Psalm singers (religious)

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I haven't been on here in awhile, but was missing it, so here I am again. As usual, I've got an off-topic question. How many of you are exclusive psalm singers? What are your arguments for it, (or against it)? I'm not asking this to start a debate. I'm just interested in the arguments, because I lean towrad psalm singing and wish to know waht other people's opinions are. Thanks!

-- Abigail F. (treeofl@nbnet.nb.ca), November 25, 2000

Answers

Abigail, we sing some of the psalms, mostly the good old hymns, a few newer ones, and some of the lovely new choruses. No so- called "Christian" rock, though. I think that meshes pretty well with the Bible instruction to sing psalms, hymns, and praises to God. We've missed you, too -- I was just wondering a few days ago where you were! How are you doing?

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), November 25, 2000.

Abigail, nice to hear from you again, I thought about you a few times. God dwells in the praises of His people. Singing is one way to praise God as well as to liftup ourselves. I know there's a big controversy over Christian Rock. Hymns and soft music turn alot of folks away. There's many types of music that praise Him, and He will use what He will use. Always remember that what satan intends for bad, God intends for good.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), November 25, 2000.

Abigail, We have good friends that are exclusive Psalm singers and they don't use instruments either but that may be because they just don't have any.

My husband part-time pastors 2 small Methodist congregations even though we are very conservative Presbyterians. We consider ourselves as missionaries to these churches. We do sing the hymns they sing in their church but my husband is the one to pick the hymns from the book so he skips the weird ones. For our own family worship times, we sing scripture songs or Psalms for the most part.

I think the best reason for singing Psalms, at least in corporate worship is that it is God's word and there is no room for doctrinal errors if you just stick with scripture.

I enjoy listening and singing some other stuff on my own. I especially like the group Glad.

Thanks for asking,

-- Heather (heathergorden@hotmail.com), November 27, 2000.


In our church we sing hymns and psalms and we use a piano. We have approximately 40 people on a Sunday morning, sometimes more, sometimes less, so we can use the help. Heather, I'm curious as to what denomination you belong to, being very conservative presbyterians. We too are very conservative presbyterians and my Dad is an elder in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination. Hope you don't mind me asking.

-- Abigail F. (treeofl@nbnet.nb.ca), November 28, 2000.

We are a part of a small (4 largish families) house church. Although we meet in homes where there is a piano and usually someone to play it, we started out singing acapella. I find it a beautiful way to praise the Lord, just the voices of the saints not overpowered or drowned out by a piano. It took us a little bit to "find our voices" but we soon learned to sing out and even blend our voices into pleasing harmonies. We sing mainly old hymns out of various collected hymnals and occasionally modern psalm-praise songs. We have a copy of an old Methodist hymnal that includes "Directions for Singing" from John Wesley's preface to "Sacred Melody", 1761. Heather, see if it is printed in the hymnals at the churches your husband preaches at. It's good. If anyone is interested I'll post them. I thing that as long as the songs state Biblical doctrine they bring glory to God.

-- Amy (gshep@aeroinc.net), November 30, 2000.


This is a reply to Amy... I checked our Methodist Hymnal. The copyright is 1989 and does include the "Directions for Singing" by Wesley.

To the rest of the thread... The problem with some of the songs in the Psalter is the difficulty in singing them. Some tunes are really awkward. Others are familiar. It is hard to sing something feel like you are worshiping when you struggling even to find the melody let alone pay attention to the words. Those are man's problems though and not God's. Then again, worship isn't a feelings based experience. When you start basing things on feelings then you are crossing the line into relativism and a religion based on feelings has no solid, stable foundation.

-- Heather (heathergorden@hotmail.com), November 30, 2000.


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