Music has always been a fundamental part of worship in Latter-Day Saint services. It has the potential to greatly augment an otherwise average meeting. The intermediate hymn is particularly welcome on High Council Sunday or when the speakers are telling their life story instead of teaching the doctrine of Christ... which is a topic for another post.
Skill is not always required for the music to be meaningful. Just this morning (7:00 AM, which is way too early for Stake Priesthood), there was a "choir" that favored us with "Called to Serve." There were at least two members of this choir that were singing notes that had nothing to do with the song. Fortunately, they were accompanied by a talented pianist, which helped tremendously. In spite of the notes, this was a welcome sound to liven up the meeting.
Skill also may not be able to redeem some songs. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir cannot make "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go" less painful. For those not familiar with this song, its purpose is to promote contentment with the callings, assignments, and situations which may be required by God. This is a great message. The leadership of the church has been known to quote its lyrics many times when preaching about improving our attitudes. It has three verses that go over going, doing, and being what God would ask. The problem is mostly with the tune. The melody is so slow and repetitive, that I cannot recall singing through it myself without yawning at least twice. I've often thought they might add a verse called "I'll sing what you want me to sing" where it would describe that even though it is a horrible horrible melody, we have been asked by whoever picked the music to sing it...
I think there are several songs of the same mediocre nature in our hymnal. "Love at Home" causes blood to squirt from my eyes. "Home Can Be a Heaven On Earth" was the choice for today's meeting. It should not have been surprising to me. In months that have a fifth Sunday, adult Priesthood and Relief Society members join in a combined meeting. Ninety nine times out of one hundred, this results in a selection of mediocre music. When I was in the Young Men organization, these combined meetings resulted in people asking us to stand and recite the Young Women Value pledge as well... which nearly caused me an aneurysm... but I digress.
Please do not misunderstand me; I am not one that lobbies for the presence of Christian Rock in the meetings. The lack of brass and percussion instruments does not leave me unsatisfied. I do not long for the presence of a swaying, clapping gospel choir. I do however feel like there are songs that inspire confidence and faith. "Redeemer of Israel", "The Spirit of God", "Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise", and "Hope of Israel" are examples of songs that are appropriate for LDS services, and also do not put people in a catatonic state. I enjoy "Praise to the Man", "Onward Christian Soldiers", "Battle Hymn of the Republic", and I don't even mind putting my shoulder to the wheel on occasion. In fact our hymnal is filled with powerful music that portrays God as a God, and not as a warm fuzzy feeling in your tummy.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Old Testament
There are many in the world of Christianity that seem to feel the Old Testament is no longer applicable because it has been "fulfilled." These people are wrong.
In Ecclesiastes, the preacher says "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us." (Eccl 1:9-10)
Particularly for a member of the LDS church, the importance of the Old Testament should be clear. When Joseph Smith was visited by the angel Moroni, the scripture passages he recollects in Joseph Smith History include those from Isaiah, Malachi, Joel, and a passage from Acts that quotes an Old Testament event involving Moses. The Book of Mormon begins in the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, the Old Testament King of Judah. This means the bulk of the Book of Mormon stories and teachings are Old Testament... and proves that Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah.
I despise the phrase "God of the Old Testament." It is the same God that reigns today. People get the idea that the "God of the Old Testament" was a vengeful and angry God. I do not wish to dispute that. I do wish to dispute the idea that he changed his views in the New Testament. Otherwise, where were the lollipops and hugs when Ananias and Sapphira were killed for lying to the apostles? Or, perhaps when Jesus made a whip and drove the money exchangers from the Temple, he did so in a kind voice...
The truth is, Jesus Christ has cause to be angry. He lived a perfect life, but he suffered unspeakable pain. His did no crime, but was killed as a criminal. He sent his chosen apostles to teach people how he could help them, and instead of receiving the apostles teachings, they murdered them and twisted their words. He directs his prophets today to teach people to do simple things like pray, and read his words... Instead, more and more people only call on his name to curse bad drivers, and describe his words as being "outdated", or "fulfilled". He is practically begging us to receive the very thing for which we should be begging him.
As many new and exciting technologies and scientific advancements as there are in the modern age, there is still truth in the words of the preacher.... The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be... The same lust that caused King David to fall, the same stubbornness of Jonah, the same wrath with which Cain slew Abel, the same sense of loss and pain that Job felt, the same cynicism with which Pharaoh viewed Moses... These things prevail in modern society. And the solution to the troubles of our time is the same today as it was anciently. In the Old Testament, Hezekiah, King of Judah, called upon God to save him from the peril of Sennacherib's forces, and found salvation. Contemporarily, those that call upon Jesus Christ in faith can be redeemed. The "God of the Old Testament" is not gone... he is coming to save us all.
In Ecclesiastes, the preacher says "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us." (Eccl 1:9-10)
Particularly for a member of the LDS church, the importance of the Old Testament should be clear. When Joseph Smith was visited by the angel Moroni, the scripture passages he recollects in Joseph Smith History include those from Isaiah, Malachi, Joel, and a passage from Acts that quotes an Old Testament event involving Moses. The Book of Mormon begins in the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, the Old Testament King of Judah. This means the bulk of the Book of Mormon stories and teachings are Old Testament... and proves that Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah.
I despise the phrase "God of the Old Testament." It is the same God that reigns today. People get the idea that the "God of the Old Testament" was a vengeful and angry God. I do not wish to dispute that. I do wish to dispute the idea that he changed his views in the New Testament. Otherwise, where were the lollipops and hugs when Ananias and Sapphira were killed for lying to the apostles? Or, perhaps when Jesus made a whip and drove the money exchangers from the Temple, he did so in a kind voice...
The truth is, Jesus Christ has cause to be angry. He lived a perfect life, but he suffered unspeakable pain. His did no crime, but was killed as a criminal. He sent his chosen apostles to teach people how he could help them, and instead of receiving the apostles teachings, they murdered them and twisted their words. He directs his prophets today to teach people to do simple things like pray, and read his words... Instead, more and more people only call on his name to curse bad drivers, and describe his words as being "outdated", or "fulfilled". He is practically begging us to receive the very thing for which we should be begging him.
As many new and exciting technologies and scientific advancements as there are in the modern age, there is still truth in the words of the preacher.... The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be... The same lust that caused King David to fall, the same stubbornness of Jonah, the same wrath with which Cain slew Abel, the same sense of loss and pain that Job felt, the same cynicism with which Pharaoh viewed Moses... These things prevail in modern society. And the solution to the troubles of our time is the same today as it was anciently. In the Old Testament, Hezekiah, King of Judah, called upon God to save him from the peril of Sennacherib's forces, and found salvation. Contemporarily, those that call upon Jesus Christ in faith can be redeemed. The "God of the Old Testament" is not gone... he is coming to save us all.
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