a concert hall for secular crooning.
And just when I thought, oh man, this can’t get worse, with the next breath, the pastor began to combine secular songs with worship hymns – light and darkness cannot co-exist. But again, his premise was it being about who you were singing to.
I guess it would have been far too easy to open the pages of the Bible to sing a worship song?!?! David has left plenty of psalms to sing. Many of hymns could have been sung which glorified the Lord and could be directly correlated with Scripture.
And then, there are other hymns, composed by men and women who have come to know and love the Lord. There is a wealth of praise in the pages of your hymnal. One of my favorite hymns is “A Mighty Fortress” whose lyrics begin strongly with these words:
That is a real sermon in a song – and the lyrics above are only the first part of the song. There are three more stanzas that could be sung that will deliver honor to the Lord.
And then, there is the ever known and popular, “Amazing Grace”, which puts us into proper reverence of the Lord along with a realization of who we truly are when we look right into the first two stanzas:
T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.”
Again, a real sermon in a song. Sermons are designed to help us to see where we are and to recognize where we need to be in the Lord. They are designed to help us grow closer to the Lord. They are needful to help us realize where our worship should reside. And, that is why I struggle with the video. There is no proper pathway to worship and instruction from the Lord that has its foundation in the secular. A song sung about or to a woman (or man), a mere created being, can never compare to a song sung about the Creator. The two will never equal out.
Thus, when we desire to sing a song of praise and worship to the Lord, ensure that the source is true.
Sing Scripture.
Sing Hymns.
Sing to the Lord that which really was designed to glorify Him. And when you do, you will then be singing a real sermon in a song.
Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on "My Wall-Smacking Incident." It's good to be encouraged by other believers and also to know that I'm not the only one that does not see the occassional wall! Today's post was promised to my friend S.O. a long time ago - and I typed it out but never posted it. Slacker. I know. Anyway, better late than never! So, here we go! A Real Sermon in a Song!
I was browsing the internet when I came across an interesting video.
I just was not ready for what I saw.
The pastor of the church was singing secular music…in the Sanctuary…at the podium, to describe the way that he felt about the Lord. He said that the music was alright so long as you recognized who you were singing to. When the original artists composed and sang the songs, they were speaking of a relationship between a man and a woman. Something about that video rang wrong within me. I could not relate – I could not understand why this servant of the Lord would ever bring sensual and sexually-oriented music into the Sanctuary and promote it from the pulpit.
I began to feel sorrow for the congregants – most of who knew the words to the songs and were singing right along with the pastor. God calls us to be different – peculiar. We are not to be like the world. The sanctuary is not a concert hall for secular crooning.
And just when I thought, oh man, this can’t get worse, with the next breath, the pastor began to combine secular songs with worship hymns – light and darkness cannot co-exist. But again, his premise was it being about who you were singing to.
I guess it would have been far too easy to open the pages of the Bible to sing a worship song?!?! David has left plenty of psalms to sing. Many of hymns could have been sung which glorified the Lord and could be directly correlated with Scripture.
And then, there are other hymns, composed by men and women who have come to know and love the Lord. There is a wealth of praise in the pages of your hymnal. One of my favorite hymns is “A Mighty Fortress” whose lyrics begin strongly with these words:
A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
That is a real sermon in a song – and the lyrics above are only the first part of the song. There are three more stanzas that could be sung that will deliver honor to the Lord.
And then, there is the ever known and popular, “Amazing Grace”, which puts us into proper reverence of the Lord along with a realization of who we truly are when we look right into the first two stanzas:
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.”
Again, a real sermon in a song. Sermons are designed to help us to see where we are and to recognize where we need to be in the Lord. They are designed to help us grow closer to the Lord. They are needful to help us realize where our worship should reside. And, that is why I struggle with the video. There is no proper pathway to worship and instruction from the Lord that has its foundation in the secular. A song sung about or to a woman (or man), a mere created being, can never compare to a song sung about the Creator. The two will never equal out.
Thus, when we desire to sing a song of praise and worship to the Lord, ensure that the source is true.
Sing Scripture.
Sing Hymns.
Sing to the Lord that which really was designed to glorify Him. And when you do, you will then be singing a real sermon in a song.
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