Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Re-Dox

I love our contemporary churches.  Because they are casual they can often attract people that enjoy being comfortable in church.  The music and worship is lively and is inviting and written in a way so that it is easy to sing by most people.  The services are interactive and designed to be not only worshipful but also informative and entertaining.

I do miss one thing however in our contemporary churches….I miss the majesty, the splendor and the glory of the doxology.   For those of you that don’t know the doxology, the word is a compound word that combines the words ‘doxa’ and ‘logos’.  Doxa refers to the King, particularly God as our Lord and majestic ruler; logos refers to the word or words. In the doxology, we use the word of praise that give glory to our King.

So I’m recommending we Re-Dox.  We remember to stand, sing and give praise and honor and glory to the King.  A new tradition!  The New Testament is full of doxologies. They are often found in the Apostle Paul’s writings.  For example in 1st Timothy, Paul writes, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen" (1 Tim 1.17).  

Yes, to our eternal, immortal, invisible and wise King, we give honor and glory….

Some of the doxologies that were sung in churches came from a time when the church leaders believed that only scripture should be sung in church. The Psalms were collected in a “Psalter’.  However, more creative songwriters used Biblical phrases but reorganized some of the words.  At the time, some of the more traditionalists found it blasphemous however, these innovative doxologies survived and became the precursor for many of our more popular worship songs today.   One of the more famous early worship songs had an ending verse that was known simply as the “Doxology”.  It was written by Ken Thomas back in the 17th century

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; 
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Yes, to our eternal, immortal, invisible and wise King, we give honor and glory….

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