Sunday, January 03, 2010

Does Your Church Sing Hymns or Choruses?


An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. "Well," said the farmer. "It was good. They did something different,however.They sang praise choruses instead of hymns."

"Praise choruses?" asked the wife. "What are those?"

"Oh,they're okay. They're sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer.

"Well, what's the difference?" asked the wife.

The farmer said, "Well, it's like this - if I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you, 'Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, in the CORN, CORN, CORN, COOOOORRRRRNNNNN,' then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus."

As luck would have it, the exact same Sunday a young, new Christian from the city church attended the small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.
"Well," said the young man, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs."

"Hymns?"asked the wife. "What are those?"

"They're okay. They're sort of like regular songs, only different," said the young man.

"Well, what's the difference?" asked the wife.

The young man said, "Well it's like this: If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a regular song. If on the other hand, I were to say to you,

Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry,
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by,
To the righteous, glorious truth.

For the way of the animals who can explain,
There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
Hearkenest they in God's sun or his rain,
Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

Yea, those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,
Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night,
They all my mild sweet corn chewed.

So look to that bright shining day by and by,
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn.
Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry,
And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.

Then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four, and change keys on the last verse, well that would be a hymn."

4 comments:

  1. We sing spiritual songs - I am not going to explain the difference - Just Kidding Ha Ha

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  2. Steve,

    Could you please record and post a video of you singing those two songs? I think it might really help clarify things for me.

    Okay, I'm joking, but it would certainly give us something else to chuckle about around here. Ahem . . . well, yes, it would be at your expense, but we'll be sure and give you grace as we laugh!

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  3. Yep, you'd laugh for sure :)

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  4. Your messeges of grace have caused a deep reveleation in me. I always knew these truths but I was not really grouded in them because mixed messeges were being preached. Now I know that I know. Thanks Steve for your clear teachings

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