Comments on: Why does God sing?

By: Galatian

Galatian — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:34:13 +0000

Sean+Lotz.
No, the article was not historically inaccurate. The only sentence which I felt contained a slight was this: “We could offer worship to God in our assemblies, but not necessarily because He was present.” This, I would contend, was and is not true.

By: Kester

Kester — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:12:27 +0000

The article said that the Hebrew scriptures had vowel and musical markings. Do ALL of them have musical markings? That is, were you mean to sing the entire thing?

By: Sean+ Lotz

Sean+ Lotz — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:21:02 +0000

To Galatian, are there really slights against Protestants in this? I don’t see them. I see a reasonably accurate statement of fact. The description of the traditional Protestant approach to worship I don’t think would find much disagreement from those who did/do things like that. Therefore, it can’t be a slight, not if it accurately reflects what the people themselves think and believe. Rather than viewing it as an insult, I know many folk who would view it as their glory.

By: Silouan

Silouan — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:54:16 +0000

Some time ago I read Eric Werner's The Sacred Bridge Vol. 2: The Interdependence of Liturgy and Music in Synagogue and Church During the First Millennium. As I recall he traces a few melodic elements from the common Mediterranean chant modes of the Second Temple period which pop up later on in both Gregorian chant and in Yemeni Jewish chant. I may have to go back and give it another read :-) I do know that when I hear some varieties of Jewish chant, even though I don't recognize the melodies, they certainly feel familiar from my experience of Byzantine Christian chant.

By: Galatian

Galatian — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:21:01 +0000

An excellent article with some fine points, slightly marred by the unecessary slights against old time Protestantism. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. Whatever else can be said of Protestantism, they gathered in the name of Jesus.

By: Hebrew Student

Hebrew Student — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:19:18 +0000

Thanks for your interesting post. Singing the Hebrew Scriptures has a very long tradition, amongst all Jewish groups across all centuries, all geographical locations. There is every reason to think the Scriptures were sung when originally given, and this tradition has been preserved ever since.