Bob Kauflin on Worship Songs

Bob Kauflin of the Worship Matters blog on why we write worship songs:

"If I'm a songwriter, I need to remember that while music is important, in the end truth outlasts tunes. A catchy melody can be a distraction unless it helps implant God's truth in people's hearts.

If I'm a song leader I need to remember that music is meant to direct people's attention to the lyrics. My song choices should be made more on the basis of theology and theme than tempo and key.

If I'm pastor, I need to make sure my church is singing songs that enable them to feed richly on the Word of Christ. It's part of my responsibility in shepherding the flock of God.

If I'm a worshipper of God, I need to remember that music may move me emotionally, but truth can change me eternally. I want to do everything I can to meditate on the riches of God's Word when I sing to feed my soul, and not simply see it as a time when I express my own thoughts and feelings.

Of course, expressing our thoughts to God as we worship Him is right and good. Part of the dynamic of worshipping God is giving to God and receiving from Him, speaking to Him and listening for His voice. But our feelings and expressions are only reliable and true as they're rooted in who God is, what He's done, and what He's said to us."

Seeker-Driven Church Humor

(Source: Reverendfun.com)

Friday Hymn: The Solid Rock

I will devote Friday entries to God-centered, theologically sound hymns. This week, I decided to post one of my favorite hymns, The Solid Rock, reminding us that only Christ alone is our hope (1 Tim. 1:1, 4:10), our rock (1 Cor. 10:4), and our firm foundation (Eph. 2:20).

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

(Words: Edward Mote, circa 1834; Music: William B. Bradbury, 1863.)

One morn­ing it came into my mind as I went to la­bour, to write an hymn on the ‘Gra­cious Ex­per­i­ence of a Christ­ian.’ As I went up Hol­born I had the chor­us,

‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.’

In the day I had four first vers­es com­plete, and wrote them off. On the Sab­bath fol­low­ing I met bro­ther King as I came out of Lisle Street Meet­ing…who in­formed me that his wife was ve­ry ill, and asked me to call and see her. I had an ear­ly tea, and called af­ter­wards. He said that it was his usu­al custom to sing a hymn, read a por­tion, and en­gage in pray­er, be­fore he went to meet­ing. He looked for his hymn-book but could find it no­where. I said, ‘I have some vers­es in my pock­et; if he liked, we would sing them.’ We did, and his wife en­joyed them so much, that af­ter ser­vice he asked me, as a fa­vour, to leave a co­py of them for his wife. I went home, and by the fire­side com­posed the last two vers­es, wrote the whole off, and took them to sis­ter King…As these vers­es so met the dy­ing wo­man’s case, my at­ten­tion to them was the more ar­rest­ed, and I had a thou­sand print­ed for dis­tr­ibu­tion. I sent one to the Spir­it­u­al Mag­a­zine, with­out my ini­tials, which ap­peared some time af­ter this. Bro­ther Rees, of Crown Street, So­ho, brought out an edi­tion of hymns [1836], and this hymn was in it. Da­vid Den­ham in­tro­duced it [1837] with Rees’ name, and others af­ter…Your in­sert­ing this brief out­line may in fu­ture shield me from the charge of stealth, and be a vin­di­ca­tion of truth­ful­ness in my con­nect­ion with the Church of God.

Edward Mote
Let­ter to the Gos­pel Her­ald

(Source: The Cyber Hymnal)

Being Mocked: The Essence of Christ’s Work, Not Muhammad’s

Considering the Islamic demonstrations regarding the Danish cartoons of Muhammad, here's an interesting take on this matter from John Piper:

The work of Muhammad is based on being honored and the work of Christ is based on being insulted. This produces two very different reactions to mockery. If Christ had not been insulted, there would be no salvation. This was his saving work: to be insulted and die to rescue sinners from the wrath of God...

If Christ did his work by being insulted, we must do ours likewise... What does this mean? It means that a religion with no insulted Savior will not endure insults to win the scoffers... It means that Jesus Christ is still the only hope of peace with God and peace with man. And it means that his followers must be willing to “share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10).

The complete article can be read here.

Al Mohler on Reading

Al Mohler's response to readers on reading on the T4G Blog.

The Emerging Church Paradigm

More on the Emerging Church movement from the TMS Faculty. Dr. Larry Pettegrew on The Emerging Church Paradigm.

C.J.'s 10 Most Influential Books

C.J. Mahaney's ten most influential books:

1. Knowing God by J.I. Packer

2. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

3. The Cross of Christ by John Stott

4. The Cross and Christian Ministry by D. A. Carson (must reading for every pastor)

5. John Owen on the Christian Life by Sinclair B. Ferguson and Temptation and Sin (Volume 6) by John Owen

6. The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray (must reading for every pastor)

7. The Journal of Biblical Counseling edited by David Powlison (must reading for every pastor)

8. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp (must reading for every pastor)

9. Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem (must reading for every pastor)

10. The Days Are Just Packed: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson (must reading for every pastor)

And the list could just go on and on although I would agree with the wise counsel of Richard Baxter:

“It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make one wise, but the well-reading of a few, could they be sure to be the best.”

(Source: Reformation 21 Blog)

The Virtual Church

The time has come where mankind will attend the virtual church, also known as the "Church of Fools". The name speaks for itself. Read the news article for more details.