I like to keep a record of what we sing – partly to prevent too much repetition and to have some kind of variety. Last year these were the 12 songs we sang the most in St Peters. If what we sing reflects our theology what does this say about us? Most services we sing two psalms, one or two contemporary songs and one or two traditional hymns.
1) Ten Thousand Reasons
2) Come O Fount
3) Be Thou My Vision
4) Ps 23 (Townend)
5) How Great is our God
6_ How Great Thou Art
7) All my Days
8) By Faith
9) How Deep the Fathers Love
10) Come People of the Risen King
11) Praise to the Lord
12) Ps 51:1-12
Sounds great David keep going on for God dear brother you are in our prayers
I like the way that some of your contemporary songs are also traditional hymns or psalms – these distinctions are very artificial, aren’t they?!
I can’t stand many of the “contemporary” songs – The Lord Jesus isn’t my “boyfriend” if you get my meaning! Many of these songs could have been written by James Blunt (perhaps they were!)
No – I’m not sure I get your meaning. Yes there are some contemporary songs that are not biblical, as there are some traditional hymns. Our concern is that whatever we sing, and in whatever style, it is biblical. We sing the Word, we sing the theology of the Word….please don’t be so dismissive of contemporary songs and class them all together…
Why has the FC gone away from traditional psalms? Its heartbreaking to see. Are the 150 psalms we have not good enough anymore? I say this because I am astonished at the number of times I go to the psalms with something on my mind and there its, written thousands of years ago and still relevant today. Unaccompanied psalms, the free church way and hopefully it will be again
Scott – the Free Church has NOT gone away from traditional psalms. We love the biblical psalms and sing them in every service. HOwever we also sing hymns and spiritual songs – so we end up with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs – which sounds biblical to me! And you do realise that the psalms were written to be sung with instrumental music? We do that as well. What we have found is that our accapella psalm singing has improved vastly since we also sing other biblical material and sometimes use musical accompaniment….
Psalms were sung with instruments in the old testament, not in the new and I was under the impression that we follow the new testememt form of worship? I may be wrong in that. Also, in the book of psalms are some of them not known as hymns and spiritual songs? For example Matthew 26 v 30, when it speaks here of singing a hymn we know that it was psalms 113 to 118 they would have sung. I don’t think you will find anywhere in the new testament where music is used by the church in worship. Although I don’t know the ins and outs of why the church changed their position, does the WCF state that its unaccompanied psalm singing and that ministers and elders have vowed to God to defend that stance? Surely hymns and spiritual songs (as per your definition) are man made and not inspired by the spirit? Good to discuss these things
Scott – we actually don’t know if instruments were used in the NT but even if they were not, is it not also the case that church buildings were not used in the NT, so why do we use them now? The WCF does not state that unaccompanied psalm singing is the only stance. The Free Church produced lots of materials when we spent years discussing this. I would suggest that you look at the main papers put forward – especially Alaister I Macleods…I think that is very dodgy to claim that psalms, hymns and spiritual songs just means psalms, psalms and psalms….though you are right about Ps 113-118…
Thanks for the reply. Like I said its good to discuss these things, if nothing else but to learn (for me!!). I think using church buildings as an argument is stretching things slightly, where would we stop? If nothing else I’m sure they did not have much snow or highland gales to deal with in the new testament (I say that with all revelance)! I think its dangerous to base our beliefs on things that are not said in the bible, would it not be better to err on the side of caution? If I’m wrong about the WCF why was music and hymns not used before? What does it say about worship?
I don’t believe its dodgy to suggest that it means psalms psalms and psalms, as my example proves it. As a church you must have known it would cause divisions to introduce hymns and music, I just can’t get my head around it.
Thanks again for your reply