This week the blog is sponsored by Matthias Media.

Does your evangelistic passion match the New Testament call to proclaim Christ’s name to all people? God calls on us to partner with him in “hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Pet 3:12) by laboring to make people ready for that day, having a mature faith in Jesus. This is the work the Apostle Paul describes himself doing: 

Him we proclaim, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Col 1:28–29)

Indeed, this idea of presenting everyone mature in Christ is Paul’s apostolic mission statement. But it isn’t a mission statement only for him. It’s your mission statement too. It’s the mission of all disciples of Jesus, as we imitate Paul:

…not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Cor 10:33—11:1)

In other words, just like Paul, we also proclaim the message about Jesus to all people so that they will be presented mature in Christ—whether to fellow believers:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col 3:16)

… or to unbelievers:

At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col 4:3–6)

So what we work for in life—whether we’re a pastor, elder or ministry leader, or an accountant, teacher, mom or dad—is to move people (ourselves included!) towards maturity in Christ by prayerfully proclaiming Jesus and his powerful gospel word that sanctifies them and makes them ready.

So how do we do this? How do we ‘raise the evangelistic temperature’ in our church culture?

What can we do to motivate and equip people to know the gospel deeply and share it confidently? How do we proclaim and teach the gospel so that we not only make disciples, but we make disciple-making disciples?

These are questions that we want to tackle together at Evangelize 2024. The conference is hosted by Matthias Media and will take place in Denver, Colorado on October 7-9. Everyone is invited—from pastors to lay leaders. Bring your team, and let us help you build your church life around presenting more and more people with the gospel and giving them the opportunity to respond to it.

These few days will feel more like a workshop than a conference, resulting in lots of resolve to make practical changes as we head back to our churches. We will hear from Mack Stiles, Tony Payne, Dave Jensen, Felicity Carswell, Marty Sweeney and more. Evangelize 2024 invites you and your team to collaborate and think through your ministry framework to ensure evangelism is happening everywhere.

Let’s help each other become growing churches which are, under God, more effective in proclaiming the gospel to the friends, family and neighbors around us who so desperately need to hear it. 

Visit matthiasmedia.com/e24 for more information and to register. Register by August 1, to receive a $20 voucher to spend at the conference bookstore (sponsored by 10ofThose).

Some of my most memorable moments of public worship have been in settings where I did not speak the language. I have stood with a congregation in rural Zambia as they’ve clapped and moved and praised the Lord in Bemba, a language that is utterly unknown to me. I’ve sat with a congregation in the far reaches of Cambodia as they’ve sung in Tampuan accompanied by instruments scratched together with boxes and gourds and other bits and pieces. I’ve known neither the language nor the musical style. I’ve worshipped with megachurches in South Korea and house churches in North Africa, knowing not a word of Korean or of Arabic. Yet in every case, I have worshipped.

In every case, I have worshipped because even though I haven’t been able to sing, I’ve been sung to. Colossians 3:16 commands us to sing for the benefit of one another even as we sing ultimately to the Lord. Whenever we sing, we direct our hearts vertically toward our God, but we also direct our words horizontally toward our brothers and sisters. We sing from the gospel, for one another, to the Lord.

These are not the only occasions in which I’ve been unable to sing. I remember the early days after Nick’s death in which I found myself almost incapable of it. When I tried, I would often just break down and cry. The loss was too raw, the lyrics too poignant, the emotions too overwhelming. But though I couldn’t bring myself to sing, it was a tremendous blessing to be sung to. I would often just stand in silence with my arm around Aileen, tears spilling down our cheeks, as the church sang around us, as they sang for us. Their words became our words, their faith shored up our faith. Their words washed over us like God’s own.

In that vein, do you ever consider that sometimes the most selfless thing you can do on a Sunday morning is sing? Do you consider that sometimes singing is the most important way you will serve others during any given worship service? This is true whether you’re one of the musicians at the front or one of the members in the pews. God has designed singing to function in this way, to be one of the many “one another” ministries.

So will you sing for me on Sunday? Will you sing for others on Sunday? Will you sing as a means through which you can bless, encourage, equip, and strengthen others? It could be that someone near you does not know your language, but does know your Lord. Sing the words he cannot articulate! It could be that someone close by is wavering in her faith, uncertain of her standing before the Lord. Sing the assurance that will soothe her soul! It could be that a couple a few rows ahead has suffered a grievous loss and has been made nearly mute with grief. Sing the comfort they so badly need to hear!

Whether you are a man or a woman, a natural talent or all but tone-deaf, someone who likes to belt it out or someone who merely mumbles along—my question for you is this: How can you fail to sing when others need your words? How can you stay silent when others need the truths that could so easily pass through your mouth and reach their ear? How can you mumble when others so desperately need to hear?

With due respect to my Reformed Presbyterian friends, I think it’s difficult to make the argument that singing in the local church must not be accompanied by instrumentation. But with due respect to everyone else, I think it’s equally difficult to make the argument that singing in the local church must be accompanied by instrumentation. It seems to me that we have a lot of freedom here—freedom to sing in a way that matches our convictions and freedom to sing in a way we judge appropriate to our setting.

I tend to think the most difficult position to justify from the Bible is the one that seems to be in effect in a great many evangelical churches today—that music is at its best when there is a full band of skilled singers and musicians who play so loudly as to drown out the voices of the congregation. Where instrumentation was traditionally used to enhance the beauty of the music and help direct the singing of the congregation, today it often seems to dominate so that instead of using a band to complement and accompany the congregation, the congregation now merely does their best to sing along to a band.

A friend recently distinguished between two helpful categories: worship services that are performative and worship services that are participatory. A performative worship service is one that could merrily go on even if there was no one there but the people at the front of the room—the pastor(s) and the band. A participatory worship service is one that would have no meaning unless the congregation was present and doing their part. And while the congregation can and should participate in more than the singing (e.g. prayers, ordinances, responsive readings), they should certainly not participate in less than the singing. Yet this is the reality in so many churches today—singing is performative far more than participatory. In fact, the less we can hear the voices of the unskilled singers in the pews, the better the music is judged to be. Singing has gone from being the domain of the many amateurs to the domain of the few professionals.

The New Testament says precisely nothing about instrumentation in worship services and, like the majority of Protestants, I take this silence to allow room for wisdom and conviction. I have joyfully sung acapella in some churches and have joyfully sung with a full band in others. But if the New Testament is silent on instruments, it is clear on voices, and it seems to say that singing belongs to the entire church, not just to a band. In two of Paul’s epistles he states with clarity that we are to all sing when we gather for worship. We are to address “one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord” and we are to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness” in our hearts to God (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). As good as instruments may be, voices are better, for voices express praise and worship in ways even the most skilled musician cannot.

Hence, it seems a reasonable conclusion that if we are to use instruments and lead vocalists, they should make it their task to serve the voices, not dominate them, not displace them, and not drown them out. And the voices should not be just the one or two skilled singers at the front of the room, but the entire congregation who together bear the responsibility for obeying God’s commands. It is the whole church, not just the best singers, who are to mutually encourage one another through the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And to do that, they must be heard! Their voices must not be drowned out by instruments, but rise above them.

So I say it is high time that churches emphasize participation ahead of performance. If the band is having a great time while the congregation is struggling to keep up, if the band is audible and the congregation silent, if two voices are being heard while hundreds more are going unheard, something has gone terribly wrong. It would be far better to sing without instruments than to have the church stay silent with them. It would be far better to turn off all instrumentation than to tune out all the voices. Serve the people as they sing, I say—serve the people as they sing of the gospel, sing for one another, and sing to the Lord—just as He commands.

Recent conversations with other Christians have shown that I’m not alone in carrying an unusual level of stress, fear, and anxiety. These are uncertain days and many of us are struggling through them in various ways. Some are feeling this struggle as a heavy emotional weight, some are feeling it as despondency or listlessness, some are feeling it physically as cold sweats or a tightening of the chest. And no wonder! We are quarantined within our homes, we are adapting to unwelcome new realities, we are setting new patterns, we are facing a future that is uncertain, we have no idea when or if we’ll return to some semblance of normalcy. In the face of all this, perhaps it would be a surprise if we did not experience some anxiety and feel some measure of stress.

Thankfully, God knows this life will often be difficult and in his grace he has provided what we need to endure all our trials. God sanctifies, strengthens, and sustains his people through means, through disciplines or habits. But which means? Christians have long referred to “the ordinary means of grace” and defined them as Word, prayer, and sacraments. Though God may extend his grace through other means, he promises he will extend it through these ones. It is as we commit to these habits and practice these disciplines that God equips, strengthens, and assures his people.

A unique element of this pandemic is that it has forced Christians to stop meeting together. Consequently, some of the very means God has provided for our support and strengthening in difficult times have been denied to us. It’s not just our ordinary lives that have been disrupted, but also these ordinary means. And I can’t help but wonder whether some of our anxiety, some of our stress and fear, is not because of what has been added to family, vocation, and life, but what has been taken away from fellowship. Never have these ordinary means of grace seemed so important; never have I missed them so much.

Here is how Ligon Duncan explains them and tells how they are tied to the local church. “These are the ordinances given by God with which spiritual life is nurtured. By ordinances we mean spiritual instruments of grace and growth in grace appointed by God in the Bible. So, when we say ordinary means of grace-based ministry, we mean a ministry that focuses on doing the things God says are central to the spiritual health and growth of his people. Hence, the key things that the church can do in order to help people know God and grow in their knowledge of God are: (1) emphasize the public reading and preaching of the Word; (2) emphasize the confirming efficacy of the sacraments; and (3) emphasize a life of prayer, especially expressed corporately in the church.”

While we are still able to participate in some of the means of grace individually and as households, it has been weeks since we have been able to enjoy all of them in the context of the local church gathering. Yet we know that we best grow in godliness in community, not in isolation. This is why the author of the letter fo the Hebrews writes, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (10:24-25). It is in Christian community that we read the Word and hear it preached (2 Timothy 4:2), that we join our voices together in prayer (Acts 4:24), that we sing praises to God (Colossians 3:16), that we bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), speak truth to one another (Ephesians 4:25), and encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11). It is here that we celebrate the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and baptism, and here that we experience the blessings of church membership and the redemptive love of church discipline. Local church fellowship provides the context in which God pours out his sanctifying grace upon us and through us. It is a context which, for now, has been denied to us.

The Bible knows nothing of Christians who willfully separate themselves from Christian fellowship. Why? Because such people will inevitably wilt and perish. They cannot thrive or survive when they cut themselves off from the means God has appointed for his people. Yet at this strange moment in time, masses of Christians have been unwillingly separated from Christian fellowship. While we can be sure that God will not punish us for what is not our fault, we can also expect that we will begin to feel the lack of it. We will begin to feel the distance from the body we have been joined to and the means we have been given. We were not meant to live out the Christian life alone and without hearing the Word read to us, without joining together in prayer, without teaching and admonishing one another by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, without watching baptisms, and without celebrating the Lord’s Supper. The very means meant to sustain us in times like this are the means we cannot have.

So as I consider the stress and anxiety I feel deep within, and as I speak to others, I have been encouraging them as I’ve been encouraging myself, to understand that some of this must stem directly from what, in the providence of God, has been denied to us in this time. We should not expect to be without struggles when such important elements of our faith have been taken away by circumstances. I pray that this will provoke a longing within me and deep within the church to return to fellowship so we can once again return to those precious means. I pray that when we can finally meet together again, and when we can once again pray and preach and sing and baptize and break bread, we will not fail to treasure these precious means which are so ordinary, so beautiful, and so necessary.

This week the blog is sponsored by Dwell and written by Jeff McFadden.

As I write this it’s mid-July, which means that, for many of us, it’s been 5 or 6 months since we fell off the wagon of the annual I’m-going-to-read-the-Bible-in-a-year train. The new year’s hope and optimism was knocked aside in the busyness of spring, and what summer offers in the way of time feels sapped away by heat and travel.

One of the constant struggles of my life has been reading God’s word regularly. I’ve had some great runs, but even in the midst of those, I’ve found myself falling into the trap of treating Bible reading as a kind of “Christian Chore” rather than an act of getting to know (and become known by) the God of the universe. After enough forced-morning-skimming sessions it’s easy to throw up your hands and wonder why you’re even bothering to jump through your own legalistic hoops.

And yet, the Bible answers back to us the importance of knowing God’s word, “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:4, ESV), “that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3, ESV), and “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

As David Mathis says, “The one who created us—and sustains us moment by moment (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3)—has expressed himself to us in human words, and it is vital that we listen.” (Hear His Voice, emphasis mine).

For millennia the primary way that God’s people heard his voice was by listening to someone else speaking it — the world literacy rate didn’t cross 50% until 1950. Having a personal Bible in your home, and being able to read it, is an astonishingly new experience. And while the grace of having God’s word accessible to us on our bedside should not be understated, it’s worth asking ourselves if we’re truly experiencing God’s word to the fullest if our only experience with it is reading it at the kitchen table.

Listening is a dramatically different experience than reading. It activates different parts of our brains, helping us form new and different connections, and pulls on different parts of our heart. In a very practical way, it brings a freshness to scripture by changing the typical tone and pace that we’re accustomed to as we read. That freshness helps us stay engaged, especially when the recording quality is high, as in an app like Dwell.

While simply listening to stories we’re familiar with can give us a new perspective, listening has other advantages. When paired with the ability to repeat content quickly, listening becomes a powerful tool for memorization (Psalm 119). And when that repetition is slowed down it becomes a powerful tool for meditation and reflection (Psalm 1).

And, frankly, there are just some seasons in life when listening to God’s word on the way to work (or while doing chores, or exercising) is the only way we’re going to hear it at all.

If you’ve never tried a Bible listening app like Dwell, download it today and give it a try. Start a listening plan and work through a book of the Bible on your drive to work. Listen to a few stories you’re familiar with and see what jumps out at you. What’s been there the whole time that you’ve unintentionally skimmed over? Then, turn on Dwell Mode (the app’s repeat feature), slow down and experience the richness of meditation and reflection.

Don’t give in to the Christian Chores mentality of Bible reading. Pick up Dwell, start listening, and “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16a, ESV).

Try out Dwell today and start transforming the way you experience Scripture…by having it read over you.

I am closing in on my forty-third birthday and have been a churchgoer all my life. A bit of simple math shows that I’ve probably listened to somewhere around 4,000 sermons over the course of my life (which undoubtedly means I should have far more knowledge of the Bible than I do and should be far holier than I am!). I’ve also preached a few sermons of my own over the past 10 or 15 years. Recently, and largely for my own purposes, I found myself thinking about some of the elements that can make a sermon difficult to listen to. Having jotted them down, I thought I’d share them with you.

They have no obvious outline. Most people today are unaccustomed to listening to extended verbal communication. Preachers can assist listening and comprehension by providing some kind of an outline. It does not need to be a Lawsonesque alliterated masterpiece, but it is helpful to at least allow the congregation to know in advance how the sermon will unfold. A solid outline also helps pull them back when their minds drift. They can be pulled from daydream or confusion when they hear, “This brings us to the second great emphasis of this passage.” (I think it’s usually best to avoid using the word “point,” as in “My second point is…” Try to find a more interesting way of framing a sermon than through “points.”)

They include word studies. A sermon rarely improves from the point the pastor says, “In the Greek this word is…” I suppose there are select occasions when mentioning and explaining a Greek or Hebrew term adds to the congregation’s understanding, but that’s rare. Far more often than not, word studies are the kind of thing a pastor should do in his study and keep in his study. The preacher ought to do his preparatory work in such a way that his sermon shows clear evidence that he has put in full effort and mined the depths of his passage. But he doesn’t always need to explicitly show that work. (And yes, we all already know that dunamis is related to the English “dynamite.”)

They include extended quotes from commentaries. Commentaries are crucial when it comes to properly understanding a text. Preachers rightly spend a good bit of their prep time learning from experts through their commentaries. But there aren’t many occasions when the preacher should quote these experts. To read a quote from a commentary, and especially at length, is to radically change the voice of the person speaking—from his own voice to the voice of a scholar. It is to radically change the form of communication—from a spoken sermon to a written book. It is often difficult for the congregation to make that transition, and often difficult for the congregation to understand the point that is being made. It’s far better, on the whole, for the preacher to simply summarize in his own words.

They include citations. In college and seminary, it’s extremely important that references are carefully cited. If the idea comes from someone else, you need to make that clear. But in sermons, it’s not nearly so important. If you are going to provided an extended quote or rigidly follow another person’s work (which you probably shouldn’t), it may make sense to provide a citation. But otherwise, know for your own purposes which resources you relied upon, but don’t feel that you need an academic-level of citation in a sermon. A sermon is not a paper and a church is not a seminary. Again, it’s typically far better to summarize than to quote.

They include every possible option. There are many parts of the Bible that are open to various legitimate interpretations. Does Romans 7 describe the experience of a believer or an unbeliever? Does James 5:14 specifically mandate anointing with oil, or does it more generally mandate prayer? Does Colossians 3:16 speak of three distinctly different kinds of song or does it simply call for a wide variety of songs? While it sometimes makes sense for the preacher to engage with the various viewpoints, it’s usually most helpful for him to make his own choice and to focus most of his attention on that one. Here’s the important principle: Don’t answer questions the congregation isn’t asking. Don’t spend lots of time working through options your listeners would never have considered. (Sometimes even the preacher won’t be entirely convinced by one side or the other, so he may just have to choose one and go with it. That’s allowed.)

They include long stretches without illustration. Illustrations are powerful. Not only do they provide an alternate, illustrative way to explain the same truth, but they also allow an opportunity to consolidate knowledge and to provide the listener an opportunity to catch his breath. Of course, illustrations can be done well or poorly. Typically, short illustrations are more effective than long ones. Some of the best are extremely short, like simple one-sentence similes—comparisons using “like” or “as.” Some of the worst are extended illustrations, especially ones related to film, books, or other pop culture that few people are familiar with. You usually know an illustration is ineffective when you need to explain the illustration! (Tip: Speaking to the kids almost invariably also draws in the adults. Make a simple illustration targeted at the children and you’ll also catch the attention of all the grownups.)

They are presented with a monotone delivery. A sermon’s words matter most, but presentation is also extremely important. Elements like pitch and volume make a huge difference in listening and comprehension. When we think of monotone delivery, we may think naturally of someone who maintains a drab “neither here nor there” tone throughout, and that makes listening difficult. But so, too, does the preacher who cranks up full intensity and sticks there for too long, or the preacher who drops to a dramatic whisper and stays there endlessly. Just as a preacher puts effort into his understanding and explanation of his passage, he should put effort into his delivery, to know where he should vary his volume up and down, where he should press in and where he should relax. Shouting and whispering, speeding up and slowing down, can all be used to enhance a message. But they can also all be used to detract from it.

There is much more that could be said, of course. And at the end of these reflections, I find myself marveling that the Lord chooses to use such weak people with such weak skills to deliver such powerful truth. There are no perfect preachers and no perfect sermons, but there’s an unchanging, unerring message that still shines through.

It’s good to go to a conference or a concert and to sing with hundreds or even thousands of strangers. There is something majestic and soul-stirring about gathering with other believers and using the common language of song to join together in worship. But I believe it’s far better still to go to a local church—to your local church—and to sing with just the few people who make that church their home.

To understand why I believe this, we need to establish a key premise: that singing is not just a vertical act, but also a horizontal one. Of course we sing to God, but we also sing for one another. God is the object of our worship, but our singing is also a means of mutual encouragement. In our singing, we all have equal opportunity to proclaim truth. When we open our mouths to sing, we all take on the role of teacher, of encourager. My words go to you—and your words come to me—as challenge, rebuke, edification, comfort, encouragement (see Colossians 3:16).

Singing is an act of community, and the key to making the most of singing is to know the people who make up that community. This means your enjoyment of singing as an act of Christian community varies with your knowledge of the people around you. The better you know them, the more they can challenge and encourage you—and you can challenge and encourage them—in this way. When you know their story, you know their song. Let me show it to you.

Over there is that man who has told the church how he has battled long and hard to overcome an addiction. He’s told you how he has often grown weary in the battle and how he has sometimes suffered serious setbacks. But he has repented and persevered and seen victory. And as you glance in his direction, he is singing of the assurance he has: “Still the small inward voice I hear, / That whispers all my sins forgiven; / Still the atoning blood is near, / That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven. / I feel the life His wounds impart; / I feel the Savior in my heart.”

Not far from him is the young lady who has battled a serious illness, who is awaiting test results, who is uncertain what her future holds. Yet she is proclaiming the depths of her faith in God. “When peace like a river, attendeth my way, / When sorrows like sea billows roll / Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say / It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

Near the front is the young man who was raised in a Christian home but who rebelled and ran and explored all the world had to offer. He drank deeply of that stagnant water and found himself unsatisfied. And now his hands are raised as he sings, “But as I ran my hell-bound race / Indifferent to the cost / You looked upon my helpless state / And led me to the cross / And I beheld God’s love displayed / You suffered in my place / You bore the wrath reserved for me / Now all I know is grace.”

Beside him is the good church kid, who was raised in a similar family but who never went through that same kind of “younger brother” rebellion. But while he, too, professes that he is a believer, he’s also declaring that his hope is not in who he is or in what he has done. “Not what my hands have done / Can save my guilty soul; / Not what my toiling flesh has borne / Can make my spirit whole. / Not what I feel or do / Can give me peace with God; / Not all my prayers, / And sighs and tears / Can bear my awful load.”

There is the woman, recently widowed, still grieving, who sings, “For all the saints who from their labors rest, / who Thee by faith before the world confessed; / Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. / Alleluia, Alleluia!” Beside her is the young lady who has suffered so deeply at the hands of others, who has recently endured another terrible blow. And out of love, you sing God’s own encouragement to her: “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, / My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply. / The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design / thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.”

Then there’s the person who is exploring the Christian faith, who is thinking about what it would mean to come to Christ, who is grappling with all it will cost. And with him in mind and in view you sing, “Ye sinners, come, ’tis Mercy’s voice; / The gracious call obey; / Mercy invites to heav’nly joys, / And can you yet delay?” Nearby is the young adult who has had to choose between Christ and family. She has been cast out, abandoned for her faith. But here, with you, she’s singing, “Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; / The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide; / When other helpers fail and comforts flee, / Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.”

Do you see it? When you know the people, you know their song. While you sing with them, you sing for them. You sing not as fifty or a hundred individuals, but as a single community. You sing to minister and you sing to be ministered to.

One of the trends that has swept our society through the past decades is the “funification” of pretty much everything. We have been told and become convinced that everything ought to be fun. I can’t think of a better example than in schools where the rote memorization that was once considered essential to learning was deemed too difficult and unattractive, so was replaced by activities much more enjoyable but much less effective. We can see the theme in media where in-depth examinations of key issues were reduced to soundbite punchlines from late night hosts. The gamification of everything is just a progression from the funification of everything.

Churches have not been immune either and people began to demand fun from their worship services. The call to worship drawn from the Bible was replaced by the funny video clip drawn from pop culture. The sermon that exposited and applied deep biblical truths was replaced by topical sermonettes that skipped most of the deep exposition to focus almost entirely on trite application. Ed Young preaching from a bed and a wrestling ring is not the start of the trend, but its culmination. And then there’s the music. Many churches consider singing the funnest part of the service. The songs they sing and the way they sing them is designed first to be entertaining. Less important than the words are the feels. Less important than the deep truths are the hooks, bridges, and choruses.

Yet singing is not prescribed for Christian worship for the purpose of fun. It actually serves a far higher purpose as a means through which we bring mutual encouragement by recounting common truths together. According to Colossians 3:16, we sing from the gospel, for one another, to the Lord. Singing is serious business! It is as serious as preaching and prayer and communion. It is not just a perk or pleasure, but a duty and obligation. It’s both a “get to” and a “got to.”

That’s not to say, of course, that worship should be tedious or uninteresting or the barest recounting of facts. The alternative to fun worship is not worship that is drab or boring, but worship that is meaningful and true, worship that gives voice to the full range of biblical truth and Christian experience. It’s not just about emotion, but reflection. It’s not just about feeling, but thinking. It’s not just about having a good time, but serving others.

If we look to the psalms, we see quickly that “God’s song book” uses the poetic form to recount the complete experience of the believer. The psalms stand in stark contrast to so much of modern worship and surely show us that our singing is to be far more than fun and to contain far more than declarations of victory. Some songs may be fun, but others are somber. Some of them may be full of joy, but others are full of sorrow. Some of them may prompt us to raise our hands and dance in the aisles, but others may prompt us to be stock-still and to weep in silence. Many of the psalms aren’t particularly fun to sing, but they are good and necessary and healthy. They show us that we are to sing about everything, including things are are no fun at all. Singing allows us to celebrate, but also to lament; to give thanks, but also to confess; to declare, but also to beseech; to express, but also to ponder.

Singing can be fun and at times will be fun. But God has designed and prescribed it to serve a far higher, far better purpose than that.

As Christians, we set aside the first day of each week as a day of worship. We gather together as communities to worship God through what we call “church services.” One of the struggles we may encounter is related to doing roughly the same thing in the same way week after week. We may begin to lose sight of the beauty of Christian worship through its sheer weekly repetition. Today I want to offer a few humble suggestions to pastors or others involved in planning services that may serve to add an element of freshness to a service, but without adding elements that are desperate, distracting, or flat-out ridiculous.

Explain the liturgy. Protestant services have generally followed certain patterns (i.e. liturgies) so that there is a flow from the beginning of the service to the end. While this varies according to tradition, a typical one may go something like this: A call to worship leads to an opening song. The singing is followed by a confession of sin which is, in turn, followed by an assurance of pardon and a song of thanksgiving. Scripture is read, a pastoral prayer is offered, then there is more singing. Then comes the sermon which is followed by a prayer, a song of response, and a benediction. Every now and again it may prove helpful to explain in a few sentences why the church’s services are structured as they are and, in that way, to allow people “into” the order in a more conscious way. What may be very obvious to the pastor may be obscure to the congregation. Let them in!

Explain an element of your service. When we worship week after week and follow roughly the same order of service, some things that are deeply meaningful can become merely routine. For that reason there can be benefit in taking the time to explain them and thank God for them. If a pastoral prayer is a part of each week’s service, take a few moments to explain why your church offers a pastoral prayer, what it is usually composed of, and how it differs from other prayers. If a benediction is part of your service each week, briefly explain what a benediction is, why you always include it, and how the congregation ought to receive it. Should they bow their heads and close their eyes for the benediction, or raise their heads and open their eyes? They may be uncertain unless they know what purpose it serves and why it is part of your service!

Explain preaching. Take a few moments to explain what preaching is and why it takes up such a significant portion of the service. Also explain why preaching is different from any other form of communication that may be more familiar to the congregation—teaching, speeches, motivational talks, lectures, and so on. Preaching was once a familiar form of communication but we can no longer assume people understand its uniqueness or understand what a gift it is to us. Tell them why it is so crucial that they listen to the preaching with open Bibles!

Explain singing. As Christians we take singing almost for granted. We know it will be part of every worship service (and, in fact, expect it will be part of just about any gathering—when I speak in non-Christian settings it is always jarring to get up to speak without first having sung!). But what is so familiar to us is increasingly foreign to others. Where else do people sing songs together? So consider explaining why we sing and perhaps how to make the most of singing. Be sure to explain that congregational singing is not meant to be a performance by a few, but a means through which we, as individual Christians, serve one another (as per Colossians 3:16).

Explain a song. It is a great blessing to sing the same songs and, over time, to find they become imprinted into our memories. That database of songs we can call up in a moment of praise or mourning is a great gift! But sometimes it is good to re-familiarize ourselves with our songs, and we can do that either by explaining why we have chosen to sing this song at this point in the service or to explain the story behind the song. So many of the great hymns have inspiring stories behind their creation and it can be a blessing to know this background as we sing them.

There are five simple suggestions that can add an element of freshness to a service, yet without becoming a distraction. At various times we have included each of these to our services at Grace Fellowship Church and have found them both meaningful and effective. Perhaps you can consider adding them, or some like them, to your services.

(Parenthetically, here’s a slightly different suggestion: declare a name amnesty Sunday. We have found it helpful from time to time to declare a “name amnesty Sunday.” When this happens we have every person wear a name tag and we explain that this is a day when everyone is absolved of the guilt or embarrassment of not knowing others—even people who have been part of the same church for a very long time. On this day you can ask anyone their name without carrying the shame of having to admit you’ve forgotten it.)

As usual, there are a few Kindle deals for those looking for a little summer reading.

(Yesterday on the blog: Are You Living Worthy of the Gospel?)

Women, Don’t Be Weak-Minded

Glenna Marshall: “No, the colorful book jackets and podcast logos of today’s Christian pop-culture don’t often bring up terms as antiquated and demoralizing as sin. No, it’s more like flaws, or the Christian favorite, struggles. If anything, the term must deflect fault to something else: society, upbringing, victimization, hypocrisy in the church. Someone else’s sin, but not yours. That’s the whole point of these books, sometimes: excusing our flaws by explaining them. Or hyper-focusing on one moral code that will lead to genuine happiness, no matter where you fall on the infallibility of Scripture.”

Whiteman Magic and Deceptive Europeans

Here’s an interesting one from Cameroon. “I walked away wondering why there is such a common misconception that Westerners also practice magic. You have to understand that nearly every Cameroonian I have met believes that one can talk to and manipulate spirits. They believe that there are certain spells, potions, incantations, dances, drumbeats, and even sacrifices that can enable the performer to succeed in life, find a lover, or kill someone else.”

Essential Latin for Reformed Christians

I’m rather enjoying this series on key Latin terms. “In theology, words matter supremely. Just one word can make a huge difference. So, the next time you confess the Nicene Creed in public worship, don’t gloss over ‘who proceeds from the Father and the Son.’ Think about that and then honour and adore also the Son for his role in blessing us with the Holy Spirit.”

How Satan Seduces Bitter Believers

“Apparently, one evil device of the enemy – one design he unleashes – is to convince the church that they don’t need to respond to repentant sinners with forgiveness. Here is the key question: How do you respond when you feel sinned against? Or, like those who aligned themselves with Paul (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4): How do you respond when someone you know has sinned against you, or maybe people you love? The way we answer these questions is really important. In fact, I’ll go one step farther: How we respond to moments of hurt, pain, and confusion around other people’s weaknesses or sins reveals our true grasp of the gospel.”

The Tech Industry’s War on Kids

Parents, you should probably read this one. “These parents have no idea that lurking behind their kids’ screens and phones are a multitude of psychologists, neuroscientists, and social science experts who use their knowledge of psychological vulnerabilities to devise products that capture kids’ attention for the sake of industry profit. What these parents and most of the world have yet to grasp is that psychology — a discipline that we associate with healing — is now being used as a weapon against children.”

Low Visibility

“While modernism has morphed into postmodernity and postmodernity has provided a platform for intersectionality, the failure of so many–in both the world and the church–to clearly define terms has resulted in the widespread propagation of error. As a result of the cultural redefinition of terms and socially constructed agendas comes the need to defend and protect whatever narrative is being bandied about.” The point: Be careful to define terms.

Middle Children Are Going Extinct, Just When We Could Use Them the Most

Middle children are becoming a thing of the past as the birthrate falls. Here’s a tribute to them. “Not the lionized firstborn, adored and groomed to succeed, and not the coddled lastborn, the baby of the family, who benefits from inexhaustible attention and experienced parents. No, the middle child is just that — the middle. Excluded, forgotten, shoved into the role of de facto peacemaker among squabbling kinfolk, stripped rudely at an early age of the privileged status as the youngest and taught instead to accept benign indifference from siblings, parents, and the world.”

Flashback: 3 Errors of Musical Style that Stifle Community

It is ironic that music, an element meant to draw Christians together in mutual love and service (see Colossians 3:16) has become a force for significant division within the church. It just goes to show, I guess, that we can make a mess of pretty much anything.

We will not grow weary of waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously He once waited on us.

—C.H. Spurgeon

Download

Share

It’s remarkable how often the Bible describes the Christian life as a shared life. We become Christians through a personal commitment to Christ, then immediately bind ourselves in a corporate commitment to Christ’s people. There are so many biblical commands we can fulfill and examples we can imitate only if we are involved in one of these Christian communities we call “church.” The notion we can be friends to Christ but strangers to his church is completely foreign to scripture.

The call to community is a call to familiarity. If we are to love and serve others, we need to know them. In fact, ignorance is a kind of limiter or governor on our love. We can love others in precise and meaningful ways only to the degree that we know them. This is why we must commit to being present for worship services, to engaging in meaningful conversations, to extending hospitality, and to diligently asking that crucial question: How can I pray for you? It is in these ways we come to know others, to learn of their needs, and to understand how to address them in the most appropriate ways.

There is an unexpected benefit to this—our knowledge of others can lead to encouragement from others. Here’s one way this has worked itself out in my experience. Often on a Sunday I’ll find myself looking across the room, especially in those times we “teach and admonish one another” through song (see Colossians 3:16). As we sing a song of confession, I spot a friend who was once utterly convinced of his own righteousness but is now singing of his deep brokenness. It stirs me. I see a woman who has suffered a tremendous loss but is now singing, “It is well with my soul.” It moves me. I see a young man who has so often asked prayer for a besetting sin now singing of his newfound freedom. It’s glorious. I see a child—such a sweet child—who has only recently professed faith making that universal confession, “I once was lost in darkest night, yet thought I knew the way.” What could be more beautiful?

Though I love to worship with other congregations, there is something so stirring about worshipping where I know and am known. I have been with these people for many years, I’ve participated in hundreds of prayer meetings with them, I’ve invited them into my home and been invited into theirs, I’ve taught and been taught by them. I have a growing knowledge of who they are and of what they’ve gone through in life. All of this becomes part of the background, part of the context of our worship together.

Because I know the people, I know the deep significance of the words they sing. Because I know their stories, I know what a tremendous work God has had to do so they can truthfully and joyfully lift their voices in praise. It gets me every time.

I heard someone say it recently: “The music at that church is great.” It didn’t take me long to understand what he meant—that the church has a great music program. They have a band composed of talented musicians who play and sing with skill and beauty. To be part of that church is to benefit from the skills of an incredible group of musicians.

This is what we tend to mean when we consider a church’s music. When we say a church’s music is great, we are usually referring to the combined skill of the five or six people who stand and lead at the front. But I’ve long-since made this observation: some of those churches have bands that perform beautifully but congregations who can’t or won’t sing. They have leaders who lead with skill, but members who follow in near silence. Keep your eyes focused on the front and you can’t help but be impressed; look beside and behind you and you can’t help but be concerned.

I am convinced that the best measure of a church’s music is not what takes place on the stage, but what takes place in the pews. It is not so much the sounds and sights of a band leading, but the sounds and sights of a congregation worshipping. A church with a truly great music program is the one that could worship just as well on the day the power goes out and the instruments won’t play. A church with a truly great music program is the one that generates far more sound from its raw voices than its amplified instruments. A church with a truly great music program is the one where the people sing—they really sing.

I was recently thinking through what our churches do to train and equip our congregations to sing. The Bible does, after all, command us all to sing as a core part of our ministry to one another (see Colossians 3:16). Besides our worship services, we tend to have all kinds of teaching and training opportunities—we have Bible studies and youth groups, we have classes for systematic theology, parenting, and Bible knowledge. But few churches have opportunities to train our congregations to sing. Our bands practice and our choirs rehearse, but we rarely instruct the whole congregation. We rarely create opportunities to teach new songs, to teach them to sing those songs in parts, to help them grow in their skill. Singing is one of the few parts of the worship service in which every person participates and serves, yet we rarely train our congregations to participate and serve well in this key ministry.

If you’d like your church to have a great music program, perhaps it would be worth asking this: How are we training our church to sing?

This sponsored post was provided by Jon Nielson for Matthias Media.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds regular time with my family in the Bible a challenge. There are plenty of distractions and reasons why reading the Bible with my three young kids is hard. But I’m convinced that the best thing I can do for my children is expose them to the Word of God (and ask the Holy Spirit to change their lives). In fact, I was so convinced that I wrote a book on the subject, called Bible Reading With Your Kids.

And as I’ve persevered and tried to make Bible reading with my children a regular habit, I’ve been surprised that God has been using this to change me. While I was convinced it would be beneficial for my children, I never imagined how God would also shape me through this. Here are three ways God is changing me.

I am growing in my understanding of the Bible.

Any good teacher, in any subject, will tell you that one good test of true comprehension of a complex concept is whether or not you can explain it with clarity to a young child. While it’s challenging to read the Bible and explain it simply to young children, it has forced me to work hard at comprehending biblical stories, ideas and teachings with pinpoint clarity. By God’s grace, this has forced me to work even harder in my own understanding of God’s word, which has been good for my heart and mind.

I am developing as a teacher of God’s word.

Some of us might never be public preachers of the Bible, but all of us are to be involved in word ministry in the context of the body of Christ, the local church (Colossians 3:16). As I’ve committed to reading the Bible with my children, and explaining it to them clearly along the way, I’ve found this has grown my confidence and ability to do word ministry with adults too. As I engage in ‘God talk’ with my kids and articulate gospel truths to them, this has helped me to have ‘God talk’ with other adults more naturally. When it comes to personal evangelism, I am more confident and at ease.

I am constantly being encouraged by my children in ways I never imagined.

I have found that since reading the Bible regularly with my children, I am finding deep delight in discipling them. I am loving the sweet conversations with them about the the things of God, as they form questions and wrestle through theological thoughts. I love watching them discover new and beautiful things about God, his grace, and his glorious redemption of sinners. There is a new dimension of friendship opening up, a spiritual friendship between my kids and I, and I pray this will continue to grow and flourish as they get older.

Let me encourage you, if you’re someone who also struggles with reading the Bible regularly with your children, to go for it! Now is the time to begin. Recalibrate your expectations and allow yourself grace. There will be some tough times; young kids can have trouble focusing, and we’ve certainly had our nights when Bible reading times have been rough! But keep persevering. It’s worth it. Expose your kids to God’s word daily, and commit them to him in prayer, trusting him to open their hearts to his gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit, and you might be surprised at how God uses this to change you too.

If you’re finding Bible reading with your kids a challenge, or are even unsure how to start, here are eight tips from my book Bible Reading With Your Kids for Matthias Media, that will help.

8 tips for reading the Bible with kids from Matthias Media | GoThereFor.com on Vimeo.

This sponsored post was provided by the Cutting It Straight Preaching Conference.

John MacArthur, Maurice Watson, Mark Dever, Jerry Vines, Charlie Dates, David Helm, Bryan Loritts, George Zemek, David Allen, Derek Thomas, Romell Williams, Terry Anderson and Hensworth Jonas. These are the speakers at the fourth meeting of the Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, September 19-21, 2017.

The goal of this conference is to train, model, and promote expository preaching. There will be plenary lectures about the meaning and importance of expository preaching, practical breakout sessions on the tools and work of Bible exposition, and worship services featuring faithful expositors that know how to cut it straight.

The conference name is comes from the scripture 2 Timothy 2:15; “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

The term “rightly dividing” is basically means to “cut it straight.” It was used of a doctor making an incision on a patient for surgery, an architect designing a house, or a construction worker making a straight path or road. Paul would have used it as a tentmaker. But he uses it in 2 Timothy to counsel his ministerial protégé to proclaim the word faithfully and clearly. This is the central work of the Christian minister, for which we must give account to the Lord. The ministry that pleases God must have an unwavering commitment to the faithful exposition of the word of truth.

At its core, Cutting It Straight is a preaching conference for pastors, preachers, and teachers. The goal is to help those who preach and teach the word to present text-driven and truth-driven message. But Cutting It Straight is not just for pastors. There are tracks for christian education, worship, youth, and women’s ministry leaders to help build word-filled ministries. This is a rare opportunity to have this many nationally recognized bible expositors and teachers in one location, so mark your calendar to attend.

Christian Education

The Christian Education Track is aimed squarely at the target of helping the church to fulfill the Great Commission of making stronger disciples of Jesus Christ. The track is designed to equip pastors, ministers of education, Sunday School directors and teachers, small group facilitators, or any leader tasked with the responsibility of discipleship development in the church. The track’s panel of presenters include some of the most dynamic Christian Education specialists in the country, who are uniquely gifted and qualified to address this primary emphasis of the church. Guest Speakers: Allen Taylor, Josh Hunt, Bruce Raley and Greg Ogden.

Worship and Arts

Music in worship should be an extension of the ministry of the Word (Colossians 3:16). Those who lead music should be just as concerned about cutting it straight as those who give the sermon. At Cutting It Straight, there will be a track for those who lead the various areas of worship and arts. We will promote a biblical philosophy of music ministry. And help worship and arts leaders to choose selections, train volunteers, oversee teams, do rehearsals, and lead worship in a God-glorifying way. Guest Speakers: Steven Ford, Tiff Joy and Roy Cotton.

Youth Ministry

The job of the church is to live, proclaim, defend, and share the gospel – and pass to it on to the next generation. Youth pastors, too, must cut it straight. Youth ministries must be discipleship-oriented. And youth workers need to understand the mindset of young people and teach them a biblical worldview. Cutting It Straight will have a special track designed to help those who minister to students to craft word-driven ministries that change lives by the power of the gospel. Guest Speakers: Cameron Triggs, Jon Nielson and Rober Purvey.

Ministers’ Wives and Women’s Ministry

We understand that heavy burden pastors’ wives face. We want to urge you and to help you view the work of the ministry through the lens of scripture. The Bible commands women to teach women. Cutting It Straight seeks to equip women’s ministry leaders to teach the word faithfully and clearly and to build their ministries on a biblical foundation. Guest Speakers: Sheila Bailey, Nancy Guthrie, Rhonda Kelley, Kristie Anyabwile and Colleen McFadden.

Make a special effort to be present with your team to join this network of Christian leaders that are determined to cut it straight to the Glory of God!

I continue to receive Letters to the Editor that cover a variety of subjects. Today, though, I’m narrowing it down to two: what we gained and lost when we moved from hymnals to PowerPoint and tributes to godly moms.

Tributes to Moms (based on Will You Write a Mother’s Day Tribute?)

There are at least 3 mothers who have had a positive influence on my life; my biological mom who died when I was 9, my foster mom who died when I was 27, and my mother-in-law, who died last year. All 3 died of cancer. It was in July of 2016, that my mother-in-law, Alma, went home to be with our Lord, as cancer spread through her body.

Her life was not easy as she raised her 4 children with her husband Stanley of 60 years. Life on their small farm in Ohio always presented challenges. Today I can still see the legacy of their work ethic, which was passed on to their daughter, Mary, my wife of 27 years—another mother who impacted my life.

It was Christmas of 2015, when Mary and I, our 2 sons in college, and our nephew, went to Ohio to see Alma. Mary knew her mother was getting worse, and this would probably be the last time her boys would see their grandmother on this side of heaven. During our visit, Mary and her siblings decided that dad could no longer care for his wife of 60 years. He was 90 years old and his body too, was wearing down. Care-givers were brought in the home, and as the cancer worsened, Alma was re-settled in an assisted living home. It was hard for Mary as we left to go back to Florida, not knowing if she would see her mother alive again.

As Mother’s Day 2016 was approaching, Mary knew she needed to see her mother on this special day, probably for the last time. Mary flew to Ohio and did have a wonderful time with her mother, talking about Jesus, and heaven, and salvation, and playing CD’s of Christian artists, especially Fernando Ortega’s “Give Me Jesus.” As I talked with Mary on the phone that Mother’s Day evening, she would tell me how her mom was doing, and how she cared for her all day, giving her hand massages and foot massages, remembering how Alma would care for her whenever she got sick or needed comfort. That day, Mary began to write things down, memories of her mom, that she would read at her funeral. We cried together as Mary would describe how hard Alma worked on the farm, through the cold winters and hot summers. And how Alma never complained. Then we would laugh as Mary would remember the times when her mother would have to deal with some of the farm animals that weren’t cooperating. After talking with Mary that night, I was glad she took the time to be with her mother on that special day. When Mary came home from her visit, we cried again and talked , Mary praised God for the time she was able to have with her mother. And we wondered how long it would be until God called her home.

On July 11, 2016, Alma was ushered into the presence of the Lord. Mary read her beautiful tribute to her mother at the Funeral Mass, bringing tears and smiles to the faces of those in attendance.

Shortly after Alma’s funeral, I wrote a song to honor Alma, remembering the times when we visited them and stayed on the farm. And as I wrote this song for Alma, I thought of my foster mom, and all of the sacrifices she made. And as a young, unruly teenager, I am sure I did not thank her near enough for all she did for me, for us; 3 of my brothers were also fostered by her family. I never heard her complain. And my biological mom, I can remember her whistling, smiling, as she hung the laundry on the line, and I was always nearby, content.

Here are the words to the song I wrote for Alma:

Her day began, long before sun-up.
The cold air leaking through the window pane. She quietly goes into the kitchen. to light the stove, get out some food, she don’t complain.
I’m sorry that I never really noticed, How you loved us everyday. The years flew by first one and then another, now I’ll take this time to say, I love you, I love you, even more.
Her hands are strong and her will is too, the snow’s falling heavy and there’s lots to do. She makes her way across the frozen lane. To milk the goats, feed the cats, she don’t complain.
I’m sorry that I never really noticed, how you loved us everyday. The years flew by first one and then another. Now I’ll take this time to say, I love you, I love you, even more.
Her body’s tired and her eyes grow dim, her Savior’s coming, she’s been waiting for Him. He whispers a word, there’s no more pain. He smiles at her, He takes her hand, she don’t complain.
I’m sorry that I never really told you, that I loved you everyday. The years flew by first one and then another, now I’ll take this time to say, I love you, I miss you, even more.

—Joe B, Wellington, FL

Dear Mom,

It has been 4 months now since we lost Dad, your best friend, your husband of 66 years. Our grief has been great; yours has been profound in a way we are not fully able to grasp. Were it not for his and your Blessed Hope, your grief would likely be inconsolable.

From my infancy and into my old age, you have been a wonderful mother to me. You indulged my childishness but not my sin. You taught me to love good books and poetry and to exercise discernment. You taught me what ultimately matters and what doesn’t. But perhaps your greatest gift to me as a mother was the kind of wife you were to my father.

You grew up in a prosperous family in an aristocratic neighborhood. Dad grew up in a family that was beset by numerous hardships, including the Depression and the death of his father and brother during the war. The highest aspiration of your life was to be a godly wife and mother. For Dad it was to serve God, his country, and his family, by providing for us so that you could be what Richard Weaver calls “the priestess of the home, radiating the power of proper sentiment.”

It meant for Dad many hours of hard work and for all of us a simple, peaceful rhythm of work, play, and worship. You were not only content with life in the 800 sq ft house the five of us called “home”, you positively exulted in it. You supported Dad’s dreams and praised his accomplishments. You welcomed into our home pastors, missionaries, neighbors, strangers, the displaced. Because our kitchen was too small for guests you set up tables and chairs in the living room or even – if the group was large enough – the ping-pong table in the basement. It never would have occurred to you to have an excuse for not investing the home Dad provided for the Kingdom.

You served quietly, faithfully, behind the scenes. We children were always around – at home or running free in the neighborhood– before the days of lessons and specialty camps and playdates and programs. You were always “with us”; we enjoyed a gently watched-over freedom. You began preparing us for worship every Saturday evening, including making sure we did our Sunday School homework (yes – the church we attended took seriously the task of Bible literacy).

As I look back, I am awed by the eternal fruit that was produced by your contented, mundane obedience. Your three children and eleven grandchildren, as well as their spouses, are followers of Jesus Christ. Your ten great-grandchildren are being taught the Scriptures. Your impact in the world for God’s glory is impossible to estimate. Yet I don’t believe you ever reckoned on that – you were just trying to be faithful. You and Dad loved us best by not loving us most…your “rightly ordered loves” provided the richest soil possible for our discipleship. We love you and are unspeakably grateful.

—Brenda S, Chagrin Falls, OH

Letters on and What We Lost When We Lost Our Hymnals and What We Gained When We Lost Our Hymnals

Thanks for putting both sides of the case. I am cautious about letting technology overcome the simplicity of worship, but we are capable of using it in support of worship, if we do it wisely. In our congregation (Presbyterian in Australia) we distinguish between “performance” songs and “congregationally singable” hymns/songs to guide our choices.

I have been a long time involved in tech commercially, and eschew the theory that modern technology is the answer to every problem. For Powerpoint I refer occasionally to the video which puts Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (76 words) into a Powerpoint presentation. It’s a salutary reminder that there are plenty of times when it is best to speak without any aids at all.

—John A, Melbourne, AU

Those interested in the best of both worlds should check out PaperlessHymnal.com. It gives you projectable songs with music notes. It allows you to sing the songs you don’t know without just mumbling or humming, and you can add all the songs you want.

—Lance R, Fairbanks, AK

I was surprised to read in the article that “He Will Hold Me Fast” and “Before the Throne of God Above” can only be easily sung by churches that are not reliant on hymnals. After all, Ada Habershon and Charitie Bancroft wrote these hymns over a century ago. While hymnals aren’t perfect, they often contain names and dates. Those details connect us to many people and stories of faith that might otherwise be forgotten or unknown.

—Steve B, MB

Tim: Fair enough, but most people had ceased to sing them and today wish to sing them to their updated melodies. Still, I appreciate the reminder that these are classic hymns that have been rediscovered and retuned.

I just want to mention that those who are differently abled are often forgotten by those who plan worship. My mother had Parkinson’s and had attended church all her life, teaching and working with all age groups. When she began to have trouble with her condition, she had to stop going to worship services because the music was always too loud for her. For a long time before she stopped she’d say, I can either hold the hymnal or stand and sing. I can’t do both. Then I took my father to church in his wheelchair as long as I was able to. This church even had wheelchair cut-outs throughout the sanctuary. However, the practice of standing to sing left him unable to see anything but the bottoms of people in front of him. Wheelchair users do not always want to travel to the very front of the church in order to sit in a place where they can see the projection screen. Wheelchairs are often lower than the surrounding pews seats as well, so we had difficulty seeing the minister or music director’s face. There used to be amplifiers people who were hard of hearing could hook up to in the pews. I don’t see those any more.

There are ways to wire the sanctuary for enhanced hearing that works with certain kinds of hearing aids. Maybe there is a simple way to mute the volume as well for those who are sensitive. With my father there were other obstacles for using a wheelchair to get into the sanctuary But we did find one place higher in the back of the sanctuary where his vision would not be blocked. One place. Eventually the obstacles became too great for attendance. But my mother’s issue is more common than you’d think I’ll bet. She just stopped going. Also, there are a great number of children who are on the autism spectrum who have trouble with the noise level of music in church. A little thought to those who are different would be appreciated greatly.

—Peggy S, Flower Mound, TX

I grew up in a church that only used hymnals until I was a teenager (early 90’s) when an innovative musician introduced us to the projector. In college, the church I attended did not have hymnals as far as I can recall (they did have a rocking “worship” band, though beyond “River of God” I cannot at the moment recall anything else we sang) and as an adult who has made multiple career moves in the last 17 years I have attended different churches in various stages of the shift you describe from hymnals to overheads.

While I agree with you that we have gained freedom of posture, I’m not sure I agree that we are overall better off. I think the loss of the ability to sing complex melodies is saddening, as it also reflects a more intellectually passive interaction with all aspects of the worship service in many churches.

For the posture question, I have no solution beyond becoming familiar enough with the hymnody such that one does not need to use the hymnal in most circumstances. This of course takes time and effort, but is very rewarding not only for the freedom one gains during the service to express worship physically but also in being able to recall and recite or sing exhortative and encouraging hymns in daily life.

To the immediacy question, my current church home (pastored by a Ph.D in history) has a good approach. In addition to the Trinity Hymnal, we have a Psalter/Songbook in a loose leaf binder in which we attempt to collect the best of all ages. We have “By Faith” and “In Christ Alone,” for example, alongside “Cassia’s Hymn” and “The Trisagion,” as well as many Scriptures set to music by a member of our congregation who is an English professor at the University in Notre Dame (who writes the most beautiful harmonies!). In this way, we bridge the gap until contemporary hymns become traditional.

Few things give me more joy than hearing my children sing and harmonize these songs both in our family worship times (which is aided by the hymnals and songbooks we have in our house) and as they go about their daily work. I am, as I say, saddened that so many miss out on the richness of Holy Spirit’s musical gifts to the church through the ages. And I hope that technology will soon enable a third way – wherein we can accommodate posture without losing the richness of the hymnody – before it is too late. Digital hymnals with heads up displays, perhaps? We can only hope!

—Jacob S, Granger, IN

Tim: Thanks especially for the reminder of the value of memorizing songs. I make an attempt to memorize all the songs we sing at Grace Fellowship Church. If I keep my head up, it allows me to see and enjoy the rest of the congregation as they fulfill Colossians 3:16 and sing for me!

Our church uses hymnals and PowerPoint, both. One topic I’d like to see addressed deals with the music itself. It seems like the older hymns lend themselves well to congregational singing due to four part arrangement and predictable melodies, while a lot of the newer ones force the bass and tenors (usually) to forge their own part. These songs seem best “performed” by folks who know what they’re doing and have practiced them, rather than sung as a group.

—Lewis G, Jefferson City, MO

The great goal of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The Christian longs to be influenced by Christ to such an extent that every thought is one Jesus would think, that every action is one he would take. Such conformity depends upon a renewed mind, for it is only once our minds are renewed that our desires and actions can follow (Romans 12:2). The Christian life, then, is one of taking off the “old self with its practices” and putting on “the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:9-10).

So noble a goal can only be achieved with great effort and lifelong commitment, for we are sinful people, only recently liberated from our captivity to the world, the flesh, and the devil. The Christian life is not a leisurely stroll but a purposeful journey. Jesus tells us we must “strive to enter through the narrow door,” knowing that the Christian life permits no complacency, that salvation must be “worked out,” not waited out (Luke 13:24; Philippians 2:12). The Christian is not a passive spectator in sanctification but an active participant.

We are looking at “8 Rules for Growing in Godliness,” a series of instructions for becoming increasingly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. (Here’s the Introduction to the series.) The first rule for growing in godliness is this: Trust the means of grace. Every Christian is responsible to diligently search out and discover the disciplines through which God grants increased godliness. Then he is to make a lifelong, whole-hearted commitment to each of them.

How Do Christians Grow?

With spiritual growth comes increased knowledge of God, trust in God, and conformity to God. The one who had little knowledge of God’s works and ways comes to know them both deeply. The one of weak faith comes to have immovable trust. The one who was depraved in desire and behavior comes to display Christ-like character and conduct. Such growth leads inexorably to delight, for to know and to imitate God is to enjoy him.

How, then, can we experience such an increase in knowledge, trust, conformity, and delight? Primarily through what we call “means of grace,” disciplines through which God communicates his sanctifying grace to us. While there are many such means, we can summarize them under three headings: Word, prayer, and fellowship. They are experienced in private devotion, family and corporate worship, and whenever we are with other Christians. Though growth may come through other means, God promises growth will come through these ones. J.C. Ryle speaks of their importance when he says, “I lay it down as a simple matter of fact that no one who is careless about such things must ever expect to make much progress in sanctification. I can find no record of any eminent saint who ever neglected them.”

Ordinary Means

Christians have often referred to these activities as the ordinary means of grace. The word ordinary is meant to address the common temptation to lose confidence in the means God has ordained, and to look instead to those that are foreign or forbidden. Deeply embedded within the sinful human heart is a desire for more than God has mandated, for other than what God has prescribed. Though God gave Adam and Eve knowledge of good, their sinful temptation was to add to it the knowledge of evil. When God held back nothing except the fruit of a single tree, they found themselves obsessed with that very one. Similarly, we may grow weary of entrusting ourselves to the ordinary ministry of the Word and veer instead into mysticism. We may grow discouraged in our ordinary prayers and search for new forms of communication with God. We may grow weary of worshipping in Christian community and pursue selfish worship.

Yet God means for us to commit ourselves to these activities, to trust that they are the means through which he accomplishes his work within us. His extraordinary work is achieved through ordinary means. Thus, we must not only make use of the means of grace but trust them. We must trust they are God’s appointed means to promote zeal for godliness, to foster godliness, and to preserve godliness to the end.

God’s Means

God’s means of grace are the Word, prayer, and fellowship. These, according to John MacArthur, are the “instruments through which God’s Spirit graciously grows believers in Christlikeness and fortifies them in the faith and conforms them into the image of the Son.” Ryle describes them as “appointed channels through which the Holy Spirit conveys fresh supplies of grace to the soul and strengthens the work which He has begun in the inward man.” Let’s look briefly at each of them.

Word. The Word of God, the Bible, is God’s revelation to humanity—his revelation of himself, his character, and his works. It is his voice to the world. And it is through the Bible, more than any other means, that God sanctifies us. The Bible first reveals the gospel, which is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). We cannot be saved without it. Then it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” so that every Christian may be “complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We cannot grow in godliness without it. Therefore, the Bible must be read, taught, absorbed, and applied. We must read it as individuals, families, and churches. Parents must teach it to their children, pastors to their congregations, Christians to their peers. We must meditate upon it, diligently and prayerfully seeking to understand it, and we must apply it, shaping our lives according to its every truth and every command. As Christians we are, and must always be, people of The Book.

Prayer. As the Bible is the means through which God speaks to humanity, prayer is the means through which we speak to God. Christians are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), to make life a conversation in which we hear from God and speak in return, or in which we speak to God and hear in return. We are to offer prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession, and supplication. We are to pray privately, with our family, with our friends, and with our congregation, to pray both as individuals and gathered congregations. In certain seasons, we are to pray with fasting, specially consecrating ourselves to the work of prayer. As we pray, God blesses us with increased trust in him, increased fellowship with him, and increased confidence in his character and works.

Fellowship. When we become Christians, we enter into a fellowship of believers that spans the earth and the ages. We grow in godliness in community, not isolation. This is why the author of Hebrews wrote, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (10:24-25). It is in Christian community that we read the Word and hear it preached (2 Timothy 4:2), that we join our voices together in prayer (Acts 4:24), that we sing praises to God (Colossians 3:16), that we bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), speak truth to one another (Ephesians 4:25), and encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11). It is here that we celebrate the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and baptism, and here that we experience the blessings of church membership and the tough love of church discipline. The Bible knows nothing of Christians who willfully separate themselves from Christian fellowship. It is a means through which God pours out his sanctifying grace upon us and through us.

Conclusion

Ray Ortlund points out that the means of grace are God’s answer to questions every Christian must ask: “How do I, as a believer, access the grace of the Lord for my many needs? Where do I go, what do I do, to connect with the real help He gives to sinners and sufferers here in this world?” We access the Lord’s grace and receive the Lord’s help through these ordinary means. We cannot expect to grow or thrive apart from them. But we can confidently expect to grow and thrive in proportion to the degree we commit ourselves to them, for God has ordained them for this very purpose.

Thus, the first rule of godliness is trust the ordinary means of grace. We must take full advantage of the disciplines God provides, and we must ensure we do not lose our confidence that God can and will work through such ordinary means. It is his desire and delight to do so.

The “8 Rules for Growing in Godliness” are drawn from the work of Thomas Watson. Here are the words that inspired this article: “Be diligent in the use of all means that may promote godliness, Luke xiii. 24. ‘Strive to enter in at the strait gate:’ what is purpose without pursuit? When you have made your estimate of godliness, prosecute those mediums which are most expedient for obtaining it.”

It was a joy to finally visit your church a couple of Sundays ago, and to worship with the believers there. You know I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. Just as you promised, the pastor is an excellent communicator and a man who loves God’s Word. His sermon was deeply challenging and led to some great conversations with my children.

Now, you asked me why it looked like I wasn’t singing. I know that was probably a little awkward, so thought I’d send along a brief explanation. Primarily, it’s because…

…I was not familiar with the songs. Your church has a tremendously skilled group of musicians leading them and it was a true joy to hear them play and sing. They sound as good live as they do on their album! But, unless I missed something, all of the songs on that Sunday were drawn from their own music. There weren’t any hymns in the service or even any familiar worship songs. So it’s not that I didn’t want to sing; it’s just that I didn’t know the songs. I want to be fair—every church has some of its own songs, and there is nothing wrong with that. I tried to follow along the best I could so I could learn some of yours, but even then…

…the songs weren’t congregational. Most of them seemed to have been written with the band in mind more than the congregation. What I mean is that they were unpredictable and often went beyond my vocal range and ability. This made them tough to learn and difficult to sing. Sometimes I would just begin to think I had it, but then…

…your singers would ad-lib. Twice through that final chorus they sang it one way, but then on the third they did something I didn’t see coming and just couldn’t follow. Was I supposed to follow them up the scale as they went high on that final chorus, or was I supposed to stick with the original melody? I didn’t want to mess it up, so figured I’d better keep it quiet. I might have had help there, but…

…I couldn’t hear the congregation sing. I wanted to learn from the people around me, but I couldn’t hear them. A lot of them seemed to be singing along, but they were far quieter than the band. Don’t get me wrong, I love loud music and often crank it to silly levels when I’m at home or in my car. (I’ve even got it at an obnoxious level as I write these words.) But as I understand it from Colossians 3:16, a key element of congregational worship is hearing the congregation. Singing is in the realm of “one-another” ministry, meaning that we are to sing for the other people there. But that was tough because…

…it felt like a performance. We were in a darkened room sitting on theatre-style seats. The band was on a brightly-lit stage at the front of the room, singing their own songs with the volume cranked right up. This set a context that struck me as more concert than church. I really enjoyed watching the band and listening to them, but it felt to me that they were doing rather than facilitating the worship. So finally I just sat back and enjoyed the show.

Now, please don’t think I’m trying to rekindle the old worship wars. I believe there is room in congregational worship for both traditional hymns and modern worship songs. I love them both! But the way the music was structured and implemented in your church was just not conducive to congregational worship. It was good, it was professional, but thinking about it now, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps it wasn’t a bit too good and too professional. I wonder if the desire for excellence may have robbed it of much of its usefulness. It’s worth considering: If our desire for excellence puts the music out of reach for the congregation, perhaps we’re pursuing a wrong definition of excellence.

Welcome to Final Call, a brief, hand-picked selection of news, articles, videos, and curiosities from the Internet and beyond.

Mini-Review: A Time for Confidence

It is clear that we are living at a time of seismic societal change. Things we recently considered the highest good are now considered the greatest evil; things we used to consider aberrant we now declare normal and noble. “Enormous pressure to cower, to capitulate, and to cave closes in on us like the unstoppable walls of a compactor. We see it. We sense it.” Into the fray steps Stephen Nichols with A Time for Confidence: Trusting God in a Post-Christian Society. “This is not a time to cower, cave, or capitulate. It is a time for confidence, and our confidence must be in the right place. Or, better to say, our confidence must be in the right person. Our confidence must be in God. All else will disappoint.”

Through five chapters, Nichols shows that our confidence must be in God, in the Bible, in Christ, in the gospel, and in hope. His book is meant to encourage Christians to take heart and to press on, to reaffirm their confidence in God, his character, his means, his gospel. It’s a quick read, but a powerful one and I gladly recommend it.

G3 Conference

The G3 Conference has begun to add the 2017 conferences talks and panels to YouTube. There are sessions from Voddie Baucham, D.A. Carson, Steve Lawson, Conrad Mbewe, Paul Washer, and others. I had the privilege of preaching on Colossians 3:16: “Let the Gospel Give You Your Song.” Here it is in case you’re interested.

Also, I should have gone with a double windsor knot. Next time.

Good Theologians with Informed Convictions

Enjoy this quote from Aimee Byrd’s No Little Women.

We are to recognize that women are created in the image of God as necessary allies to men in carrying out his mission. Because of this, women are to be good theologians with informed convictions. We are to take this call seriously and invest quality time in our theological growth and Bible study within the context of our local church as a foundation to our service and contributions to the church, our families, and society. The church is to recognize this and help to equip competent women as necessary allies. And as we uphold the headship roles in household management, we are to relate to one another on the basis of our unity in Christ. Elders are also to ensure that the mature women in the church can pass down their knowledge to the younger women in the faith, explaining how our doctrine relates to our everyday lives and roles. And yet we stumble as we try to faithfully work this out. We see this in Scripture, we see it in church history, and we are still stumbling about now.

As you read this, I should just be touching down in London as I make my way to Oxford. I will be there for a week to participate in a writing workshop led by Douglas Bond. I have never done anything like this before and am very excited for the opportunity to engage in some “professional development.” I hope to update you once or twice to let you know what I’m up to. In the meantime, here are some links for today.

But first, today is Prime Day at Amazon. I’ve been over the Atlantic all night so haven’t been able to check out the deals, but I’m hoping they have deals on print and Kindle books. Take a look and see. I’m sure they’ll at least have deals on Kindle devices.

Three Questions for Bible Journaling

“The Bible was full of notes, dates, testimonies of answered prayer, prayers for family members and church members, and other items that revealed her deep love for Christ. After seeing her Bible, I was reminded of the value of journaling all of the ways God reveals himself through his word.”

8 Ways Churches Can Capitalize on Pokemon Go

It looks like Pokemon Go will be one of the themes of the summer. And, surprisingly, it is bringing many people to churches. Here’s one person’s take on how to capitalize. (For context see this news article.)

I’m Never Bored, and I Think It Might Be Killing Me

I am convinced that our brains need a certain amount of boredom.

10 Things You should Know about Race and Racism

Sam Storms offers another of his “10 things” articles, this one on race and racism.

This Day in 1536. 480 years ago today, Desiderius Erasmus, first editor of the Greek New Testament died in Basel. His work was the foundation for many of the translations that changed the world. *

Null Island

Here’s an interesting little video on “Null Island.”

Hole-Boring, Fuse-Lighting Prayer

“Here’s a wonderful analogy for prayer from Norwegian author Ole Hallesby, quoted in Tim Keller’s Prayer…”

Flashback: 3 Errors of Musical Style that Stifle Community

It is ironic that music, an element meant to draw Christians together in mutual love and service (see Colossians 3:16) has become a force for significant division within the church.

The Christian leads by example, not force, and is to be a model who invites a following, not a boss who compels one.

—John Stott

This sponsored post was prepared by Rosaria Butterfield on behalf of Crown and Covenant.

I came to Christ with more bad habits than good, and the Lord’s sanctifying touch at first left me lonely and out of sorts. Frankensteinian. An amputee.

Despised by my girlfriend but beloved by my God.

As a postmodern professor, I had warred against the binary oppositions and metanarratives of a biblical worldview, but after reading the Bible in completion many times for myself, and discussing it in honesty with Christian neighbors and colleagues, something happened. The Bible got to be bigger inside me than I; it ignited the “expulsive power of a new affection” (to quote Thomas Chalmers). Here I was, a living epistle whose new life now teetered on the brink of those ideas that I had railed against for years. I had taught thousands of college students that sexuality and gender were social constructs, but the God I now met and loved made it clear in His word: Being born male or female comes with moral responsibilities and constraints.

The gospel remade me. It came in exchange for the life I had once loved, not in addition to it. Through it, I met the triune God who intervenes in history and supernaturally controls all things. But when I stumbled around trying to find Him in the rubble of my ruined career and my bankrupt body of friends, all I grasped was darkness and the wind.

God gave me a Bible-believing, Psalm-singing church to become the family that I lost in this gospel exchange. My new brothers and sisters in this church modeled for me two life practices that have been my daily companions since the early hours of my Christian rebirth: reading the Bible in big chunks and singing the Psalms. God daily uses these simple practices to restore and remake me through His grace.

As I stumbled around, awkward and uncomfortable in the new creation that I had become, longing for the old days, the old me, the old habits, the old friends, I at least could stumble forward with eyes of faith when I sang the Psalms. The Psalms are prayers, but often unlike my own, each psalm is a prayer to God through eyes and words of faith. Each psalm uses eyes of faith to see the agony, and not eyes of doubt. Singing through the affliction and danger with eyes of faith became one way that God tutored, taught, and modeled for me how to face my fear with God at my side.

God’s word is powerful—a double-edged sword—and singing the Psalms roots God’s word deep inside your memory. The Psalms have been God’s most severe and merciful crucible in my life, stirring the pot of what the Puritans called experiential godliness—a sanctifying path by which you daily enter to those mysteries of Christ’s kingdom. Singing the Psalms makes you lean hard into its biblical wisdom, experiential profit, and transforming beauty. It just might make you wonder if Colossians 3:16 actually means what it says: Sing Psalms and let the Word of Christ dwell in you.

Singing intertwines text with tune: It makes you dwell a little longer in the hard and vulnerable places as you hear your very own voice settle your wandering heart as you sing sentiments like this to God: “The Lord’s the portion of my cup, and my inheritance; You’ve given me the lot I have, kept in Your providence” (Psalm 16:5). Singing makes you imbibe, inherit, and own. The Psalms inhere in you. They express things you feel but were afraid to say: “My God, my God to You I cry, O why have You forsaken me? Why are you far from giving help and from my agonizing plea?” (Psalm 22:1). When you sing this to God, you know that while it is sinful to complain about God, it is sanctifying to complain to Him when in faith we model Jesus, singing what He did.

Singing the Psalms grants you the intimacy of a suffering daughter with the Father who has loved you from before the world’s foundations. This relationship comes through the Savior brother who is praying and singing as He intercedes for you right this very moment.

Singing psalms is real-time intimacy and give us the gospel grace that we daily need, because singing psalms uses your own body, your voice, the rising and falling of your own breath, to project forward all struggle and pain and loss and gain and profit and joy onto Christ. When you sing together as a family during family devotions after the evening meal, you watch your very small children and your special needs children singing from memory the Psalms before they are able to read them. You flash forward to what it would mean to someday have dementia but still, even in that compromised state, have the Psalms as your daily companions. And when you sing together in worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ, many voices lifting up many words of Christ, you experience a taste of the victory to come, even as you know the intense suffering of today. Psalms are—and have always been—the hymnbook of the church under persecution.

To learn more about Rosaria Butterfield, Crown and Covenant, and the Psalms visit crownandcovenant.com.