- Nov 26, 2019
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Recently, in another thread in the main Eastern Orthodox forum, I inadvertently made the debate a bit heated by making a stupid, crass and emotionally charged reply of a disparaging nature about Praise and Worship music. To be precise, I called it “trash” and in so doing through negligence caused offense to our friend @Jesse Dornfeld , and caused a bit of a polemical argument that detracted from the quality of the discussion. I also managed to make our community look bad by negligently making an insensitive remark and hurting the feelings of a friendly inquirer.
That said, most Orthodox Christians do positively reject praise and worship music. Conversely, Jesse Dornfield expressed important ideas that I feel deserve to be replied to in the freedom of St. Justin’s Corner by himself and ourselves, in the format of a polite debate, and Jesse, unlike myself, does not seem prone to embarrassing and insensitive outbursts, but humiliated as I am by my indiscretion, I wish to discuss this issue with himself or anyone else who particularly likes praise and worship music, and to share Orthodox music with them so they understand the extent to which our music is emotional, and so that we can come to a mutually edifying place of understanding.
Thus, it is my belief that praise and worship music is inappropriate in the Orthodox Church for the reasons stated by @Psalti Chrysostom and others in the thread in the main Ancient Way forum. However, I do feel that our music does have an emotional quality.
Also I do wish that, without changing our musical styles or introducing praise and worship music, we could improve the quality of the chant used in the celebration of the First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours, especially the Third and Sixth hour before a Divine Liturgy, as these often feel rushed. I like the slower methodical pace the Russian Old Rite Orthodox at the Church of the Nativity in Erie, Pennsylvania use when singing the hours.
Lastly, I am curious if our friend @JESSE Dornfield is aware that all services in the Orthodox Church are sung. We do not have any said services or silent services, and indeed nearly everything in the divine liturgy is intoned musically. For example, our priests do not read the Gospel, but sing it. And I feel that the manner in which the Gospel is sung is more emotionally moving than merely hearing it be read.
That said, most Orthodox Christians do positively reject praise and worship music. Conversely, Jesse Dornfield expressed important ideas that I feel deserve to be replied to in the freedom of St. Justin’s Corner by himself and ourselves, in the format of a polite debate, and Jesse, unlike myself, does not seem prone to embarrassing and insensitive outbursts, but humiliated as I am by my indiscretion, I wish to discuss this issue with himself or anyone else who particularly likes praise and worship music, and to share Orthodox music with them so they understand the extent to which our music is emotional, and so that we can come to a mutually edifying place of understanding.
Thus, it is my belief that praise and worship music is inappropriate in the Orthodox Church for the reasons stated by @Psalti Chrysostom and others in the thread in the main Ancient Way forum. However, I do feel that our music does have an emotional quality.
Also I do wish that, without changing our musical styles or introducing praise and worship music, we could improve the quality of the chant used in the celebration of the First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours, especially the Third and Sixth hour before a Divine Liturgy, as these often feel rushed. I like the slower methodical pace the Russian Old Rite Orthodox at the Church of the Nativity in Erie, Pennsylvania use when singing the hours.
Lastly, I am curious if our friend @JESSE Dornfield is aware that all services in the Orthodox Church are sung. We do not have any said services or silent services, and indeed nearly everything in the divine liturgy is intoned musically. For example, our priests do not read the Gospel, but sing it. And I feel that the manner in which the Gospel is sung is more emotionally moving than merely hearing it be read.