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Posted by on Jan 15, 2013 in Christian Life, Psalms | 4 comments

On Singing the Psalms

book-of-psalms-for-worshipMy wife and I have begun the practice of singing Psalms together in the morning. We’re using the RPCNA Psalter, and we’re starting at the beginning, planning on going from Psalm 1 all the way to Psalm 150. It’s a great way to move us to praise the Lord and also to be in his word together.

As we sang Psalm 2, I couldn’t help but think about the lack of Psalm-singing in most churches today, even Reformed and Presbyterian ones. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not an advocate of exclusive psalmody. I do not find the exegetical arguments for exclusively singing the 150 Psalms in worship compelling. I believe we should write new music in praise to the Lord.

But nonetheless, I do think there are good reasons to sing the Psalms in public and private worship, not least of which is that Scripture tells us to sing psalms (Col. 3, et al). I don’t believe it intends to restrict us to the 150 Psalms, but we surely ought not do less than sing the Psalms.

But there are some other good reasons for singing the Psalms:

(1) When we exclusively sing non-canonical songs, we tend to focus only on certain themes. I.e., how many songs are about God’s love in comparison with other attributes? Do we cover the full range of doctrine (and even emotions) in our songs today? I suspect that we don’t even get close, particularly in songs of more recent times. By singing songs that God himself provided, we certainly get a better rounded look at who God is, and subsequently, we praise him for who he is.

Now some would probably want to use what I just said to support exclusive psalmody. But I don’t think it has to support that case. It can instead drive us to both sing the psalms and let the Scriptures (the Psalms in particular) guide us in writing new music as well.

(2) Singing Psalms helps us remember Scripture better. How many people can’t quote a single memorized verse of Scripture but can sing flawlessly all the latest tunes on his or her iPod? If we were to sing Scripture together regularly, we would likely find that we’d remember Scripture better too. I don’t know that this should necessarily replace memorizing Scripture, but it would definitely help us in that endeavor.

As an example of what I’m talking about, consider the text from the metrical version of Psalm 2 that we just sang:

Why do Gentile nations rage,
And their useless plots design;
Kings of earth in schemes engage,
Rulers are in league combined.
They speak out against the Lord;
His Messiah they defy:
“Let us break their chains and cords,
Let us cast them off,” they cry.

He who sits in the heaven laughs,
For the Lord views them with scorn.
He will speak to them in wrath,
And in anger He will warn:
“Yet according to my wil,
I have set my king to reign;
And on Zion’s holy hill,
My anointed will remain.”

“I the Lord’s decree make known;
This is what he had to say:
He declared, ‘You are my Son;
I have brought you forth this day.
Ask of me and you I’ll make
Heir to earth and nations all.
Them with iron rod you’ll break,
Smashing them in pieces small.’”

Therefore kings now heed this word:
Earthly judges, come and hear.
Reverent worship give the Lord;
With your joy mix trembling fear.
Honor him, his wrath to turn,
Lest you perish in your stride.
For his anger soon may burn.
Blessed are all who in him hide.

Sadly, there are not many modern hymns or songs that cover a similar array of ideas as Psalm 2 does. But perhaps the only way to see songs with deeper themes appearing in larger quantities (there are a few) is to go back to the Psalms and to sing with with deep appreciation for what God has provided to us in his word.

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Posted by on Oct 22, 2012 in Worship |

Trueman on Consumerism and Worship

I’m currently reading The Creedal Imperative by Carl Trueman, and though I am only one chapter in so far, I anticipate it being one of my favorite books of 2012. The first chapter explores why there is an antipathy to written creeds and confessions (particularly historic ones) in the modern evangelical scene. Trueman argues that many cultural forces are at play even in the church.

I’ll have more to write about this work later this week, but I was spurred to think by Trueman’s comments on consumerism and worship:

As a postscript, the impact of consumerism is one reason why church sessions and elder boards often spend more time than is decent on discussions about worship and programs. Someone will make the point that certain young people have left because the worship is not to their liking and thus the church needs to think again about how it does things. Laying aside the fact that, for most of us, no church gives us everything we want in worship but we are nonetheless happy to attend because the Word is truly preached, it is interesting to note the session member’s response: we need to do something, to think again about worship. In other words, we need to respond to the needs of the consumer. An alternative approach might be that we need to do a better job of explaining why we do what we do, and what the obligations entailed in solemn vows of membership are; yet this is often not the knee-jerk reaction to such concerns. The consumer-is-king mentality renders all established and time-tested practices unstable and utterly negotiable.

I doubt that many will disagree that consumerism is an issue in churches today, even in session meetings. And sadly, explanations of why we do what we do are not always particularly prominent. Of course, Trueman doesn’t address here (because it is not his concern here) the reality that plenty of churches may not even know why they do what they do. That is, some “established and time-tested practices” may be both unexamined and unbiblical (flags in US services?).

But Trueman’s point still stands. Too often people just leave a church without even wrestling through issues with the session, hearing explanations, thinking, praying, etc. As Trueman emphasizes elsewhere in the chapter, church membership vows and consumerism are not exactly friends.

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Posted by on Jun 4, 2010 in Worship | 1 comment

Gospel Worship: Sermon V

Many people commonly perceive the Puritans as hypocrites (thanks no doubt in part to the otherwise incredible writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne and others).  And certainly there have been professing Christians (including Puritans) throughout history who have been hypocrites.  However, perhaps one of the most insightful parts of Gospel Worship is Burroughs’ on-the-money critique of what we do when we come to worship with hypocritical hearts.  Consider the following quotations:

Whoever is conscious of any secret wickedness and yet shall think to cover it by the performance of duties and shall reason in this manner, ‘Who will think me to be guilty of such a vile thing when I pray as I do and am so careful to hear the Word? I hope I shall cover some wickedness this way?’

Who hasn’t thought in this way at some point?  It is so easy to try to sound very spiritual, to look very spiritual, to do all of the right things, particularly in worship, and yet do all of this so no one will realize how messed up we really are.   Once again, Burroughs cuts to the heart of human pride.

The second base end is to subject the duties of God’s worship to the praise of men, as to perform duties of God’s worship for the esteem of men and because we shall be well thought of.  Take heed of this, you young ones, and others who would be esteemed well of by those that you live with.  It is a desirable thing to have a good esteem from those that are godly, but take heed that you do not subject the duties of God’s worship to this.

Burroughs is arguing that worship is for God’s glory, plain and simple.  It’s not to make myself look better, and it is certainly not supposed to be a performance that elicits praise from those around us.  It is so easy for us to be captivated by ourselves and what others think of us that Burroughs once again provides a helpful reminder to make worship about God’s glory, not ours.

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Posted by on Jun 3, 2010 in Worship |

Gospel Worship: Sermon IV

In his fourth sermon, Jeremiah Burroughs continues to discuss how we ought to draw near to God in worship.  He particularly addresses what we ought to do when we do not feel like worshiping.  I’ll put down some quotes below that illustrate his approach to answering this question, but before I do, let me just mention one reason why reading Puritans like Burroughs is so helpful: we can realize that the Puritans of the 17th century were dealing with the same issues that we are. Burroughs recognized how easy it is for the heart to be led away from God, to be led away from worship.  He dealt with it in his congregation.  And if we are all honest, we know that we deal with that same struggle.  So reading Burroughs, far from being a dry, historically and intellectually removed exercise, is like reading someone who is preaching directly to your own heart.  So with that in mind, consider what he has to say.

When the Heart Doesn’t Feel Like Worshiping

Though it is not done as I desire it should be done, yet the doing of it as well as I can at this time will help me to do it better at another time, that is certain.  As one sin prepares the heart for another sin, so one duty prepares the heart for another. (95)

In other words, though we may not always feel like worshiping, committing ourselves to the means of grace (particularly worship) will enable us to continue to do so.  Just as we sometimes allow a “little” sin into our lives, and then that sin leads on to further sins, so it is with worship: if we continue to worship, striving to prepare our hearts by meditating on God and his word, then we will begin to see that our hearts are changed so that we want to continue in worshiping God.

Summary of How We Ought to Sanctify and Glorify God’s Name

So that here’s the way of sanctifying God’s name, by applying Jesus Christ who was offered to God without spot that our consciences might be purged from dead works, that we might be purged from that natural filthiness and uncleanness in which we all were. For the whole world lies in filth as a carrion lies in his slime.  Now if we would worship God so as to sanctify Him we must apply Christ to our souls and get our consciences purged from dead works, and have the Spirit of Christ in us to quicken up our hearts in the ways of holiness.  To have the image of Jesus Christ in us, whereby we may be holy according to our proportion even as He Himself is holy, this is the sanctifying of the heart. (107-108)

In other words, the only right way to come to God in worship in the 21st century is the same as it was in the 17th century: by laying hold of the gospel, that we are great sinners, and Christ is a great Savior.

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Posted by on May 25, 2010 in Worship |

Gospel Worship: Sermon III

While I have questions about some of what Burroughs says in Gospel Worship, I can’t help but admit that he (like many of the Puritans)  insightfully reveals the status of the human heart.  He constantly reminds us of many important issues related to worship:

The Importance of Corporate Worship

My brethren, I beseech you, learn this lesson this morning.  Learn to account the duties of God’s worship as great matters.  They are the greatest things that concern you here in this world, for they are the homage that you tender up to the high God, as you heard, and those things wherein God communicates Himself in choice mercies. (70)

How to Prepare for Worship

Meditation is a good preparation to holy duties.  And these are the general heads of our meditation for our preparation to duty: what God He is with whom we have to deal.  Meditate on God’s attributes, and then meditate on the weight of our duties, the nature of them, the rule of them, and the end of them.  Get you hearts possessed with meditations of this nature, and in this, as a special thing, dos your preparation to holy duties consist.  And that’s the first thing…The second thing consists in this, the taking off of the heart from every sinful way (the endeavor at least)…A third thing is this.  The preparation of the heart is the disentangling of the heart from the world and from all occasions and businesses in the world. (77-78)

What underlies Burroughs’ thoughts here is something that deserves further consideration: Is there something fundamentally different about the time of corporate worship than there is in “all-of-life-worship”?  Burroughs obviously says yes.  Even Jesus said that when two or three are gathered in his name, he is there among them.  And the whole NT is unanimous that the gathering of the saints is very important.  Does this warrant a common/sacred divide?  Burroughs is spurring me on to think through that further, but regardless of one’s position on that, surely we can still agree on his approach to preparing for worship: focus on God, repent of sin, and take your focus off of all the other things that you normally have to deal with.

What Happens When We Prepare for Worship

Now be careful for awhile to prepare for every duty of God’s worship to which He calls you, and, I say, within a little time you may bring your heart into such a temper that you may be ready at all times to perform holy duties, because you shall be able to come to that temper and frame to which the Apostle exhorts us, “Pray continually.” (86)

What Burroughs is really getting at here is something that I addressed in my most recent seminary paper: the importance of forming habits in the body of Christ.  In order for us to “spontaneously” serve God (see my discussion of Van Til’s Christian Theistic Ethics in the paper for the use of this term), we need to form godly habits that will shape our character.  As we repeatedly perform the “practices of the church” (listening to the word, prayer, the sacraments), God will use those means of grace to cause of to be the kind of people who follow him continually.

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