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Amazing Love
As The Deer (sometimes we add Don Moen’s new verse)
Be Still
Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace
Shine Jesus Shine
The Servant King (we sung that last Sunday!)
There Is A Redeemer

Ah, all old familiars.
Don’t think I’ve sung any of those much at all for ages.
Depends what church you’re in I guess,  and everyone’s experience is different.  My experience has been, a set of songs are around for a time, then get swept away by new stuff.   
So thanks for being specific.
...
edit - ‘swept away’ is probably putting it too strongly.  Sorry can’t think of a nicer way to put it right now.

I found some support for my hypothesis above:

Makes me ponder - these songs represented in some way the sentiments and spirituality of a particular generation or mini-generation.  Take them away, and there is a subtle change.  It’s not just the form or musical style.  There is a subtle change of message.  I don’t mean to suggest anything sinister or heretical.

...in this Times article on big ideas changing the world right now, citing New Calvinism
It claims…

If you really want to follow the development of conservative Christianity, track its musical hits. In the early 1900s you might have heard “The Old Rugged Cross,” a celebration of the atonement. By the 1980s you could have shared the Jesus-is-my-buddy intimacy of “Shine, Jesus, Shine.” And today, more and more top songs feature a God who is very big, while we are...well, hark the David Crowder Band: “I am full of earth/ You are heaven’s worth/ I am stained with dirt/ Prone to depravity.”

Now if you translate a little to remove the cynicism, these are all good messages.  The atonement…the intimacy and immanence of God come close in the Lord Jesus…the transcendence, holiness and power of God, and our unworthiness.  The point is the prominence of a particular message at a particular time changes.

Developing this thought a bit further…it is a really good thing to have songs from a variety of eras (you can always pick a few really excellent songs which are timeless) helps provide a healthy balance.

Developing this thought a bit further…it is a really good thing to have songs from a variety of eras (you can always pick a few really excellent songs which are timeless) helps provide a healthy balance.

That is certainly the optimal outcome.  Though singing the David Crowder Band (who were at last year’s Passion Conference) might be a bit of a challenge for the oldies!

A page back, I wrote..

Tia Zheng - 04 March 2009 04:08 PM

#1 Modern, contemporary song, though not too jazzy or noisy arrangement
(e.g. Rob Smith’s “You alone”)

#2 Classic, rousing hymn with classic tune (maybe lyrics adjusted for modern not thee/thy language), with accompaniment on plain piano/organ/organ sound on electronic keyboard
(e.g. “God is our strength and refuge”, Dambusters theme tune)

#3 Energetic (but not breakneck-speed) contemporary, maybe with more prominent drums/bass
(e.g. “Blessed be Your Name” - Redmans or something?)

#4 Classic hymn, newer music to original words (maybe Garage Hymnal, though I’m personally not a big fan), piano & other one-line instrument, light use of drums/percussion & bass
(e.g. Nathan Tasker’s cover of “Nothing but the blood of Jesus”,
or Ruth Buchanan’s “Rock of ages”)

#5 Modern, contemporary song with more reflective feel, slower tempo
(e.g. “Beautiful Saviour” - Townend?)

I felt that the music at CMS Summer School achieved this kind of balance nicely in the 4 consecutive days I was privileged to be there.

Yesterday PM, I accompanied my elder sister to a church about the same size as my old evening one, with about the same age range too (though more culturally diverse).

I was really encouraged by the band/music team organisation in the service - it was such a perfect fit to the cater-for-different-preferences (all at once in the one 60-minute service) model I proposed above.

It had a bit of everything. A fast-paced/energetic song with adequate but NOT over-done repetition; a slower piano-ballad; a more upbeat but not breakneck-speed arrangement of an older song; even a nice old classic hymn with an organ!

Wish my evening church would take a page from this church’s book. After all, they’re only a few minutes apart in location.

TZ.

Today we had a more traditional repertiore.  An increased number of people (160) at today’s baptism service sang ‘Shine Jesus Shine’ very boisterously!

Milica Cook - 21 January 2009 02:39 PM

Why do we have to split congregations?  Over what?  Music.  Mark please don’t take this personally, I’m not aiming this at you.  We have two Church services and music is only one reason why.  I’m saddened by it because it means we are not united in our style of Church service yet know the same Jesus.

Surely there are other ways then making more work for our Ministers and Church musicans?  That means attending 2 services.  Can’t people just compromise?  Honestly this will teach the congregation members to put up with something they don’t like in order to serve their brother or sister in Christ (Love in Action).  Otherwise, you are just pandering to everybody’s self-centered nature.  Well that is how I see it anyway.

Amen to this :-)

Maybe this is the way to go :

Heaps funny!  Put a laugh to my day after the Michael Jackson stuff.

I’m sorry that this is so BIG. Does anybody have any clues on how to make it smaller ?



Yeah - just go into microsoft imaging or any semi-complex photo software, shrink it and repost.

Check this out :

http://lists.christianitytoday.com/t/15498945/3209839/172520/0/