Contemporary Choruses

Psa 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

A war is raging these days in Christian circles over music. There are those who insist on the old standbys of the faith, the great hymns of yesteryear complete with King James style thee’s and thou’s.

And then there are the choruses of today with quite a bit more beat and repetition of words over and over again, redundantly repeating deja vu repetitive words. (I wonder if I made my point. :<)

The old folks don't like the new, the young don't care for the old and then there are the ones caught in the middle who like both. Contemporary vs Traditional, Conservative/Progressive, some even say Liberal/Pharisaical.

Personally, I like a good balance and would prefer that all Christians practice a little grace and learn to like both kinds of music.

Someone said, the key to learning is repetition. I never learned who said that, I guess I didn't hear his/her name enough times. Repetition also confirms the thoughts expressed by the words. A person may become bored by what they consider over usage, while others are emotionally struck by the thoughts as they are repeated.

As I read the 136th Psalm, I am struck that both the writer and the Inspirer, the Holy Spirit, would be at home with many of the modern choruses. 26 times the phrase "for his mercy endureth forever." Hey, lookie there, repetition and a KJV word 'endureth' together in the same phrase. Talk about a blended music program.

The hard liners would cringe if this Psalm had a tune put to it and it were flashed on the overhead to be sung in the worship time! And yet, how more "old school" can you get than the words right out of the Bible?

Makes a guy think, "Hmmmm."

But that's all really beside the point, isn't it? The real gist is that God's mercy endureth forever, and for that, we need to give thanks.