I’m on vacation – doing VBS at the beach-close church and then beach in the afternoon. For a week’s worth of devotions that I will pre-release on my blog page – free up my mornings for jumping right into VBS… Have a great week!
Seven of John Wesley’s Practices Can Change Hearts Today – an article by Roger Ross: Tactics that John Wesley used to get the Word of God out… The author of this blog reminds us to use these tactics ourselves! Seven practices emerged as characteristic of the early Methodist movement.
NUMBER 4 – Use the Music of the Culture
“Gregorian chants in Latin and heavy German music were standard fare in church services in Wesley’s day. Although the words were meaningful, the music was a complete disconnect with the common people. It didn’t speak their heart language. In his travels, Wesley found that pre-Christian people connected most easily with the gospel when it came through their native culture. He encouraged his brother Charles to put gospel words to the popular tunes of the day, and it caught people’s hearts. Speaking in terms people could understand was part one of cracking the cultural code; music that touched the modern day soul was part two.”
(AMEN – OH HOW WE NEED TO SING A SONG THAT RINGS IN OUR HEARTS – AND IN OTHERS!)
(I have to chime in that the VBS music speaking to the kids is important – Hey Hey Hey – that is a phrase in the set of these videos for the VBS session Egypt. It connects and instead of a CD – there are youtube links. Other music connects with others. And the instruments and the mixing boards and the microphone checks and the whole genre and industry of music is something to tap into for faith. God will have us all sing with perfect pitch one day – but for now – we should just sing His praises in whatever voice we have – He hears – “He makes all beautiful in His time” Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Debbie Upper 