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Tag Archives: worship

Remaining Sin

11 Thursday Feb 2010

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

hymns, Scripture, theology, worship

Hymn #233 in Village Hymns for Social Worship by A. Nettleton.
By Robert Cruttenden

What jarring natures dwell within
Imperfect grace, remaining sin!
Nor this can reign, nor that prevail
Though each, by turns, my heart assail.

Now I complain, and groan and die–
Now raise my songs of triumph high;
Sing a rebellious passion slain
Or mourn to feel it live again.

One happy hour beholds me rise
Borne upward to my native skies
While faith assists my soaring flight
To realms of joy and worlds of light.

Great God, assist me through the fight
Make me triumphant in Thy might
Thou the desponding heart canst raise
The victory mine and Thine the praise.

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Short Reflection on Church Music 2

08 Monday Feb 2010

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

hymns, music, Scripture, theology, worship

As a worship leader, I’m continually evaluating the theological merits of songs which we could do at our church.  Anytime I hear a new CD, I spend time reading the lyrics before I ever press play.  Lyrics to hymns like “He Leadeth Me,” “Peaceful Bower,” “As Thy Days” and “How Firm a Foundation” are excellent at communicating the truths of the gospel or truths which result from the gospel…why would anyone ever sing crap?  Because it’s catchy.

People sing “Nothing Is As Wonderful” (an old Vineyard chorus) or even “Hosanna” by Hillsong, where I take real issue with the line, “I see a near-revival coming as we pray and sing.”  What the heck is THAT mess??

“But Dave, it’s only one line.”

Every line counts. Ever notice how a person will remember the one part of a story that’s fictional?  It’s like we’re drawn to repeat lies (intentional or otherwise) like a glutton toward food or drink or whatever makes him gluttonous.  Singing even one line that makes no sense or isn’t completely true is disaster.  This is why I won’t ever do the song “Here Is Our King” by David Crowder, unless it was just the chorus, joined to different verses.  The verses are a mish-mesh of nothing.  Don’t believe me?  Read them and then I challenge you to make actual sense out of them.  You won’t be able to, I promise.

A Short Reflection on Church Music 1

07 Sunday Feb 2010

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

hymns, music, Scripture, theology, worship

In the preface to the 1838 edition of his now-famous hymn collection, William Gadsby began thus:

To be employed with the solemn pleasure in singing the praises of God with the spirit and with the understanding  also, is a blessing peculiar to God’s elect; nor can even they be thus engaged, only as the blessed Spirit influences the mind, and favors them with the unction of his grace.  It is one thing to have the ear charmed, and another to have the heart engaged in this most delightful part of God’s worship in his church below.  “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound.”

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Singing…psalms?

07 Sunday Feb 2010

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

music, psalms, worship

I believe my first childhood experience of singing material from the psalms was probably the old praise chorus, “Let God Arise.”

Let God arise and His enemies be scattered
Let God arise and His enemies be scattered
Let God arise and His enemies be scattered
Let God, let God arise
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Matchless Love

05 Friday Feb 2010

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

hymns, music, Scripture, theology, worship

One might wonder why in the heading of my blog there are a collection of hymnals.  I am a worship leader and collect hymnals of high caliber on which to draw Christ-centered, cross-focused texts which exhort God’s people to worship on the basis of Christ and Him crucified for their sins.  I compose original melodies as well as arrange old ones so that the Church may be edified in singing these timeless truths.  William Gadsby (1773-1844) was a pastor and hymnwriter who compiled the first edition of his hymnal on in 1832.  I have a copy of the final text-only edition in my possession (recent reprint by Old Paths Gospel Press).  #662 gives us the sum and substance of Christian worship.

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Lead Us Back

17 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

hymns, music, repentance, Scripture, theology, worship

An excellent song I heard while visiting a friend’s church.  Looking forward to introducing it at my own church.

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The Glorious Worship of the King 2

02 Monday Nov 2009

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

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Tags

experience, Gospel, hymns, music, Scripture, theology, worship

Worship is serious.

Not only does what I sing reflect my worship, how I live does too.  How does my worship glorify the King to Whom All Glory Is Due?

There are two things I could do at this point in the post.

  1. Navel-gaze.  I could tell you either about how all I do to safeguard the music at my church (namely, the lyrics) so that Christ might be honored in a biblical way, OR I could tell you about how nothing I do could ever be good enough to match the purity of the God to whom I sing.
  2. Extol Christ.

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The Glorious Worship of the King 1

30 Friday Oct 2009

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Gospel, Scripture, theology, worship

Two of my favorite passages of Scripture occur in Revelation.  The first of my favorites is Revelation 5.  In it, we see a fascinating picture of the redeemed gathered around the throne, worshipping the Lamb who was slain:

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Pray and Don’t Lose Heart 1

29 Thursday Oct 2009

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

books, false teaching, Gospel, prayer, relationships, repentance, Scripture, theology, worship

Luke 18

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

1And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'” 6And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

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The Gospel in the 103rd Psalm

28 Wednesday Oct 2009

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

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Tags

Gospel, psalms, repentance, Scripture, theology, worship

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repays us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.  As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

–Psalm 103:10-13, ESV

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