The Gift of Music

My new Sunday School teacher’s lessons are simple and to the point, which is great.  We split up to pray in pairs, and later break up to discuss the verses in small groups as well. Like me, he doesn’t like to be around people in the service who aren’t singing.

 

Ephesians 5:19 …addressing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.

 

Brian on music: “I believe the evil one has so greatly distorted the amazing gift of music, not only in the purpose of music (taking what was created as a means to glorify God and corrupting it into a means to glorify self), but also in believers' passivity in seeing music as entertainment. Music is not meant, firstly, to be for our entertainment. Primarily, music is a gift of God for our expression of praise and thanksgiving. We are meant to be active participants in music. Music is meant to draw our hearts to Christ and make them soar with delight in Him. It is also meant to build up one another and encourage one another through congregational singing.”

 

To me music is ok, and I enjoy singing along in the car, but if I had my pick I’d be listening to “talk” – a book on CD, sports talk, a baseball game, or a news station. At home I’d rather have the TV on, even if I’m in the kitchen or in and out cleaning up. My favorite part of the church service is the sermon. Worship music is ok, but I’d rather be in a traditional service singing hymns.

 

Another story from Brian. He’d been on a mission trip to a certain part of Africa. He said the best part was the worship. The men were big manly men, but during worship they sang loudly and worshipped without inhibition. Seems like if there are constraints on worship, then the worship wouldn’t be as rich and full of an experience as it should be.

 

My friend John just wrote about how sin used to be talking during worship, missing church, or not keeping the Sabbath holy. We’re just know peeling back the layers and acknowledging that not loving other races is sin, or not serving those in need.

 

The Johnson Ferry worship team released an album of original worship songs, so the Sunday services all revolved around that. Videos of the worship leaders hamming it up on one of their two semi-annual retreats. Instead of a sermon they sat on couches ala The Tonight Show while another staff member interviewed them. When it became clear what was going on a few people got up and left. But people come and go throughout every JFBC service, especially in the gym. Many people make no effort to enter the gym before the service has started. Some leave early, not caring that their shoes clomping on the temporary grandstand and wood floor is a huge distraction to others. 
 
North Point and Passion have been releasing CD’s of original worship music for years. They will publicize the music and perhaps make a big deal in the evening service, but they never go to the lengths JFBC did. North Point makes a priority of making the most of every worship service They never mail it in or take it easy. If Andy isn’t there they bring in someone just as good, or one of the associates preaches a message on the same sermon series topic.

But JFBC has more of a “home church” feel, like SPdL did back in the day. Several of the worship leaders and many of the associate ministers are home grown. Services spotlight youth returning from choir tours and mission trips. We’re slowly getting more involved. Might be time soon to finally move our letter from SPdL. Not looking forward to taking the new members class.

JFBC is doing a great job serving refugees. They take in refugees coming into the country – this week they’re helping out natives of St. Croix who were displaced by the recent hurricanes.     

Every year Passion City Church puts on a weekend event for all their volunteers. Usually they hold it there at the church, but this year they had it at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium. PCC is a big customer of the Stadium Authority, since they’ve been renting out the Georgia Dome every year for their Passion Conferences. PCC usually brings in big time speakers, like Chickfila’s Dan Cathy. This year they brought in tennis legend Stan Smith to speak.

Anna’s friend’s father Gary works for Adidas in the tennis division, so he attends all the major tournaments. I’ve seen several photos of Gary with Stan Smith. Gary attends PCC, so I’m sure that’s how they got him to speak. Friday night while I was at the Braves game Ceil and Matthew ate at El Felix in Avalon. Gary was there eating with Stan Smith.

Charles Stanley recently turned 85.