I just found out about this Christian songwriter today. Vicky Beeching just came out recently announcing she is lesbian. Coincidentally, this last Sunday we sang a song she wrote, "Glory to God, Forever".
This blog article by Russel Moore is a great perspective on how we should resolve this title question going forward.
Are We Headed For A Crash? Reflections On The Current State of Evangelical Worship
"Expiation" rights the wrong of an offense but it does not satisfy the anger of the person who was wronged. "Propitiation" satisfies the wrath of the offended which includes the correction of the wrong.
Picture this in slow-motion: Pretend I tried stopping my 4-wheel drive Red Rodeo when pulling in my driveway and the driveway happened to be covered in thick ice… the Rodeo kept sliding and wouldn't stop (in slow-mo)…and the white garage door happened to be down so I smashed through the door (not that I would ever do this). Lets just say that when I did this I knew immediately that my wife would be furious with me. When she saw it, she WAS, in fact, furious with me. So to make things right, I hurry and fix the garage door; I have just "expiated" the situation. I made it right. I corrected the wrong….BUT…my wife is still ticked at me… even though I technically fixed the door; I need to somehow take the process farther; her anger with me still needs to be satisfied/resolved/thwarted/brought to an end , or "propitiated".
If all Christ did was right the wrong (expiation), his work on the cross didn't go far enough for us to be saved. God's wrath would still be upon us and we would still suffer the penalty for wronging Him. But Christ's death on the cross goes farther than just correcting the wrong, it assuages the wrath of God (propitiation). It satisfies his anger along with the "righting" of the wrong… and then…we stand justified in His sight-just as if we hadn't sinned.
Isn't that amazing…Christ did that on our behalf?!?! That’s "penal substitution". He paid the penalty of our sin by substituting Himself in our place, suffered death and separation from God (which is really what we should have suffered) and thus thwarted/placated/satisfied/propitiated the wrath of God…and we are justified before Him.
Love it!!! Love Him!!!! Adore Him for what He has done for you!
10 and 2...
Mike Wittmer
a blog article
July 22, 2013
"...I doubt that most Christians noticed the problem because the song once mentions forgiveness and right before the end mentions the need for Jesus and the cross. But then again, so did Pelagius. This chorus is straight Dr. Phil, Oprah, and Chuck Finney. You would never hear it from Augustine, Luther, Calvin, or Jesus...."
by Matt Boswell
"To make hymn-style and chorus-style songs enemies is not wise. The Psalms are filled with many formats of songs that are to be sung. From simple refrains to antiphonal responses, from songs of lament to hymns of remembrance, our hymnal is vast. We must conclude that western worship is one way of orthodox singing, but in no way can we impose on varied cultures around the globe that this is the only way. The modern hymn and the praise chorus are close friends, especially in many churches where the music encompasses both variants of music."
First Things-Tragic Worship
by Carl R. Trueman
June/July 2013
"Tragedy as a form of art and of entertainment highlighted death, and death is central to true Christian worship."
"Perhaps it is ironic, but the church that confronts people with the reality of the shortness of life lived under the shadow of death prepares them for resurrection better than the church that goes straight to resurrection triumphalism without that awkward mortality bit."
by John MacArthur
Christian Research Journal 23/2
This article had a huge impact on me in my early stages of forming my philosophy of worship, and it can be credited for part of the motivation to title this blog--colossians316.com.
This document was adopted as part of the music and worship philosophies of Faith Baptist Church by the pastors and deacons July 10, 2003. For a more extended discussion on music and worship issues, please refer to Pastor Viars’ Summer 2003 Worship series and our other documents entitled “Corporate Music and Worship Philosophy,” and “Discussion of Music and Worship Issues.”
quote from Donald Hustad book, "Jubilate II", p. 113
"These then should be the standards of any church's worship order, when used over a period of time:
1.It will contain full theology-truth about God, God's actions, and God's promises.
2. It will give opportunity for full human response, in adoration, thanksgiving, confession and commitment, petition, and expectation.
3. It will use human language that is up-to-date (not archaic), and yet reverent, since God is a partner in the conversation. to satisfy the needs of corporate expression, such language also will be poetic enough to stimulate the imagination and yet must be commonly understood.
All worship leaders must maintain a constant, creative tension between the need for an established worship order and the need for freedom to add (or substitute) actions and words that are spontaneous in response to the moving of God's Spirit."