Sing A New Song

This started out as a thought, turned into a partially written Facebook status, and then phlomphed itself over to a blogpost due to the expansion of thoughts.

The Psalms burst forth with multiple verses of praise, and I've increasingly noticed there's multiple inclusions of 'sing to the LORD a new song'. 

Psalm 33v3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts

Psalm 40v3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD

Psalm 96v1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Psalm 98v1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Psalm 144v9 I will sing a new song to you, my God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you

Psalm 149v1 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people

In the past i've been involved with varying circles of christians who have different ideas when it comes to 'new songs'

1. Stalwart Ye Oldes: Amongst this group any songs from the 1970's are considered new, which, let's be honest, is a fair comprehension when the normal musical praise vehicles are hymns from past centuries. I've seen that often amongst this particular group, there has been a great regard for tradition and historical hymn writers, a respect & honour for those gone before. 
2. The Organized & Prethoughts: This collective are keen to include new songs into church worship, both from other people and ones written by themselves. The method is very structured and well planned, with musical meetings, spider diagrams and strategic ideas into how to gradually incorporate the songs one-by-one into worship so as not to overwhelm members of the congregation. It's encouraging to see a keen inclusivity to the rest of the church.
3. Spontaneous & Haphazard: These assorted people have an enthusiastic, creative and often prophetic flare, bursting with new songs all the time. I've witnessed this type of christian sing for hours and hours with spontaneous, made up on the spot songs from the heart, which are generally authentic & fresh. Sometimes there may be a mixture of old songs within the worship, depending on the way it goes. The culture around this way of 'doing worship' is such that there is an expectation, nay assumption, of the spontaneous. To those whose worship culture has been nurtured in a different way, this may be met with a range of reactions. 

Regardless of what grouping we gravitate towards, in light of the Word encouraging us to sing new songs to God, I believe it's important that we make space to be authentic in praise, not just using other peoples songs (though of course it can be helpful in different situations) but also bringing fresh declarations of praise & thankfulness for what God has specifically done in our lives. It is also important that we help cultivate a culture in our influencial spheres of creativity, as opposed to the consumeristic nature of 'give give give!' which has pervaded many areas of the established church. It is no surprise then to see some church worship services being more akin to entertainment & musical professionalism than a fostering of the empowerment culture. Surely we need to be encouraging others to take responsibility for how they bring their hearts to God, rather than wait for a worship team to tell them what to do. #passionateloversofJesus #restorehearts #wakeupChurch

For those who know me well, you'll know my preference when it comes to the mix of organization and spontaneity, but for sure we can learn from each of these groups. I've actually realized though, that whether it be ancient hymns, super organized or wild & spontaneous, it all comes down to the heart.

A heart softened to the LORD is able to come before Him with an attitude of worship and praise in any circumstance, willing to put aside musical or denominational preferences and praise God simply because He is worthy.