James MacDonald on Songs They Don't Sing at His Church

In this video, Pastor James MacDonald discusses the songs the vetting process for song selection at his church. For more videos from Pastor James, please visit http://harvestbiblefellowship.org.

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[chapinas80]

I totally understand what he's talking about! As a worship leader, I know what he's saying.

[bradmorris67]

2:10 "Jesus is my boyfriend songs" - well put brother! Hate all that soppy lovey-dovey stuff

[saintoccasionally]

Does this mean he can't sing "I care enough about the gospel to avoid endorsing an open heretic"?

[jennikeast]

Part 2 response (coun't) ...This is called the "sacrifice of praise" and when we offer that sacrifice, invariably we will "mean" what we're singing (experience the accompanying feelings of what we know in our hearts to be true). It's also called "faith", i.e. "calling those things that be not as though they were." More important, this "sacrifice of praise" pleases Jesus--just as it pleased Him when Abraham offered his sacrifice that we all know he didn't "mean", i.e., "want" to do at the time.

[jennikeast]

Part I response: Just because we may not "feel" like we mean a particular truth, doesn't mean that we don't declare it anyway. When this earth has passed away and we're in the presence of Jesus 24/7 then we will ALWAYS "mean" what we say or sing because we will no longer have the enemy of our souls feeding us lies about what is true and what is not. But until that day, we NEED to declare what our flesh may not want to declare, what our minds tell us we don't "mean" at a particular moment ...

[mlands100]

I really agree with his thinking here! I am in school to be a pastor, and i am totally on his side!!!

[joshuag73]

@philosophy7575 Good to see a thoughtful response in defense of another man's expression of praise. I suppose that saying those things in the face of the people that wrote them would be much different as they could share what they were going through. But on his side, there are songs that do not belong in church.

[GMDtwo]

I can understand what he means but... I disagree with this.

[longhornchad2000]

I mean... I get it. But I don't agree with it. Those songs aren't about "us" they're about our relationship with God... Plus like as a christian I say things people could say I don't mean because I don't always do them, I'm a hypocrite. If I wasn't, Jesus wouldn't have had to come and die.

[thelastlonesurvivor]

Umm actually we are in a romantic relationship with Jesus.. Not a lustful, earthly type but a heavenly and holy pure type. The Bible says that the Church is the BRIDE of Christ.. Haha that actually takes it up from being a boyfriend to us being his wife.. Read your Bible.

[awat7]

@JairoNamnun I hear you...and I think that James is doing all he can to fight for the bride. Whether the church is supposed to sing something as a congregation is a slippery slope. What scripture sets the boundaries for that?

None. Anything that speaks of the need of mankind and the fullness of God (Jesus as savior, Holy Spirit as the seal and helper, etc) should be appropriate for the church. By the way...David wasn't writing music for the sunday morning service anyway.

[JairoNamnun]

@awat7 Well you know, not all songs were meant for congregational worship. And I'm guessing he's not saying he'll never hear those songs, just that they don't sing it in corporate worship. I don't think Psalm 88, for example, was meant to be sung for the church.