Posts Tagged ‘music’
A History of Our Hymnbooks
by Wayne S. Walker originally published in Faith and Facts, October 1999 Back in the very late 1700s and early 1800s, the conditions in this new nation appeared just right for a number of different men from different denominational backgrounds in different parts of the country to begin calling for a return to New Testament…
Read MoreA Review of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
by Wayne Walker Wolfgang, Steve, general editor. Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs (published in 2012 by Sumphonia Productions LLC, 41601 Epping Green Sq., Aldie, VA 20105). A new hymnbook has been published this year. It is intended primarily for use in Churches of Christ but could be used by anyone, primarily those who still prefer…
Read MoreMy grandson wants to learn to lead singing. What do you suggest?
Question: Hello, I’m searching for a CD of a capella hymns for my grandson who is attempting to lead the singing at our Wednesday night Bible studies. He has no music training or special talent except that he is very willing. I think the music he could sing along with would probably be best for…
Read MoreWhat do you think about Christianity and heavy metal music?
Question: What do you think about Christianity and heavy metal music? As an avid listener of the genre and a Christian, I’m always plagued with people telling me that it’s wrong and satanic. Since I’m the one who actually listens to the genre, I find that those people aren’t very educated on the matter. From…
Read MoreShould songs be used by a writer who was improperly divorced?
Question: I noticed in our songbook that a few of the songs written are by Amy Grant. I don’t know if you are familiar with her, but she is a singer and songwriter who divorced because of “irreconcilable differences” and promptly remarried. My question is, do you think it is appropriate to sing songs that…
Read MoreWhat do you think of Songs of Faith and Praise?
Question: Hello, I am writing to you because I came across a blog you had on your web site concerning your review of the Songs for Worship and Praise hymnal. I have owned the hymnal for a couple of months and also own Songs of Faith and Praise and Praise for the Lord. I am trying to find a good hymnal…
Read MoreIt is sad that the hymnbook is being abandoned
Question: Greetings. I appreciated your article “Sing with Understanding.” David, the Bible’s great hymn-writer, by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, was concerned about that too (Psalms 47:7). And it’s really the purpose of my blog on hymns, to help with this. Your examples are good. This is the kind of thing that might…
Read MoreWhere can I find lyrics to some of James D. Vaughan’s songs?
Question: I’m looking to see if you have a link or know where I can find full songs so that I may write the lyrics down. I’m looking for James D. Vaughan’s songs. It’s so we can sing it at our church. Answer: James David Vaughan mostly wrote music to other people’s lyrics. There are…
Read MoreI enjoyed the songbook review, even though I didn’t agree with all of it
Question: Having just read your review of Jeffcoat’s new songbook, I just thought I would drop you a note to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the review. I didn’t agree with all your comments, but I enjoyed them. Answer: I’m glad you found it useful.
Read MoreThank you for the tips on song leading
Question: Thank you so much for the tips that you have displayed on the site about Song Leading in the Church. I have been part of the church of Christ as far back as I can remember. I am very thankful that my parents raised me in this church. I was inspired by my late Grandfather to become a…
Read MoreAre Christians commanded to only sing the psalms?
Question: I recently was made aware of an old acquaintance who is now part of a house church. In a message he sent to me giving a short explanation, he said, “…after a lot of study, I have come to the understanding that we are only authorized to sing inspired songs from the book of…
Read MoreIs it wrong to listen to rap or hip-hop music if it doesn’t contain anything about killing, drugs, or sex?
Question: I know Christians shouldn’t listen to secular rap or hip hop music, in which I stopped recently, but what if the song doesn’t contain anything about killing, drugs, and sex? Is it okay to listen to it? Answer: There is no prohibition on any particular musical style. The problem is that certain styles of…
Read MoreThe “Worship Wars”
by Wayne S. Walker In an article headlined “Understanding the ‘worship wars’” from World Magazine’s website on October 16, 2009, Warren Cole Smith began, “A recent Religion News Service dispatch caught my attention. Under the headline ‘Missouri Synod Leaders Declare Worship Wars “Sinful”’ came an article announcing the conservative Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s eight-page ‘Theses on Worship.’…
Read MoreA Singing Church
by Brock Hartwigsen The church was prophesied in the Old Testament as a singing church. In II Samuel 22:50 and repeated in Psalms 18:49, David stated: “Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.” Years later the apostle Paul by inspiration applied this passage to…
Read MoreSing with Understanding
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/SingWithUnderstanding.mp3 Text: I Corinthians 14:15-20 I. Singing is an expression of joy – James 5:13 A. It is form of worship and a way of teaching – Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16-17 B. Of course, people sing things all the time without thinking about what they are saying – just ask kids today what are the lyrics to…
Read MoreWhat a Friend We Have in Jesus
by Ralph Walker, Jr. Joseph Scriven was born Sept. 10, 1819, at Seapatrick, near Dublin Ireland, into the wealthy family of Capt. John Scriven. Joseph’s hopes to follow his father in the military were dashed due to poor health. In 1835 he entered Trinity College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1842. During that…
Read MoreWhat do you mean by “new age melodies?”
Question: I read your Review of Sacred Songs of the Church. I noticed this sentence: “The “praise song” crowd will probably not like this book because it is not filled with one-stanza numbers having a set of seven, often touchy-feely, words sung eleven times to a new age melody.” I was wondering if you would mind…
Read MoreThe Gospel Songs of Philip Paul Bliss
by Wayne S. Walker Philip Paul Bliss was born in a log cabin near Rome in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, on July 9, 1838. Always interested in music, he was carrying items from his family’s home into town to sell and heard a lady playing the piano in a house along the way. Walking into the…
Read MoreThe Gospel Songs of Charles H. Gabriel
by Wayne S. Walker One of the most prolific composers of gospel songs in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was Charles Hutchinson Gabriel, who was born on Aug. 18, 1856, in a prairie shanty at Wilton, Iowa, and spent the first seventeen years of his life on an Iowa farm. Expressing a keen…
Read MoreWhy do we use songs by writers who did not believe the truth?
Question: The part I am not really understanding is why we choose to use songs by Fanny Crosby or Isaac Watts etc. They didn’t even believe the truth. Using the words of false teachers in praise to our heavenly Father? There are other choices. I will be continuing to pray and study this subject. I…
Read MoreDoes the use of parts justify the use of choirs and solos?
Question: Choirs and solo supporters say that the entire congregation must sing every word simultaneously. They say “If we can not have choirs and solos, you can not sing in four-part harmony.” How can I respond to them? Answer: Given the simple fact that men and women do not sing in the same range defeats…
Read MoreHow do we know that the songs we are using are acceptable to God?
Question: Thank you for your review of Sacred Songs of the Church. Some of your comments really got me to thinking about the songs we sing in our worship services. I love God with all my heart and pray that I am doing what He commands. Maybe you can help me understand this a little better since…
Read MoreWhere can I find the hymn, “Who Shall Stand Before the King”?
Question: Good evening. I found your web site this evening while looking for a Christian hymn I heard at a church of Christ YouTube web site in Alabama and I am wondering if you know the song, the writer, and possibly in what book it was published. The song was: The earth is the Lord’s and the…
Read MoreSinging to the Lord
by Bill Echols via The Persuader, February 17, 2008; Vol. 10, No. 45 Recently I read some excerpts from a book entitled Old Light on New Worship by John Price, “pastor” of Grace Baptist Church in Rochester, NY. Note carefully what he says. “Our worship should be governed, not by our own personal desires or preferences, not…
Read MoreWhat is your church like?
Question: How do you have such a great understanding of the Bible? I would love to understand and live whole-heartily according to the Bible. This is what I have been in search of. I believe in Jesus Christ, I’ve accepted him as my personal savior, was baptized as an infant, but would like to be…
Read MoreWhere can I find acapella recordings for the songs in our songbook?
Question: I had a cassette collection of the Songs of the Church Acapella and I think they were sung by the Meistersingers. I moved and my tapes were lost and are sorely missed. Do you know of any source where I could buy another set? I am a song leader in a small church of…
Read MoreI’m so disappointed with the older people in my church. They oppose the use of RNB, hip-hop, and Reggaeton in church. What would you advise?
Question: I read your blogs and, I don’t know, maybe if you read this you could help me. My church is filled with elderly people (40+). This year the number of our youth has been growing. God has been good and has been blessing us with incredible services. But a lot of members criticize all…
Read MoreReview of Sacred Songs of the Church
by Wayne S. Walker The first new hymnbook among churches of Christ for the 21st century (notwithstanding the late Alton H. Howard’s Songs of the Church 21st Century Edition which actually came out in 1990) is now available. It is Sacred Songs of the Church, edited by William D. Jeffcoat, copyrighted in 2007 by Psallo Publications LLC (3642 Peachtree…
Read MoreA Review of the Hymnbooks
by Wayne S. Walker Originally published in Torch, October 1988 Please understand that my review is of necessity going to be biased by my own view of what constitutes a good hymn selection. With that in mind, I shall begin by saying that I grew up using the old “brown book,” Christian Hymns II (edited by…
Read MoreBe Still, My Soul
by Katharina von Schlegel, 1752 Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide; In every change, He faithful will remain. Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.…
Read MoreA Bit of History
by Jefferson David Tant While looking through an old paperback songbook, I found a page written by Austin Taylor, a song leader who often traveled with my grandfather (J. D. Tant) and other gospel preachers to lead singing during gospel meetings. He mentioned the favorite songs of several preachers. I do not know when the…
Read MoreCan a group (choir) sing if it is after the worship service?
Question: I am a member of the church of Christ and I want to know is group singing OK during a fellowship? Of course, the fellowship service is dismissed and then the group singing begins. Can you please help me with this? Answer: Your terminology is confusing to me because it is not how things…
Read MoreWhat should be done when everyone doesn’t follow the song leader?
Question: I’ve been reading several of your comments with interest and ran across one that I myself have seen. I am a member of the church of Christ and have been baptized for 22 years. I have been leading songs for around that same time. I have a background in reading music and participating in…
Read MoreIs the song “Light the Fire” scriptural?
Question: Have you ever heard the song “Light the Fire?” I have heard some objections to this song because of the “fire” mentioned and “breathing new life.” Doesn’t it just depend on how you look at it? Denominational people would probably look at it the wrong way. Doesn’t Hebrews 12:29 say, “For our God is…
Read MoreWhat songbooks would you recommend?
Question: We are building a new building and we are needing songbooks. My husband is one of the song leaders. I would like to know which book you would recommend to us. We are strictly a New Testament church. No musical instruments and no praise teams. Also, I need to know where to go to…
Read MoreThe Songs and Hymns of Robert Lowery
by Wayne S. Walker Robert Lowry was born in Philadelphia, PA, on Mar. 12, 1826, and educated at Bucknell University where he graduated with high scholastic honors in 1854. Afterward, he served as a Baptist minister, first at West Chester, PA, near Philadelphia, from 1854 to 1858, then in New York City, NY, from 1859…
Read MoreDefinitions for the Songbook
by John Guzetta via “Tower of Strength” Vol.25, No.1. Jan.3, 2010, Lake Wales, FL with some additions by Thomas Thornhill Sometimes, kids come up with comical things. I know a sister in Christ, who, when she was in elementary school, used to think Jesus Arose began, “Low in the gravy lay Jesus my Savior.” What a…
Read MoreConducting Worship in Song
I. As people come in, have them sit up front in as few pews as possible A. Have them divide by parts: Alto, Tenor, Melody, Bass B. Start with a prayer II. An important aspect of worship is our coming together to offer a united worship A. Colossians 3:14-17 – We were called in one body, we should worship as…
Read MoreWorshiping in Song
Text: Colossians 3:16-17 I. In many congregations, singing is not consider a very important aspect of worship. A. Think about it; when the Lord’s Supper is being served or a prayer is being given, few people would think about leaving the assembly to visit the restrooms, but it commonly happens during the singing. B. If a prayer…
Read MoreWhy Sing?
by Wayne S. Walker “I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations” (Psalm 57:9). The Hebrew name for the book of Psalms is “Tehellim” meaning “praises.” Our English word “psalm,” which translates the Hebrew word “mizmor,” comes from the Greek term “psalmos” and refers to a…
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