Peace to my anonymous friends...

To my dear anonymous correspondents,
Thanks for your kind words. I do understand the freedom of being able to discuss deeply-felt issues like music worship w/o making an awkward situation of it. If I can help you, or if I am only able to clarify issues, or to whatever extent we can "sharpen iron" and build each other up, then I will be thankful.

I can accept your desire to remain nameless....

To help me interact better with you, what if, at the least, you give yourself some kind of moniker, a pseudonym for this venue? Such a thing has a long pedigree in the history of correspondence. When writing, sign your comments as coming from "Earnest," or "Friend #3," or "Brother J" or something like that. I think it will allow us to actually think things through together. 

If this makes sense to do so, I welcome your interaction, as brother to brother.

For Jesus' sake, 

David

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Principles for worship at HBC #2

1. We focus on the triune God.

We put a high priority on God-centeredness in all our meetings. We aim ultimately to enter the Father=s presence, through Christ, by faith, in conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit in such a way that the Lord is glorified in our affections.
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Principles for worship at HBC #1

I'll blog over many days on this one. It comes from a document I drew up in August 2006 with the elders of our church, trying to enunciate those Biblical principles that direct the music ministry of our church. Let's begin.

What is worship?


This list of marks that describe public worship at Heritage Baptist Church reflect the work of other churches and our own in seeking to live out together the fundamental principle of John 4:23-24, The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. These convictions, deeper than issues of style and form, inform every part of our corporate worship. As one of our pastors, Ted Christman, writes

Worship is both a purposeful and reflexive response of the soul and body of a person who has savingly experienced the grace of God, and is increasingly seeing the glory of God. The worshiper is spontaneously compelled from his very heart to render back to God love, praise, adoration, honor, glory, gratitude, submission, obedience and service. Included in this soul and body reflex is an insatiable longing to know him better and better, to become more and more like him, and never to be satisfied until we are with him in his immediate, glorious presence.

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Looking for a tune!

The hymn I reference on the top of the blog, Cowper's (say it, "Coo-per") hymn, "Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings." Anyone know of a good tune for it? I'd like something a bit more current than the standard 7676D tune "Bentley." There is also the Indelible Grace setting which I'll end up using if nothing else comes along. Ideas?

BTW: It is #48 in the Olney Hymns, Book III, in a section called "Comfort." Newton entitled it Joy and peace in believing. I've noted the Scripture allusions below in the text.

Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord, who rises with healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.

In holy contemplation we sweetly then pursue
The theme of God’s salvation, and find it ever new.
Set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say,
Let the unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may. (Matt 6:34)

It can bring with it nothing but He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing will clothe His people, too;
Beneath the spreading heavens, no creature but is fed;
And He Who feeds the ravens will give His children bread.

Though vine nor fig tree neither their wonted fruit should bear, (Hab 3:17-18)
Though all the field should wither, nor flocks nor herds be there;
Yet God the same abiding, His praise shall tune my voice,
For while in Him confiding, I cannot but rejoice.

-- William Cowper, 1779

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Setlist for January 18, 2009

Morning Worship
PT continued preaching through James: 5:13-16a, on prayer. We wrapped the musical theme, Scripture and prayer around God as the Everlasting One. We can trust him alone....

Opening Song
Psalm 90 (Our God our help / tune: st. anne)  C
Set
Psalm 136 (Give to our God immortal praise / tune: duke street)  C/D
Everlasting God   A
Be unto your name   Bb/C
Amazing Grace--my chains are gone   D
B/4 sermon
Christ of all my hopes the ground (tune: hendon)   Eb/E

The evening was full of unusual events -- commissioning a church planter, electing 4 more deacons, etc. So to get done in a timely manner, we truncated the singing. Only 2 hymns, only piano accomp., and we used a hymnal. Felt so 20th century -- guess we have the liberty of going retro!

Glorious things of thee D
How sweet and awful C/Db/D

This post is a part of Sunday Setlists hosted by FredMcKinnon.com

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Looking for interaction here

This response recently came to a posted setlist:

anonymous said...
A Reformed Baptist who once attended HBC asks,

"What happened to your church? You used to sing from the Trinity Hymnal and now it looks like you sing mostly contemporary stuff?

Dear Anonymous,
We grew.
David

I really didn't mean to sound snarky...



... but I thought a brief response better. I mean no ill will toward "anonymous," but I have no sympathy for anonymous responders. Plus, I've tried to explain our fundamental principles (still quite intact), and have said quite a bit, actually, on this blog (e.g., look here). He/she could have interacted with any of it, but has not. I encourage you, Mr./Ms. Anonymous, btw, to respond to anything I've written. Have the courtesy, however, to use your name!

I'm posting something here just a bit longer b/c I want to interact with reformed baptists who are actually serious about thinking through our worship.

Being a "reformed baptist" does not equate to an "only blue Trinity hymnal" position. It reminds me of the old "KJV only" debates. We confused faithfulness to Christ and his Word with holding to a venerable, but outdated, translation. "If the KJV was good enough for the apostle Paul..." You get the idea. Thankfully we've outgrown that mindset.

Some of us, at least, became RBs out of a fundamentalist, dispensational church background. It would be a mistake to call our services "worship." They were public (and sincere) gatherings, sermons were preached and songs were sung, but never did we have the sense of "God is here. Right now." Not much engagement with the living God. It was sometimes little more than sanctified entertainment. (Ouch!) Well, it was.

When I came to embrace the 1689 LBC, I found in RB churches an awe-struck vision of the glory of God. When we came to worship, we came expecting to meet with Almighty God, through Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit. "Worship services" became intense encounters with the living God.

I also embraced the blue Trinity hymnal. It is no mistake to say that RB worship, the Regulative Principle, a Sabbatarian view of the Lord's Day, the 1689 LBC, serious preaching, and the blue Trinity Hymnal all came in one package. But long before I began using what my anonymous correspondent calls "contemporary stuff," I would add hymns to our public worship. (That was back in Warminster, PA.) We also used a psalter. So even then we were never exclusively "blue Trinity," though our music style certainly flowed in the same current.

For the record:

-- I still think highly of the Trinity hymnal, though I prefer the red one (now you know I've strayed!)

-- Almost 40% of our singing comes from hymns in the Trinity hymnal (though I'll add stanzas back in that were left out, I'll update the language when possible, and use new tunes when available).

-- We also incorporate other older hymns not found in the blue Trinity. I post some of them on this blog. And we also now sing at least one psalm setting each Lord's Day. So when you add up our "hymn singing" (excluding all that "contemporary stuff"), it's about 50%.

-- The music chosen for each service reflects the preaching and themes for that service. So the mix is different each time. Judge us, then, by the hymns and songs over several Sundays.

-- We embrace a contemporary music style as much as I am able to. That is, when we sing "How firm a foundation," it's gonna groove.

I've explained this elsewhere and will, again gladly, if need be.

-- I want my grandchildren (if ever I have any!) to love Newton and Watts, Toplady and Cowper, Kent and Bonar. It is, however, a grave mistake, in my judgment, to think we can continue to sing venerable hymns without updating the tunes and language whenever possible. Those who refuse will find themselves increasingly marginalized and ineffective in our culture.

-- Let's think like missionaries in our own town. What kind of music do people listen to? Now take a look at your own setlist for tomorrow and ask this question: Will anything in the music touch people emotionally? Will people connect?

I should say more. But I'm done for now. Feel free to interact.

Because of Mercy,

David

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More useful information

Also from CCLI -- from a survey in February the 'top ten' list of worship songs -- then some observations on what these songs have in common. Helpful stuff. Check it out here. Read More......

Check this out

CCLI's annual church survey of music. Might be useful to you. Find it here. Read More......

Communion Hymn

We sang this last week, but it's worth mentioning. Find the music here at GettyMusic.

Behold the Lamb
Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away, slain for us and we remember the promise made that all who come in faith find forgiveness at the cross; So we share in this bread of life and we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of peace around the table of the King



The body of our Savior Jesus Christ torn for you—eat and remember his wounds that heal, his death that brings us life, cursed of God to make us one; So we share in this bread of life and we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of love around the table of the King

The blood that cleanses ev'ry stain of sin, shed for you--drink and remember. He drained death's cup that all may enter in to receive the life of God; So we share in this bread of life and we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of grace around the table of the King

And so with thankfulness and faith we rise to respond and to remember our call to follow in the steps of Christ as his body here on earth; Till the day that he comes again ending death, ending sin and shame, one in Him-love and peace will reign around the table of the King

Author: Keith Getty | Kristyn Getty | Stuart Townend
Copyright: ©2007 Thankyou Music / CCLI: 5003372

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Setlist for January 11, 2009

In Morning Worship Pastor Ted continued his exposition in James, 5:12, on being people of integrity. Our theme then opened up God as the Trustworthy One. In uncertain times, there is One who must be our only refuge....


Opening Song:
Psalm 146 / C-Db
Set:
How firm a foundation / Eb-F
Your grace is enough / Eb
Great is thy faithfulness / C-D
In Christ alone / D
B/4 the sermon:
Speak O Lord / Bb

In Evening Worship Pastor Rich preached on the sanctity of life and the Bible case against abortion. His preaching was redemptive. Our theme explored the greatness of God our Creator and Father.

Opening Song:
All creatures of our God and King / C
I opened with Q.26 from the Heidelberg Catechism.
What do you believe when you say: "I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?"
I believe that the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and he will also turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this life of sorrow. He is able to do this because he is almighty God. He desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.
Set:
Because we believe / C
God of creation / D (tune: slane, "be thou my vision")
Margaret Clarkson
Praise my soul (Ps 103) / C (tune: lauda anima)
Psalm 139 / Eb-E (tune: dim ond jesu, "Here is love")
B/4 the sermon:
The wonderful cross / C

This post is a part of the carnival at Sunday Setlists hosted by FredMcKinnon.com

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Old hymn well worth learning

from Joseph Kent, 1803. He had Psalm 139:17 at the top of it, "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" See Gadsby, #732. I've updated the language.

1. Indulgent God, how kind
are all your ways to me,
whose dark benighted mind
'gainst you was enmity;
yet now, subdued by sovereign grace,
my spirit longs for your embrace!


2. How precious are your thoughts,
which o'er my heart have rolled!
They swell beyond my faults.
and captivate my soul;
how great their sum, how high they rise,
can ne'er be known beneath the skies.

3. Preserved in Jesus when
my feet made haste to hell;
and there should I have gone.
but you do all things well;
your love was great, your mercy free,
which from the pit delivered me.

4. A monument of grace,
a sinner saved by blood;
the streams of love I trace
up to the fountain, God;
and in his wondrous mercy see,
eternal thoughts of love to me.

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Setlist for January 4, 2009

Morning Worship

PT preached a "state of the church" message. The music/worship theme revolved around Psalm 145, telling out the greatness of God. The congregation read from Ps 145 after each song until we had it finished. Then 3 men prayed, adding further reasons for praising God in this coming year. As last week, I again borrowed some structural ideas from Seedsower Music. 

Opening song:

O for a thousand tongues

Set:

Great is the Lord (Michael W. Smith)

Blessed be your name (Redman)

How great thou art

  the men leading us in prayer

The Lord (Ps 23) (sovereign grace)

B/4 sermon

Mercies anew (sovereign grace)

Evening Worship

This was our monthly Lord's Table observance. Pastor Joe preached from Heb 10 the fact of and our deliverance from "falling into the hands of an angry God." It was really good.

Opening Song:

Before the throne of God above

Set:

Always forgiven (sovereign grace)

  PJ requested this for these lines, 

"Anger and wrath, sure condemnation, should be my portion, my just reward; Never have seen it, never will know it, your loving-kindness enfolds my life."

Indulgent God

  This is an old hymn by Joseph Kent (1803) that we sing to the tune St. John (also called Calkin). The very title almost seems excessive, "indulgent God," until we understand author's attempt to describe the majestic splendor of God's grace, Christ's sin, and our monstrous sin guilt. I'll post the hymn later. 

Behold the Lamb (Getty)

At the Table: (something new -- handed out half sheets with the words on them)

Here, O my Lord (Bonar's classic)

Here is love (the Welsh "love song")

Sorry I'm not more verbal -- still wrestling some kind of virus.

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