Psalm singing: does your church?

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Preach

Puritan Board Sophomore
Is there anyone on the PB whose church does not have psalm singing? If not, do you know why the elders have chosen not to sing psalms?

Follow up question: Is psalm singing mandatory in corporate worship? I'm wondering if there is anyone on the PB who would take a contrarian view. What if the congregation had responsive readings with the Psalms? Would this be ok, or do the people literally have to sing psalms?
Thanks.
"In Christ",
Bobby
 
Originally posted by Preach
Follow up question: Is psalm singing mandatory in corporate worship? I'm wondering if there is anyone on the PB who would take a contrarian view. What if the congregation had responsive readings with the Psalms? Would this be ok, or do the people literally have to sing psalms?

As far as having to actually sing them, I would say that is required, as that is what Scripture speaks of (Col. 3:16), and furthermore the Confession reiterates the same language (XXI.V). Regarding it being "mandatory" in worship, I would say singing Psalms in particular is certainly a required element of worship, although I would be hesitant in calling it one of the elements that must be weekly - similar to the sacraments.
 
Originally posted by Scott Bushey
Originally posted by Romans922
Can you define Psalm singing?

ahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaahhahahahhahaha

Well? does that mean psalms from the book of Psalms in the OT? Does that mean hymns? Does that mean it has to come from a psalter? Or can it be songs that come from psalms? what?
 
--warning: about to violate the purpose of the thread--

Here is 7 months of singing selections from our church:
First set of #s: Trinity Hymnal
2nd set of #s: Psalter (RPCNA)
Notes:
1) We have 2 services each Lord's Day.
2) Since the Trinity Hymnal has so many Psalter selections, the actual ratio of Psalter selections to hymn selections sung in our services is about 2:1, or 2/3 the total
____________________
Trinity Hymnal
2
4
5
6
9
12
32
34
36
43
48
51
53 August 28, 2005
53 December 4, 2005
57
59
61 September 18, 2005
61 December 4, 2005
65 July 10, 2005
65 October 2, 2005
65 November 13, 2005
66
67
71
73
75 June 19, 2005
75 July 10, 2005
75 August 14, 2005
75 September 11, 2005
76
92
101 June 12, 2005
101 August 21, 2005
108
111
114
117 August 21, 2005
117 October 9, 2005
119 July 3, 2005
119 September 25, 2005
119 November 20, 2005
140
141
149
165
181
184
195
197
198
210
221
235
252
253
256
295
297
306
308
311
316 July 10, 2005
316 November 20, 2005
321
322 June 12, 2005
322 October 9, 2005
338
345
349
367
368
369
371
376
411
427
439
443
447
448
458 September 11, 2005
458 October 16, 2005
467
469
470 July 31, 2005
470 September 25, 2005
476
481
487
493
500 July 31, 2005
500 September 4, 2005
500 November 27, 2005
501
512
521 November 6, 2005
521 November 27, 2005
524
543
559
561
585
591 September 4, 2005
591 October 16, 2005
593
599
607
609
612
616
642
651
660
686
697
713
719
724

99 different
118 total

Psalter
2 July 10, 2005
2 December 4, 2005
2 December 18, 2005
4B
5B
7B
8B
14A
14C
18A
18C
21A
22I
23A
23B June 12, 2005
23B September 4, 2005
23B December 4, 2005
24A
25B
27D
30A
31F
32C
32D
34B June 26, 2005
34B September 11, 2005
37C
40B
40C
45C September 4, 2005
45C October 16, 2005
45C December 25, 2005
46A September 11, 2005
46A October 23, 2005
47A
50B
51D October 16, 2005
51D December 11, 2005
51E July 17, 2005
51E December 11, 2005
53
60B
65A
66C
67A
67B
68A
72A
73B
75
78A June 26, 2005 (AM)
78A June 26, 2005 (PM)
78G
79A
79B
80A
80B
81A
81B September 18, 2005
81B September 25, 2005
82
83C
84A
84B July 31, 2005
84B November 13, 2005
85A
86A
86B July 31, 2005
86B November 6, 2005
87
88B
89B
89E
89F
91A
91B
92C
96A August 14, 2005
96A November 6, 2005
97A
98A
99B
103A
103B
103C July 3, 2005
103C September 11, 2005
104A
104E
105A
106E
107A
110
111B
115C
115D
116C
118C July 24, 2005
118C September 4, 2005
119E
119I
119P
119U
122B June 12, 2005
122B September 4, 2005
123
130A
132B
133A June 12, 2005
133A June 19, 2005
135B June 5, 2005
135B September 25, 2005
138B
139C
145B
146A
149 August 21, 2005
149 September 25, 2005
149 October 9, 2005

96 different
118 total
 
Bruce! Wow, your church is MUCH more consistent than my own!

The church of which I am a member hardly sings any Psalms (much less hymns for that matter).

Oh how I long for her reformation!

Side note: Bruce, where's the list of your "spiritual songs"? :p

Couldn't help it! :lol:
 
We usually meet three times each Lord's day, and we sing two to four psalms each Lord's day. We use the Trinity Hymnal and Trinity Psalter.

We're Baptist, but we love our (God's) psalms.

Vic
 
Originally posted by Scott Bushey
Originally posted by Romans922
Can you define Psalm singing?

ahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaahhahahahhahaha
You've gotta be careful. There are people out there that think you're going to Hell if you don't line.
 
Well, at least somewhere on the scale of a sin to "doing it wrong."
Originally posted by Mike
Originally posted by Scott Bushey
Originally posted by Romans922
Can you define Psalm singing?

ahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaahhahahahhahaha
You've gotta be careful. There are people out there that think you're going to Hell if you don't line.
 
Originally posted by Preach
Is there anyone on the PB whose church does not have psalm singing? If not, do you know why the elders have chosen not to sing psalms?
My church sings them fairly sparingly, but has not forgotten them altogether. I doubt there are many churches who purposefully just do not sing psalms.

Follow up question: Is psalm singing mandatory in corporate worship?
At the very least it is the Christian's duty to sing them; I am not sure that it is sinful to exclude them from corporate worship in and of itself, but it seems as though they ought certainly be present in it.

What if the congregation had responsive readings with the Psalms? Would this be ok, or do the people literally have to sing psalms?
Like said by another poster, the language of passages like Eph 5 and Col 3 seems to teach us we should be singing them.

In the case where this is a natural impossibility, someone is disabled in such a way they cannot sing or there are no suitable arrangements available (which isn't the case for English-speakers,) it seems like it might best be practiced through chanting or other recitation.
 
Originally posted by victorbravo
We usually meet three times each Lord's day, and we sing two to four psalms each Lord's day. We use the Trinity Hymnal and Trinity Psalter.

We're Baptist, but we love our (God's) psalms.

Vic

Gill was EP (and Spurgeon very famously anti-instruments)
 
Originally posted by Peter

Gill was EP (and Spurgeon very famously anti-instruments)

I'm anti-instrument as well, but, alas, our assembly uses a piano to lead the singing. But there is no special music.

Vic
 
Our denomination adheres to the Westminster Confession and the Westminster Directory for Public Worship with respect to the matter of song praise, and therefore practices exclusive psalmody.
 
My church adheres to the Westminster Confession and the Westminster Directory for Public Worship with respect to the matter of song praise, and therefore sings psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

:bigsmile:
 
Originally posted by Preach
Is there anyone on the PB whose church does not have psalm singing? If not, do you know why the elders have chosen not to sing psalms?

My church sings no psalms whatsoever. I'm planning on asking the deacons.
 
Andrew
Our denomination adheres to the Westminster Confession and the Westminster Directory for Public Worship with respect to the matter of song praise, and therefore practices exclusive psalmody.

Christopher Paul
My church adheres to the Westminster Confession and the Westminster Directory for Public Worship with respect to the matter of song praise, and therefore sings psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

All right! This is going to be a clean fight. No hitting below the belt by calling out one's ancestors. No ad hominems. Ding! Ding.:banana:
 
Originally posted by ChristopherPaul
My church adheres to the Westminster Confession and the Westminster Directory for Public Worship with respect to the matter of song praise, and therefore sings psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

:bigsmile:

I thought the PCA did not adhere to the Westminster Directory of Public Worship (1645).
 
Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
Originally posted by ChristopherPaul
My church adheres to the Westminster Confession and the Westminster Directory for Public Worship with respect to the matter of song praise, and therefore sings psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

:bigsmile:

I thought the PCA did not adhere to the Westminster Directory of Public Worship (1645).

We don't. A modified directory is included with our BCO but it isn't binding except for the sacraments.:(
 
Temporary statement adopted by the Third General Assembly to preface the Directory for Worship: The Directory for Worship is an approved guide and should be taken seriously as the mind of the Church agreeable to the Standards. However, it does not have the force of law and is not to be considered obligatory in all its parts. BCO 56, 57 and 58 have been given full constitutional authority by the Eleventh General Assembly after being submitted to the Presbyteries and receiving the necessary two-thirds (2/3) approval of the Presbyteries.

http://www.pcanet.org/BCO/BCO47-55.htm
 
The PCA directory of worship is not a product of the Westminster Assembly. The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America dropped the Westminster Directory of Public Worship in 1787 and created a new directory.

The language of the PCA directory specifically calls for the singing of uninspired hymns as well as psalms, while the language of the Westminster Directory of Public Worship (1645) calls for the singing of psalms only.

Psalms are the only matter of song praise identified as an element of worship by the Westminster Confession to be sung. This is acknowledged historically and by those even today who take exception to the Confession in favor of uninspired hymnody.

[Edited on 1-6-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]
 
Originally posted by crhoades
Andrew
Our denomination adheres to the Westminster Confession and the Westminster Directory for Public Worship with respect to the matter of song praise, and therefore practices exclusive psalmody.

Christopher Paul
My church adheres to the Westminster Confession and the Westminster Directory for Public Worship with respect to the matter of song praise, and therefore sings psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

All right! This is going to be a clean fight. No hitting below the belt by calling out one's ancestors. No ad hominems. Ding! Ding.:banana:

Don't worry, I am not picking a fight. I am not fully trained in the art of song praise combat. Just heckling from the stands.

Believe me if the PRC had churches near me my family would have no problem joining fellowship with them and gladly submitting to their teachings. But as with many of these "right" churches, they simply do not exist. So until the PRC and the like have appointed elders in every city, my family will submit to the confessional church who has appointed ministers in the area I live.

[Edited on 1-6-2006 by ChristopherPaul]
 
Originally posted by ChristopherPaul
Believe me if the PRC had churches near me my family would have no problem joining fellowship with them and gladly submitting to their teachings. But as with many of these "right" churches, they simply do not exist. So until the PRC and the like have appointed elders in every city, my family will submit to the confessional church who has appointed ministers in the area I live.

[Edited on 1-6-2006 by ChristopherPaul]

:) Incidentally, there is a family that lives in southern New Jersey that worships with us every week. They drive down on Saturday and return on the Lord's Day evening or Monday.
 
Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
Originally posted by ChristopherPaul
Believe me if the PRC had churches near me my family would have no problem joining fellowship with them and gladly submitting to their teachings. But as with many of these "right" churches, they simply do not exist. So until the PRC and the like have appointed elders in every city, my family will submit to the confessional church who has appointed ministers in the area I live.

[Edited on 1-6-2006 by ChristopherPaul]

:) Incidentally, there is a family that lives in southern New Jersey that worships with us every week. They drive down on Saturday and return on the Lord's Day evening or Monday.

Ah yes, that's right the world is to go out into all nations finding churches that teach all that Jesus commanded and who baptize in the name of God, Son and Holy Spirit. :um:

I am sure this family (who is farther south than me) do not attend weekly activities such as session meetings, usher meetings, fellowship times, weekly services, etc.

I am not trying to be condescending, but again these "perfect" churches simply do not exist for most people. I am not ordained to create schism nor to to plant mission churches. The officers in these denominations are. Until these more orthodox churches actually appoint elders in every city, I will gladly sing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs joyously in one accord with my confessional church.
 
Originally posted by ChristopherPaul
Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
Originally posted by ChristopherPaul
Believe me if the PRC had churches near me my family would have no problem joining fellowship with them and gladly submitting to their teachings. But as with many of these "right" churches, they simply do not exist. So until the PRC and the like have appointed elders in every city, my family will submit to the confessional church who has appointed ministers in the area I live.

[Edited on 1-6-2006 by ChristopherPaul]

:) Incidentally, there is a family that lives in southern New Jersey that worships with us every week. They drive down on Saturday and return on the Lord's Day evening or Monday.

Ah yes, that's right the world is to go out into all nations finding churches that teach all that Jesus commanded and who baptize in the name of God, Son and Holy Spirit. :um:

I am sure this family (who is farther south than me) do not attend weekly activities such as session meetings, usher meetings, fellowship times, weekly services, etc.

I am not trying to be condescending, but again these "perfect" churches simply do not exist for most people. I am not ordained to create schism nor to to plant mission churches. The officers in these denominations are. Until these more orthodox churches actually appoint elders in every city, I will gladly sing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs joyously in one accord with my confessional church.

Sarcasm is uncalled for and specifically prohibited on this board. I was not trying to tell you that you have to go anywhere else. I was simply commenting on a family in our church that travels to worship with us each week. They are seeking to become members and move to Virginia. Their circumstances are their own and not binding on anyone else. Moreover, you do not know what meetings they do or do not attend and it is uncalled for you to presume that you do.

I am not interested in debating with you. You said that the the PCA adheres to the Westminster Directory of Public Worship. I have demonstrated that they do not.

[Edited on 1-6-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]
 
Andrew I realize it was a incidental fact. I don't know what weekly fellowship this family participates in. I know that upon moving to New Jersey, my wife and I traveled an hour to church and we were the youth directors and had duties on the worship team. That lasted a year. We simply could not make the weekly events due to work schedules. Traveling to Virginia a couple nights a week would require some unique circumstances.

Our churches abide by the same confession of faith and yet are divided. We can agree on a common confession but disagree enough to divide. I took your original comment to be quite elitists and snobbish. Even if I agreed with every conviction you have, I could not attend such a church as your because they do not exist in my world (region). That should be tragic to you and your denomination, not a chip to throw on your shoulder. In response you simply give an ironic example of a couple from my home state who actually travel a great distance to attend a church. How should I take that?

I apologize for the offense brother. I didn't expect such a harsh reaction, but then again, I suppose you probably didn't expect my blunt posts either.
 
Chris,

As seen in another thread, cyber discussions can easily go awry. I accept your apology. I was not in any way trying to be "elitist" or "snobbish" as you describe. I was attempting to state briefly why my church practices exclusive psalmody, and I was not addressing you at all. I apologize if my wording came across arrogantly. I was simply trying to state a fact.

Your denomination and mine do not hold to the same directory for worship and even our confessions of faith are different. It is a sad thing that they are close and yet there are differences, but the differences that exist are substantial. I pray that Reformed Christians, indeed all Christians, may one day be united in one spirit and in one body, worshipping God together in spirit and in truth.

May the grace of God be with you, brother. Peace.
 
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