Our pastor, beacuse of some disagreement among members in our church, is preaching through a 10-part series on The Regulative Principle of Worship. I really like it and realize that one of the reasons I liked the church in Nashville so much is that they worshiped in this fashion (God-directed signing, prayer,praise, etc.). Today’s message was on “Signing”. He discussed and provided examples of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. He admonished the youth to write songs using Psalms and putting them to modern meter and rhyme.
I believe that one element of the Regulative Principle of Worship is that we should, as practically as possible, use commands, precepts, and principles set forth in the Bible as a guide to our worship. For example, I like that the Bible Church we belonged to in Oklahoma did not pass an offering plate in the service, but had an offering slot at the back of the church (drawn, I suppose, from examples in the early churches/synagogues depicted in the Bible). Another thing I appreciated about Grace Church in Nashville was that they expressly did not incorporate a Choir as the pastor and elders believed that The Regulative Principle of Worships guides us to ALL engage in worship through signing to God, not listening to a Choir sign to God.
I find that when the Regulative Principle of Worship is practiced, my heart is more prepared for, and engaged in worship. What are your thoughts?
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I have become increasingly more partial to songs that are clearly, if not exactly, based on Scripture. God’s word is refreshing, especially, I think when it is sung. Or rather, I think God’s word moves us to sing. Actually, I think both are true.
I do think however that other kinds of songs are relevant. I think there should be room for personal expression as well, because it could be that a person has some insight into what a particular passage of scripture means.
I agree, we enjoy a very simple service at our church which belongs to the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (RPCNA). Its descended from the Covenanters which is one of the groups of Presbyterian Churches formed during the English persecution of the Church of Scotland in the 1600’s(?)-better look that up again- We sing Psalms exclusively with no choir or instrumental accompanyment. Though this was not my practice previously I enjoy the aspect of following what we can be sure God has prescribed in scripture for his worship with little distraction or focus on us. His words, and our making music in our hearts with our mouths. The spirit of the regulative principle in worship is worship is about the Lord first. Our reformed doctrine teaches us to have God for God’s sake. Everything else we enjoy or do comes after. (Seek first the kingdom etc. etc.)
The tunes we sing in church are old and Scottish. Many I know from growing up singing out of the Trinity Hymnal in the OPC. Some I really like, some grow on you and some don’t. Though I don’t think we can enforce the regulative principle with one style or tradition of music in mind, I enjoy the four part harmony, the “choir” sound of our congregation singing. Its encouraging to hear the youth in your church being told to write after the Psalms. The Psalms are wonderful, they not only teach us about who God is in relation to us his people and the whole world, but they teach us how to express our emotions to him with whatever we may be going through up or down or sideways.
We have a new Psalter in the works blending traditional and modern tunes. Of course whenever possible in deciding on a practice or issue in Church, in so far as scripture and God’s glory is not compromised, unity of Gods people should win out.
I agree and these fall in the category of “Spiritual Songs”. In fact, technically, many of the “Hymns” we sing in the Trinity Hymnal are actually “spiritual songs” not “hymns”. It’s great that God commands us to sing all three because with “spiritual songs” we have much more freedom to sing about the Christian faith and about man’s struggles with sin, etc.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about singing!
Since the psalms weren’t part of Scripture (as we know it 🙂 ) when they were written and sung, I would assume that this in many respects gives us the freedom to write new songs–which is what you just said, Uncle David, regarding “spiritual songs.”
Of course, new songs we might write today can’t be added to Scripture as the Psalms were (and it’s interesting to note that king David encouraged people to sing new songs in a few of his Psalms).
Adam, did you say that your church encourages to write music imitating the Psalms? That’s pretty cool. By the way, did you hear the music that my siblings and I put to Psalm 42?
What you guys did to Psalm 42 is what our Pastor is encouraging people in out church to do.