March 2009 Archives

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Do you think the non-Christian world out there believes the church has anything to offer in the way of arts? Are we seen as music leaders in our community? Interesting question.

I know some would say that we shouldn't care what the secular world thinks of the talents that God's given us because they aren't for them. That's partly true. But I also know that Psalm 40 says that the world will see and hear the new song of praise that God has put in our mouths and many will trust in the Lord. Sounds like God intends for the world to hear our song of praise.

Prodigal Jon had an interesting post on this subject. He said ...

At the heart of it, the reason the church is not known as being a global leader in creativity and excellence is pretty simple. We missed God's love letter to artists.

I agree with John. I think God deserves the best we have and dare I say even more. We, as artists, should strive to be better...

Does God care as much as we do about the style of music that we use to worship and sing praises to Him? Is the style of music the filter in which He puts our worship through to decide if He will accept it or not? I don't think so.

skreyola says this about our preferences in style ...

Individual preferences are important, as well as individual giftings and location. They are secondary in importance, but they exist for several reasons. So, it is legitimate for people to want to find a worship service where their preferences are respected and, to some small degree, kept in mind during planning and decision making.
I am not, however, talking about mere whims or caprices. Neither of these should direct the path of a congregation one step. The caprices of the day, the fashions and fads, and the base desires of the natural man do not approach the importance of sound doctrine and the Holy Spirit's leading. But what I am saying is that God has given the Body of Christ not only various functions but also various preferences.

I agree. I'm so thankful for all the variety and differences in the people around me. We aren't all the same. But what ever style of music we prefer to get to God in our hearts we have to get there the same way... on His terms, not ours. John 4:24 says, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."

We all have particular tastes and preferences, but at the end of the day worship is not about us and all about Him.

When I see the slogan "Got Milk?" it makes me think of a lifestyle of drinking milk for my health. Probably drinking it every day for strong bones and a healthy body.
What do you think about worship every day? I'm sure you'd agree that we should worship every day, but what exactly does that mean. Should we work in singing a song to God on the days we aren't at church? Maybe, but that can't be all there is to worship. I'm not going to try to totally "unpack" that bag in this post, but I would like to throw a thought at you.

Ps 19: 1&2 tells us this:

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.
2 Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.

This Sunday my worship team consists of a harpest, triangle player, and some guy with a kazoo. Good luck finding parts for them, right?

Have you ever said or heard something like this? Luck has nothing to do with it--pointing and clicking does. WorshipCharts includes all instrumental parts (okay, except kazoo) for 975 songs, all available for downloading a la carte at LifeWayWorship.com. And with downloads starting at just $1.49 per part, it's a cost-effective way for churches whose line-up changes from one Sunday to the next, or those who simply need lead sheets and quick charts. Point, click, and experience LifeWayWorship.com

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