Singing is a fading ability in churches of christ.

The ability to read music is a fading ability in the churches of Christ. Most song leaders, unwilling to learn different songs lead songs they grew up with. That means they lead the songs the song leaders led in the congregations they attended in their formative years. Which means those song leaders led songs they grew up with and on and on. Unwilling to learn different songs means most congregations of the church of Christ are singing songs a song leader 150 years ago learned and lead. Most songs sung in churches of Christ are written by people with whom most members of churches of Christ differ. In the minds of the members of churches of Christ the authors of their favorite hymns are lost for eternity. 

 

Less than 100 years ago congregations of churches of Christ had to sing "new" songs because none existed. Today there would be even less singing than there is. Many congregations sing 10 or so stanzas in an assembly and few, if any, complete songs. Singing is seen as the way of choice to keep the assembly to an hour duration.  

 

Joe Ed Furr of Sherman Texas has taught the history of church music at his singing school for 40 years. The following is excerpted from an article Changing "Generations and Song Repertory" written by Joe Ed Furr. The Singing School

 

At the singing school, each summer song writers are introduced and their stories told. A line or two of some of their most famous songs are sung.  Usually the students are able to sing a line or two of the most famous songs from memory without having to look up the songs in a hymnal. 

 

A few years ago things changed.  When it came time to sing a line or two of the most famous hymns and gospel songs the adult members of the class sang along, but the teens did not.  It was obvious today's teens can no longer sing a line or two of class hymns from memory.

 

 

During the week of the singing school the teachers carefully select songs to encourage the students to sing all styles of songs.  Classic hymns, gospel songs, southern gospel, spirituals, and songs of praise and worship are blended together.  The students select their favorite songs from that list of selections.

 

On the last day of the singing school the ten most popular songs determined by the students are sung.

 

Classic hymns and gospel songs are rarely found on that list.  A few of the Stamps-Baxter southern gospel songs used to be found on that list, but not recently.  Spirituals and songs of praise and worship are the dominant songs on the list.

 

Classic hymnals published for churches of Christ used to never print southern gospel, spirituals, or songs of praise and worship.  Hymnals used to publish only gospel songs and a small number of hymns.  Today's young people are no longer interested in the songs that once dominated hymnals.

 

At the end of the nightly singing lab at the singing school we turn out the lights in the chapel and admire the huge stained glass walls that surround us.  In the dark the students spontaneously break into singing songs they can sing from memory.  Almost all those songs are songs of praise and worship.

 

You can read how the  taste in church music changes over time. It should be eye-opening to realize that young people unable to sing a line or two of classic hymns and gospel songs.

 

 

 

God So Loved the World but We are not to love the World

 

 

John wrote "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

 

John also wrote "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

 

With the exception of John 9:32 in every instance the word translated "world" is defined by Strong's Exhaustive Concordance as (2889-the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively)  

 

God loved the world but we are not to love the world. Does that appear a bit odd?"

 

Matthew recorded Jesus saying "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

 

Could the lesson possibly be we are not to become enthralled with the physical? We are to be looking to Heaven where are heart is to be.

 

Listen to our prayers look at our actions. They are all about the here and now, the physical.

 

 

 

 

 

Move Focus from Here to There

Jesus said "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.'" 

 

Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…"

 

God does not "bless" Christians anymore than he "blesses" anyone else physically. His blessings are spiritual. Christians need to get their focus off themselves.

 

 

 

 

Prayer and Verifiability

 
I have observed what I call the Law of Verifiability which says when verifiability is low confidence is high and when verifiability is high confidence is low. As with the Law of Gravity there is no law just observations of consistent behavior.

 

This observation covers athletic event predictions; weather predictions; political predictions; in other words any prediction of future results as well as the practice of prayer.

 

When we pray we hope or wish but seldom do we expect.

 

James told his readers that prayer had to be asked in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 

 

Of course James could be limiting his instruction to a prayer for wisdom but if he is not hoping and wishing are not acceptable.

Jesus told his followers "if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen." Was he talking to us, I doubt it.

Obviously hoping and wishing are not examples of faith so those prayers will not receive a reply. 

Prayers for the sick, for safe travel, for security, to bring the troops home, our government leaders etc have low verifiability so our confidence that God answers those prayers are high. But prayers to protect the church building have high verifiability so our confidence is low and we place our confidence in a security system. Congregation's financial stability has a high verifiability so our confidence is low so we rely on savings accounts and the like for times of low contributions.

 

 

 

 

 

Why Do You Pray?

No matter how many people pray, no matter how often they pray, no matter how much they believe, no matter how deserving the focus of their prayer, what we know is that prayers do not inspire God to regenerate amputated legs. This happens despite what Jesus promises us in Matthew 21:21, John 14:14, Mark 11:24, etc.

If God intervenes with any request why doesn't he intervene with cancer patients: children who are abused and or killed; animals tortured and or killed; amputees to regenerate lost limbs?

Thousands of children die each day for preventable reasons like malnutrition and unsafe drinking water. If Jesus answers prayers as he promises in the Bible, then why haven't the prayers of billions of people to end world hunger caused Jesus to solve the problem of global poverty?

There are not two laws of probability -- one for people who pray and one for everyone else. There is a single law of probability that applies equally to everyone. Prayers have zero effect in any statistical study.

Why do you pray?

Music and the Church of Christ

When the Church of Christ assembles the only activity in which the attendees actively participate is singing and possibly the Lord's Supper. I say possibly the Lord's Supper because most try to take the smallest piece of bread and are served a miniature shot glass of juice. Hardly evidence of actively participating in a memorable Lord's Supper.

 

The role of music in the assembly is crucial.

 

There is no magic number of minutes for music. George Barna reports that highly effective churches dedicate an average of 20 minutes of uninterrupted music into their services.

 

The Church of Christ considers music a necessary evil and sing as little as possible.

Congregations need Leaders

Congregations must have leaders with a vision of what they seek to create; a respect base relationship with the congregation; able to communicate; courage; and a passion for the outcome.

Are Christians Really Followers of Christ

When you listen to our prayers on Sunday you immediately are aware the prayers are for worldly expectation.

 

Paul wrote in Romans 8:28  

    And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

 

Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-34  

    Do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

    "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7  

    … Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Jesus said in Matthew 26:42

    "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." 

 

Why are we so hesitant to accept what happens…? Why do we think we have a better solution?

 

Are Christians really following Christ. I doubt it.

Wrongly or Rightly?

James 4:3   

    You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 

 

Have you ever had a prayer go unanswered? Maybe it is better asked, have you ever had a prayer answered? I have not.  Apparently I ask wrongly to spend it on my passions. How about you?

 

 

Effective or Righteous?

 

 

James 5:16   

    Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power

 

 

Have you ever met a righteous person? Apparently I have not. For over sixty years in congregations I have attended prayers for sick people have been or are spoken every week. But I have yet to see anyone healed of a serious illness. Sure God is given credit for healing people with minor illnesses and injury but cancer appears to have his number he just doesn't seem to be able to heal a person with cancer.  According to James the effective prayer of a righteous person has great power so for over sixty years I have neither experienced nor have I observed an effective prayer or even a righteous person. I wonder why? Others do not notice.  

 

 

Elders and Healing

James 5:14-15

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

If one believed James refers to us today wouldn't it be prudent to have elders in every congregation. If no elders were available wouldn't it be prudent to find men willing to be trained and qualified to be elders? If for no other reason than to have a guaranteed way to be healed when one was sick?

The problem is Christians can read and understand but they cannot intellectually apply what they believe. James did not mean to suggest this would work for us today but if one believes it does then why don't we find elders or men being trained to be elders in every congregation? Fact of the matter is Christians do not believe although they claim they do.

Where is God When You Need Him?

We explain suffering is the result of man bringing sin into the world. It is man's fault.

Christians pray that God will protect them and heal them. Would a loving God protect and heal them while he does not protect innocent children and animals and in fact permits them to be mistreated, tortured and killed?

Christians need to face reality. What they claim to believe does not appear to be real. Where is God when you need him?

Love Not the World

1 John 2:15-17   

    Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  [16] For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.  [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

 

Assuming we do not need to be Greek scholars to understand the bible it appears John is telling his readers not love any aspect of the physical since it is passing away.

 

The word translated world refers to (2889-orderly arrangement, by implication the world (in a wide or narrow sense including its inhabitants)). He emphasizes if anyone loves (25-in a social or moral sense) the world the love (26-affection or benevolence) of the father is not in him.

 

 

Now listen to our prayers, listen to our concerns they are all about "us."  Jesus says where our treasure is there are heart will be. Our heart is in the world. Christians can read, they can understand, they cannot intellectually apply. Christians do not have the love of the father in them. I can only presume unless they change they are lost.

 

Free Will or Robot?

Paul told the church in Rome "there is no condemnation for those in Christ." Christians rely on that to forgive their sins. In heaven will all the folks think alike? Will it not be possible to sin? Hard to believe a group of individuals with "free will" all thinking alike. Does that mean robots will be in heaven with no option to sin? Christians say God does not want to be "worshipped" by robots but by people with free will? Does that change in heaven and God settles for robots?