In February 2015, my wife and our daughter attended the early service
at a large local church because they had real estate business
later. When Dory called me later, she told me, "You would
have liked that service. They only sang hymns." Had we
been married over 37 years and she knew so little about me?
Just kidding.
She and I both like a church which has a mixture of Christian music - hymns, contemporary, praise songs, and I have even found myself at times enjoying Christian rap. So, I refuse to take the rap of liking only hymns!
But, I do admit that being in a church where the praise team will ONLY sing contemporary or newly released praise music - leaves me a wee bit cold. And, a praise team which appears to view itself as entertainers instead of worship leaders gives me an even greater chill.
Christian believers come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and ages. So, no one type of music fits all. Christian worship service consists of many parts: Personal Worship Preparation - Worship in Music - Worship in Giving - Worship in Teaching, i.e., sermon and Sunday School - Worship in Christian Fellowship.
One of the things I like about the Fil-Am churches which I have attended since I was saved in 1987 - is that the Worship in Christian Fellowship also includes great food. While filling our hearts with Christian fellowship - we are also filling our tummies with good food, with a wonderful Filipino flavor.
One of the excuses I have heard a million times over the years is, "We want the young people to be excited about our church, so they will come back." Why do we give our young people so little credit - thinking that they will only come to church if we can make the worship service music resemble a secular dance or party?
A few years ago I was an avid Taco Bell devotee. Once when Dory was away for a month on business, I ate every evening meal at the Taco Bell just down the street, for the entire month. Boy, what a gas! Literally!
When I lived in Orange County, I knew and visited almost every Taco Bell. One day I was having lunch at a Taco Bell in Santa Ana when the Regional Manager came in. He had seen me before in other stores, so he came over and smiling, told me, "You DO like Taco Bell, don't you?"
I took that opportunity to ask him about the loud rock music playing in that particular store. His answer, "Well, we tailor that to fit our target customer market. That target market is the 18 to 30 year old crowd."
Looking around, there were about ten people in that Taco Bell when we were talking. I smiled and told him, "You must not know your market, for look at all the people here right now. None are younger than fifty." Since he had no answer for that, he thanked me and walked away.
The next day, I was in the Taco Bell in Mission Viejo. It was packed with kids from the local high school. And, the music which the franchise owner chose to play in his store -- all classical. Guess what? Not one single teenager seemed to be bothered by the music; not one single teenager walked out because they were playing classical instead of rock music; every single teenager seemed to be having a good time and enjoying the music ambiance, not a problem.
What does this have to do with church worship music? Glad you asked. This tells me that the local Taco Bell management -- like many churches which try to tailor their Worship in Music to fit only one group, youth -- have greatly misjudged the young people, believing they can only like loud secular style music. It is time to start giving our young people a bit more credit.
Let me offer you one last point to consider. I grew up in the rock and roll decades - and also in the times when most churches only sang hymns. Ne'er to twain shall meet, right? Wrong!
The great Rock and Roll/Country Western singer, Charlie Rich, took one of our greatest Christian hymns, Amazing Grace, and set it to a rock and roll beat. Heresy? Corrupting Christian music? Absolutely not. Listen and see if this version of Amazing Grace doesn't speak to you.
Some years ago, a leader in our church praise team, Ferdy Cancino, was at our home to practice with Dory. When I played this Charlie Rich version of Amazing Grace, Ferdy got excited and began to play along on his guitar.
Hymns do not have to be sung like funeral dirges. Hymns can be happy and full of life, such as this rendition of Amazing Grace. And, when our church Worship in Music is a menu of hymns, contemporary, praise songs, and, yes, even some rap - I promise you will see the whole congregation singing with gusto - instead of lip synching. So, please take a moment and listen to Charlie Rich's rendition of Amazing Grace. And enjoy.
Now, don't you feel closer to God - and didn't you find yourself doing a wee bit of foot tapping. Loving God is happy time. So, love God, tap your foot, and have a good time singing along with Charlie.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
She and I both like a church which has a mixture of Christian music - hymns, contemporary, praise songs, and I have even found myself at times enjoying Christian rap. So, I refuse to take the rap of liking only hymns!
But, I do admit that being in a church where the praise team will ONLY sing contemporary or newly released praise music - leaves me a wee bit cold. And, a praise team which appears to view itself as entertainers instead of worship leaders gives me an even greater chill.
Christian believers come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and ages. So, no one type of music fits all. Christian worship service consists of many parts: Personal Worship Preparation - Worship in Music - Worship in Giving - Worship in Teaching, i.e., sermon and Sunday School - Worship in Christian Fellowship.
One of the things I like about the Fil-Am churches which I have attended since I was saved in 1987 - is that the Worship in Christian Fellowship also includes great food. While filling our hearts with Christian fellowship - we are also filling our tummies with good food, with a wonderful Filipino flavor.
One of the excuses I have heard a million times over the years is, "We want the young people to be excited about our church, so they will come back." Why do we give our young people so little credit - thinking that they will only come to church if we can make the worship service music resemble a secular dance or party?
A few years ago I was an avid Taco Bell devotee. Once when Dory was away for a month on business, I ate every evening meal at the Taco Bell just down the street, for the entire month. Boy, what a gas! Literally!
When I lived in Orange County, I knew and visited almost every Taco Bell. One day I was having lunch at a Taco Bell in Santa Ana when the Regional Manager came in. He had seen me before in other stores, so he came over and smiling, told me, "You DO like Taco Bell, don't you?"
I took that opportunity to ask him about the loud rock music playing in that particular store. His answer, "Well, we tailor that to fit our target customer market. That target market is the 18 to 30 year old crowd."
Looking around, there were about ten people in that Taco Bell when we were talking. I smiled and told him, "You must not know your market, for look at all the people here right now. None are younger than fifty." Since he had no answer for that, he thanked me and walked away.
The next day, I was in the Taco Bell in Mission Viejo. It was packed with kids from the local high school. And, the music which the franchise owner chose to play in his store -- all classical. Guess what? Not one single teenager seemed to be bothered by the music; not one single teenager walked out because they were playing classical instead of rock music; every single teenager seemed to be having a good time and enjoying the music ambiance, not a problem.
What does this have to do with church worship music? Glad you asked. This tells me that the local Taco Bell management -- like many churches which try to tailor their Worship in Music to fit only one group, youth -- have greatly misjudged the young people, believing they can only like loud secular style music. It is time to start giving our young people a bit more credit.
Let me offer you one last point to consider. I grew up in the rock and roll decades - and also in the times when most churches only sang hymns. Ne'er to twain shall meet, right? Wrong!
The great Rock and Roll/Country Western singer, Charlie Rich, took one of our greatest Christian hymns, Amazing Grace, and set it to a rock and roll beat. Heresy? Corrupting Christian music? Absolutely not. Listen and see if this version of Amazing Grace doesn't speak to you.
Some years ago, a leader in our church praise team, Ferdy Cancino, was at our home to practice with Dory. When I played this Charlie Rich version of Amazing Grace, Ferdy got excited and began to play along on his guitar.
Hymns do not have to be sung like funeral dirges. Hymns can be happy and full of life, such as this rendition of Amazing Grace. And, when our church Worship in Music is a menu of hymns, contemporary, praise songs, and, yes, even some rap - I promise you will see the whole congregation singing with gusto - instead of lip synching. So, please take a moment and listen to Charlie Rich's rendition of Amazing Grace. And enjoy.
Amazing Grace, Charlie Rich
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m3tWUgzi_E
Now, don't you feel closer to God - and didn't you find yourself doing a wee bit of foot tapping. Loving God is happy time. So, love God, tap your foot, and have a good time singing along with Charlie.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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