Sing to the Lord a new song: Two Articles

God Has Never Done a New Thing Using Old Songs

Every old song used to be a new song.

I wonder who the first worship director was who said “hey, I like that new song John Newton wrote,” before introducing Amazing Grace to the church.

Whoever it was, he probably had to deal with complaints from church members who didn’t think it was as good as the hymns they were used to singing. “In six verses the name of Jesus isn’t mentioned once, but it says ‘me’, ‘my’ and ‘I’ thirteen times! Today’s songs are so self-centered and shallow!”

In a recent post entitled, Six Reasons Some Churches Are Moving Back to One Worship Style, Thom Rainer tells us that, according to some of his recent surveys, the contemporary vs traditional worship wars may be drawing to a close.

I hope new music won.

No, I don’t hate the hymns. And I’m not a kid. I’m a mid-fifties Small Church pastor who’s been in the church all my life. So I understand that many in my generation and older are touched and drawn closer in worship through the songs of their youth. But the youth of today need to be touched by songs that speak to their hearts, too. And not just in their own, segregated youth services.

Before you scroll down to the comment section to complain about spiky-haired divas leading worship teams, hear me out. First of all, why does everyone who complains about new music seem to have a problem with spiky hair? I’m OK with it. I’m sure God is too. Second, in my 35 years of pastoral ministry, I’ve met far more divas leading or singing in robed choirs than on worship teams.
Ego knows no age. And it’s wrong, no matter the style of music. Read more

Most traditional hymns are "new songs" to the younger generations. New life is being breathed into them with new arrangements and new tunes.

Understanding Worship Music Copyright Law

How to lead with integrity

Many worship songwriters write with the hope that their songs will be used within the Body of Christ to glorify God for generations. When Take Hillsong's "Mighty to Save," for example: The melody is compelling enough to be played by a stadium band with six electric guitarists, pads, and loops, but it's simple enough to be played by one person at a piano or on a guitar.

Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan wrote this song to be accessible and easy to sing in these various contexts. Some Christians might think, With this outward purpose in mind, isn't it selfish that an author would want credit for a song, when it's all for God's glory? Using this logic, however, Christian book authors would always go by pseudonyms. Blogs would be anonymous. Art pieces would belong to faceless artists.

Understanding music copyright issues in a church setting is challenging. The laws are complicated to understand, and even tougher to follow. As a worship leader, I've seen churches approach this issue both legally and illegally. My church takes great care to follow copyright laws, primarily by displaying the correct information for each song we sing in worship—and by making certain we've properly paid for the use. However, I've visited some other churches that, either through ignorance or choice, do not follow copyright law at all. Read more

Do we honor God when we worship Him with stolen music?