Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs: 09.10.11

I've decided to start posting the songs (and song history), scripture readings and other service elements for The Crossing's weekly worship services. Some weeks I'll comment on the song order and the significance of the choices that were made. Other weeks will just be a simple post with the service order. Each item will have a link for those who are interested in seeking out a specific resource.

The following is the service order from 11 October 2009.

Gathering Song: My Savior’s Love Endures (Magnificat)
By Jennie Lee Riddle, JJ Heller and Dan Heller
Based on Luke 1:46-55
Recording by JJ Heller

Call to Worship: Sursum Corda (Lift Up Your Hearts)
(circa 3rd Century)

The Doxology
Words: Thomas Ken (1674)
Music: Old 100th, Genevan Psalter (1551),
attributed to Louis Bourgeois

Here is Love
Words by William Rees, 19th century;
Music by Robert Lowry, 1876;
Additional Chorus by Matt Redman (2004)
Recording by Passion Band
From the album “From the album “Hymns: Ancient & Modern”

The Lord Is
By Pat Sczebel and Bob Kauflin (based on Psalm 23)
Recording by Sovereign Grace Ministries
From the album “Psalms”

Reading: Psalm 23 (ESV)

Come, Holy Ghost
Words: "Veni, Creator Spiritus", att. Rhabanus Maurus (c. 800)
and Raymond G. Mills (1997)
Music: Bruce Benedict and Raymond G. Mills (2006)
Recording by Redeemer Presbyterian Church
From the album “Mid All the Traffic”

The Doxology: Reprise
Words: Thomas Ken (1674)
Music: Old 100th, Genevan Psalter (1551),
attributed to Louis Bourgeois

Message: A Tale of Two Feasts

Communion Medley: Sing to the King
By Billy Foote and Charles Silverster Horne
Recording by Eoghan Heaslip & Laura Story
From the album “Worship Project H214”

Communion Medley: Here is Our King
By David Crowder
Recording by David Crowder Band
From the album “A Collision”

Revelation Song
By Jennie Riddle
Recording by Kari Jobe (Christ For the Nations)
From the album “Glorious”

It was a memorable service for a lot of reasons, one of which I'll talk about next week but for now, here's an MP3 of The Crossing singing "Come, Holy Ghost/Doxology".

Music Styles and Christian Snobbery

This quote is from David Peterson, author of the wonderful book Engaging With God. The quote is transcribed from a lecture on musical styles and the church at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

We all know that music is a great encouragement to snobbery. You can either be a classical snob, or a rock snob, or a folky snob. Basically, what we do with our music is we say, "I love this kind of music; this is what really excites me, and I can't bear that other stuff. I am not going to listen to your stuff."

The sad thing is that Christians fall into this same worldly trap. We become so familiar with and comfortable with our particular styles of music that we end up saying, maybe overtly sometimes, "I am not willing to listen to your kind of music. I am not willing to sing one of your silly songs." We get even more intense than that. We say, "Your music is not true worship. Your music is not honoring to God."

This is one of those areas where Christians feel at liberty to be quite unrestrained and quite ungodly in the way in which we position ourselves and talk to one another when it comes to music. So if music is going to be a meaningful and effective part of our church life, we need to submit it to the Scriptures. We need to apply the Scriptures in a very rigorous fashion from the pulpit about this subject. It is not just something for musicians to consider. I believe that as pastors of churches and as theological teachers, we have a responsibility to bring this, as with everything else, under the Word of God.

The Power of the Pentatonic Scale

Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale, using audience participation, at the event "Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus", from the 2009 World Science Festival, June 12, 2009.

Publish Post

Help My Unbelief, Part 3

Tattoos usually don't move me but somehow this one did.

A constant and consistent prayer for this person and for me.

It's Like a Heatwave Burning in My Heart

Not quite...but our air conditioner did break down today.

Oi! It's not going to be a pleasant sleep tonight.

Don't Slack Off

Don't slack off seeking, striving, and praying for the very same things that we exhort unconverted people to strive for, and a degree of which you have had in conversion. Thus pray that your eyes may be opened, that you may receive sight, that you may know your self and be brought to God’s feet, and that you may see the glory of God and Christ, may be raised from the dead, and have the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart. Those that have most of these things still need to pray for them; for there so much blindness and hardness and pride and death remaining that they still need to have that work of God upon them, further to enlighten and enliven them. This will be a further bringing out of darkness into God's marvelous light, and a kind of new conversion.

Jonathan Edwards, Advice to Young Converts.

Mistakes and Corporate Worship

"The church has spent so much time inculcating in us the fear of making mistakes that she has made us like ill-taught piano students; we play our songs but we never really hear them because our main concern is not to make music, but to avoid some flub that will get us in dutch...I have now heard the strains of grace, and I grieve for my friends who have not".

Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?