The Soothing Sounds of the Assembly

Have you ever just listened? I hear lots of sounds when God's people assemble for worship. Some of these sounds are appropriate while others are distracting. Congregational worship involves both giving (by participation) and receiving (by edification). As you actively worship this Sunday, consider the sounds that you hear (or maybe the sounds you are making). Consider some of the soothing sounds of our assemblies.

1. Joyful Singers. Every congregation has that person who sings really loud, sometimes out of tune, but with a smile on his or her face without a care about what others think. I think it is wonderful when people make a "joyful noise" to the Lord (Psalm 95:1) and "make melody to the Lord" with their heart (Eph. 5:19). It is soothing to hear heartfelt praise to God that is "not to be seen of men" (cf. Matt. 6:1).

2. Hilarious Givers. The Bible tells us that God loves a "cheerful givers" (2 Cor. 9:7). The Greek word translated "cheerful" here is the same word from which we get the English word "hilarious." Literally, this word says God loves "hilarious givers." Jesus told us to give like our right hand doesn't know what our left is doing (Matt. 6:3). Is it ever appropriate to laugh in church? Absolutely! Especially when you give sacrificially not knowing how God is going to pick up the slack but trusting he will!

3. Parents Explaining. Recently I heard a father whispering an explanation about the Lord's Supper to his son during worship. God instructed the Jews to use the Passover feast as a teaching tool to explain "their story" as God's people (Exodus 13:14). Does this principle not apply to "our story" (as a people in Christ) since Christ is our Passover? It is a soothing sound to hear a parent passing on "our story" to the next generation in worship to our God.

4. Crying Babies. I have often been asked if crying babies disturb me during sermons. I always answer, "Absolutely not!" Crying babies in worship are a blessing! Why? I have been in churches where there were no babies and all the heads were gray. Those churches are growing old and are about to fade away. The sound of crying children in our assemblies is the sound of a living church! When some were "distracted" by the noise of children, Jesus rebuked the naysayers and said "Let the children come to me!" (Mark 10:14; cf. Luke 18:16).

There are many soothing sounds that reflect a people who have gladly assembled to praise and worship God! It is a joyful occasion when we assemble together as the house of the Lord to worship God (Psalm 122:1; 1 Peter 2:5)! Let us come and make joyful noises to God with the fruit of our lips (Heb. 13:15) in worship!

The Four Cups at Passover

When Jesus first began the Lord's Supper, it was instituted in the midst of the Passover meal. On the Passover table would be roasted lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread, a pastry mixture of nuts, fruit, and wine, and a raw vegetable dipped into a tart liquid. At various times during the meal, four cups of wine were consumed by the participants (Wilson 677). Each of these cups were highly symbolic helping Jews remember the richness of their heritage.

Especially meaningful to Christians would be the third and forth cups of wine on the Passover table.

The third cup, known as the "cup of blessing" reminded Jews of God's promise to redeem them from their Egyptian slavery (Exodus 6:6). It was apparently this cup that Jesus isolates out of the Passover meal and adopts as a memorial drink for Christian communion. Jesus uses redemption language when he takes the cup, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Luke 22:20). Paul apparently references this when he speaks of the Lord's Supper cup when he writes, "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16).
The forth cup of Passover was called the "cup of consummation" reminding Jews that God promised to take them as his people and unite them in the promised land (Exodus 6:7-8). Jesus apparently leaves this fourth cup sitting on the table and he says to his followers, "I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:29).

After drinking the cup of his Last Supper, Jesus refrains from drinking the forth cup of Passover that represents God being together with his people united in the promised land (Lane 508-9). Jesus would soon be killed, buried, resurrected, and ascend back to his Father's house where he is preparing a place for his followers (John 14:1-4). Among Jesus' preparations is a great future banquet feast (Rev. 19:9). Jesus is waiting for all of his followers to come and join him. There we will all gather around his table. Only then will Jesus take up the forth cup. Then he will celebrate with us that his family has all joined together in that better land where we are his people and he is our God. Amen!

References:

Lane, William. The Gospel of Mark. (New International Commentary on the New Testament) Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

Wilson, M.R. "Passover." International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, ed. Rev. ed. Vol. 3. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.

Old and New Songs

"And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old" (Matt 13:52).

There seems to be somewhat of a generation gap in many churches when it comes to singing songs in worship. Older people identify with the traditional songs, singing with fondness (and even nostalgia) "Precious Memories," "The Old Rugged Cross," and the curious "Church in the Wild Wood." Younger people are inspired by the relevant messages of contemporary praise songs, singing with emotion "The Greatest Command," and "There's a Stirring."

The different worship needs of both young and old have even created divisive tendencies in some churches where there is "traditional worship" (with old standard hymns) for older people and "contemporary worship" (singing contemporary praise songs) for the younger generation. Certainly it is sad to separate the church over preference of songs. The church (both young and old) should be "one body" (Eph. 4:4). Surely when it comes to our singing "I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord" (Philippians 4:2). Young people should learn to appreciate the rich songs of our past. The older generation should desire to learn new songs of praise.

In his book on Heaven, Dennis Doughty makes a great point about singing songs both old and new (102). The oldest song recorded in the Bible is the song of Moses (Exodus 15:2, 3). The Apostle John tells us that in Heaven we will sing "the song of Moses the servant of God" (Rev. 15:2-3). But we will also sing together around the throne "a new song" (Rev. 14:2-3)

Heaven will be a place of singing songs both new and old. The church should be a little taste of Heaven on earth. Congregational singing in worship is "chorus practice" for the eternal singing of Heaven. Let us bring out of the hymn and praise books songs both old and new.

A Plea for Consistency

I am currently taking a graduate class called "Contextualization." In this class we have discussed how that in evangelism sometimes former beliefs of a convert are never really rejected, but instead religious beliefs are blended together. What often happens in far eastern countries is that "converts" to Christianity end up accepting Jesus but simply adding him to their firm beliefs in other gods also. This blending together of beliefs is called "syncretism" and we see it taking place in our country today in the form of religious "pluralism." But before we point fingers at how people in other countries "blend" beliefs together, perhaps we should examine ourselves. I am amazed at how often I perceive that we in the churches of Christ take pride in "restoring the first century church" when many of our methods and practices have simply been adopted from denominationalism. For example, I have literally heard people say that we should always offer an invitation at the close of the sermon because it is Scriptural. Yet, in reality there is no biblical instruction about offering an invitation. This is simply our tradition. It seems likely to me that our tradition of offering an invitation following a sermon likely came from the denominational concept of an "alter call." There are traditionalists among us who claim that offering the invitation is the "Scriptural" thing to do (and you are "liberal" if you do not), when in reality we simply adopted it from the denominations. Yet, many of these same individuals claim that churches that raise hands in prayer are "trying to be like the denominations" when in reality we do have Scriptural instruction to do this very thing (read 1 Tim. 2:8)! What is my point? I simply desire that we study our Bibles and be consistent in our convictions!

Praise God with a New Song

"He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God" (Psalm 40:3). The Bible often speaks of us singing a "new song" in praise to our God (Psalm 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3). I often tire of singing the same old songs over and over. Certainly there are some older songs that I treasure and will always love. Songs like "Abide with Me," "Nearer, Still Nearer," "Night with Ebon Pinion," and "I am a Wayfairing Stranger" will always be some of my favorites. But there is definitely something to be said about praising God with new words and new melodies. New words stimulate our minds to really sing with the "spirit and

understanding" (1 Cor. 14:15) instead of simply reciting words with little thought as to their meaning. New melodies stimulate our emotions as our hearts give way to the greatness of God and his relevance in our lives today.

Many of the older songs that we sing (let's really be honest), few of us know what we are singing. For example really listen to the words of a song we often sing in worship, "Drop thy still dews of quiteness, till all our strivings cease, take from our souls the stain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess, the beauty of thy peace." What?! We might as well sing in Latin. I'm not sure I can sing these words in good conscience, not knowing what I'm saying. Well, no wonder the song was written in 1872. When our worship services are filled with songs like this, most Christians between the ages of 18-45 become very discouraged. I can't blame them. We all desire to praise our God and let a meaningful message flow from our hearts up to God in worship. But in order to do this, we must know what we are singing, and be emotionally moved by it.

There are two great a capella CDs out called "praise and harmony" that are designed to teach new songs to congregations. You can listen to some of these songs for free from their website and purchase the CDs. I bought both of these recently at the Freed-Hardeman Lectureship and they are fantastic!

God Did Not Send Us to Baptize, But Make Disciples

We must be careful to distinguish between the commandments of God and the traditions of men. Jesus warned of the danger of binding human traditions upon others as though they are matters of doctrine (Mark 7:7-8).

It has been a long standing tradition among many congregations to offer "the invitation" following almost every assembly of the church. The preacher is expected to enumerate the "five steps of salvation" giving a rehearsed recital of key passages that teach that one must (1) hear (2) believe (3) confess (4) repent (5) and be baptized. Sometimes I wonder if such a rote repetition of these steps can become a vain repetition that Jesus warned about (Matt. 6:7). So many times, when people sense that the invitation is coming they start fidgeting and reaching for songbooks. I have often felt awkward offering the invitation to a small assembly where I know everyone there is a Christian, yet I am expected to go through the motions anyway.

I understand that there are times when the plan of salvation needs to be clearly and concisely brought to the attention of the assembly. Sometimes there will be unbelievers that come into the assembly of the saints (1 Cor. 14:23-25). However, New Testament teaching makes clear that the assembly is not the place for evangelism of the lost, but rather for the edification (spiritual uplift) and instruction of the saved (cf. 1 Cor. 14:23, 26). The place for evangelism is outside of the assembly, as Christians "are going into the world" (Matt. 28:19-20).

When I went to India on a three week mission trip, I worshipped with my Indian brothers and sisters in Christ. Never once did they close a sermon with an invitation, yet they are converting many more than most of us. Clearly "the invitation" is a tradition of men. Traditions are neither morally good or bad. Some traditions, if they are effective and useful, should continue. However, Jesus made clear that some traditions are forced upon people as though they are the commands of God and such a stance is wrong.

I think that we all recognize the danger of baptizing people who have never really been converted to Jesus Christ. Baptism is an essential part of conversion, and without it one cannot be saved (Rom. 6:3-5; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:20-21; Acts 2:38; et al.). However, baptism is not some magical religious ritual that saves a person apart from their turning to God. In the words of Jesus, "Unless you are converted...you will not enter the kingdom of God" (Matt. 18:3). Perhaps in our rush to baptize people, we have not taken the time to do the necessary teaching that will truly convert someone to Christ.

For this reason, I am beginning to think that offering an invitation at the end of every sermon is actually counter productive (Perhaps our "invitation" originated from the "altar-call" of some denominations?). I have no desire to baptize lots of folks. My desire is that people be converted to the Lord (of which baptism is a part). In the words of the Apostle Paul, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel" (1 Cor. 1:17). I know of some churches that are actually opposed to offering the invitation, because they don't want people coming forward to be baptized who have not been sufficiently taught in an intensive personal Bible study. Such seems to be much more in harmony with the commandments of God.

Rather than requiring the preacher to offer a general memorized invitation at the end of every sermon on the chance that an unbeliever might be present, would we not be better served to be meeting people and asking them about their spiritual condition? Rather than depending upon the preacher, should not individual Christians be meeting visitors to the assembly and finding out whether they are in need of Christ and setting up person-to-person studies with them?

Rather than meeting the status quo and following the dictates of church-tradition, I had rather follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Let us take seriously Jesus' warning, "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men" (Mark 7:8).

Vainly Repeating Prayers?

"Guide, guard and direct us..." "Help the preacher have a ready recollection..." "And in the end, if we have been found faithful, give us a home with you in heaven..." "In Jesus' name, Amen." These are all phrases that we hear continually repeated in public prayers in worship assemblies. Does continually repeating these phrasing constitute praying with "vain repetition?"

In his sermon on the mount, Jesus instructs his followers how to behave as citizens of the kingdom. Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, "But when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose they will be heard for their many words." What is Jesus specifically referring to here? In addition, how might this passage apply to Christians today?

In this context, Jesus is clearly warning against mechanical, thoughtless praying. Disciples of Christ are urged to pray prayers that are radically different from the prayers offered by the hypocritical Gentile, pagan worshippers. R.T. France comments on this verse by stating, "Prayer in the non-Jewish world was often characterized particularly by formal invocations and magical incantations, in which the correct repetition counted rather than the worshipper's attitude or intention" (TNTC 132). The word translated "vain repetitions" is the Greek battalogein which means to "heap up empty phrases; to use many idle words." This type of approach to prayer is demonstrated in the prayers of Gentile pagan worshippers in Scripture. The prophets of Baal continually repeated a "vain repetition" from morning until noon crying out "O Baal, answer us" (1 Kings 18:26). The worshippers of Artemis in Ephesus cried out repetitiously for two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" (Acts 19:34). It seems that this is the type of prayer that Jesus is warning against. Prayer should not be viewed as some magical incantation of words that are continually uttered to God.

It seems that some have been guilty of continually repeating what is often called "the Lord's prayer" in such a fashion. It is important to note, that Jesus is not giving a special formula for approved prayer, but rather he is giving a model to be used in constructing our own prayers. In Matthew's account Jesus says, "Pray, then, in this way..." (Matt. 6:9). Luke's account demonstrates that Jesus gives this model as a means to teach his followers how to construct prayers of their own (Luke 11:1-4). It was never meant to be a "official" prayer incantation that is mindlessly repeated.

Our prayers to God must be carefully and thoughtfully worded (Ecclesiastes 5:2). We must make sure that our prayers are clearly articulated, for we must be "sober" in our prayers (1 Peter 4:7). This instruction demonstrates that Christians must not be guilty of "fuzzy prayers"--prayers that mindlessly repeat trite sayings that roll off the tongue. Rather, our prayers must be purposeful and clearly stated.

That is not to say, that it is wrong to repeat oneself in prayer. Jesus clearly used repetition in his prayer in Gethsemane, praying the same words three times (Matt. 26:44). This was repetition, but it was not "vain." His repetition was for a purpose. In addition, Jesus instructs us to continually repeat our earnest prayers and be persistent in doing so (Luke 18:1-8). Therefore, we must be careful in being too critical of men who use repetitions in their public prayers.

Nevertheless, it is true that we can get into "prayer ruts" where we mindlessly repeat the same traditional sayings of prayer with little thought of their meaning. This is a great danger, and strikes at the heart of Jesus' warning in this verse. Vain repetitions in prayer keep God at a distance by repeating sleepy and tired words. Our prayers to God should be characterized by a vibrant and real spiritual relationship with our heavenly Father. Men who are guilty of continually leading prayer by using the same memorized prayers each year reveal much about their own personal prayer lives. I personally believe that only men that demonstrate a genuine spirituality should lead in public worship. "You shall know them by their fruits" (cf. Matt. 7:20). We must try and avoid "vain repetitions" not only in our prayers but also in the songs that we sing. Singing the same songs over and again can become just as vain. For this reason, Scripture continually exhorts us to "sing a new song" (Psalm 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3).

Ultimately the issue boils down to genuine spirituality. Our worship and communication to God should be real, not some memorized ritual.

Worship is an Encounter with God

Today I came across an article that appeared in the Christian Chronicle (a magazine about churches of Christ) some time ago. Although, I do not agree with everything that this author says in the article, I do think he makes some great points about what worship is really all about. Read carefully what the author says:

"True worship must be more than simply an intellectual or ceremonial exercise. Much of what passes for worship is little more than the practice of ritual obligations. Without thinking, worship can be reduced to little more than "five acts" that must be satisfied in order to appease a God who is checking off his list of rules to make sure we followed the prescription correctly. With this approach to worship, the main concern becomes, "Did we do it right?" rather than "Were our hearts in tune with the Father?"Many of us grew up with a legalistic theology that emphasized the need to "be right." I heard a lot about "doing things correctly," but until my college years I heard nothing about a relationship with Christ. Religion was a list of rules to be kept, a lifestyle to be adopted. It was primarily based on a rational approach to God; emotions were disparaged and viewed suspiciously. Even if we felt emotions welling up inside, most of us understood we needed to sit on our hands and choke down those feelings. Obviously, we need a strong theology based on truth. We must engage our minds to the fullest. Worship based primarily on emotion is both dangerous and shallow. But theologically correct worship lacking emotion is cold, lifeless, and powerless. Such worship employs the head, but cuts the heart out of it. A genuine encounter with God in worship requires both our mind and our emotions. Admittedly, we do not always feel like worship. It is at those times that worship is more a decision of our will than the desire of our heart. However, worship that is regularly void of passion is unlike the worship I read about in Scripture.There is a part of us that needs to be filled up, to be comforted, to be overwhelmed with wonder, and to be lifted up in the exhilaration of praise. It might be possible for a husband and wife to approach their relationship from a purely rational perspective, to analyze it and diagram it intellectually. However, if that is as deep as the relationship ever goes, which of us would want it? A relationship based primarily on feelings is immature and shallow. Certainly, a healthy relationship is grounded in knowledge and truth and good judgment. But it also needs some passion —- an extravagant love, a heart-felt emotion that yearns to be near that person and to enjoy the intimacy of their companionship (Ps 42:1-2; 63:1-5; Phil. 1:21-26).The worship found in many congregations is lifeless and without the kind of passion that touches our heart and soul. The clinical style of worship that reduces the assembly to "three songs and a prayer" did not come from Scripture. Biblical examples of worship run counter to the way worship is done in many of our congregations. Examples of worship in Scripture are often filled with excitement, vivacious enthusiasm and animated activity."

I'm afraid that too often our worship is merely designed to go through the same ritual week after week to fulfill our "requirement." Worship, as taught in the New Testament, is to be an encounter with God, where we fall down before Him in praise. Worship involves mind, heart and soul. It should involve all of our minds and all of our hearts (John 4:24). May God speed the day when we start organizing our worship services to be a stirring mental and emotional experience where we feel we have come into the presence of God (see 1 Cor. 14:25).

Singing with the Family

Jonathan B. Jones II
March 24, 2007
Congregations are made up of families. To have good congregational singing, we need families who are singing (and learning to sing) in individual homes.

Mama sang bass, daddy sang tenor. In days gone by, families would sing together at home. We don't seem to sing anymore. We had rather watch people sing on American Idol. Since we don't practice singing at home in our families, our singing in the church seems to be steadily degrading. Some have noticed that we are seeing the death of the four-part harmony in this generation. No one knows how to sing their part.

A Restoration of Singing
Once, singing workshops, singing schools, and Sunday afternoon congregational singings were a common occurrence in our brotherhood. Our brethren once loved to sing. Now singings are not well attended. Why? Singing is not appealing when it is depressing instead of uplifting. People are leaving the LORD's church to try and find "spiritual worship." Members of the Lord's body are compromising the truth to try and find spirituality. People want to be uplifted and encouraged. God designed singing for this purpose and singing should be best within the body of Christ. Even people who once would not sing, will suddenly burst forth in praise when they are motivated by singing that stirs their soul. But good singing does not just come "naturally" for most. It is a skill that must be learned and practiced.

Learning to Sing
I have found that most people in the Lord's church do not know how to read music (I know very little myself). I believe that this is something that should be taught in our churches. We should not, however, be in the business of training professional singers, but we should teach people how to bring the "first fruits" of praise to God. I believe that singing in our churches can be dramatically improved even without learning musical notation. Most of us learn best by example. We simply need to hear someone sing the part correctly and our "music memory" will do the rest.

Singing Tools
There are some great resources available for us to learn new songs and learn the harmonies of these songs. Several within our brotherhood have recorded a cappella songs (both new and old) that we can learn by listening to CD's. Individuals can listen to these CD's in the car. Families can listen to them at home. Congregations can listen in song training classes. These are wonderful tools to use to get us singing and singing to our individual best.

Let's get back to singing bass and tenor (and soprano and alto!).

Here are some wonderful recordings of a cappella singing (available from Taylor Publications):

"Each Little Dewdrop" is a CD of Sunday School and VBS songs for little children. The voices recorded are the voices of children. (A companion songbook is also available) $12.99.

"I'm Gonna Sing!" is a CD of songs for pre-teens. (A companion songbook is also available). $14.99.



"Sing Praises" is s CD of songs for teens (A companion songbook is also available). $11.97.


"Praise Hymnal" is a collection of new praise and worship songs with contemporary lyrics assembled for the congregational worship assembly. It is a wonderful collection of songs. Several CD's are available of a cappella groups singing all the songs in this hymnal.