ERASING OUR WORSHIP HISTORY

More than 30 cities across our country have removed or relocated Confederate statues and monuments.

One professor of law noted that removing these monuments leads to forgetting.  This is similar to a purging.

Interesting:  removing these monuments leads to forgetting.

Evangelist Scott Pauley wrote an article called, The Danger of Erasing History.   Some of his points are vital to my points for this blog:

   

1. ...one of Satan's greatest strategies: cause people to forget their past and you can affect their future. 

2. If anyone should be concerned with history it is God's people.

3. It seems the Lord is deeply concerned that we not forget.

Taken from the 10th chapter of I Corinthians are these words:

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant ...  

Now these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

This brings me to my points for this blog.  When I visit the headquarters of the Assemblies of God in Springfield it is obvious that we are proud of our heritage.  Our heritage is printed in magazines, books, and other periodicals for our information as to the history of this great movement.  

In April of 1914 the first A/G council was held in Hot 

Springs, AR. in what was then the Hot Springs Opera House.  We have quite a heritage and much effort has been taken to preserve that heritage.  We know when the movement began ... where we came from ... who the leaders were that paved the way ... and what brought us to this point today.

As history is being erased in our nation, I fear a part of our history is being erased in our churches.  How long has it been since you were caught up in praise and worship with words from hymns such as these:

What can wash away my sin?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Or: What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!     
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

How about:

They were in an upper chamber, They were all with one accord,

When the Holy Ghost descended, As was promised by the Lord.

O, Lord, send the power just now, O, Lord send the power just now.

O, Lord send the power just now, and baptize every one.

At the conclusion of a powerful sermon, how long has it been since you heard the words to an invitation song such as:

Just as I am, without one plea, 

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

I am not a proponent for hymns only, or choruses only.  I am concerned that our worship is lacking in the heritage of anointed songs.  If we continue to purge our services of these songs, obviously our children and grandchildren will have no knowledge of them.  They will not know of the anointing behind songs such as "Supper Time" -  Come home, come home, it's supper time -  They won't comprehend the conviction which used to come upon that lost soul in the congregation.

While there are choruses with depth and meaning, there are far too many lacking in everything.  I'm watching congregations stand for the worship service and basically, that's what they are doing, standing.   Just standing.  And watching.

Where have the songs/choruses gone that are intense and ripe with  melodies and lyrics that grasped our very soul, launching us, setting us into motion as we lifted our hands to heaven, longing for a personal encounter with the Almighty God?  Should only the praise team enjoy themselves?  Are we purging our worship history?  Are we erasing our Pentecostal history?  Are we losing conviction in our services because we are erasing our praise and worship history?

Remember:  Removing leads to Forgetting.

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