Hi everyone. I've recently embraced exclusive Psalmody as the only consistently Biblical application of the regulative principle to our congregational singing. John Murray's thoughts on the issue clinched everything for me. Nevertheless, I'm a member of a church who embraces historic hymnody fervently. Part of me doesn't want to be divisive, yet part of me feels as though I'm violating my conscience in the singing of hymns. Are there any other exclusive Psalmodist's on the board who are members or attend hymn singing churches? If so, what are your personal reccomendations with regards to how EPer's should respond in hymn singing congregations? Sometimes I bring my Psalter along and attempt to find a similar Psalm with the same meter as the hymn we're singing. This works sometimes, but I'm not musically trained, and its often distracting and time consuming in the corporate worship setting. I know this is a highly personal issue, and every man must answer his own conscience. Still, some practical instruction might help. Thanks!

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Jordan Harris
Dickson City, PA
Faith Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP)
My Blog

I hold to EP and attend an Anglican church where EP is not practiced. Because there is an 8am service where nothing is sung I attend that (plus it is Communion). If this service did not exist I would still attend however I would not sing anything other than the few psalms they now sing. Since I started at this church we have had a curate arrive who believes that psalms should be sung and uses them in the services he takes. So now at least they sing them. Prior to his coming none were sung.

On a practical level, I explain why we should sing psalms, and encourage all I meet to sing them. I even wrote an article

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Richard
CofE
UK

I don't sing the hymns or stand up (the posture for singing used). If there is a psalm, even a poorer rendition, I'll stand up and sing. One of the three in the service is usually a psalm, often two, and sometimes three out of three. I would not do anything distracting to others such as singing a psalm or something; I usually sit quietly; sometimes read the hymn to see what is being sung. I would prefer knowing in advance what is to be sung but these are not posted during the week so I have to check the song selections, even the "psalms" to see if I will sing any.

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Chris Coldwell
Lakewood Presbyterian Church (PCA), Member
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When heresy rises in an evangelical body, it is never frank and open. It always begins by skulking, and assuming a disguise. Its advocates, when together, boast of great improvements, and congratulate one another on having gone greatly beyond the ‘old dead orthodoxy,’ and on having left behind many of its antiquated errors: but when taxed with deviations from the received faith, they complain of the unreasonableness of their accusers, as they ‘differ from it only in words.’ This has been the standing course of errorists ever since the apostolic age. Samuel Miller, Introductory essay, The Articles of the Synod of Dort (1841).

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Glad to see another ARP on these here boards, especially another one in my Presbytery. As far as your predicament goes it is worth noting that the ARP is a historically EP denomination, only switching 50 years ago. However since yours is a mission congregation I know this is not part of their heritage. If you feel it is damaging your ability worship God there is an RPCNA church in Hazleton (a good distance I know). Have you spoken with Rev. Bell about this?

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA
Fairmount ARP Church
Student of Theology
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
My Blog

"Nothing is sweet to me without the enjoyment of Christ in it." -- Thomas Brooks

Jordan -- Welcome to the Puritan Board! I hope that your first post/thread doesn't generate too many fireworks for you.

I rejoice to hear that you have embraced EP and also that you are not running for the exit door of your church. Unity with the brethen, and honoring the authority that is over you, and endeavoring to live at peace with those around you inasmuch as possible, are all vital components of the Christian walk. I would submit that not singing hymns in public worship is no disrespect to those around you or over you, and to do otherwise is to compromise the principle that you embrace. You are serving God, not man, by refraining from singing the hymn, and as you do so, you must find that balance between honoring Him and those around/over you.

I say this as one who has "served time" in non-EP churches, although I am blessed to be part of an EP denomination at present.

Respectful silence, reading along in your Psalter (can you find out what hymns are being sung in advance and do some advance homework to find a corresponding psalm?) or Bible, praying...these are all reasonable ways to redeem the time while the congregation is singing a hymn.

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Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole

Backwoods Presbyterian-
Definitely glad to be on the board. My wife and I recently joined Faith and we're absolutely delighted by the church, having been without a Reformed church for so long. Like I said, I've been studying and praying over the issue of exclusive Psamody for a few years now. It's only within the past few weeks that I've come to embrace it. Thererfore, I haven't had a chance to speak with my pastor about it yet. I definitely will do.

Andrew-
Thanks so much for the encouragement and advice. It's unfortunate that such widespread confessional abberation exists on this particular issue. Even more sad is that Psalmody has been entirely replaced by an "exclusive hymnody" of sorts in most churches. An inclusive Psamody which balances hymns and Psalms is hard to find, let alone an EP church! It seems like much of the Reformed world has inherited a distinctly Lutheran and/or Anglican approach to musical form without really being aware of it. Wisdom, patience, grace, and an uncompromising stand for truth are needed virtues in this situation. Thanks again!

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Jordan Harris
Dickson City, PA
Faith Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP)
My Blog

I've recently embraced the EP position myself. However, to the best of my knowledge the nearest EP church is probably 150 miles from me. Though I embrace it and believe it to be true, it is a new postion to me and took me years to come too, much like the sabbath postion.
I will stay and by the grace of God serve the people in my congregation and will not be devisive about it. I figure they, as well as the Lord, put up with a lot of my ignorance so I'll put up with thiers. Since it is not a salvific issue I will bite my lip and sing along. At my house though, we are singing and listening to the Psalms.

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1689 Baptist Confession

Psa 55:16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
Psa 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
James Farley, Wilderness Road Baptist Assembly.
Husband of Melissa and father of Ann.
www.wildernessroadbaptist.org

I am currently in a congregation like that of Chris, where Psalms and uninspired hymns are also sung. The position above is the one that I take when a Psalm is not being sung.

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Randy Harris
Heritage Church (Independent)
Oklahoma City, OK

I am not an EPer, though I strongly believe we should be singing Psalms in worship along with the hymns. I also believe the hymns should be doctrinally sound. Can I add something from the perspective of someone who does not hold to the EP viewpoint?

Corporate worship is about unity, not division. If someone sits and does not join in with the singing for any reason, it can be a huge distraction for me, especially if I see the person is singing other words or doing something else during the corporate singing.

Corporate worship is about joining together with "one heart" and "one mind" unlike private worship which is primarily about our one-on-one relationship to God. When we worship God as the body of Christ we have to take into consideration our brothers and sisters in the Lord. When we sing, we sing with our whole hearts, and we join in with our fellow believers with one voice in worship to our Lord. If I sit out and don't participate, I may as well be at home, because I am not wholehearted about my worship, neither am I worshipping with my brothers and sisters.

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J Baldwin
Keowee Presbyterian Church, PCA
Pickens, SC
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27

Check Out My Blog: http://reflectjoy.blogspot.com/

That basically explains why I advise EP people to go to an EP church.

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Daniel Ritchie
Saintfield, Northern Ireland - Queen's University, Belfast:History/Politics
Member of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (Covenanter)

And one reason why I advise non-EP churches to become EP churches. If you want me to sing along, and if you want to join together in one heart and mind, then let's sing God's songs together, and be in unity with each other and the saints throughout history. Don't give me a list of hymns to sing that I have to scrutinize while singing to make sure that I'm not singing something against my conscience - a thing quite distracting. Instead, let's sing the Word of God, which judges me, not man's hymns, which I must judge "doctrinally sound," usually while also trying to engage the material. There was nothing that annoyed me more about worship services before I became Reformed and EP (except maybe the lack of balance in themes and common sentimentalism) than getting to the end of a few lines of a song only to wish I had never sung them.

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Davidius
Husband of Emilia
Member: First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham (RPCNA) - Durham, NC
Currently in the process of transferring membership to an as-yet-undecided church in Chapel Hill
Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German Literature and Classics

However, this could apply to several other elements in the worship also.

Suppose the preaching is not sound doctrinally. Should I not return again? Certainly I will speak to the pastor and get clarification. But suppose he preaches amil, and I believe postmil?

What if the pastor does not give the admonition for those who are not believers to not partake of the Lord's Supper, and I know a person who is a non-believer sitting in the pew ahead of me and partakes of the Supper. Should I still partake, or should I let the elements pass by?

The point is there can be numerous instances where one's conscience could potentially be violated in almost any given worship service. Should I break fellowship because all members of the congregation don't believe and think the same way that I do? One could find himself or herself to become lonely very quickly.

I do not believe in worshipping at home alone if there is no "perfect" RPW church within 100 miles. I think you talk and work with the session and other members of the congregation to try and bring about change. I don't see how isolationism really helps anything. There is enough schism in American Christianity already; unless there is a very strong compelling reason, I will not add to it. And simply refusing to sing one or two hymns that I believe are not honoring to the Lord is not it.

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Randy Harris
Heritage Church (Independent)
Oklahoma City, OK

Hi Jordan,

As a pastoral matter I think it will be a long and difficult struggle to communicate the historic RPW to a subjectivist generation. A lot of our people don't understand the RPW. Many, perhaps most, have never heard of the RPW. Most couldn't state it clearly or correctly or concisely. But they think they understand worship. They don't know our doctrine of the atonement but they know what they feel and experience during worship. Many of our people (those in ostensibly confessional congregations) don't come from Reformed backgrounds. That can breed a certain resistance to the RPW. OTOH, those who've been raised in the hymn-singing, instrument playing Reformed churches think "this is how Reformed churches worship." They're shocked to find out that, no, this isn't historic or confessional Reformed worship.

All this is to say that, if it took the Reformed churches 30+ years to face the Shepherd controversy and that was about heaven and hell (righteousness with God), how much longer will it take us all, when about 1% of NAPARC actually consistently,regularly, practices the RPW as historically understood, to reform worship? It will take a long, long time. Most people don't even know there's a problem.

This means that those who hold the historic RPW will have to be very patient, calm, and gracious with our brothers and sisters (and their pastors, sessions, and consistories) who've not yet faced this issue or who have decided in favor of the status quo.

For my part, I try to find a psalm in the same meter and I sing along quietly. If I can't, then I stand (if the congregation is standing), so as not to disturb the congregation and draw attention to myself. I wouldn't judge anyone for a different approach. Frankly we're in uncharted waters.

We spent the last 150 years fighting the liberals and when we came back home from the war we found that our churches were in tatters theologically and liturgically. They weren't in grand shape, in every regard, before the war. It will take time.

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R. Scott Clark, D.Phil
Professor of Church History and Historical Theology

"For Christ, His Gospel, and His Church"
Associate Pastor
Oceanside URC
The Heidelblog

Amen!!!

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA
Fairmount ARP Church
Student of Theology
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
My Blog

"Nothing is sweet to me without the enjoyment of Christ in it." -- Thomas Brooks

I am in a hymn singing church. But Franklin Square OPC in Long Island is the most biblical church in the NYC area. I have to be thankful for what I have.

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~Keon Garraway~ Brooklyn, NY Member of Franklin Square OPC

Love for God demonstrated by the love for our children in giving them a God centered education is the only hope for our country. by David Morrow
Pslam 71:20 [Thou], which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

Pastor Shishko's lectures were very helpful to me on the baptism issue.

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Davidius
Husband of Emilia
Member: First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham (RPCNA) - Durham, NC
Currently in the process of transferring membership to an as-yet-undecided church in Chapel Hill
Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German Literature and Classics

he's a great pastor. He even took time off to take me to lunch.

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~Keon Garraway~ Brooklyn, NY Member of Franklin Square OPC

Love for God demonstrated by the love for our children in giving them a God centered education is the only hope for our country. by David Morrow
Pslam 71:20 [Thou], which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

Do most EPers think its a sin to sing hymns in church?

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Bob Howes
Framingham, MA

A reoccurring thought:

Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.