Are the old people right is our music too loud?

Ah yes the magical 21st birthday spent as just any other day... A while back if i had stayed on that same track i can see how much different tonight might have been. But instead it was another normal day filled with class, dinner, and starring at a computer screen bored out of my mind.

But also today was the colloquium... fancy word that means something about scholarship, debates, old people, and ... more big words. This colloquium is held every year apparently and is required of all the religion majors to attend. My first response was why is it that the religion department has to be so ... "religious", which i still hold to in the sense that they had it in the first place. But though i did not agree with being forced to sit through it I will say it was good and probably could be educational for some one. The topic this year was the trinity. Sounds big, and is, but the ideas addressed were not new to me and did not push me to anymore of an understanding. What i did get out of it was just a few points he made that to him might not have been all that important but got ideas rolling enough in my head that i started typing this.

First was that he stressed that one of the main points of the trinity is that it is a model to us of how to live in unity. hmmm... that sounds familiar where have i heard that before.... ah yes maybe it was from Dave Ziggler? isn't his idea for his church, trinity church, all about community. i dont know that thats exactly what he was thinking but it made sense to me.

Another interesting comment the speaker made was when he was responding to a question posed by a student that went something like this "since we are on a path of someday being pastors what is some advice for ways we can teach our congregations about the trinity?" his response made sense, he says that the best way is through literagy and prayer, things like hymns and creeds. Hmmm... makes you feel bad for saying the hymns are out dated or boring... he then mentioned "modern" worship and said that we need to incorporate doctrine and things like the trinity into worship songs and the like and "theres not alot of that out there"

wow i dont know about you but when he said that i had an "ah ha" moment as my favorite proffesor schenck would say. All the debates and differences between "old people" and youth in church all the "hymns are boring" and "your music is tooo loud" simply comes down to miscommunication.

Maybe the old folks are right. Maybe we have replaced, or done our best to replace, good solid beliefs about god put in song form, with songs that feel good. Granted their are exceptions im not trying to start any arguments. but although our songs are good are they... great? Can we fall into the lul of "jesus, jesus, jesus" and begin to forget what it all really means? Can we praise god, and sing we worship you, and we love you and be dumbing down truth. Although im definatly not picking on newer music i love it i just think we need to be a little more careful with songs and make sure there is some substance in them, and also taking time to notice the parts that contain the "good stuff" and not just the whoa oo oo o a 's and na na na na 's i think theres a few songs out there now that get it but heres an "oldie" that i love and an example of good christian belief in song. Night all and god bless.


It Is Well With My Soul - Horatio Spafford

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.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet,
though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross,
and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day
when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound,
and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.