"In most churches today, the worship time has become a concert. ...I visit churches pretty much for a living, and as I look around during the services, the vast numbers of the congregation are watching the stage and listening – not singing." - Phil Cooke
"Several people responded to Aniol by posting Bible verses that describe people raising hands in worship...Psalm 63:4 and 1 Timothy 2:8... Aniol responded, 'Prayer. Not emotional singing.'" - C.Leaders
"When you read a well-crafted hymn such as When I Survey the Wond’rous Cross, you will feel the cadence, even if unaware of the melody composed for it. This is why composers can keep writing new tunes ... also why many people (particularly in ages past) would read hymnals as they would any devotional book, and even delight in the hymns they’d never heard." - C.Leaders
CCLI data study: "In the mid-1990s, a popular song like 'Refiner’s Fire,' or 'In Secret' had a lifespan of about a dozen years, rising for 4-5 years before hitting a slow decline. Two decades later, that lifespan has dropped down to 3-4 years" - RNS
"When a megachurch scandal makes headlines, it doesn’t usually affect your Sunday morning set list. But Hillsong isn’t just a megachurch. It’s a major global force in worship music." - C.Today
"Pat Barrett’s 'Build My Life' has regained the number one spot as the most popular worship song, a title it also held in 2019." "In Christ Alone" remains in the top ten. - C.Leaders
In Psalm 98:4, God’s people are called to crank up the volume of congregational praise:
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth into joyous song and sing praises! (ESV).
I’d like to offer a brief exposition of the key terms employed, followed by some practical observations.
The Psalmist employs three expressions in verse 4 that call for exuberant praise.
"When it announced last month it was shutting down, Brentwood Benson became the latest in a line of major church music publishers closing their doors. Last year saw the bankruptcy of Lorenz Corp., which had purchased choral giant Word Music in 2017. Then a few months ago, Lifeway released its last box of new choral offerings for churches." - BPNews
