Comments on: Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns http://religiousaffections.org/featured/johnny-cant-sing-hymns/ Heart. Soul. MInd. Fri, 18 May 2012 20:15:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Brendan http://religiousaffections.org/featured/johnny-cant-sing-hymns/#comment-1376 Brendan Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:21:58 +0000 http://www.religiousaffections.org/?p=3920#comment-1376 Holding PhDs in Musicology & Composition from the Royal Academy of Music London my take is as follows: Too often we Christians give heed to the rather self-imposed heretical non-essentials of personal liberty-of-conscience issues causing factions and untimely dissolutions of our churches. The issue of music is amongst the most contended of these issues. Romans 14 gives us much freedom as to what we individually call important or non-essentials to others as long as we are not causing others to become ‘circumcised’, if you will, into my own frame of reference of what is deemed ‘Holy’ or not acceptable. I am not addressing those doctrinal issues, essential faith requirements of orthodoxy, which are never to be diluted into mere options of choice, thus relegating the Christian faith into a country club membership. Certainly, unabashed insensitivities to cause other to stumble into sin, which is the most favourable meaning of the phrase ‘cause to offend’ rather than, which is preferred as one might desire tea over coffee, thus being offended shouldn’t be the goal of forced opinion. Neither being offended is to be meant as if it should use it as a guise to mandate one’s opinion. It should be considered that the actual sounds of the music less the lyrics found in 19th century hymns are primarily from the Western-cultured system of music utilising twelve tones, which is not licensed as mere ‘Christian’ to infer invention, hence, now found corrupted by contemporary sorts. I should be quite clear here as to the proper use of theology in the lyrics must always prove essential and never heretical as Mr. Gordon rightly professed. Bach composed baroque music in the style of his day and culture, as did all the other composers of various musical periods. They also did this, as was their profession for lucre sake as was Bach’s becoming a musical hireling, and Handel’s composing ‘The Messiah’. Are we to think Mr. T. David Gordon’s book smacks of his bias that only the ‘Good ole’ Gospel sounding Hymns are what is played on Heavens’ airways? Most assuredly not. Many of the one hundred plus year-old hymns use archaic British English that most Americans have already flushed out of their Bibles, thus naming it the NASB version. This is quite fine by me. This is not my concern; however, after hearing Mr. Gordon being interviewed on the Janet Mefford show last evening I was taken aback that he would reference people in prison camps as quite adaptable at learning new things, hence we should and could have a hymnal style-sounding approach to worship in our churches and for this ideology I am concerned. Moreover, my challenge to proponents of ‘older music’ who hold that the ‘worship’ music of today’s pop-culture is inept to producing an environment of communion with God need to better inform their congregates the proper definitions of some basic words such as worship, praise, and adoration for they may have similarities; however, they are not innately synonymous. Thank you. Holding PhDs in Musicology & Composition from the Royal Academy of Music London my take is as follows: Too often we Christians give heed to the rather self-imposed heretical non-essentials of personal liberty-of-conscience issues causing factions and untimely dissolutions of our churches. The issue of music is amongst the most contended of these issues. Romans 14 gives us much freedom as to what we individually call important or non-essentials to others as long as we are not causing others to become ‘circumcised’, if you will, into my own frame of reference of what is deemed ‘Holy’ or not acceptable. I am not addressing those doctrinal issues, essential faith requirements of orthodoxy, which are never to be diluted into mere options of choice, thus relegating the Christian faith into a country club membership. Certainly, unabashed insensitivities to cause other to stumble into sin, which is the most favourable meaning of the phrase ‘cause to offend’ rather than, which is preferred as one might desire tea over coffee, thus being offended shouldn’t be the goal of forced opinion. Neither being offended is to be meant as if it should use it as a guise to mandate one’s opinion. It should be considered that the actual sounds of the music less the lyrics found in 19th century hymns are primarily from the Western-cultured system of music utilising twelve tones, which is not licensed as mere ‘Christian’ to infer invention, hence, now found corrupted by contemporary sorts. I should be quite clear here as to the proper use of theology in the lyrics must always prove essential and never heretical as Mr. Gordon rightly professed. Bach composed baroque music in the style of his day and culture, as did all the other composers of various musical periods. They also did this, as was their profession for lucre sake as was Bach’s becoming a musical hireling, and Handel’s composing ‘The Messiah’. Are we to think Mr. T. David Gordon’s book smacks of his bias that only the ‘Good ole’ Gospel sounding Hymns are what is played on Heavens’ airways? Most assuredly not. Many of the one hundred plus year-old hymns use archaic British English that most Americans have already flushed out of their Bibles, thus naming it the NASB version. This is quite fine by me. This is not my concern; however, after hearing Mr. Gordon being interviewed on the Janet Mefford show last evening I was taken aback that he would reference people in prison camps as quite adaptable at learning new things, hence we should and could have a hymnal style-sounding approach to worship in our churches and for this ideology I am concerned. Moreover, my challenge to proponents of ‘older music’ who hold that the ‘worship’ music of today’s pop-culture is inept to producing an environment of communion with God need to better inform their congregates the proper definitions of some basic words such as worship, praise, and adoration for they may have similarities; however, they are not innately synonymous. Thank you.

]]> By: Scott Aniol http://religiousaffections.org/featured/johnny-cant-sing-hymns/#comment-1375 Scott Aniol Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:04:10 +0000 http://www.religiousaffections.org/?p=3920#comment-1375 Hi, Anastasis; thanks for you comment. Here is a list of hymns that might answer your question: http://www.religiousaffections.org/articles/hymnody/hymns-doctrinal-categories Hi, Anastasis; thanks for you comment.

Here is a list of hymns that might answer your question: http://www.religiousaffections.org/articles/hymnody/hymns-doctrinal-categories

]]> By: Anastasis http://religiousaffections.org/featured/johnny-cant-sing-hymns/#comment-1374 Anastasis Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:50:18 +0000 http://www.religiousaffections.org/?p=3920#comment-1374 Scott, two comments: Firstly, whilst I am in favor of quality contemporary music, it does sadden me that much of the historic hymnody is being forgotten. For example, I was recently reminded of the hymn "Our Lord is now rejected" (The Crowning Day) that I haven't sung in 25 years, and I thought that the church has really lost something through the neglect of music like this (I hope it's one you like). So I was wondering what do you think can be done to increase the use of more traditional music, given that it is going against the cultural tide. Secondly (this is a bit off-topic but I couldn't find the suggestion box), I'd love to see you give some examples of the sort of traditional hymns that you feel are appropriate for use in conservative worship. Scott, two comments:

Firstly, whilst I am in favor of quality contemporary music, it does sadden me that much of the historic hymnody is being forgotten. For example, I was recently reminded of the hymn “Our Lord is now rejected” (The Crowning Day) that I haven’t sung in 25 years, and I thought that the church has really lost something through the neglect of music like this (I hope it’s one you like). So I was wondering what do you think can be done to increase the use of more traditional music, given that it is going against the cultural tide.

Secondly (this is a bit off-topic but I couldn’t find the suggestion box), I’d love to see you give some examples of the sort of traditional hymns that you feel are appropriate for use in conservative worship.

]]> By: Scott Aniol http://religiousaffections.org/featured/johnny-cant-sing-hymns/#comment-1373 Scott Aniol Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:30:19 +0000 http://www.religiousaffections.org/?p=3920#comment-1373 I'm not against new songs, for certain. But most of those, even conservative, who claim that we need "new" or "fresh" songs usually (in my experience) do so on the basis that we need to keep people's attention or engage them in some new way. That is an illegitimate argument in my opinion. And I don't think Scripture's "new song" has anything specifically to do with music. It's ironic that that passage is used to defend both the conservative and contemporary philosophy! I’m not against new songs, for certain. But most of those, even conservative, who claim that we need “new” or “fresh” songs usually (in my experience) do so on the basis that we need to keep people’s attention or engage them in some new way. That is an illegitimate argument in my opinion.

And I don’t think Scripture’s “new song” has anything specifically to do with music. It’s ironic that that passage is used to defend both the conservative and contemporary philosophy!

]]> By: Greg Phillips http://religiousaffections.org/featured/johnny-cant-sing-hymns/#comment-1372 Greg Phillips Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:18:00 +0000 http://www.religiousaffections.org/?p=3920#comment-1372 Scott, Wouldn't most of the conservative users of contemporary music defend the "fresh" stuff based on the scripture's call for a "new" song? The Bible doesn't require abandoning old, but it does ask for a new song that many would define as "fresh." I think your suggestion that they are motivated by the virtue of contemporaneity is a straw man. Perhaps you could restate this legitimate problem in a better way. Scott,
Wouldn’t most of the conservative users of contemporary music defend the “fresh” stuff based on the scripture’s call for a “new” song? The Bible doesn’t require abandoning old, but it does ask for a new song that many would define as “fresh.” I think your suggestion that they are motivated by the virtue of contemporaneity is a straw man. Perhaps you could restate this legitimate problem in a better way.

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