Stanley M Horton view on the Blood Moon

Since so many people have asked for opinion about the four blood moons in April 2014 here it is:

What about Church Music?

What about Church Music?

by Dr. Stanley M. Horton Th.d

(An update of a paper I wrote in 1943)

Over time people get stuck in particular ways of worship. 

In non-Christian religions the forms become sacred and the

ritual and music fixed.

Christianity, as it lost its spiritual power, fell into the same rut,

and produced such things as the Roman Catholic Mass.

But the spiritual power of the Christian Church could never

remain dormant.  It has constantly reasserted itself and brought

with it new expressions of worship in word and song.

Naturally, hymns that have blessed us in the past will be

cherished and newer music not always be appreciated.  I

imagine that lovers of Gregorian chant were horrified when

hymns became popular in worship.  And I feel quite certain

that many were sure that those "frivolous little ditties," as

they were called by his contemporaries, but which Watts (early

church song writer) and his friends called hymns, could never

replace their beloved metrical Psalms which were so stately

and worshipful.  We are seeing that the gospel hymn is

changing in the same way.

There is no doubt that change is the rule in the music of a

living Christian church.  I think there is a reason.   Real

Christianity can use the best from the past but it should never

become lost in the encrustments of time.  The power of the

Holy Spirit keeps it a living, vital thing, and keeps it a

religion of the heart instead of focusing on the externals.

Here, I think, we have the secret.  Whatever reaches the heart,

touches every part.  Christianity reaches into all of life and

becomes a part of everything we do.  And because Christianity

is so closely interwoven with experience, its expression

changes and is molded to fit the needs of the time even though

its basic Truth does not change.

Back in the eleventh and twelfth century came the type of song

called the discantus.  Two sets of words and tunes were

adapted to each other.  It created a pleasing effect and did much

to raise the interest in music.  In fact, it was so popular that

there weren't enough of the old religious tunes; so they took

folk songs, secular music, and set religious words to them. 

They did not bother to adapt the music of the secular piece to

the atmosphere of the church.  Due to their nature, they could

not last, and it would seem that they were merely a passing

blotch on the history of music. However, they were from the

experience and lives of the people, as folk music really is.

Once church music had touched the lives of the people, it was

hard for them to remain unmoved.  We owe much of the rapid

progress of measured and harmonic music from that time on

to this "secular" influence.

Church music will live only as it touches the lives and meets

the needs of the people.  There is some music that has come

out of a deep and timeless human experience.  That will

remain.  Much of the rest will only remain as it continues to

fill a need in the lives of the people.  Just what is permanent

of contemporary music would be extremely difficult to say.

John Wesley wrote hundreds of songs and set them to all kinds of
 music to share Bible truth and worship God.  Luther and Wesley
 could not have predicted which of their hymns would endure
(and they all wrote a lot of hymns that did not endure),
 and it is probable that those which did the greatest service
 in their day are now forgotten.

Today's choruses, which are sung because of the easy way to

learn a message and a catchy tune, fit in the lives of people

and are a part of the atmosphere of this age of speed and

communication. 

We must use the best of today's music to reach and teach the

people.  We must use the best of the past and present for

heartfelt worship of God.

  ©2014 Dr Stanley M. Horton Th.d

Some New Friends

On Monday afternoon Peter Andersen who had heard about me in Southern California brought Tony and Brenda Krukow and Dr. Shelli Baker Manuel to see me.

We had a nice time talking about the Lord and they asked me questions about how the Lord had lead me.
They shared some of their experiences.

 Dr. Manuel told about her concern for preserving our national anthem which some people want to change.
She wants to get people to come together to express their appreciation for the US national anthem and take a stand against those who would want to change it.

 She wants people to practice the national anthem and then record yourself or your group at https://www.facebook.com/events/713557518677724/
 or www.SingItAmerica.com.  September 14th is its 200th birthday!  You can help make a difference.

We had about a half an hour of prayer together before they left.
They were a blessing.

Movies about Jesus

A friend on Facebook asked me this question:

" What is your opinion on these movies, Dr. Horton ! I have read so

 many different opinions on them !!!! Everything from saying almost

 they are heresy, to devil inspired, to thinking they are fine !!

Please give us your wisdom on these !!! Thank you ,We can always

 learn from you !!!!!!!"

The purpose of these movies is not to teach Theology and that

 is a good thing!

 Its purpose is to get the attention to Jesus and his disciples.

 

Since so many people don't read anymore if the truths of the Bible can be pictured in a movie it 

will at least give them some understanding of God's plan of salvation.

If you take a non-Christian friend you will find the movie may touch their emotions and make them willing to listen a little more to what you share with them about Jesus.

It should also help your Christian friends to draw closer to Jesus and His Word by making it new

and fresh and alive to them.

I plan to go and see these movies if I can and I will let you know what I think.

Remember Jesus said we are to make disciples or learners and that means you must get them interested in studying the Bible.

The movie can be a first step to that.

We All Grieve

Our entire community grieves with the family of Hailey Owen, the 10 year old who was abducted and murdered yesterday here in Springfield MO. 

 It is impossible to comprehend how any person could do such a thing.  We grieve.

Jesus wept and there are many places in the Bible that show we need to grieve with those who grieve.

Jesus wept, those words cover it all on a night like tonight.

Jesus wept and so do we all.

A Heart for Jesus

Do you remember being a kid and hearing about giving your heart to Jesus?

Since it is almost Valentine's Day I thought we could talk about hearts and how we give them.

Giving your heart to Jesus.  It implies giving your whole self to Him to do His will for your life.  This implies faith and obedience.

In the Bible the heart is treated as the center of your whole being and includes your desires, your will, your thoughts and your feelings.  So that means that it includes your mind as well.

This is something that calls for a daily turning our minds and hearts to Him.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with grief today, give that to Jesus.

If you are struggling with situations you can't tell anyone about, give that to Jesus.

If you have temptations, look to Jesus for victory over them.

Wherever you are, whatever you are going through, Jesus is here in the midst of your life.  Jesus is always ready to listen and to help you. 

He is always there to help you tell others about His love and what He has done for you.  Jesus said He would send another Helper - the Holy Spirit.

So where is your heart, your focus today?

Our Heavenly Home

I wish the King James Version hadn't mistranslated the Greek word 'monas' in John 14:2.

The KJV translated it 'mansions' and it should be 'rooms'.

The important thing is we will be in the same place and we will be in close in fellowship with the 

Father and Jesus and with each other.

We won't be thinking about one of us having a bigger mansion than someone else.

Instead we will have wonderful eternal fellowship.

God has an eternal plan for each of us and that will mean that He has something for each of us to do.

Our new bodies will be free from pain or sickness or decay and will be well suited for enjoying what God has prepared for us... and perhaps for enjoying the New Jerusalem and exploring the new heavens and the new earth.

When Paul was caught away to heaven he was not able to describe all that he experienced there.  It will be beyond anything we can imagine with our present limited frame of reference as human beings here on earth.

Even so come Lord Jesus.