[rodgersorgan] Re: Christmas Music at Christmas
- From: "Amos Ho" <amosho77@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <rodgersorgan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 23:34:48 +0800
Hello,Richard:
Thank you for your sharing.Yes,In Hong Kong,the contemporary music CD and
scores fill up the christian book shop too.That is the first time I heard
about the "South gospel style".Can you list some song's name for example?
I born in a chinese idol worshipper family in 1955.Since I was a boy,My
parent lead me to worship idol.Until I was 21 years old,I met a christian in
the evening school, he told me the gospel,Jesus Christ and I finally joined
in church for 25 years.I was not trained in classical music ,my parent is
not christian and they don't like me to be a christian.So I decide to follow
Jesus and choose traditional worship style by myself.In my life,accept Jesus
Christ as my saviour is the firstly right thing,marry my wife is the
secondly right thing.These are the most important testment in my life.
In my spiritual life growth experience,we must control the flesh and don't
let it control our life,then we can have the fruit of spirit.The bible says
that we gain the strength in clam and stable.But the Drums,electric guitar
and contemporary music just do it opposely.They just provide the flesh
exciting and not like the tradition music inspire your spirit to worship
God.Jesus said"Worship him with spirit and honestly".In the old testment,God
request Isreal people that they must follow his instruction to worship
him,otherwise they will die.God regard Abel's offering and don't regard
Cain's offering.God is a holy God and he has request.Another point we
suspect who is the master role in the contemporary music worship?Good church
is God's home and a human soceity,but bad church is just a human
soceity,even though it grow up and it just still a human soceity.If a
worship just let the fresh exciting,will God join in?So just human being
speak to us not God.I answer your question that I need God speak with my
soul in the worship.I come out from a idol worshipper family and worship the
real God.I don't want to come back again to woship the human being.When I
heard a majesty organ perlude,it just like the God's glory fill in the
church.I like the color window and wooden giant cross,those icon make my
spirit to concetrate to worship God.But Drums just let me thinking about
night club music.These are just my feeling and sharing,I don't intend to
hurt anybody,I have different though with the contemporary music people,may
be different pupose too.I just a pilgrim.I need a worship helps me to keep
my eternal life.
I agree "If God is behind it, we cannot stop it. If it is the works of men,
it will die of its own accord." So I don't want to raise any quarrel in my
church and I just choose my way.
Music is another media,it has some influence that speech can't done.Music
can heal the spirit.David play music to heal King Saul's headache.Of
course,night club music can make you over exciting so that you will lost
control.
Love in Christ
Amos Ho
----- Original Message -----
From: "F. Richard Burt" <effarbee.aaa@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <rodgersorgan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 1:03 AM
Subject: [rodgersorgan] Re: Christmas Music at Christmas
>
> Hello, Amos Ho:
>
> Maybe we should first say that your experience is not
> unique. Many American churches have similar music
> varieties. One of my sons likes "all contemporary."
> One of my daughters likes a "blended" worship experience
> where they sing hymns, gospel songs, and some of the
> contemporary choruses. I am a classically trained
> church musician, and find that each worship situation
> and each church may require some of all music styles,
> only a few of the contemporary styles, or only
> traditional hymns and gospel songs. Some like
> to hear the organ "roar;" some relegate the organ to
> a background sound with piano taking the instrumental
> lead. I met with one church who wanted only quiet,
> reflective organ music in their worship.
>
> What we are experiencing is not totally new. We had
> a considerable effort 50 years ago to separate the
> Southern Gospel style from traditional church music.
> It was held generally by our established traditions
> that the Souther Gospel style robbed the church by
> assembling crowds on Saturday night for some
> "good ole toe-tapping music," but the people would
> not come to church on Sunday morning with the rest
> of the people in traditional worship.
>
> I believe that the church in 2002 is faced with
> another dichotomy in worship styles, but the music
> of the contemporary style is supported with constant
> broadcast over "Christian" music stations that refuse
> to play "church" music, ...ever. The Contemporary
> Christian Music style is fed by very large commerce
> in new recordings. That much emphasis placed on
> music in the contemporary style will not go away.
> The business/commerce makes too much money with it.
>
> So, the contemporary music style is proliferated
> almost "free of charge" that may or may not set
> well with those who come to church to refresh
> themselves in the Spirit of God, looking for some
> stability in their lives. The singing of traditional
> hymns and gospel songs and the recitation of creeds
> and prayers in church offers much comfort for those
> whose lives are a battle from Sunday to Sunday.
>
> However, there are those who look for a "good time"
> in church, ...much as those who went to the Saturday
> night "singings" with the Southern Gospel crowds.
> You can still find churches today that hold on strong
> to the Southern Gospel style. I suspect that we will
> have churches hold onto the "good feel" of high-energy
> praise music in the contemporary style for generations
> to come.
>
> I remember a flyer that was brought to my door from
> a contemporary-minded church in my town. They said:
> "No more boring organ music!!! We offer only the
> best of high-energy praise music."
> The pictures of persons playing electric bass, drums,
> electric guitar, banjo, and praise singers clapping
> their hands told their story. They have three large
> crowds every week; one on Saturday night and two on
> Sunday morning. Apparently, they are meeting some
> people's needs, for the church continues to grow.
>
> However, I find that after working all week long
> and dealing with stressful situations, I do not
> find my "rest in the Lord" by strenuous praise
> music sessions. Those wear me out.
>
> I try to maintain an open mind to how others think
> and feel in their spiritual pilgrimage, but find
> that I am actually intollerant when the music styles
> in my worship experience are rendered in the same
> mood as the Saturday night rhythm and blues or
> frenzied orgies of acid metal that suggest rebellion
> of all that is decent and in order.
>
> I am not a liturgist, but have no real quarrel with
> those who think that way. I am in favor of thinking
> outside the box in worship music styles, but do not
> belive we should throw away 2000 years of heritage
> just because some people in the 1960s thought we
> should reject the authority of anyone over 25 years
> of age, and all that goes with them, including the
> Bible, God (who supposedly died, according to Nitschke)
> (did I spell his name right?).
>
> Every development in worship music from plainsong/chant
> to the very latest in contemporary style has had to
> weather the test of time and opinion. My youthful
> studies in Church Music found that the opinion held
> by most people when the gospel hymns of the early
> 19th Century were introduced that they were considered
> "trash" that should never be allowed inside a proper
> church. Well, gospel hymns are still with us, and,
> now and then, we even find well written and musically
> composed new ones hymns and gospel songs that join
> that the larger heritage church music.
>
> Let me pose a more fundamental question for your
> consideration.
>
> "What speaks to your soul during worship?"
>
> Another thing I learned in Church Music studies was
> attributed to Saint Augustine. He said, "I do
> not know which moves me more; the music or the
> Holy Spirit." I brought that into the disucssion
> to show that our impressions of movement in our
> worship experiences is not a new question.
>
> Among us are advocates of all that is good. As we
> view new styles and expressions, let us be more
> like Gamaliel as he advised the Sanhedrin regarding
> the early works of the Apostles: "If God is behind
> it, we cannot stop it. If it is the works of men,
> it will die of its own accord." Maybe that is the
> way we might view the contemporary music style and
> its impact on our worship experiences.
>
> What do you think?
>
> Appreciatively,
> F. Richard Burt
>
>
> .
> -
>
> May all your bloopers be grace notes this hoiliday season! From the Staff
at FMP
>
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>
>
-
May all your bloopers be grace notes this hoiliday season! From the Staff at FMP
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