Jerry's Journal

Entry - April 29, 2008

"I read all these comments with a broken Heart! The DEVIL has certainly found a new strong hold within our churches. He has lead many to believe that their way is the only way the music should be. He has driven a wedge in our congregations and is delighted we are fighting amongst ourselves. The sad part is we know better and allow it to continue. I really wonder if any of us have really sought God by reading his HOLY WORD on this matter or are we all just going on our own feelings. OH YES I know First hand how the DEVIL can use our feelings to confuse our way of thinking thru on many matters of the church. The DEVIL hates VICTORY IN JESUS ! DO YOU ? If you do PLEASE SEEK GOD instead of your own feelings. Then you can sing I SAW THE LIGHT!!! and many others."

"I currently serve as Music Minister at a medium size church. There is a moving in the church as a whole to P&W, however in the church I serve in we do both. This issue of P&W vs. hymns only becomes an issue if the leadership lets it become an issue. If there is one thing that I have learned is that you can't go completely away from one or the other. Both will fulfill a purpose in the church. I am a long time Southern Gospel fan and it is still the music I love. With SG as well as P&W, there is some of the music out there that does not line up with scripture. That is where the leadership in the church has to draw a line. Not the issue of one over the other. If a song sounds good and has a nice message but the message does not line up with scripture then there is the issue no matter which side it comes from."

"I am so opposed to P&W. To me Southern Gospel ( 4 part harmony) is the only kind of music there is. I listened to it in high school. I get up and walk out when they start these choruses. I do not like P&W teams, they are nothing but showoffs. I wish I could find a church that sings nothing but from the red back hymnal with all the 4 parts. Thanks for listening."

"I am sure all of these comments are true to those making them. Everyone has their own opinion but if the truth were known it was the old time Southern Gospel hymns that got them in church to begin with. I am 36 years old and I am not going to sit and listen to the praise and worship songs. Sometimes a good old song service with the old red back hymnal ministers more than some preaching. You can take a mediocre sermon and a great song service with the red back hymnal and you still feel you had been to church."

"In our church we do a balanced mix of everything, however, when we started doing less of the hymns I noticed that the people that left our church and were complaining all appeared to be over the age of 60. What a coincidence. I am not asking to remove hymns from church I am just asking people not to be so focused on things that are not important."

"The Bible states we are to be in the world but not of the world. We are not to act like the world, sound like the world, nor do as the world does. I love all kinds of music except the ones that has no message, just a beat. We are not teaching our children to be like Jesus. Jesus taught not to be as the world is but different. By different, I mean that if something does not glorify God then stay away from it. When you can't hear the words to a song or it too loud to enjoy, or if you can't meditate on the refrain because the "music" is not in the background but up front and that's all you hear. There is a way to incorporate the chorus's and the hymns if we try. It seems we feel we must go all the way one way or the other. What we need to be is sold out to Jesus and let Him do the leading for our worship services, that goes for the preaching also. WWJD?"

"I recently attended two Southern gospel concerts in Birmingham, Ala. and can truthfully say there was more praise and worship at the concerts than in my church. Most of the people at the concerts were shouting amen, crying, standing on their feet, singing the words to almost every song, and lifting their hands in worship. This is in sharp contrast to my church where no one sings the words to the P&W. I buy the southern gospel DVD's and CD's so I can praise and worship anytime I want to. I love and appreciate the hymns and agree this is a very serious problem for churches. The problem is most of them do not or will not admit there is a problem."

Posted by Jerry Kirksey at 4:11 PM - Send Comments - Email This Post