[Worship] Re:Scriptural Basis for new Songs

[p.philbin@comcast.net]

**************************************************
       Looking for praise and worship music products?
                      Visit our list sponsor at:
                  http://www.worshipmusic.com
     **************************************************

Nick wrote:

I think the easy thing to say is to hold your nose up in the air and state
that today's songs are too emotional and personal to be explicitly
Biblically-based, even tho there's nothing anti-Christian about the songs.

Pat writes: Nick, you raise something that's been on my mind of late.  Why is 
there in some 'circles' the prerequisite of having to have scripture sources, 
or having it lined up theologically with the vision of the house?

I understand about weeding out songs with unclear lyrics, etc., but I don't 
understand a 'letter of the law' approach by many?  

Clearly there is a mandate, a wooing to sing forth a new song of David.  I 
don't see a scripture, or am aware of one, which instructs us to specifically 
have scripturally based lyrics for a 'new song.'  I can sing a 'new song' 
written and sung to my wife, which is just as annointed as "Shout to the 
Lord."  My point is that I think we can get too narrow in our desire to only 
have scriptural songs in a congregational setting.  Can the Lord only use songs 
that are strictly scripture based?  We can get "rose-colored-stained-glass-
window" mentality, and feel like we are in the bless-me club.  

Sing a new song.  Some of them can and others shouldn't be shared in a 
congregational setting.  Discernment is the key.  Excluding songs because they 
don't have a scriptural key guide (book/chapter/verse) in my mind is a 
mistake.  The old, 'don't throw the baby out with the bath water' is applicable 
here.

-Pat