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www.truthworks.com 9 OCT 03 devotion archive send this page to a friend |
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SING A NEW SONG I tell you the Truth, Psalms 33:3 If you hang around me long enough,
you’ll quickly find out that I love music. I can’t give you a reason
for the style of music I like to listen to, except that God truly speaks to me
through the lyrics. I cut my spiritual music teeth on ancient musicians
such as Through the years, I’ve often been
questioned by other Christians as to how I can listen to such “ungodly”
music. “How can you derive anything from all that noise?” “How
are you separating yourself from the world by listening to that stuff?” Before I get carried away, I don’t
condone all music that calls itself “Christian.”
But for me, the style is not what makes the music honoring to God.
It is the content of the music. God has spoken to me and broken me over
and over through song. I admit that there have been a few songs that
provoked my own questions. One song that I heard for the first time some
fifteen years ago was “Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music” by Geoff
Moore & The Distance. The song was originally written in 1973 by
pioneer Christian rock artist Larry Norman. I wasn’t sure what Larry’s
point was in the message of this song. That is, until I read the following
devotional. I was shocked to find where the original theme came from.
You may be too! Please read on:
********************************************* William Booth, believing the
19th-century English church had become too refined to reach the cities' poor,
took the gospel into the streets. He organized his workers into a
"salvation army," complete with uniforms and military rank. With hecklers and drunks abounding, the
"army" didn't always find preaching easy or safe. A local builder,
Charles William Fry, offered himself and his three sons as bodyguards. As it
happened all four played brass instruments, which they carried along to
accompany singing. Booth's rowdier supporters were soon
dragging along concertinas, bells, hunting horns, banjos, tambourines, and drums
to praise the Lord. Said one leader, "It sounds as if a brass band's gone
out of its mind." Salvation Army recruits did not stick
to traditional hymns but invented their own words for rousing popular tunes.
"Here's to Good Old Whiskey" became "Storm the Forts of
Darkness." Booth had his doubts about this trend until one night, hearing a
beautiful rendition of "Bless His Name, He Sets Me Free," he asked
about the tune. "Why, Mr. Booth, that's 'Champagne Charlie Is My
Name,"' the embarrassed singer replied. "That settles it," Booth
said. "Why should the devil have all the best tunes?" Soon 400
bands were crashing about England, playing hit tunes with Christian words.
*********************************************
King David and his people would have
liked that spirit. Many of the psalms were meant to be sung, and sung joyfully.
Modern church formality seems far removed from their frequent command:
"Sing for joy! Shout aloud!" Their instruments included cymbals,
tambourines, trumpets, ram's horns, harps, and lyres. Sometimes dancing erupted
(oh my!). The world, in the psalmist's imagination, can't contain the delight
God inspires. A new song must be sung. "Shout for joy to the LORD,
all the earth, burst into jubilant song" (98:4). First Chronicles Every generation of Christians renews
the discovery of this "new song," sometimes through the music of their
forebears, sometimes in a form that shocks their solemn elders. The Salvation
Army did, as did the Jesus Movement in the 60’s and Christian rock music in
the 80’s and 90’s. David would
not have been surprised. He jolted
his own wife with spontaneous dancing (see 1 Chronicles Do you just sing the words to worship songs or do you worship God with words in song?
Your Servant,
<*))))))< <*))))))< <*))))))< <*))))))< <*))))))< <*))))))< Copyright © 2003 Truth Works Publishing. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise specified, all scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV.
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