78 thoughts on “The “Hash Chorus””

  1. @Jordan”I never said I didn’t comprehend the symbolism, I just said that the symbolism is creepy. ”

    That’s because you don’t get it.

    @Jordan”But can’t you understand where I’m coming from?”

    Of course I understand where you’re coming from. A place of not getting what he meant or how crucial the truth is that he was giving us.

  2. jordan–no, it’s not just you. most fundies don’t bother to actually think about the whole “symbolism” they are partaking in. you’re right, it IS creepy.

  3. Fundamentalists don’t partake in it. They’ve just about eliminated it. But entire cultured have “gotten it.” May want to know, when Jesus first said it, He lost a lot of His followers. But the metaphor is valid. Pretty close to another one He gave us, “Where you see the vultures gather, that’s where the carcass lies,” a reference to the way to find Him: where ever His people gather to live upon Him.

  4. Wow, I made it a whole 43 seconds in and I had to turn it off. Music, mannerism and preaching style … even the layout of a church can push me over the edge into a panic attack. I literally got sick listening to this. My sister and I used to sing that song, among many other equally nauseating tunes… not to mention the hours of practicing vocals for the Hephzibah House radio show. Sometimes at church, I will hear a song that makes me sick. (Songs from my HH stay tend to have a harsher side effect.) Before I ended up in this church I’m in now, I actually threw up in the bushes outside an IFB church that I was trying to get up the nerve to visit. The Bob Jones choir was visiting on the same day that I decided to try and visit again. (I live 500 miles away from BJU!) It was like getting punched in the stomach. Last week at church, we sang a song called The Jubilee, and the moment I heard the tune, I became ill, but this time I didn’t throw up. This time I prayed for peace, and I stayed where I was.

  5. @ Don:

    It was definitely about control. I remember before the “event”, how the pastor went on and on about people who weren’t right with God and the ensuing judgment that befell each of them. Sheeple fear the man more than man’s Creator.

  6. I grew up IFB and eventually became petrified of taking communion (although, since communion is a “Catholic” word, it was only referred to as “Lord’s Supper”) because of the whole “examine yourself and if you take it and have sin in your heart, God will probably do mean things to you.” On the flip side, if you didn’t take communion, there’s the whole “people looking at you and wondering what sin is in HER heart because she didn’t take the cracker and juice, and the gossip after church about it.”
    Thankfully now, I am at a church where there are communion tables set up and if a person wants to take it they can, and if not, then it’s ok.

  7. @Reader Mo I’m curious why you say she’s got abuse written all over her? Just cause won’t lookup & hides arms behind back? I think that’s seems more to be of shyness, self image prob to me than abuse. I think you need more than a video like this to suspect abuse.

  8. @jenna I know what you are saying! I used to panic about communion and then we started going to a pres church and it was this big celebratory thing and it was great. I told my husband Wow! that was my first communion where I wasn’t sniveling in a corner hoping I got everything prayed for so God wouldn’t kill me for taking it in vain. I felt liberated.

  9. The music brought me back to my youth in the little Pentecostal Church I went to. Brought feelings of peace and security. Strange though because I did not feel very secure of my salvation in those days. But still I liked it.

  10. AAHH the days of singing in church!! A very serious case of SSDD syndrome for these gals.

    When we got up and sang, I’m surprised we weren’t run off the stage until we came up with something new. It seemed like we went through the same list of songs over, and over, and over……..

  11. After all my years in fundyland, I never sang this one, despite being a pianist for various sunday school classes and church services since about the 3rd grade.

    I would like to make a request for a Stuff Fundies Like article. How about Fund Aerobics courtesy of the BJU videos. LOL. There was nothing like sweating to Copeland and other composers while wearing flattering white cullottes.

  12. Most of the comments on this site are simply stunning. I am shocked by the foul spirit of many. Some that are piling on the man saying “Amen” and attributing a wicked motive for his comments, and nobody rebuking such horrible statements without any reason. Sad and shame on you! I like to have fun as much as anyone, and I even come here sometimes to get a chuckle, but to say the things that are said here so frequently is infuriating at times.

    1. this is an old post, but i agree with Steve. I came out of a fundamentalist church where I was abused. However, the sins of men are a result of depravity, and there is no denomination immune from it (i.e. Hillsong). So the problem is not fundamentalism per se, although it is very flawed. For me it is all just more evidence of our great need for the Savior. While it is natural to have associative disorders from years of “guilt” theology, we need to ask God to create in us a clean heart. It is only through accepting that God is the only ‘change agent’ that we can be changed. “fundy” or not.

  13. @ Steve, I reread the comments and didn’t see any “piling on” of comments against the man. Some said it was creepy; another said it was NOT creepy. Personally, I found the man’s voice more obnoxious than anything else! Growing up, I was told we couldn’t hold mics – that would be drawing attention to yourself. You probably shouldn’t smile or look confident – that would be be giving glory to yourself and not God. You definitely couldn’t ever raise your hands – everyone knows that people who do that are only trying to be the center of attention! However, it’s perfectly OK for someone to loudly interrupt special music with constant Amens, laughter, and praise the Lords. Why is HE not drawing attention to himself? I guess there’s just some residual frustration that his outbursts are acceptable but someone quietly raising their hands during music would be looked down upon.

    I too don’t agree with everything said on this site, certainly, but my biggest problem with the comments on this page so far were from the two people attacking the Lord’s Supper as they laughed at the imagery that Jesus Himself used. I’m glad to see that people were rebuking those comments. Why is your “sad and shame on you” not given to those people who said that Communion is disgusting?

    Honestly, we all (probably) grew up in fundy churches that attributed evil motives to anyone we didn’t agree with: see that popular Christian singer? She’s just in it for the money. See that new Bible translation? It was published for the sole purpose of denying the blood of Christ. See that large parachurch organization? They’re all compromisers. See those kids praying at the flagpole? They’re just showing off; they don’t really mean it. See that book on the five love languages? It’s just psychological tripe that pulls people away from the Bible! (Yes, my dad told me that last Christmas.) We have heard people attacking others’ motives all our lives. So I don’t think it’s too off the top for someone here to say that the loud, obnoxious man yelling “Amen” all through the girls’ song was creepy.

  14. Pastors Wife,
    No, it was NOT that people were saying he’s “creepy.” I found nothing creepy at all about it, but there was the questioning of the man’s (whom they don’t know) motive as being impure towards the girls. That is horrible, and SHAME on them.
    Why didn’t I critique the Lord’s Supper comments? Several had taken up that duty, and I wasn’t going to read further. I was shocked that nobody in a thread allegedly filled with “believers” commenting would not say anything to their comments. In their hatred for “fundies” they attribute godlessness to men/women they know nothing about.
    I already know I want no part of the general spirit of this website and thread, I shouldn’t have even commented because it is only the beginning of the world of distaste for the general spirit of those that do comment. I also know that my comments here will open me up to criticism and rancor will be spewed.
    I do not consider myself a fundamentalist but for reasons very much different than those regularly commenting on this site.
    Also, if your name is true that you are a “Pastor’s Wife” wow! Your comments in here do not reflect well on your husband, yourself, or your Saviour, if indeed your are regenerate (I know not your salvation testimony, nor am I questioning it).

  15. In their hatred for “fundies” they attribute godlessness to men/women they know nothing about.

    Your comments in here do not reflect well on your husband, yourself, or your Saviour, if indeed your are regenerate

    Pot, meet kettle.

  16. Darrell,
    Not at all! My statement is based upon the objective statements made by some (not all). These individuals (NOT “Pastors Wife” you made that connection I did not) making statements that infer that a man, who Amens three teenage girls singing special music during a service, is likely a pervert who is Amening because he is motivated by perverted and wicked thoughts toward these girls is the heighth of godless conversation. YOU cannot defend those statements in any way. They are wrong!

    My comments to Pastors Wife were in response to comments she made earlier in the thread and her response to me. I was not connecting her with those statements about the man in the video. I still stand by my statement to her though. It was an effort to caution a Pastor’s Wife about what she may say about other church members (earlier in the thread ie: choir member). I would caution my wife of the same type of rhetoric and I should likewise be careful of what I say. If the truth offends so be it, but if my bitterness toward any group or church member or individual spews out…Yes, I should be held accountible. She is anonymous to me, so I said what I did.

    Your statement Darrell does not address the initial concern over the comments made about this man they don’t know. Hmmmmmm…why is that?

  17. LOL.

    The law is Qui tacet consentire vidétur. ( You can look that up). Not speaking to your concerns doesn’t prove that I’m against them.

    In point of fact, I don’t think that the man in question is likely a pervert — or if he is his outbursts aren’t proof of it. I think the issue is one of culture and I’ve been in enough different churches to recognize the “Bible Belt” culture that goes along with this kind of thing. I don’t do it personally but I somewhat understand where it originates.

    That being said, many of the readers here have been witness to or victim of countless abuses in fundamentalism. You can’t fault them for assuming the worst possible intention, wrong as that assumption may be.

    This blog has something which fundamentalism lacks almost completely and that is a forum in which people can say pretty much whatever they wish as long as it’s not criminal or obscene. I don’t censor. I don’t act as the thought police or anybody’s conscience. I know that probably blows your mind but there it is.

  18. @Morgan re: Catholic church and abuse

    “The Church humbly asks forgiveness for the sins of those who hurt others. What more can they do?”

    I think doing away with clerical celibacy would be a great way to combat sexual abuse within the Catholic church. God gave us sex, yes, to procreate, but also to enjoy within marriage and to make the bond between husband and wife stronger. He also gave us sexual desires, I believe, to lead us to seek out an intimate relationship; but He also gave us an approved framework (marriage) for that relationship. God has also blessed celibacy, but celibacy is not the default for everyone. By mandating that priests and nuns never marry, the Catholic church has opened wider the door for sexual temptation by promoting sexual frustration for those who were never called to be celibate.

    Doing away with clerical celibacy won’t cure the problem, but I believe it would help combat it.

  19. @gkend: i’m not Roman Catholic (i’m Orthodox, and most of our (non-monastic) priests are married), but i’m not so sure that celibacy is the problem. i think the problem is that predators seek positions that give them access to children. that’s why i don’t trust clowns, mall santas, or ice cream men. there’s plenty of abuse among non-Catholic clergy.

  20. oh! and speaking of clergy, if you haven’t yet done so, everybody should take a moment to check this site:

    http://badvestments.blogspot.com/

    (not to take traffic away from sfl, but i think the 2 sites compliment each other quite nicely, as bad vestments looks at the absurdities of the non-fundy Christian world)

  21. Oy. Now this is personal. I know those 3 gals and they are amazingly sweet and wonderful, and I can assure you, that that man AMENs no matter who is singing. He is just very on fire for God and loves to hear people singing hymns. He is also an avid “Amener” when it comes to preaching.

    I actually feel a little sick to my stomach knowing that this site has these wonderful ladies on it. Now its not just some strange church far away. Its people I know and respect.

    Hubby and I visited this church regularly for a couple of months and thought about joining, but in the end, it wasnt for us and we found a different independent fundamental church to join (at the time. Now we are Lutherans) . We have some very huge doctrinal and theological differences with them but I couldnt not say anything when I saw all the judgemental comments.

    The words of the song are wonderful.

  22. I would not normally do this. I understand this is your blog, but I am asking you very politely to take this entry down.

    The person who owns this video is the Pastors young (minor) daughter and you have made the man “amen”ing sound like a pervert.

    This isnt good at all. I know the young lady and I have often thought so many wonderful things about her. And it just really seems wrong that you have taken this.

    Please take this off.

  23. I came across this as I was searching for the hash chorus because my khids request it as a bedtime song. They have never heard it in church. Just what I can remember from college.

    This conversation is so sad! My heart is about to break at the number of people who are so bitter toward “people of faith” “fundys” who have hurt them that they have not only turned their backs on Jesus, but openly mock Him and everything He stands for. Being fundamental is not what contaminates a man. It is what is in his heart. It is relying on outward show rather than an inward walk with the Lord that makes a man what so many of yoh have experienced.I wish I knew what to do or say. My heart is crying for you all!!

    In regards to communion I have 2 things to say.
    1 is this: I grew up in ( actually I was saved at 15 from a Catholic background) an independent Baptist church where we observed communion on the first sunday of the month. I have since attended Southern Baptist churches where they took communion only at Christmas and Easter and it was at an evening service where that is the only thing taking place with no nursery etc which made it virtually impossible to partake.
    The second is this: someone mentioned communion being symbolic of actually eating the flesh and blood of Christ. It is easy to see how you could come to this conclusion if you are from a Catholic background,since Catholics believe that the host and wine actually physically become flesh and blood while the priest is blessing them; but this is not the case in protestant circles. If you look at the scripture Jesus says this is my body which will be given up for you then he says do this in rememberance of me. In other words: when you eat together as we are doing now, remember my body which was broken for you. In the early days of the church they used to have “communion” but they had massive feasts and they started showing off and fighting about who was bring the most or who was bringing the least. Paul corrected them and admonished them to make it a more simple practice which is what we have today. I hope that clears up some confusion for some of you.

    God is good all the time! Even when we don’t understand what gmoes on in the hearts and lives of hypocritical men. Who we all are, btw. Not one person is perfect. That’s why Christ died. To redeem sinful men. Oh! that you would forgive so that you can be freed from yourselves! bitterness is a pit that we dig for ourselves. Grab ahold of Jesus and let him pull you out!

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