Ministry of the word - Taylor - X - Lecture 10

Required reading
Ministry of the word by William Taylor (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Lecture X (The conduct of public worship-praise and prayer).

My summary
This week Taylor gives us his thoughts on public praise and prayer.

Firstly he deals with singing and touches on:
(i) the use of instruments;
(ii) the use of choirs;
(iii) choice of hymns;
(iv) when to sing.

Then Taylor offers some counsel on how to prepare oneself to pray publicly.  This is followed by some general rules that ought to be carefully observed - public prayer should be:
(i) common, not minutely individual;
(ii) real, not artificial;
(iii) definite and direct;
(iv) intercessory, not merely selfish.

What grabbed me
Today there was very helpful advice regarding church music, such as: 'In themselves all these matters [instruments, choirs etc] are of little moment. They become of importance only as they are pushed unduly into prominence. They are not worth a quarrel or a controversy. Therefore, when you settle as a pastor over any church, do not attempt rashly to alter any existing order of things in musical matters. Accept the situation and make the very best of it for the glory of God and the edification of the people. " Art thou called " to a church without an organ, " care not for it ;" but if thou mayest obtain one, " use it rather." Only remember this, that nothing will more interfere with your usefulness or mar your happiness, than the stirring up of a musical controversy. Let well alone. The best all round is very often lost by attempting to have the absolute best in any one department. In the organ itself, if every note be separately tuned up to the scale, discord will be the effect when one attempts to play upon it, for, as it is an imperfect instrument, most of the fifths must be left somewhat flat and the few others made somewhat sharp, the octaves alone being put in perfect unison. So, if we attempt to bring the music in the church up to that point of perfection which we think it ought to reach, we shall most likely put the whole church out of tune. We must make the best of things as a whole, and be content sometimes with a little less in one department in order that we may have harmony in all. Peace in a church is essential to progress. The dew is not shed forth in storm, but in the gentle calm of the Summer's eve it distils on every blade of grass. So the Spirit comes not down amid controversy and debate, but where brethren are "dwelling together in unity," there "the Lord commandeth the blessing, even life for evermore." No organ that was ever built, no choir that ever sang, is for a moment to be preferred to those higher matters of spiritual life, for the fostering of which the Church of Christ exists. "The life is more than meat, and the body than raiment." The church is more than music, and it is the most arrant folly for either minister or music committee to imperil the welfare of souls for a mere question of taste. A church in regard to all such matters should be like Wordsworth's cloud, " which moveth all together when it moves at all." So if you desire any change, wait till you can carry the great body of the people along with you, and meanwhile make the best of what you have. '

Heeding that kind of counsel can prevent undue quarreling and even the loss of a minister.

Next week's reading
Read Lecture XI (The pastorate and pastoral visitation).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.