DID LUTHER USE TAVERN MUSIC ??

The fact is that most of these tunes were added after his death to his songs. The Lutheran hymn singing was different than our modern tunes. Luther did compose much of his own music with his hymns.

The salvation army were known to use every method to attract the lost to hear the open air preaching but the hymns they would never use worldly music for. Catherine booth is quoted as saying should we use the music of babylon for the songs of zion, God forbid!

I know of a man who never gave himself to secular music but was totally given to the Lord's work, he is gone on to be with the Lord.

One night he had a dream and in the dream he was singing a song that he never heard before but he was singing the song to a tune that is well known among classic pop music that Ray Charles sings.

If you had of known this preacher one of the few holiness preachers that I have ever known, if you would knew him he would never had given his ear to this type of music but here he was singing this beautiful lyric to this tune.

I can only remember just a fragment of the lyrics,

"You lose again...Satan I win.

I've overcome, lifes stormy winds.

My ships at shore, I'm safe once more.

You lose again, praise God I win."

There is more to this song, but I only remember the chorus.
____________________

I am not propping up this man of God, but I have wondered about some of the melodies that are sung in the secular world that some of these songs were actually God given and instead of giving God the glory, they took it to themselves and made a handsome profit, and God is just taking back His investment and reissuing it to better lyrics.

I am not saying that that is the case, it's just a thought.

But as to the question of this thread, Did Luther use tavern music? It would be of no benefit if he did.

I don't think Luther did. I think his were just the folk songs that he borrowed, so it would be easy for the common person to remember, if my memory servers me.

The Wesleys however did use the common two part stylizations that were sung in the taverns to the same effect, from what I remember.

If one can provide a verse or section from the Bible saying specifically what melodies, harmonies, time signatures, chord progressions, musical keys, intervals, tempos, and instruments are acceptable or not acceptable to the Lord, then I suppose topics such as these can be discussed Biblically (as this is certainly where this subject will end up anyway).

If not...

____More , much more, than a Tavern tune. Luther restored congregational WORSHIP to the church._____

Another aspect of Luther's day, was the use of alcohol as a normal, common table food. Beer was prolific, and was stored as a food source, by the fermentation of grains in the brewing process. Thereby, the peasant could sustain his family by storing the brew, and cheaply too. [ high calorie product] [ Grog, a semi-nasty mish-mash of grain and high sugar products was popular too, that just got the job done; Calories.]

Beer could be made with stalks and other grasses, including some barley and malt products. What I'm getting at, is that Taverns were not like we may think of a today in America. They had central places the city met, and served food, including beer, as a staple.

The "Pub" system is very similar throughout Great Britain; it is a city counsel, so to speak, and everyone it seems, imbibes; it is cultural. I've been to Pentecostal conferences there, where at lunch break, everyone hits it to the pub, and downs a pint or two before the next session.

Luther was famous for his hospitality, and he was soundly supported and fared well financially. He , of course, was married to "Katy", the former nun, and they had 6 children, 4 of whom survived into adulthood. They often had as many as 30 guests stay with them, often students tutored by Luther, and always had several kegs of brew on hand, to feed them.

The song, "A mighty Fortress is our God was composed from a folk tune popular in the day, and, it is very catchy. I imagine Luther was humming it for a while, and turned his thoughts to God..."in baritone of course.....and being the genius he was , decided to write it down, and it became the most popular tune in Christendom; not necessarily a bar tune.

Today, we take for granted a worship service that all participate in, and for most it is the only time of the week where they can actually exercise their call to worship Him in spirit.

Did you know that this was it was Martin Luther, who restored congregational worship to the church? This is huge, considering it's impact on the Eternal Bride over 600 years or so.

My grandmother was saved, and born again at 12 years of age, while listening to a hymn being sung in a small one-room building in Alabama circa 1900. Before Luther, there were Choirs only, or "Cantors", who sang prayers, similar to the Muslim of today.[ all Catholic]

Martin Luther was also a musician, who adored music, and believed that the body should actively do so.......bt

"Luther became known in particular for three things: the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, the belief that Scripture should be translated into the people's language, and the birth of congregational singing. He felt that music was of God, not of man. And he was determined to restore congregational singing in the German language to the Church.

So strong were his beliefs about music and worship that he wrote these fiery words: "Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our hearts, minds and spirits. A person who does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs!"

His passionate beliefs led Luther to write both words and music for several hymns, including "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." Luther's first hymnal was published in 1524.

It contained eight hymns, four written by himself. Later hymnals were also published for congregational use. He urged people to use the hymns at home and encouraged parochial schools to teach them to their students."

Pretty cool, eh? considering that before this man, it was not even conceived that a common man dare worship Him away from the Priesthood or silently listen to a choir. In this, too, Luther SHOOK the world, and the reverberations are yet sweeping over you and me.

http://songsandhymns.org/people/detail/martin-luther

And should Christians have church in bars on Sunday mornings? One of the better messages I heard was in an Easter service I attended that was held in a bar on Sunday mornings. Converted bikers. You know of the Hell's Angels type that come to Jesus will often have church and Bible studies in biker bars. obviously the bikers would be out of place in our muddle class churches. For that matter they would probably be prevented from coming into the building. So the bar location would be more comfortable for them to study the word and worship.

My point is whether it is bar music or the bar location itself. That is not what makes it evil. It is what is in the heart of the people who are there. Christ can redeem music or locations and use for his glory. Only because of the people who have Jesus in their heart.

Just my input.

Bearmaster