• Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Jobs
  • Food
  • Health
  • Classified
  • Faith
Monday, March 8, 2021
Everyday.NG
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Jobs
  • Food
  • Health
  • Classified
  • Faith
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Jobs
  • Food
  • Health
  • Classified
  • Faith
No Result
View All Result
Everyday.NG
No Result
View All Result
Home Faith

Old time religion, with good old songs

Admin by Admin
23 April 2017
in Faith
0
Old time religion, with good old songs
0
SHARES
39
VIEWS
Share on WhatsappShare on FacebookShare on Twitter

 

Introduction

One thinks it’s time the song, “Give ome that old time religion,” is revised to include a new stanza which  should read, “Give me those Good old songs /They are good enough for my God”.

The ‘Old time religion’ will take us back to the faith, once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). The good old Christian songs should accompany this revival. These are needed to make the worship of our God completely glorofying and meaningfully edifying.

The Reigning  Theology 

The songs a people sing in their worship  naturally reflects the theology of their time. That is their knowledge and understanding of who God is. It also shows the level of their experiences with God.

A call for the Old time religion says, let’s know and relate with God the way we ought to. The call to bring back those good old songs says let’s praise and worship God with songs worthy of Him. The Old time religion and the good old songs should go hand in hand. This however is not to say new songs are irrelevant. Neither is it a call to discourage creativity  and innovations in worship. It is a call to stick to the old principles of worshipping God in truth and spirit, even in songs. We need songs that say we know and understand God correctly.

When They Sang

In the old time religion people  sang about God and for God alone. People who walked with God and worshipped Him in songs viewed songs that way. No wonder God delighted in their praises, because the songs were all for His pleasure. The Psalms are full of calls to sing unto the Lord.

When God’s people expressed their appreciation of who God is; when they thanked Him for what He has done; when they praised Him for all He has shown of Himself; when they adore Him for the beauty of His holiness and majesty and when they marvelled at His awesomeness, they sang joyfully and reverently. They sang of His wonders in creation and in their lives. God was pleased, because His people recognized Him for who He is and for what He did.

When people sang they were understandably excited for they  acknowledged also that their own joy, salvation, satisfaction, meaning, safety, deliverance, provisions and providences were all rooted in who God is and what He had done by His sovereign might alone. So their songs were all about God and for God. That was acceptable to both God and man. When people sang they were motivated and moved by the fact that God was at the centre of life itself.

When We Sing 

As people in the old time religion sang from their understanding of God so do we singing from our understanding of God today. But our theology and theirs differs. They had a God who controls the universe and all the affairs of man. They revered Him in befitting songs. Today we have a God man controls. Ours is a theology that understands God who is there to be used and run errands for man. Ever heard of the God man uses, instead of the man God uses? In this regard it is not a surprise that most of our songs today are about man and for man. They are focused on man and his needs. But just as songs for and about God cannot avoid mentioning man; so also songs about man cannot avoid mentioning God. The difference is in the motives and the roles assigned each in the songs. The right choice is the one that represents the right theology which has God at the centre of life. If theology is about God, then the need for our time is to chose and sing songs that are about God and for Him alone.

Those Old Songs

There are those good old songs that have been tested over time to be inspired of God. Those who composed them experienced God in ways that showed they indeed met and knew God was in those experiences. Reading through and or hearing those songs rendered today one cannot but marvel at the depth of their experiences with God. Those songs take you right to the root of true worship of God in truth and in spirit. Reading the lyrics; you know those songs are biblical and reflects sound theology. Singing them bring you to an awareness of the presence of God. They make you sober, reflective, focused on God as the only reason and object of singing. Leaving the venue where such songs are sung one carries along the feelings of the presence of God.

Still Around

Those good old songs are still around, preserved in hymnbooks: Sacred Songs and Solos; Redemption Hymns; Hymns Ancient and Modern; Golden Bells and those adapted  by various Christian denominations as their hymnal or song books. There are also good hymns and songs composed by th early native African Christians which nonetheless reflect good theology and appreciates God for turning their dark world into the marvellous light of his dear Son, Jesus Christ. In some cases they adapted English songs and their tunes; in others they composed different lyrics with native tunes.  In either case they are used to worship God for who is.

We Rejected Them

With the change from God-centred to man-centered theology  that largely came with modern day Pentecostalism came the change in our songs of worship. We began to sing something else. We left the hymn books for short monotonous choruses. We began singing, dancing, clapping and amusing ourselves. These choruses, often repetitions of few words or lines work us up into frenzy. They appeal to our quest for entertainment and we are comfortable singing to ourselves and for ourselves.

Some of these short choruses merely make statements of intentions that are never carried out. It makes no sense, for example, if we say to God, ‘I will praise you’ and stop at that. We should be seen to be praising him with words that praise him. But if a song starts and ends with statement of intention we leave God in suspense, so to speak; expecting to hear us praise him. On the contrary the hymnbooks spell clearly words expressing the appropriate feelings and intentions of those who composed them.

Singing some of those choruses in themselves may not be wrong. After all, some of them contain scriptural verses or principles.The concern however, is that for some, their contents do  not reflect a proper understanding of who God is, in addition to vain repetitions such as is found in pagan worships.

Unfortunately where those songs are sang are where the crowds troop to today. Now the practice is to sing what attracts the crowd to church. Aided by the use of modern and sophisticated musical instruments these meaningless songs are made to sound  heavenly originated.

As it is, even  churches who use to know the value of those soul uplifting and  edifying hymns are abandoning them for noisy jamborees. They are copying what those churches that have abandoned the Old time faith are singing; in other to maintain their youthfull membership from being depleted.

The Effect

The rejection of the hymns in today’s Christendom has telling effects on the faith. A distorted theology as observed brought about the rejection of the hymns. This in turn takes us farther away from knowing God. We rejected the hymns and called the congregations where those songs were sung as cold and lifeless churches. But what we thought made a worship service hot and a church living was actually and in most cases Christianised versions of pagan worship. Here getting high up (as in taking intoxicant and losing the senses) seem to be the goal. See where it has led us – congregations of worshippers that are ‘hot and living’ but irreverent and shallow in the knowledge of God.

Bring Them Back

If we must go back to the old time religion, we can’t afford to leave behind those old, good songs. We  must return to both. Graciously, the means to returning are within reach. His word, the Bible is preserved for us as compass to find our ways  back to God. The hymns are still there on the shelves of many Christians bookshops for pick. Church and Christians group leaderships should encourage and promote the use of hymnbooks in worship in the church, Christian fellowships, family devotions and individual times alone with God.  Those hymns are still sound, meaningfull, edifying and good for sober and God glorifying worpship. Let’s go back to those good old hymns and the new ones that are composed from sound knowledge of God and His word.

Conclusion

Next to the Bible every Christian should have a hymnbook. The Bible will lead us back to God. Singing from good hymns will help revive our souls. The two build our faith and strengthen our Christian life.

Namani J. Nharrel, is a Christian worker based in North-central Nigeria. Reactions to his articles are welcome @info@everyday.ng; or everydaycorrespondent@gmail.com

 

ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Osinbajo’s committee begins work as CAN official alleges religion played role in Babachir, Oke’s suspension

Next Post

APC mourns former Osun Governor, Senator Adeleke

Admin

Admin

Next Post
APC mourns former Osun Governor, Senator Adeleke

APC mourns former Osun Governor, Senator Adeleke

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
UN says US bigger killer of Afghan civilians than Taliban

(Viral video) Is this frightening message for the whole world or America?

7 July 2020

Woman raped by herdsmen In Anambra dies; as viral video, incessant rape builds tension

1 July 2020

(Interview) Gideon Para-Mallam insists Presidency got it wrong on CAN, praises Kukah

11 January 2020

Scandalous video on Success school; govt sacks head-teacher as girl gets help

20 March 2019
“Devaan says,” debuts….I was deceived, what do I do?

“Devaan says,” debuts….I was deceived, what do I do?

6
Restructuring: why it won’t work here

Restructuring: why it won’t work here

3
Diary of an angry and frustrated graduate

Diary of an angry and frustrated graduate

3
Govt, Christian bodies meet over controversial school curriculum

Govt, Christian bodies meet over controversial school curriculum

2

The American joker to abolish the sexes: an affront on God and mankind

8 March 2021

Like Nigeria, Ghana Suffers Power System Collapse

8 March 2021

Osinbajo, a reliable and dedicated deputy, says Buhari

8 March 2021

Osinbajo is a man to follow, says VP’S Spokesman Akande

8 March 2021

Recent News

The American joker to abolish the sexes: an affront on God and mankind

8 March 2021

Like Nigeria, Ghana Suffers Power System Collapse

8 March 2021

Osinbajo, a reliable and dedicated deputy, says Buhari

8 March 2021

Osinbajo is a man to follow, says VP’S Spokesman Akande

8 March 2021

Contact us

Everyday.NG

Do you have information, advertisement, event, report, video, or article to share? Please reach Nigeria Everyday (www.everyday.ng) through:
Tel. +234 8022198060
WhatsApp +234 8022198060
Email: info@everyday.ng; matsilas@gmail.com.

Please note that all articles tagged ‘Opinion’ do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Nigeria Everyday (www.everyday.ng), they are the views and position of the writer

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Agriculture
  • Business
  • Classified
  • Culture
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Features
  • Food
  • Health
  • Jobs
  • News
  • Obituary
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Social Media
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Recent News

The American joker to abolish the sexes: an affront on God and mankind

8 March 2021

Like Nigeria, Ghana Suffers Power System Collapse

8 March 2021
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 Nigeria Everyday - Truth Begets Freedom

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Jobs
  • Food
  • Health
  • Classified
  • Faith

© 2019 Nigeria Everyday - Truth Begets Freedom