AThornquist
Puritan Board Doctor
I find drums, electric guitars, bass, etc. to be wonderful accompaniment and have never had a problem with being distracted unless it was because of my own preferences. To each his own.
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Especially at a rock concert!I find drums, electric guitars, bass, etc. to be wonderful accompaniment and have never had a problem with being distracted unless it was because of my own preferences. To each his own.
I understand a praise band to be somewhat like a rock band, with electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboard. In a contemporary worship setting they put on a show and play contemporary Christian music.
That is the kind of situation that repulses me and drives me out the door. I do not feel comfortable in that kind of enviroment at all. I hope our church never goes that way.
I have pastored two churches like that. One was a United Methodist church and the other a General Baptist church. I did not like the music at all. At least the Methodist church had a traditional service with hymns. Believe me when I tell you that it was about "putting on a show". The Methodist church didn't even have a pulpit. I used a lecturn (which I purchased myself) on the floor. One time we were having several local churches come over for a seasonal gathering and I put the lecturn on "the stage" so I could more easily address a larger group. The leader of the praise band moved my lecturn back onto the floor before the service. I guess he didn't want me to be the center "stage" of attention.
First, it needs to be understood that this board is Confessional, and that advocacy of not abiding by the RPW is not allowed -- that is, we are only allowed to do what we are commanded to do; it is not Reformed to argue that it is permissible if it is not disallowed.
Secondly, at the moment it will be necessary and helpful for those who *do* hold to the RPW to come together on our common ground: there are those of us who believe the RPW only allows Psalms and no instruments; some of us believe it allows hymns and an accompanying instrument. What is important, however, is that those in the latter crows consider the accompanying instrument to be but a circumstance: that is, strictly as an aid to singing. This is at odds with the multi-instrument "worship bands." If some "style of music" requires a lot of extra instrumentation to make it singable, it's time to start finding another style of music in order to keep the circumstances simple and un-intrusive upon the elements of worship.
I realize we are not allowed to talk about this but how do pro-instrumental people, using the RPW, confine musical instrumentation to mere accompaniment? How, using the RPW, are instruments called to be "un-intrusive" upon the elements of worship? Are instruments really circumstances?
What is the point you are trying to make with that particular verse Thomas? Of course Christ died for people from every nation. That verse says nothing about singing "new songs" from each new nation.
Besides Rev 5 describes worship and a particular event in Heaven, not Earth in the local Church in public stated worship.
Did God command the Temple to be heated or cooled? Did He command the Levites to use sound amplifiers? Did He set aside certain members of the cultic workers to put in chairs or pews?
What is the point you are trying to make with that particular verse Thomas? Of course Christ died for people from every nation. That verse says nothing about singing "new songs" from each new nation.
Besides Rev 5 describes worship and a particular event in Heaven, not Earth in the local Church in public stated worship.
Just wish to find out the perspectives' of you all on contemporary worship - is it biblical/scriptural?
As a person who has attended a RB church only for a few months, personally I find that many confessing Protestant churches (both RB/Presbyterian) tend to be cautious towards that, if not oppose it outright.
I am concerned about this because many youths today leave for those megachurches since they are tired of "old-fashioned services", and also feel that somewhat culturally they don't belong to traditional churches (and even more if it's "fundamentalist").
Now I'm not advocating for churches to adopt the "purpose-driven" garbage, but here's one question - does contemporary worship - i.e. music, style, etc. conform to the Regulative Principle? Or partially, or not at all?
I find drums, electric guitars, bass, etc. to be wonderful accompaniment and have never had a problem with being distracted unless it was because of my own preferences. To each his own.
Ben, unless I have missed something somewhere along the line, the use of instruments as a circumstance is the one argument which RPW-adhering instrumentalists bring forth. Someone please correct me here if I am mistaken. Since the people may have a hard time singing together without aid, they provide an accompaniment to allow the element to be performed more smoothly. If an instrumentalist reading this take exception to my description of your position, please correct.
There is no doubt in my mind that "the command was from the Lord" in reference to the Levites using cymbals, harps, and lyres is more than just circumstance, though the particular kind of instrument might be circumstance, the command is that instruments be used. While this is certainly OT, there are forms which are carried forward (e.g., circumcision is carried forward as baptism -- even if one disagrees on to whom baptism is applied, it is still carried forward).He then stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with harps and with lyres, according to the command of David and of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the Lord through His prophets.
Just wish to find out the perspectives' of you all on contemporary worship - is it biblical/scriptural?
As a person who has attended a RB church only for a few months, personally I find that many confessing Protestant churches (both RB/Presbyterian) tend to be cautious towards that, if not oppose it outright.
I am concerned about this because many youths today leave for those megachurches since they are tired of "old-fashioned services", and also feel that somewhat culturally they don't belong to traditional churches (and even more if it's "fundamentalist").
Now I'm not advocating for churches to adopt the "purpose-driven" garbage, but here's one question - does contemporary worship - i.e. music, style, etc. conform to the Regulative Principle? Or partially, or not at all?
Just wish to find out the perspectives' of you all on contemporary worship - is it biblical/scriptural?
As a person who has attended a RB church only for a few months, personally I find that many confessing Protestant churches (both RB/Presbyterian) tend to be cautious towards that, if not oppose it outright.
I am concerned about this because many youths today leave for those megachurches since they are tired of "old-fashioned services", and also feel that somewhat culturally they don't belong to traditional churches (and even more if it's "fundamentalist").
Now I'm not advocating for churches to adopt the "purpose-driven" garbage, but here's one question - does contemporary worship - i.e. music, style, etc. conform to the Regulative Principle? Or partially, or not at all?
Did God command the Temple to be heated or cooled? Did He command the Levites to use sound amplifiers? Did He set aside certain members of the cultic workers to put in chairs or pews?
-----Added 11/18/2009 at 12:45:52 EST-----
Did God command the Temple to be heated or cooled? Did He command the Levites to use sound amplifiers? Did He set aside certain members of the cultic workers to put in chairs or pews?
I think you're beating down a straw man. The RPW doesn't apply to the building, but rather how we conduct worship. The building is divorced from how we conduct worship so far as I can see.