| IIIM Magazine Online, Volume 4, Number 8, February 25 to March 4, 2002 |
| Originally aired Monday at 5:50 P.M. on WTLN 950 AM in Orlando, Florida, Music Matters is a weekly radio show that explores the nature of and antidote for the worship wars that exist in the church. |
Good day, my name is Robert Barnes, and this is Music Matters. We need to have a sense of humor about the worship questions of the day. So sit back and snicker with me for a few minutes.
An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.
"Well," said the farmer. "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns."
"Praise choruses?" asked the wife. "What are those?"
"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer.
"Well, what's the difference?" asked the wife.
The farmer said, "Well it's like this ... If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a hymn.
If, on the other hand, I were to say to you, 'Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, in the CORN, CORN, CORN, COOOOORRRRRNNNNN,' then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus."
As providence would have it, the exact same Sunday a young Christian from the city church attended the small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.
"Well," said the young man, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs."
"Hymns?" asked the wife. "What are those?"
"They're okay. They're sort of like regular songs, only different," said the young man.
"Well, what's the difference?" asked the wife.
The young man said, "Well it's like this ... If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a regular song. If on the other hand, I was to say to you,
Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
To the righteous and glorious truth.
For the way of the animals who can explain?
There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
Hearkenest they in God's sun or his rain
Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.
So look to bright shining day by and by,
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn
Where no vicious hoof causes my soul to cry
And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn,"Then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four, and change keys on the last verse, well that would be a hymn."
Let's have a sense of humor about our differences in worship styles. That and a humble heart will catapult the church into unifying agreement on what is proper worship.
I'm Robert Barnes, and this has been Music Matters.