Songs about the gospel impoverishing my Christian life

I've come to realise that recorded Christian music has been
<i>detrimental</i> to my joy in the gospel.

This is not because the words are bad. Most of the words are great:
the gospel to music.

It is not because the recording is bad. The recordings are good.

It is not because the tunes are bad. The tunes are in the main great.

And there is precisely the problem. This is what happens:

I buy a new album. The songs are new and exciting. Some of the gospel
truths are put in ways that are encouraging, inspiring and uplifting.
Some songs capture how I am feeling at various times.

However, the more I listen to the music the less I contemplate the
words and the more it becomes just the experience of listening to the
music. The music gives me a lift. I take this lift to be a gospel lift
since the words are gospel words. Indeed, it was a gospel lift at the
start. However, as the tunes become and more familiar the lift
decreases. And I find that what I thought was my joy is decreasing.

You see, the problem is that I will often have the music in the
background when doing other things. It creates an ambience. A mood. An
emotional state, which I have come to take to be the gospel state.

So, here is the shock. Quality (and it is good quality) gospel centred
music is detracting me from the gospel and so my joy in the Lord.
Rather than the truths setting my heart on fire and the music helping
me praise, the music has become the source of my joy. What a shallow
well it is.

So, I need to actually spend the time thoughtfully singing songs and
reflecting on them or not listen to them at all.

For three weeks now I have not listened to a Christian track. And my
joy in the Lord is greater than it has been for a while. I have
resisted the urge to put an album or track on. I need to train myself
to keep the gospel as the source and substance of my Christian life.
That is what needs to drive both my joy and my emotions.

But there is more. Such music is also breeding dissatisfaction with
singing at church. Our church music is not as polished as a CD (funny
that). It is a little rough around the edges. I mean, it is normal, not
played by semi-professional musicians. It is not studio produced or
have 2000 people singing along. And strangely enough, it does not have
the same impact as the volume turned up loud on my headphones with me
singing along loudly but quietly so that the family can't hear.
Consequently, the experience of church doesn't have the same emotional
lift. It is not "me and the Lord" in the same way. And there we have my
heart exposed. It has become about the form, the emotions, the lift.
Subtly church is now about me and my emotional experience, rather than
joining with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and rejoicing
with hearty (if out of tune) joy at all that God has done for us in the
Lord Jesus.

And who needs CD generated joy. Who indeed needs a music group, a sound
system or anything, if our delight is truly in the Lord. Though of
course it helps to have someone who can keep us in tune.

'Be Faithful' Conference

I had a most encouraging time at the FCA UK launch event yesterday. The call was to stand firm against the drift away from historic orthodox Christianity. FCA provides hope and support to those who want to see the C of E and the Anglican Communion retain the historical Biblical faith once for all delivered to the saints.

At the heart of the issue is the issue of whether and how God has revealed himself. The Christian position is that God has fully and finally revealed himself in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything we need to know about him and the salvation he offers is found in his all sufficient word, the Bible - the Old and New Testament. These are God's own words about his Son and life in him. Two passages from Hebrews were mentioned. Hebrews 1:1-4 highlighted the finality and supremacy of revelation in GOd's Son, the Lord Jesus. We cannot add to him. No earthly committee, following proper institutional procedure, has the right to add or subtract or think that they need to "mop up" what Jesus left unfinished. In referring to Hebrews 2:1-3 we were shown how this is a salvation issue and that there will always be a tendency to drift away. This drift, however, is deadly serious.

So, the heart of the issue is not homosexuality or women bishops. The root issue is the greatness of the Lord Jesus, and his honour. Has God the Father really spoken fully and finally by him, giving us all we need to know him through the testimony of his Apostles and prophets? And is our plight so serious and the salvation Jesus offers so great, that there is no other way?


Less encouraging by far was the reporting of the day in the press. Most of the reports I read bore little resemblance to the conference I attended. Indeed, in a couple of cases I didn't recognise the conference at all. Most upsetting was the Religious Intelligence report. RI publish the Church of England Newspaper which purports to be evangelical. It was ironic that the reporting of the 'Be Faithful' conference was so unfaithful. Toby Cohen made out that the FCA is set to take over if the liberalisation of the C of E continues. We were never told that. That certainly wasn't the tone of the meeting. THe whole point, and what was repeatedly emphasised, was that we are here to stand firm, support one another, and resist the move away from historical Christianity, and not take over! Likewise, this was not the start of a split, as other reporters said. The FCA was set up precisely because we don't want to split, but to stay within, but without compromising our Anglican heritage.

The Telegraph presented a pretty fair report. The most faithful reporting I found online was David Virtue's report at Virtue Online. He reports some of the central portions from the key note address from Archbishop Peter Jenson. Some of it is word for word. It is well worth reading.

Most interesting is reading some of the criticisms of the 'Be Faithful' conference. The critics can be put into various categories:

1. Those who consider faithfulness to the structures of the C of E as more important to faithfulness to what God has said. THis is similar to what Andrew Goddard says in this Guardian Article. The question is whether I should be loyal first to the C of E as an institution, or stand with those who hold to the Apostolic faith. This is a question of what is true Apostolicity, or what it means to be "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church." FCA is saying apostolicity centres around being faithful to the Apostolic testimony of the supremacy of Christ in revelation and salvation. Faithfulness to the Apostolic faith trumps faithfulness to an institution.

2. Those who consider the tide of liberalism not to be serious. One of the speakers likened the drift of the Anglican church to slicing Salami. Each slice that is taken away is thin. So, each slice does not seem very important. This is shrewd tactics indeed. Beef stew is turned into lentil soup little by little. At each stage, the change is small and vocal protests will always seem out of proportion with the change just made. However, at some point we need to take a stand and fight. If we don't the slices will continue until orthodoxy no longer has a place. That is the tragedy of the recent vote on women bishops. The traditional position, held in good faith by many for theological reasons is being forced out.

3. Those who say it is all about homophobia and sexual discrimination. See for example Ruth Gledhill in The Time who suggests that the unlikely coalition of Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals arises because of the strength of their opposition to same sex marriage and women bishops. This is simply not true and was repeatedly stated at the conference. Indeed, a number of speakers highlighted how there is the full breadth of opinions on women preists and bishops within the FCA (was Ruth actually at the conference??). The heart of the debate is a theological issue regarding the nature of God's revelation in Christ and in Scripture. As Peter Jenson said yesterday, the "yes" of the gospel is only as good as the "no" of the gospel. The gospel calls us to love all people. But it also calls us all to repent and turn away from our sin back to God, whatever that sin and its manifestations, whether it be pride, greed, self-centredness, murder, anger, adultery, unfaithfulness. The nature of the gospel is at stake. The salvation of souls is at stake. That is what is uniting Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals.

So, a great time. And heartening to know that there are many in the C of E who wish to be Faithful! We hope and pray that others will join us. We are not hard-line. Nor are we fundamentalists in the derogatory sense of the word. All we are standing for is historical Anglicanism as affirmed in the 1662 Prayer Book and the 39 articles - the Biblical Apostolic faith! FCA is a call not to move, but be faithful!

Protecting free speech

We need to sign this petition: here.

Rose tinted spectacles

Say not, "Why were the former days better than these?"
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

Ecclesiastes 7:10

NIDOTTE

I've just discovered the Topical Dictionary at the back of New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. In particular, there is a very good article on Wisdom by the late Gerald H Wilson.

Well worth investing in the NIDOTTE, but shop round for a good price. Here is a good place to start looking.

Acts 6:4 encouragement

"...but to prayer and the ministry of the word we will devote ourselves."

Sorry, what did you say, Apostles?

"...but to prayer and the ministry of the word we will devote ourselves."

Ah!

Devoted to the ministry of the word. Yes, I know what you are talking about, that is what grows churches.

"...prayer and the ministry of the word..."

Prayer?

"Yes, devoted to it."

Ah.

"...and to the ministry of the word."

Don't some pray and others do the ministry of the word?

"...to prayer and the ministry of the word."

Ah.

"Devoted."

I see.

"To both."

Got you.

Understanding the exception clause in Matthew 19:9

An analogy which I find helps to understand Matt 19:9:

I tell you that anyone who takes an Apple, except when it is free, and eats it is stealing