Random thoughts

I have been thinking about different aspects of worship. Music is always up there in my thoughts, so here are a few random thoughts.

Black Gospel music is my favorite music in the world.

If you haven't listened to Rev James Cleveland before, there is just something wrong with that.

Rap music is something I listen to. I love the energy and the rhythms. I do have a 5 song limit tho.

Music isn't something to be worshiped. It is simply a tool for Worship. I do think we worship music tho. God is the loser in that recipe, it's quite twisted.

I heard a song today that brought me to tears... it's called "Blades of Grass and Pure White Stone". I won't even tell you what it is about, but is a song that will make you think.

I love Johannes Brahms music. If you have never listened to his "German Requiem"... you have missed out on one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. The way he takes scripture and the order he takes the scripture and the music he wrote is genius. I challenge you to listen to it. I have a copy, it's on my Ipod, i have the cd... i can hook you up.

What did the songs that King David wrote sound like? When he was watching the sheep in the fields... what were the melodies? what did his voice sound like? Not that sheep understand it at all, but did they? The performer of one sang to the audience of One. Whatever it was like, to be called "a man after God's own heart", that is all that need be said. That is humbling... what does God say about me??

If every songwriter that ever lived would write songs to glorify God, what songs would we have? What would we singing in our worship services?

I am so glad that Motown was there when I was growing up.

I love opera. It started in the church 400 years ago. It got to the place that it was so secular, they moved it away from the church. they had added scenery, costumes... the stories and music became less glorifying to God. What stayed at the church tho was called Oratorio, some of the greatest Oratorios were by the masters. Probably the most famous would be Handel's "Messiah".

The book of Psalms is a "hymnal" In the book of Psalms there are Songs of Ascent (songs to be sung as you got "up" to Jerusalem to go to the temple). Psalms is split into 5 books and each book ends with a benediction or doxology. And... David didn't write every single Psalm.

We each have our own preference of what we listen to, musically speaking. God could care less. He's looking at our hearts.

The composer Jean Baptiste-Lully (1632 - 1687), a French composer, died a very weird death. He was conducting, "Te Deum", for King Louis XIV. They kept time with a long staff by beating it on the floor. To me that would be annoying, the music playing (no one bathes) and you hear the thump of the staff. Lully hit his toe, it gangrened, he refused to have his toe amputated and he died. No commentary is necessary. Remember these are random thoughts.

Lastly, at least for now... how can we say we are music lovers and never ever listen to any other style than what we prefer?