29 November, 2005

No Need For Organ Donation

For those of you interested in the topic, one of my yahoo groups (r-f-w) has been discussing the use of musical instruments in the public worship of God.
I have included a few links that have come up during the course of the discussion. They are worth looking into for those interested in the topic of worship.
GI Williamson and others on Instrumental Music http://members.aol.com/rsichurch/worship.html

John Kennedy on Instrumental Music
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~jbeggsoc/jbs-worship02.html

John M'Donald on Instrumental Music
http://www.fpcr.org/blue_banner_articles/mdonald.htm

Brian Schwertley on Musical Instrumentation
http://www.reformed.com/pub/music.htm

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your sick, Nate

Anonymous said...

Yeah. Sick. But I have to admit in a funny way. I keep coming back to this picture and laughing till I cry. There must be something wrong with me. Oh dear.

Nate, does PR have a ward for sadists and cynics?

steveandjanna said...

The organ is nothing more than Satan's bagpipes!

I'll give you credit for having the nerve to post that picture. You can always be counted on to find the oddest pics. From smoking Santa to the pig nun and now the handless organist.

Anonymous said...

Can you give me chapter and verse that musical instruments during worship services are a sin? Why does the OT contain verses that say to worship God with a harp and a lyre? You Presbyterians amaze me. You are more legalistic than Independent Baptists.

NPE said...

I would encourage the one that is acusing us Presbyterians of finding salvation in obedience to the law (definition of legalism) to read at least one of these articles and then direct questions for further clarification.

Thank you,
In Christ, nate

Anonymous said...

Mr. Anonymous,

Do you really think that God is so desperate for worship that he will take just anything you care throw at Him. Just because you feel worshipful does't mean God has to be pleased with it and calls it righteousness. Just because God commanded the use of musical instruments in his worship during the sacrificing of animals, doesn't mean the performance on musical instruments as worship was permitted where ever or when ever the musician felt like it.

Please though feel free to play your fiddle, organ, guitar or tambourine, during the sacrificing of the animals, at church on the Lord's day. What?? you don't sacrifice animals anymore? Why? Can you give me chapter and verse were it says that sacrificing an animal is a sin? Something that contains "Thou shalt not..." would be really helpful.

Hey, just because Christ our passover is sacrificed for us, doesn't mean we can't take a lamb and set it aflame -- right?

No, we Presbyterians realize we are sinful, and so we think we should leave it up to God to decide how he is to be worshiped. Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Please explain how your demand for proof-texts on why the performance of musical instruments in worship is sinful, isn't based on an attitude that when boiled down and taken to its logical conclusion comes across as "I will do what ever I feel like, and my heart is right with God, so I know that it can't be sin", at least until someone can proof-text it to you? The book of Job is a good lesson on that natural tendency in us all.

Did some mean Presbyterian come knocking on your door after the last personal or natural disaster you experienced and told you that the tsunami, earthquake or hurricane was God's judgment on you for your sinful use of musical instruments in worship?

Why don't you come up with some proof texts as to why it's not sinful to play your musical instruments in worship? Show us all how they were not fulfilled in Christ sacrifice? In the mean time why don't you sit and play a song or two, to the glory of God, but not as worship. As the Apostle says, Whether therefore ye eat, drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Notice he didn't say do all in worship to God.

So unless you can show (from Scripture) that God has commanded the playing of musical instruments in his worship in the age after Christ had sacrificed himself once and forever, it might be better to heed the warning of Christ when he said: "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matt 15:7-9.

Smart Aleck said...

burdenofproof -- We didn't start over from scratch when Christ died on the cross. We still have the Bible as a whole not just the New Testament. Playing of instruments is tied to worship not to sacrifics(Ps 150).

It is intresting how you pick and choose which this you will take and use and what you won't listen to. You take the infant baptism and the sign of the coventant(tied to circumsion), and the two worship services(refering to the morning and evening sacrifices). But when it comes to praising God you will sing "Ps 150:3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp." but not with a trumpet, psaltery, or harp as commanded in what you are singing.

NPE said...

Anonymous

Before you get your WWJD bracelet in a bunch I would like to refer you to my post on August 26, 2005. It will give you some more light on my ideas about CCM.


Can you begin to use an identity if you are going to be a regular heckler around here? Even if I know you...that is okay!

Jonathan Moorhead said...

Organs are obviously condoned by God since the “handless organist” is “truly a miracle of God.” BTW, is she grimacing or smiling?