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Character and principles of church music

Musical Instruments and Musicians in Worship: A Confessional Perspective

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  • Theo E. Lodder

This article is about the place of musical instruments in the worship service. The author looks at music and singing, the Lord's musical instruments, and Christ as song-leader. 

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Musical Instruments and Musicians in Worship in the Bible: The New Testament

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  • Theo E. Lodder

This article is about what we can learn from the New Testament about music in worship.

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Reforming Church Music

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  • Michael Horton

Reforming church music, is it needed? It is needed because worship of God should be shape by the content of scripture. This article looks at how the impact of the second great awakening and revivalism changed the focus of worship from God to man. 

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Is Nothing Sacred? Changing the Language of Our Hymns

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  • Anonymous

This article contains a panel discussion on the appropriateness of changing and modernizing the language of hymns, and criteria for church music.

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Finding Our Voice in Worship (Part 3)

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  • Ken Puls

This article reflects on music in worship, and says that it must be congregationally sound; it needs to be an authentic expression of the voice of the church body. Just how that voice is shaped is under discussion in the article.

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Finding Our Voice in Worship (Part 1)

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  • Ken Puls

This article reflects on music in worship, and says that in the first place it must be doctrinally sound. The article provides a whole host of useful questions that one needs to ask of the text of a song before it is used.

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Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns – Introductory Considerations

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  • T. David Gordon

This chapter considers the character of church music or worship music. Gordon argues that contemporary pop music and pop culture have impoverished the worship music of many churches.

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Singing and Making Music: Sermon in Song: Sacred Music as Proclamation

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  • Paul S. Jones

In worship musicians and preachers share in the ministry of the Word. Purposes of church music include proclamation of the Bible, and the edification and encouragement of the saints. The ultimate goal of all of this is to give glory to God.

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The Sung Prayers

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  • T. Brienen

This article looks at the place of music and singing in the church through the eyes of John Calvin. The author discusses congregational singing, the singing of Psalms, and the Ten Commandments.

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Church Music: Some Problem Principles

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Are certain instruments, tunes, and rhythms wordly or secular in themselves? This article, in discussing the matter of church music, warns that it will not do for us to insist on one type of musical instrument, tune, or rhythm.

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"Three Basic Principles for Good Church Music"

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  • Randal S. Lankheet, George P. van Popta

The songs of the church are to be scriptural, a sacrifice of praise and aesthetically pleasing.

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"The Songs of the Church Must Be Biblical"

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  • Randal S. Lankheet, George P. van Popta

This article is about what it means that the church must have a biblical hymnal.

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Singing to the Glory of God

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  • Rienk B. Kuiper

This article is about what we should sing in the worship service. The author discusses sound doctrine, beauty and sincerity with regards to our singing.

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John Calvin and Church Music

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  • Henry Bruinsma

This article is about John Calvin's view of church music and secular tunes in church music.

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Music: The Problem of Form and Content

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  • Henry Bruinsma

This article is about the music (church music) that must clothe the text of the songs we sing in the worship and we have in our hymnal.

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Music During Worship

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  • David Fagrey

What kind of music do we use in worship? Can we use any music for the worship of God? Is music in worship there for our entertainment?

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Music in Worship

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  • John M. Frame

This article considers the topic of worship music. It looks at the purpose of such music.

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Reforming the Church Service: Addresses on Worship

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  • Michael Horton

Reforming church service, how you do this? This article explains that there are seven guidelines which must shape the liturgy of the church. 

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Play Skillfully

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  • Joy Grotenhuis

How can the church improve her singing? Looking at congregational singing during worship service, this article explains the role of the pastor, organist, and congregation. It makes a call that they all have a role to play in improving church singing. 

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What Should We Sing?

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  • Peter J. Naylor

Is exclusive psalmody what the church should hold to? This article shows that while singing Psalms should be valued, hymns should not be excluded. God’s people have a mandate to compose and sing hymns.

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Writing Hymn Tunes

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  • Roy Hopp

This article gives the considerations of composers when writing tunes for church songs and hymns.

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Rejoice in the Lord: A Hymn Companion to the Scriptures

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  • Howard J. Slenk

This article reviews Rejoice in the Lord: A Hymn Companion to the Scriptures, edited by Erik Routley. It explains the significance of the book's claim to be "biblical in its basic design, Reformed in its theological orientation, and catholic in its scope.

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A Playlist for Anxious and Hurting Disciples

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  • Aarik Danielsen

How can the church serve the hurting and broken through its liturgical music? Singing only victory songs does injustice to God's people. This article explains that the church in its worship services should learn to sing four types of songs.

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Ten Principles for Church Song

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  • Kevin DeYoung

This article lists ten principles for making wise decisions about church music. Among them are: our singing is for God's glory and the edification of the body of Christ, we ought to sing to the Lord new songs, church singing should swim in its own history of church singing, and all our songs should use biblical lyrics.

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Finding Our Voice in Worship (Part 4)

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  • Ken Puls

This article reflects on music in worship, and offers five observations on how a congregation can find an authentic voice in worship. Among the points of discussion is a reflection on how to sort through music.

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Finding Our Voice in Worship (Part 2)

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  • Ken Puls

This article reflects on music in worship, and says that it must be structurally sound. The text and the tune need to be well-matched. The article provides a host of useful questions to ask in evaluating the merits of a song for worship, and they revolve around three standards: the insight, perfection, and inexhaustibility of the song.

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Music and the Future The Why, What and Who of Church Music

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  • Benjamin Hoyt

This articles seeks to answer the why and what of church singing and church music. It does that by showing that music conveys meaning but at the same time is full of beauty.

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Liturgy and Spirituality The Substratum of Church Music

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  • A. Velema

This is an article on church music. In the first place, the author discusses the foundation of liturgy and spirituality which is key to church music. Secondly, the author maintains that church music is a form of art, and discusses what we can learn from modern art in relation to church music.

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Encouragement in Our Music

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  • Bob Burridge

This article shows how biblical songs can be used by Christians to encourage one another in faith through music (Colossians 3:16).

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The Origin of Our Psalm Melodies

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  • Karel Deddens

This article explains the origin and history of the Psalm melodies of the Genevan Psalter.

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Praise in Public Worship

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  • Andrew M. Fraser

This article is about the place of singing the Psalms and hymns in the New Testament, and the songs for worship.

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Psalms, Hymns and Watts

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  • W. Robert Godfrey

This article is about the hymns of Isaac Watts and the singing about Jesus Christ in the Psalms.

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Music Matters

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  • Phil Grotenhuis

Church music is not given for the purpose of praising God only but also of making His word memorable to us. What implications does this have for church singing? Based on Colossians 3:16 the article explains…

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We are what we sing - searching for a balanced diet

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  • John D. Witvliet

This article reflects on how the textual and musical substances in congregational singing become the building blocks for a life of faith.

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Not Just Any Song Will Do: Three Basics for Choosing Church Music

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  • Ronald W. Scates, Leo M. Wanenchak

Much church music (new and old, "contemporary" or "traditional") is of suspect quality and appropriateness for authentic worship in the Reformed tradition. How should we determine what music is appropriate to sing in worship services? This article reflects on relevant considerations and principles.

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Teens and Church Music: What Do They Really Think?

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  • Barbara J. Resch

This article reflects on the surprising choices of teenagers with regard to the style of church music.

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Sing Praise to the Lord – But Why Sing Psalms?

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  • Doug Barnes

Why should the church sing Psalms? This article on church worship gives reasons for singing the Psalms.

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Church Music

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This article calls for good quality church music. This article argues that God instituted church music in the Old Testament temple, and that this command of God on music is relevant for the church today. Therefore, there must be norm to govern church music and a regulation that applies this norm. The author also discusses the place of singing and the use of the organ.

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Church Music in Calvin’s Tradition

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  • Arjan J. de Visser

This article is about John Calvin's principles for music and singing in the worship service. The Genevan Psalter is also discussed, as well as Calvin's views of instruments in the worship service.

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When God Stops Listening: Doxology and Deed Have to Be in the Same Key

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  • Louis Arthur Vos

This article echoes the message of the prophet Amos that the praises in song of the church can never be a substitute for deeds of justice.

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Brethren Hymnology

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  • John S. Andrews

This article examines some of the hymns of the Brethren Movement that found a place in more general hymnbooks, and reflects on the character and nature of church music and liturgical songs.

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The Spirituality of Renewal Music

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  • Jeremy Begbie

In this article on church music, Jeremy Begbie critiques renewal music and modern songs/hymns being used in worship today.

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"It’s All about Jesus" – A Critical Analysis of the Ways in Which the Songs of Four Contemporary Worship Christian Songwriters Can Lead to an Impoverished Christology

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  • Andrew Goodliff

This article examines the doctrine of Christ expressed in the songs of four contemporary worship songwriters: Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, [Martyn Layzell], and Paul Oakley. The author's thesis is that the songs do indeed focus on Jesus, but the Christology is very limited and poor. Insufficient attention is given to the doctrine of the Trinity.

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Conversion is a deep work – a heart-work. It goes throughout the man, throughout the mind, throughout the members, throughout the entire life Joseph Alleine
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