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Way Of Life - Old Protestant Hymns Vs Contemporary Worship Songs


RSS Robot

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In fact, the old Protestants were closer, spiritually and doctrinally, to the position of today’s old-fashioned Baptist church than to that of the contemporary movement. 

 

Second, CCM represents an end-time movement that is diametrically opposed to and is an avowed enemy of every “old-fashioned,” Bible-believing church and family. 

 

 

Visited a neighbor's church for a singing, it was new music. Sounded like something in the elevator, I couldn't understand the words. I got up and left. 

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I know we have had this discussion many times - it won't go away.

 

The OP is banging a drum, & it is easy to agree superficially - BUT -

the "good" hymns by Getty & Townend are NOT CCM in older sense of trivial repetition & irregular pop style tunes. They are Scriptural hymns that generally cannot be faulted in either words or tunes. (Once you play them on piano or organ, or even without music, & not a pop group.)

 

I have chosen "Creation sings the Father's song" to open tomorrow's service.

Stuart is singing with a band, but it is subdued & reverent.

 

If that message gets across widely it can only do good. Creation, redemption & second coming - the whole scheme is often sung in their recent hymns. "In Christ alone" must have one of the clearest messages in hymnody. So clear, the Presbyterians OBjected to some of the words.

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I don't know, I suppose a lot of people like that but. . . . just my slow brain, I guess.  The melody to that piece has so many changes in direction that I can't wrap my simple mind around it.

Simplicity, oh how I love the simple things.

I'm surprised - our congregation managed it straight away. We've got a very mixed race congregation, South Asian, Afro-Caribean, & a few elderly English. They struggle with the old hymns we all know & love.

 

The pattern for many of the new Townend-Getty hymns is 8 lines with a repeating tune for the line pairs 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 7 & 8, with a contrast with lines 5 & 6, & the chorus if there is one. Very easy to play - I play mostly by ear. They are, of course, written to be sung to a guitar, so they are simple & memorable.

 

While the basic 4 line tunes - SM, CM, LM are straightforward to sing & play, a lot of the old are more complex - e.g.

The God of Abraham, praise

My song is love unknown

Rejoice! The Lord is King

To God be the glory

 

Of the oldies cited, I wonder how many have been spuriously converted in evangelistic rallies by, e.g. "Just as I am" sung seductively by the choir? I was, back in the days of Billy Graham's 50s crusades in the UK.

 

And how many were given false assurance by singing "Blessed assurance! Jesus is mine!" As sung in the coach on the way to & from Wembley Stadium to hear BG. We were all saved, so we thought.

 

The OP needs to be more OBjective, after all, when Jesus said "the old is better" what did he mean? Luke 5:33-39

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I wanted a tune for the hymn:

God of the covenant, Triune Jehovah,
Marvels of mercy adoring we see;
Seekers of souls, in the counsels eternal
Binding Thy lost ones for ever to Thee.

Not now by words bringing death to transgressors,
Grace unto life the new covenant brings,
Jesus our Surety, our Kinsman Redeemer,
Round us the rOBe of His righteousness flings.

Blessings on blessings through age unending,
Covenant fullness in glorious flood;
Ours is a hope which no mortal can measure,
Brought in by Jesus and sealed in His blood.

God of the covenant-changeless, eternal,
Father, Son, Spirit in blessing agree;
Thine be the glory, our weakness confessing,
Triune Jehovah, we rest upon Thee.

 

It's 11/10/11/10 meter, & I don't like the set tunes. I wanted the Irish folk tune "Bard of Armagh" but when I looked for the sheet music I found it shares the tune with the unsavoury "Streets of Laredo." A hymn book I have listed it as an American traditional tune. The music is printed here.

 

It went well with the congregation.

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Streets of Laredo American?  Hmm. Perhaps.

 

The Yetties sang a sea shanty about a dying sailor to that tune which they say was the original.

 

But.  I have also read that it was originally about dying soldier outside St James' Hospital in London.

 

As they say "You pays your money and you takes your choice,"

 

There is an adaption of Psalm 8 to that tune. 

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Bawdy?  Not quite the way I would describe "The Streets of  Laredo".  Not a Christian Hymn but not bawdy either.

The sad story of the death of a young man who had not lived a perfect life and was sorry for it.

Their is also a lesson to be learned from the last line.

I may get in trouble for posting this, but I will post it anyway.

 

As I walked out in the streets of Laredo
As I walked out in Laredo one day
I spied a dear cowboy wrapped up in white linen
Wrapped up in white linen and cold as the clay

"I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy"
These words he did say as I boldly stepped by
"Come sit down beside me and hear my sad story
I am shot in the breast and I know I must die

"It was once in the saddle I used to go dashing
It was once in the saddle I used to go gay
But I first took to drinkin' and then to card playin'
Got shot in the breast and I am dying today

"Oh, beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly
Play the dead march as you carry me along
Take me to the green valley, there lay the sod o'er me
For I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong

"Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin
Get six pretty maidens to bear up my pall
Put bunches of roses all over my coffin
Put roses to deaden the sods as they fall

"Then swing your rope slowly and rattle your spurs lowly
And give a wild whoop as you carry me along
And in the grave throw me and roll the sod o'er me
For I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong

"Go bring me a cup, a cup of cold water
To cool my parched lips," the cowboy then said
Before I returned his soul had departed
And gone to the round-up, the cowboy was dead

We beat the drum slowly and played the fife lowly
And bitterly wept as we bore him along
For we all loved our comrade, so brave, young, and handsome
We all loved our comrade although he'd done wrong

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Covenanter:

.... the unsavoury "Streets of Laredo."

Unsavoury, - it's a lament for cowboy dying of syphilis/gambling/gunshot wounds ....

 

 

Pilgrim:

Bawdy?

Who said "bawdy?" Deliberately changing what people write so you can attack them is too common in theological discussions.

 

Or is the origin of the song an Irish RC bishop, who, when he lost his position after the Protestant victories, assumed the role of the "Bard of Armagh" Phelim Brady, so he could continue his ministry?

 

Yes, Invicta, I first noticed the tune as set to Psalm 8 in "Youth Praise" -

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic your name is ...."

When I asked my mother (who had a wealth of knowledge of folk songs) about the tune, she related it to the English versions of the dying sailor & not the bard.

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Sorry Covenanter.  Don't know why I did that.  It was purely unintentional . . . . my mind wanders sometimes.

That's OK, Pilgrim. There are tunes associated with bawdy songs with sexual inuendoes, which could prOBably never by sung by Christians, even with spiritual words. I understand William Booth (Salvation Army) tried that with Music Hall songs, but you could be singing clean words while the listeners would hear the originals. 

 

I agree "Laredo" is not bawdy, but is a cautionary song or lament which has its place.

 

The first world war is throwing up a number of hymns which the soldiers plagiarised with crude words, which are best forgotten.

 

I think we are in full agreement.

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