Sunday, October 22, 2017

Sing to the Lord a new song, Do I really have to?

I am not a fan of most contemporary church music, and by contemporary, I mean anything written by a composer who was born after 1890. The Psalm appointed for today encourages me to 
be more open-minded,

96 Cantate Domino
1 Sing to the Lord a new song; *sing to the Lord, all the whole earth. 
2 Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; *proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. 
3 Declare his glory among the nations *and his wonders among all peoples. 
4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *he is more to be feared than all gods. 
5 As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *but it is the Lord who made the heavens. 
6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary! 
7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; *ascribe to the Lord honor and power. 
8 Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; *bring offerings and come into his courts. 
9 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *let the whole earth tremble before him. 
10 Tell it out among the nations: "The Lord is King! *he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;he will judge the peoples with equity." 
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;let the sea thunder and all that is in it; *let the field be joyful and all that is therein. 
12 Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joybefore the Lord when he comes, *when he comes to judge the earth. 
13 He will judge the world with righteousness *and the peoples with his truth.
I will try to sing a new song now and then if it demonstrates sound theology, if it is not tediously repetitious, if it fits with the appointed readings from scripture, and if it serves to glorify the Lord and not the performer.

I think that eliminates most contemporary church music.

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