Hello people,
Sorry for butting in to the conversation, but this is a topic which greately concerns me. About a year ago I joined a Reformed Presbiterian Church and coming from a Russian Baptist background I really had to struggle with their Psalms-only-no-instrument-worship (baptist+minenite/ <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bananas.gif" alt="" /> ^ <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Banghead.gif" alt="" /> = Russian Baptist).
With that disclaimer here are mine views. Although, I do find their arguments for Psalm only worship lacking, I come to realize the ultimate superiority of it (my openion). A great step in my life of santification was to realize that it is our heart that praises God and not necessary our actions (singing and music making being an action). Here are my arguments:
- I could get the best singer in the world to sing a hymn and if he is unregenerate is he praising God with his singing?
- A person who is deaf and blind cannot possibly sing (in accord) does that mean that that person cannot praise God?
- (disclaimer) a state of one's heart (which praises God) will ultimately show its self through action (a song/ music making/ dance/ etc...)
If what above is correct then for the sake of keeping potential idolatery away from the congregation, awoiding instruments, songs, and hymns is a worthy sacrifise (which does not diminish praise, but clenses it, since praise comes from the hears). Here is a case studdy to corroborate my openion.
A. Via-Dolorossa is sung by a professional singer (a christian) he was accompanies by a professional, free-style peanist. At the end of the song, half if not more congregationalists are moved to tears.
B. An old grany comes and just reads the words of the song Via-Dolorossa, at the end of her reading, only 2 people (old ladies) are moved to tears.
Therefore: All of thoes, other, now-non-tearing people, were moved to tears in study A, not because of the trueths sung in the composition but because of the artful performence of the performers. So, art and music caused the emulation of their emotions not God's truth. The object of their effection became art not God. That is idolatery. In this case the "performers" might have trully, been worshiping God, but their true worship became the facility of other's idolatery.
When I attend my Russian congregation, in truth, I cannot sing some of the hymns due to blatently erred theology expressed in them. When I sing the psalms, I know full well, for an obsolute fact that what I am singing and what is being pronouced by me is inerrent and for a fact santifyed by God (not by the singer interpreting the meaning).
jenya andreyev
PS sorry for spelling errors, jugling many languages in my head
