Kevin Twit, on comparing what we sing in gathered worship with what we say at weddings:
“If all you’re singing and ever saying back to God is you want to do, and you’re never focusing on what He’s done and what He promises to do, I think ultimately your worship will be impoverished and your Christian growth will be stunted…
… So often worship in our modern day is basically like a pep rally trying to stir up your emotions to keep you fired up for Jesus through the week. That’s not what it’s about!
I always tell people, when we do weddings, we don’t dress people up and try and whip their emotions into such a state of height that will sustain them through 30, 40 or 50 years of being married to a sinner. No day can do that!
But we hopefully point them to the One who makes promises to them, to love them for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health… promises that are not ended by death but were actually secured by death and therefore can never be broken by death. That’s what we want to do in our worship, that’s what we want to point people to.”
– Kevin Twit, Lecture 2 of History of Hymnody
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“Could my zeal no respite (rest) know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone,
thou must save and thou alone!”– Augustus Toplady, “A Living And Dying Prayer for the Holiest Believer” (Rock of Ages)
