“I hate, I despise your feast days, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies… Take away from Me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your stringed instruments, I will not listen” (Amos 5:21,23).
These unusual and striking words from the Almighty Lord, uttered by the prophet Amos about 2,750 years ago – seven centuries before Messiah Yeshua appeared in Bethlehem – are most relevant and meaningful also today. Such a divine admonition provides a penetrating incentive to seriously ponder the place of music and everything connected to it within today’s worship services.
It is well known that contemporary musical worship in both churches and Messianic congregations, large and small, are often accompanied with choirs, solo singers and melodious instruments. Other impressive electronic equipment is also employed, including loudspeakers, microphones and floodlights.
Lost proportions
In too many cases, however, such musical performances become an easy and pleasant entertainment in and of itself. Often the audience comes especially for the special sweet-sounding presentation. And regrettably, the melodic liturgical aspects...
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The pattern for leading worship I learned is taken from Psalm 100,
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalms 100:4. An opening praise song that puts the focus on God reminds people they are in the world but not of it. It gets the worship muscle exercised and opens the heart to look on the Lord. Having entered his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, we can move solemnly into worshipping the Lord wholeheartedly and enjoying the privilege of being his redeemed children who can come boldly to the throne of grace. Here, the Holy Spirit leads us into expressions of intimacy with the Lord that can manifest in prayers, praises, prophecies or other edifying expressions for ourselves or others.
However, I do agree with much of what you’ve said.