Praise Music Must Be An Acquired Taste

Praise Music Must Be An Acquired Taste
by The Boundless Team on 07/03/2007 at 4:54 PM

At The American Spectator, Lawrence Henry writes about recently showing up for church an hour late. Why? He hates praise music.

It used to be said that singers like Aretha Franklin, who made the jump from gospel to pop, sang music much like they used to sing in church, only substituting "Baby" for "Lord" or "Jesus" or "God." Gospel music at least has the benefit of soul, that ineffable quality of passionate excitement that adheres to the black voice. Praise music, by contrast, is pure whitebread.

And it just isn't very good.

He goes on to compare lyrics from the old hymn "O Worship the King" with popular praise song "You Are My All in All." Here are the lyrics and Henry's breakdown of the latter:

You are my strength when I am weak,
You are the treasure that I seek,
You are my all in all.
Seeking You as a precious jewel,
Lord to give up I'd be a fool,
You are my all in all.

Jesus, Lamb of God -- worthy is Your name.
Jesus, Lamb of God -- worthy is Your name.

First, note that the key phrase, the supposed theme, "You are my all in all," means really nothing. It's a piece of pop endearment. Triteness follows upon triteness, "treasure that I seek," "precious jewel," and so on, with "Lord to give you up I'd be a fool" almost literally gag-making. The chorus has nothing to do with the verses.

Last week on his blog Pure Church, Thabiti Anyabwile wrote that we need to be careful not to let our musical preferences divide us. He said more often than not, they're driven by selfishness and laziness, "Selfish because we want what we want and we're ready to fight for it, and lazy because we can't even countenance the idea of working to learn or acquire a taste for something different, something not our preference."

I agree. But what do you do when the criticism is more about meaningless lyrics than musical style? Is it possible to acquire a taste for things we consider trite?

HT: World Magazine Blog

Christian Community , Motte | Mail This | Share on Facebook

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

1. David Bromberg said the following at 5:22 PM on Jul 3:

I think it is key here, as you said, to distinguish meaningless lyrics from musical style. The author fails to make that distinction. There are hymns with bad lyrics just as there are modern praise songs with bad lyrics (see The First Noel- "in fields where they lay tending their sheep on a cold winter's night that was so deep"?).

The advantage hymns tend to have in this argument though is that they're usually older, and so the ones we still sing are the good ones. It's much easier to point to a praise song with bad lyrics because they are more popular, and we're seeing a lot of them used more often, including new ones that aren't that great lyrically, and don't stand the test of time. But that doesn't mean there aren't great praise songs.

2. Sara said the following at 5:28 PM on Jul 3:

I agree with Lawrence Henry, but I think he's on the wrong track: modern praise songs tend to be less about the lyrics (which are kept sweet and simple) and more about the emotional experience: modern praise music is filled with hooks and swelling, anthemic choruses: think of the chorus of "We Will Dance" where you wouldn't even have to be an English-speaking Christian to feel swept away.
I tend to think of modern praise music less an an acquired taste and more of something so simply emotional that it's impossible not to like it, although a person wants something deeper after awhile.
It isn't usually very good artistically, but I don't think it tries to be. It's more of a cathartic, jubilant thing.

3. Tami said the following at 6:26 PM on Jul 3:

On the whole, I totally agree -- I think that a lot of recent praise music (aside from what Sovereign Grace and some others release) is repetitive and a bland replication of pop music (replacing "boy," "man," etc. with "Jesus" or "God"). I can think of a couple of praise songs that I don't sing because they treat Jesus more as my Heavenly Boyfriend than my Lord. I don't make a big deal about it -- I just stand silently, or (if I'm seated) read Scripture as the song goes on.

However -- I believe it's disrespectful to God (and your fellow congregants) to walk in late every week just because you don't like the songs. Even if they're "just" praise songs, they are part of the worship and (depending on your church) probably one of the only opportunities you have to vocalize your praise and thanksgiving during the service.

That said, I have fewer problems with "My All in All." A lot of those phrases refer back to Bible verses that describe Jesus and the Kingdom. Even so, I still don't want to sing it ten times in a row.

4. KendraW said the following at 7:08 PM on Jul 3:

The funny thing about church music throughout history is that whatever was modern or current was always disliked. All of the old Wesley hymns were at one time modern pop hymns that were lyrics set to tunes sung in bars and the like. The Wesleys and others did this in order to make the tunes more accessible to the people. Every generation of churchgoer has had to deal with new hymns and new styles of hymns and each has had those that declare these new styles horrid and bad and unacceptable.

My thought is that our likes and dislikes regarding music in church say much more about us than the God we are worshipping. There are some praise choruses that I don't neccessarily care that much for but that reflects on my own taste. There are others that I like quite a bit. Again, preference and taste.

As to his comments on "All in All" -
First, I wouldn't really consider it a modern praise chorus keeping in mind how long it's been around. Second, I think his trashing of the lyrics is a little ridiculous. I'm rather surprised that he calls "treasure that I seek" a triteness. Weren't we taught that the kingdom of heaven was like a treasure in a field?

I think really, it comes down to preference, I know many people who find very little meaning in the old hymns with their archaic turns of phrases. I know many people who dislike the casual, familiar language of the pop hymns. Both are used to worship the same God. One is not more Christian than the other.

And I still think that even when one finds the lyrics the part that is off putting that one could set that aside in love and worship as part of the community. People need to quit defining God by their personal tastes.

We were told to make a joyful noise. Nothing is ever said about an articulate turn of phrase or a required chord progression.

5. Ivy said the following at 7:19 PM on Jul 3:

The problem with modern praise music I think was brought up with Sara. It's all about the emotional experience. I can appreciate feeling joy when singing to God, but I get a little worried when everyone is singing just to get an emotional high. God is great, yes. But God can be felt in the good and the bad times, not just during highly emotional times.

6. J said the following at 7:54 PM on Jul 3:

Can't remember the exact source, but I remember hearing that someone (ok, yes, "someone") did some research and found that 70% or so of (modern?) Christian worship music was so- called "I"-centered worship, rather than Christ-centered worship. Rather than lifting up Jesus, it focuses on us and our state; for example, "Here I am to worship," vs. "Jesus, you are great." Has anyone else heard of this study?

I've also noticed that a lot of the songs tend to omit the name of Jesus and replace it with "You." Particularly in our postmodern age, "You" could refer to anything. (As Sara mentions, it could be a boyfriend/girlfriend... or a dog, for that matter). That being said, I do believe that there are a lot of great songs out there, but it is important to lift up the name of Jesus. Part of the point of worship is to get our eyes off of ourselves and onto Jesus.

7. Oxanna said the following at 8:34 PM on Jul 3:

I agree that some praise music is often trite; however, that particular song doesn't strike me as being trite. (Unless one repeats the same phrase until everyone forgets what they're singing...)

I think it's important not to be divisive over a musical style. I don't particularly like certain styles, but as long as they are God-praising and worshipping, it shouldn't be a problem. (One can go to another church, or just deal.)

BTW, though, I know of one valid reason to arrive late for a service: LOUD music. Not loud music, LOUD music. REALLY loud music. I have one set of ears, thankyouverymuch, and I don't feel like endangering them simply because the worship team feels that concert decibel levels are necessary. (That's more of a health issue that many young people don't consider, not a worship issue, although it *is* difficult to worship when the floor is vibrating. :P)

8. Kyle said the following at 8:54 PM on Jul 3:

As far as "I" centered worship I wanted to say that I find I like the argument and want it to be true, but the Psalms get in my way. The Psalms have a lot that is God centered, but then just when I am happy, David says he hates his enemy (it makes the comforting Psalm 139 suddenly very hard to swallow) or he says the type of thing that I don't like to hear in praise songs. I don't like to sing the line "In all I do, I honor you" because I know that I don't, but then I am confronted with David saying so even more explicitly in Psalm 18 "I have been blameless before him / and have kept myself from sin." So as much as I want to argue against praise songs being occasionally "I" focused, I can't do it without also complaining about the Psalms of David.

9. Bethany D. said the following at 10:07 PM on Jul 3:

Instead of developing a taste for praise music, maybe it's more about understanding and accepting seemingly 'trite' songs as having their place in worship, especially outreach. These songs can function like Spiritual Milk for new Christians. One of my friends became a Christian not that many years ago. She prefers the praise music because the songs are easier for her to learn. With a simple praise song, she can primarily focus on singing to God; with the regular hymns she starts late since first she has to struggle to find the right place in the hymnbook, then she has to keep up with the verse changes, and stumble her way through unfamiliar words she can't even pronounce (let alone understand the meaning of).

10. Hannah C. said the following at 10:20 PM on Jul 3:

That's kind of funny that you state in your post title that praise music must be an acquired taste, because for me it really has been.

For years I went to a church that was quite traditional in its music - no praise and worship music at all. So from the very beginning I noticed that praise and worship is very repetitive and it all sounds extremely similar.

I still don't like to just listen to praise and worship [while in the car, for instance], but I've learned to appreciate its use in church services and whatnot. "My All in All" is actually one of my favourite praise and worship songs.

11. Suzanne said the following at 10:30 PM on Jul 3:

Good points. And yet "All in All" was one of the most deeply meaningful songs to me when I was a teen surrendering myself to Jesus. It's simple lyrics allowed me to express my desire to know God better. At the time, "O Worship the King," powerful as it is, may not have touched my 14-year-old heart in the same way. :) I agree that meaningless lyrics get old fast...but we also need to have humility in how the Lord might use a lyrically weaker song in someone's life.

12. Greg said the following at 10:46 PM on Jul 3:

A few points here.

First, remember that even the Psalms in scripture use literary devices such as hyperbole. It is not wrong for literary devices such as that to be used in a praise chorus! In fact, it is a good thing.

Second, the important thing is what is going on in your heart when you worship the Lord. I am not referring to just an "experience". Worship is not about emotional highs. It is about God's glory.

Third, there are cultural issues at play here. Whenever you worship in a context that is culturally different from yourself, the difference in culture can be distracting. If you doubt this, just worship with other believers in other countries and cultures a few times. "Praise choruses vs. Hymns" is largerly a cultural thing in my view. Both have positives and negatives, just like most other cultural things. That said, if you can't eventually get past these cultural issues and worship the Lord (even if in spite of the taste issues), then there may be something seriously wrong inside your heart. Examine yourself to see if you have become closed and perhaps even antagonistic and bitter, things which God clearly doesn't desire of us.

Fourth, there is a reason that praise choruses are musically simple. It makes them easy for a largely musically illiterate congregation to learn and sing together, and sing from the heart rather than spending so much thought energy on the mechanics of the music, which can indeed be distracting until you learn the song well. I know that the times that I have worshipped the Lord the most sincerely using a hymn were times I was not even singing or playing the hymn -- I was simply reading it! For those of us who are musically skilled, the simplicity of praise choruses can be an affront to our intellect. But if we can't deal with that issue in our own hearts and minds, we're doing ourselves and those around us a great disservice. It is very prideful to sneer at a song (and/or those singing it) because it isn't "deep enough" or it does not have a broad enough vocabulary or it employs only three chords. Get over it!

That said, I do think that there are ways that praise music, as a genre, can be greatly improved. We are called to offer our best to the Lord, though sometimes that doesn't look the way we expect it to look. I am glad that many songwriters are seeking a lot of depth in their songs.

Ironically, Dennis Jernigan, the author of You Are My All In All has written some songs with more depth and rich meaning than nearly any other worship music artist I know of. That particular song is one of his simplest ones, though. I believe that Henry's "analysis" of that song is divisive and unnecessary. I personally can't fathom how the phrase "you are my all in all" would be meaningless. It certainly means a lot in my heart when I sing it. But, once again, culture... :) And "Seeking You as a precious jewel... Lord to give up I'd be a fool" being "gag-making", how about reading Proverbs 2:1-8?

I am a songwriter (but not prolific!), and I applaud those who build both depth of expression and depth of rich truth into songs they write. But we must expect that the songs we sing will all fall somewhere in that spectrum, and not all exactly in the middle. It is what we do with the songs, how we arrange a worship service, how we use songs over months and years, that matters more. Individual songs are like pieces of a larger rich and beautiful puzzle - like a collage.

Anyhow, it is what is going on in your heart that matters. And praise music is not necessarily an acquired taste. I've really connected with praise music for years and years as I found it expressed a lot of things I wanted to say to God. And that's coming from someone who is very much an intellectual!

13. Lewis said the following at 10:46 PM on Jul 3:

We Evangelical Christians tend to like C.S. Lewis and quote him a lot for whatever situation. I think it was because he was super smart. I'll quote him now.

I like C.S. Lewis' statements on books (from the introduction of On the Incarnation by Athanasius), in light of this issue. I think that it applies very well to music as well (just substitute the word as you're reading it):

"A new book is still on trial and the amateur is not in a position to judge it. It has to be tested against the great body of Christian thought down the ages, and all its hidden implications (often unsuspected by the author himself) have to be brought to light. Such a standard can only be acquired from old books. It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between...

"Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books. All contemporary writers share to some extent the same contemporary outlook - even those, like myself, who seem most opposed to it... None of us can fully escape this blindness, but we shall certainly increase it, and weaken our guard against it, if we read only modern books. Where they are true they will give us truths which we half knew already. Where they are false, they will aggravate the error with which we are already dangerously ill. The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books. Not, of course, that there is any magic about the past. People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes. They will not flatter us in the errors we are already committing; and their own errors, being now open and palpable, will not endanger us. Two heads are better than one, not because either is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same direction."

14. Dan said the following at 10:58 PM on Jul 3:

hmm seems to me there was another argument that reminds me of this one one that C.S. Lewis said should never be argued in front of non beleivers (calvanism vs armenianism). It's one thing that really turns off non-beleivers if all they see is a bunch of people arguing there are simple ways to fix it (for example two services same message just worship band leads one and chior leads the other). It's just like the calvanism armenianism debate I see constantly and what i hear back is "why would I want to have fellowship with a group of people that are fighting? I fight enough battles in my own life.." There are simple ways of fixing it and if not that then thats why there are other churches (no offense but a church is a community that should be of one accord in loving each other supremely and if something bugs you that bad maybe it's not the community your meant to be in)

15. Charles H. said the following at 11:02 PM on Jul 3:

Oxanna: Thank you! I went to one very New School church one Sunday, and I was blown away by the decibel levels. I'm a music and home theater fan who loves loud music, and it was STILL too loud for me. I can't imagine what the gray-haired couple in the row ahead of me was thinking. My thoughts certainly weren't on God at that point.

16. BDB said the following at 11:43 PM on Jul 3:

How ironic. I was having this discussion with someone just a week or so ago. I suggested that switching from a liturgical tradition to an Evangelical praise band would probably take about three years to get used to. Maybe a year or two to get used to the clapping...

I did attend a Christian Management Association conference once where all the general sessions were opened with hymns, some admittedly up-tempo. There were a lot of us who grew up in liturgical traditions and missed the "meat" of a good hymn.

I've also noticed that when my church does Christmas carols in late December, people sing much louder because they know the tune. At least hymnals have the music in them so you know what you're supposed to sing. Some of us can read music, even if we've never had voice lessons!

17. Kirby said the following at 12:21 AM on Jul 4:

I think that on occasion praise songs are actually more difficult to sing than hyms, especially to people not used to modern music. Hyms have a steady rythm, but praise songs can be much more emotional and unpredictable. My worship pastor likes to add to the issue by having just men sing or just women, or just the worship team. It's actually odd that he wants to make our music more fancy since he also outlawed proffessional musicians because they would "take our minds off God." I am not sure if other people take this mentality toward praise songs, though.

18. nikki said the following at 12:25 AM on Jul 4:

I appreciate the older hymns for the same reasons I appreciate other good music: because it actually took talent and effort to write it.

Whatever your view on music in the church, though, I agree that this must not divide us. I am sickened at the thought of having two separate services because people in the body of Christ simply cannot get along with each other in such a simple area. What's next, a service with white curtains and one with blue?? Each generation (if that is how we will generalize here) needs to compromise for the sake of unity in the body. Not everyone will like every song, but who said you were entitled to?

Now I haven't been to every church, so someone can correct me if need be. BUT, I have never seen services divided for any other issue except the issue of music. You just don't see it. It's a really unfortunate reflection on the older and the younger that both would rather cling to their own preferences and habits than worship with the larger body.

Whenever I hear of a church doing both a "contemporary" service and a "traditional" one, it screams immaturity and inability to get along like reasonable adults. Let alone Christians.

19. Mike Theemling said the following at 1:00 AM on Jul 4:

Interesting topic.

First of all, I don't think that we ought to dismiss or minimize the role of music as a way to get "in the mood" for worship or hearing a message. Music does have very real and tangible benefits. For one, it's often easier to remember things if put to song (that's why many children's programs have songs in them). Second, it often can relieve tension make us feel "good". The fact that the Bible has many songs recorded in it (and not just in Psalms) which were meant to be played with music affirms that melody with words is a positive thing. It's true that part of music is "experiential", but there is nothing inherently wrong with that.

The tensions that often creep up in modern churchs come in two main varieties. One, is the controversy over the style of music. Pop, country, rock, you name it. I don't think any style is particularly "sinful" simply because as noted by earlier postings, the church has always been suspicious of what mainstream society liked at the time. In fact, such judgements were often motivated by non-theological reasons. For example, in Africa during the big missionary push years many missionaries insisted that native Africans lay down their own instruments and use an organ for music because "all churches had organs in them" (it was also because of the association between pagan music and the instruments commonly used). To cite another example, in America during the 1800's there was a group of Christians who thought instruments in general were "bad" and it was better to sing acapula. Turns out this was just a coping mechanism because the said group couldn't afford many of the instruments their Christian neighbors used so came up with this convenient justification. So no music, even rock music, should be considered "evil" just on style alone.

The second issue is what the song's lyrics are, or the "message" the song brings. An often heard complaint today is that too many contemporary songs are too "self" orientated and not "God" orientated. I understand their point but do not believe that most modern Christian songs are narcissitic. It could be simply that certain songs EMPHASIZE different aspects of God. Some may emphasize His blessings. Some His past deeds and actions. Interesting that in the Psalms themselves different Psalms had different themes. Some were blatently songs of petitions asking God to punish evildoers and to show blessings to those who follow Him (or at least included them in the lyrics). So I don't think that one can legitimately say the lyrics in one song is superior than another if both are doctrinally sound and more importantly, sung from the heart. To criticize one for being "trite", "shallow", etc. is not bringing unity to the Body.

Finally I'll say that musical choices are not a big for me personally. Piano, drums, chorus, it's all good. Nor am I particularly hung up over "older" songs or contemporary ones. I like songs from each era. Some for the words. Some for the melody. Some for both. I think that skipping out on part of worship just to miss music is not a good thing. One is missing out on either a lot of rich musical/cultural history or how God uses modern day artists.

That's my take. Would like to hear from those who actually work in music ministry within the church itself though. I'm sure their insights would be very interesting indeed.

20. Armen said the following at 1:53 AM on Jul 4:

Although I may just not have found it yet, I'm wondering do any churches that sing shallow, repetitive choruses ever sing the psalms? There must be some surely, but I've never heard of any.

I despise the thought that people could walk past a church, and they wouldn't know whether it was a worship service, or a rock concert. I may be wrong, and I would love God to show me if I am, but I find it abominable. However, I do show love to brethren who don't see it as I do.

Would to God there was more singing of "Great God of wonders...", "Immortal, invisible, God only wise...", and "Oh Christ what burderns bowed thy head...".

21. Constance said the following at 2:39 AM on Jul 4:

"Is it possible to acquire a taste for things we consider trite?"

No. And you shouldn't. But what's trite to you may be profound to someone else.

Example: A mentally disabled person expressing his love for Jesus using the words and images meaningful to him. That man's use of simple imagery may glorify God infinitely more than your eloquent treatise-on-the-incarnation-turned-into-a-hymn.

Who's to say, if that man were gifted with your mind and your opportunities, that he would not write more profound and beautiful music (that connected people to God) than you ever would because of your judgmental and condemning heart?

***
Note: this comment not directed to Motte or any particular individual, but a general "you".

22. JRS said the following at 6:15 AM on Jul 4:

I reckon you can have your cake and eat it as well. Here in Australia (the non-Hillsong bits anyway) the latest thing is to set some of the best hymns to the best (latest) music. Ruth Buchannan's version of "Rock of Ages" blows me away. You want emotion try "Take my life" to a modern tune! Some of the modern hymns are aresome as well - Stuart Townsend is pumping them out.

A freind of mine was talking to some of his non-christian friends and the topic of church music came up. This bunch of twenty somethings all agreed that not enough hymns are sung in church. They said that they really enjoyed singing hymns. It is true that most footy songs are based on hymns as are national anthems etc. They are good to sing in a group. The point I wanted to make though is that this is not about what style we might like or not. It should really be about what will connect with all the non-christians who turn up to church.

23. Matt said the following at 9:23 AM on Jul 4:

As a musician, I've been "in" this debate for nearly 20 years, and I can see both sides. As a younger Christian, I wanted the "new" songs because they were more in tune with my musical tastes. As a I grew, I found myself leaning toward more toward older hymns for their lyrical content. I can appreciate both sides. I don't feel that there is anything wrong with either, as long as God is glorified and we are not.

Much of "contemporary Christian" music has been co-opted into the church as worship, when it is most definitely not. Just because someone is a Christian does not mean anything they write is to be used in worship. I think many churches make this mistake.

I attend a decidedly non-traditional church which would be labeled "contemporary" in musical style. We blend in old hymns as well, with "updated" arrangements. Our mens Bible study group absolutely love to sing "Come Thou Fount" right beside Charlie Hall's "Center."

For me personally, I had a deeper issue with surrender, with raising my hands in worship. I found that with a hymnal in hand and a mind focused on reading notes and lyrics, I rarely tended to focus on God. In our church, with the "simple" words on a screen, I found myself confronted with God's awesomeness, and my depravity. The only response was humility.

I hope this makes sense. I hate that these things divide so many. We should ALL be able to worship God, irregardless of the musical style. He is the One we worship!

24. Jamie Morton said the following at 10:22 AM on Jul 4:

I agree with Constance. To accept trite art as quality art is to lower our standards to a level that would never be acceptable outside of the church.

Here's what's really at stake: I would distinguish between two types of secular music. There's music that artists make because they love it and care about it. That is art. Then there's music that is produced because it's popular and sells. That's pop. The problem with a lot of contemporary Christian music is that it's not art; it's pop. We (for some reason) got the idea that our church services require music. So people write music in the hopes of making it as a Christian "worship" leader.

We need to hold our Christian "artists" to a higher standard. And part of that means expecting a level of craftmanship and care in their artmaking that reflects the craftmanship and care of God as Creator. To simply throw together some rhyming phrases over a I IV V chord progression is making a mockery of God's modeling creation.

I would reference "Indescribable" as an example of craftsmanship in song: "From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring" is a beautiful, poetic, evocative line.

25. Katie M. said the following at 11:22 AM on Jul 4:

It's really easy to critique not only the style of music but the musical ability of those leading it. I've been convicted that I have approached musical worship of God the way I approach the radio or my CD collection -- as though it's about what I want. But then I am the true offender, caring more about my own tastes than heaping glory on the name of God. Over and over, I am reminded that if the body is worshipping in spirit and in truth, then I dare not oppose it, no matter the style or caliber. And why would I ever want to miss an opportunity to join in true praise?

As for the "All in all" song -- one of the most intellectually gifted of my friends converted from atheist to child of God during that song at a concert in high school. Someone had been telling her about Jesus for some time, and after several years, it was during that song that she surrendered. There can be profundity in simplicity.

26. Dr. Acula said the following at 12:05 PM on Jul 4:

Love the post, since, contrary to what Sara says, I'm not sure I could hate 'praise' music much more than I do (give me sermon any day!). But I won't dwell on that.

I'm more interested in - what is the *purpose* of 'praise' music in the first place? What is it supposed to 'do'? It doesn't do anything for me, that's for sure; singing a bunch of meaningless lyrics that I don't identify with off of a screen is about as pointless as it gets, it seems to me.

27. Laura said the following at 1:48 PM on Jul 4:

Oh, brother. Every time this topic arises, someone's feelings get hurt.

A simple love song to our savior is great occasionally -- it's like a donut, or like champagne. But if all we ate was donuts or all we drank was champagne, we would be undernourished, right? (And possibly obese and hammered.) Those songs are sweet and easy to sing, but they shouldn't make up the majority of our worship diet.

We should all be warned by the observation (variously attributed to Luther, Gordon Fee, and Graham Kendrick): "Sing me your songs and I'll tell you your theology."

A hymn is not a praise song -- it's an instruction in praise, an effort at spiritual formation. Even those hymns that address God directly are also teaching us, the singers, HOW to praise God and WHY to praise God.

Dr. Acula: Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, Romans 15:9, Psalm 149:3, 1 Chronicles 16:9 and 23, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 33:1, Psalm 95:1.

And Luther said: "I wish to see all arts, principally music, in the service of Him who gave and created them.... I am strongly persuaded that after theology, there is no art which can be placed on a level with music, for besides theology, music is the only art capable of affording peace and joy of heart. The devil flees at the sound of music almost as much as at the Word of God."

28. DanL said the following at 2:27 PM on Jul 4:

I’m really sick of the all the conflict that music debates generate. I’m honestly at the point where I would prefer that my church not have any music during its services. Yes, I realize that we are commanded to sing our praises to the Lord, but this can be done outside of Sunday morning worship, and frankly I think the lack of peace caused by having music in church is a greater sin than the neglecting the sing praises regularly. At any rate I don’t see how not having music in church is any worse than having everyone come late to avoid the music, which is what Lawrence Henry (and several other commenters over at World Magazine Blog) seem to recommend. In that case you are not only not singing, but are being disruptive (I’ve always wondered how that worked anyway, since most of the churches I’ve attended have the music scattered throughout the service, not all at the beginning).

Several years ago, my church decided to add one or two contemporary songs to our Sunday worship service, in addition to the three hymns (one always based on a Psalm) we always sing. Several families left the church over this. One elder in particular, simply disappeared after this decision was made. The others elders tried to contact him, but he refused to speak to him and wouldn’t return their calls and was eventually disciplined. I prefer hymns myself, but when we are still singing them, I can’t see getting so worked up over it. Part of me wishes my church didn’t change to avoid all the controversy, but part of we says that if these people insist on being so childish, then good riddance.

It actually been a long time since I’ve been able to enjoy any music, and not only because of this. We also have a small but vocal minority around here that insists it is only proper to sing the Psalms (and only a cappella). I can respect that position, but disagree and anyway our church has decided not to do that, but this group won’t accept that. I have an even bigger problem with the degree my church focuses on the technical merit of all the music being played. I can understand wanting to give God our best, but my church takes this to a bit of an extreme. The choir is by audition only, and hear pretty hard to get into, but yet they complain that it isn’t large enough. I suggested once they do more to teach the people that they are turning away, but I was told that that “wasn’t the job of the Church.” We also pay a sizeable fortunate to for a group of professional musicians (we have a small brass section most Sundays), but yet they can’t find room in the budget for a youth pastor. Even as a simple church member, who doesn’t do anything with any music ministries, I’m regularly made to feel uncomfortable for not being able to read music. I would gladly learn if anyone would teach me though.

I worry about what the long term effect of this will be. When my dad was growing up we went to a church where if the pastor wasn’t happy with congregation on a particular hymns, they sang it over and over and over again until they got it right. I can’t say how much was due to that, but we never listened to any music in my house growing up and my father would regularly express his dislike of it. Even now, I hardly ever listen to any music, even the radio, and don’t own a single CD. I started to get into music in college at both my church there and IVCF (witch both sang a mix of hymns and contemporary). But know that I’ve graduated and seen all the mess at my current church, I kind of don’t want to have anything to do with music anymore.

29. Lue-Yee said the following at 3:32 PM on Jul 4:

"Now I haven't been to every church, so someone can correct me if need be. BUT, I have never seen services divided for any other issue except the issue of music. You just don't see it. It's a really unfortunate reflection on the older and the younger that both would rather cling to their own preferences and habits than worship with the larger body."

In Chinese churches in the U.S. it seems services are usually divided instead by language or service time, especially in relatively large churches without an extremely large sanctuary. Some churches have five or more services.

"I know that the times that I have worshipped the Lord the most sincerely using a hymn were times I was not even singing or playing the hymn -- I was simply reading it!"

I've heard hymns and worship songs have a different cognitive effect when read than when sung. Both have their own benefits.

30. xeres said the following at 4:28 PM on Jul 4:

DanL, whats wrong with music and the Arts? Should we just tell people to never get involve with any creative ever? Should we just start discouraging Christians to explore the arts, especially music? If that is propose as the solution to deal with issues like this in regarding to the Arts, then we are pathetic. I know so many Christians who feel like they have to choose between art and God. That's not right at all.

31. Nora said the following at 5:26 PM on Jul 4:

I think that Lawrence Henry was slightly mistaken in his critique of "All in all". He says that the line "you are my all in all" does not mean anything. But it means that God is sufficient, He is enough. It's just another wording of it, and I believe that we have substantial support for that idea of God being sufficient, and being our all, our everything.

He misquotes the two lines that state "Seeking You as a precious jewel, Lord to give up I'd be a fool". Lawrence quoted that second line as saying "to give You up" but that changes the whole context of the line. What it is saying that in seeking the Lord we would be a fool to give up that search, because He is so valuable. It is not talking about giving Him up, but about giving up the search for a deeper relationship with Him.

Music changes with the years, with the culture, with the people and how they were raised and what they have experienced. I have personally written some poems of praise, which may not be very good, but they are praise. Some things i have written have been so horribly put together that i would be embarrassed to have them published anywhere but my notebook, ans sometimes that is embarrassing enough. However, i would not start to criticize another persons lyric without first making sure i had them in the proper order, and did not misquote them.

I guess my point would be that i think that if a person is able to praise God when listening or singing along with the praise songs that we have in modern "praise and worship" times, then let us count that as a good thing. The music of the early Christians probably sounded a whole lot different than either our hymns or praise songs of the generally modern times.

I also do not hold hymns in a higher light than i do praise and worship music. The hymns were a common thing back in the day... praise and worship is a common thing now. Both are focused on giving glory to God... or at least they should be. And is that not what we are here to do?

You are my strength when I am weak,
You are the treasure that I seek,
You are my all in all.
Seeking You as a precious jewel,
Lord to give up I'd be a fool,
You are my all in all.

Jesus, Lamb of God -- worthy is Your name.
Jesus, Lamb of God -- worthy is Your name.

First, note that the key phrase, the supposed theme, "You are my all in all," means really nothing. It's a piece of pop endearment. Triteness follows upon triteness, "treasure that I seek," "precious jewel," and so on, with "Lord to give you up I'd be a fool" almost literally gag-making. The chorus has nothing to do with the verses.

32. Oxanna said the following at 5:31 PM on Jul 4:

nikki said: "BUT, I have never seen services divided for any other issue except the issue of music."

Well, often large churches (and even smaller ones) have several services with the same music style, sermon, etc. One reason is time (early vs. late service), another is fitting everyone into the facility!

For my part, I've never seen a Sunday service divided by musical style! :)

33. Kelly said the following at 8:12 PM on Jul 4:

I confess - I'm always deliberately 45 minutes late to church, so that I miss most of the singing.

The songs are okay, but :
- It often seems "cultish", people raising their hands, eyes closed, swaying - is it worship or a cheap way of getting a spiritual high?
- I don't like the endless repetition, making one song last 10 mins. My mind wanders. Far. (I know, I should focus on prayer, but with the drums it's a bit distracting!)

I find my relationship with God is deepend through the (spoken) message of the service rather than repeating phrases over and over - REGARDLESS of the musical style.

34. Scott said the following at 8:21 PM on Jul 4:

Since there's some Calvinists here, I'm going to provide an interesting recommendations for you to pursue the depth of historic Reformed/Calvinistic thought beyond TULIP on the subject of worship.

Recovering Mother Kirk by D.G. Hart is something to check out on historic Reformed worship and its radically distinctive viewpoint. Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/yvw2jl

As for my views, I fall into a very different category that what is not directly commanded in Scripture for corporate worship is forbidden in corporate worship - but that's a huge can of worms :)

35. Jo said the following at 3:18 AM on Jul 5:

Well, I'm a singer and a very musical person, so I can sympathise with those who find it difficult not to critique worship music by their normal musical standards. The 'fool' line is a sacrificial rhyme if ever I heard one!

However, I attend a small church with an ageing and not overly gifted (musically) worship team, and I find I actually prefer it in a lot of ways. When I go to other churches where the music is 'better', I have to stop myself getting carried away with the music and the fact that I just love singing. At my own church - as sarcastic as it may seem to say it - I don't have that problem, because the music isn't great. It helps me to focus and to be aware that I'm singing to worship God, not for pure enjoyment.

As for paying professional musicians to play on a Sunday morning - wow. I've never heard of that before (I'm just a simple British girl...) and it seems to me a crazy idea. Does this happen a lot?

36. Jacob said the following at 7:53 AM on Jul 5:

I generally dislike praise choruses, although "You are My All in All" I actually like. The main reason for my aversion is that I am just standing, trying to sing lyrics with virtually no tune, over and over. Just chanting "O God you are holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy." repeatedly lets my mind wander. Singing "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing..." I can both learn learn, praise, and admire the artistry, while keeping my mind focused.
I am occasionaly tempted to want to come late also, but I don't since it would be impolite, and I enjoy visiting before the service. I don't have a lot of choice in the matter anyways, not having a car.

I might get used to the choruses one of these days, but I will always prefer old hymns.

37. Armen said the following at 7:58 AM on Jul 5:

Kelly,

I am hearing you. I went to a pentecostal church with a completely open mind, looking for a blessing. I didn't want to go in with preconceived ideas which would hinder a blessing.
What I observed is ironic. Much of the pentecostal worship show, has been put together to try and get away from liturgical, reformed ways.
What I observed was, the putting up of hands, the repetitive singing, and the closing of eyes was entirely habitual, and not something moved by the Spirit. I didn't get anything out of it either.

Scott,

Ha...are you poking at the Regulative Principle? Maybe even the fact that instruments are part of OT worship only? I must admit, the argument that instruments ought not to be used in worship is a very strong one. (If someone replies to this, with the attitude that no instruments in public worship is crazy, then I'll know for sure they've never properly looked into it).

38. Scott said the following at 9:42 AM on Jul 5:

Yes, Armen, I am referring to the Regulative Principle of Worship. It's nice to see another RPWer in this discussion.

For my part, I think unispired hymnody (hymns AND praise songs) are more of the problem than instrumentation, between the two issues and the RPW. One is more serious than the other.

I'm not 100% sure about going all the way to a cappella exclusive psalmody at this point, with my understanding of the RPW, but I'm very close to fully adopting it.

The Puritanboard has great resources on this issue for those with morbid curiosity: http://www.puritanboard.com. Specifically on RPW and Reformed Worship issues, here is A Puritan's Mind: http://tinyurl.com/ypfzb4

39. Bo said the following at 10:47 AM on Jul 5:

As a singer and pianist who has been active in many praise teams and choirs, I can say that I love many praise songs but tend to go back to the meaty hymns.

I also agree that it's a heart issue and we need to make sure that our focus is on Christ when we are worshipping through music.

That said, I confess that my biggest distraction is when my church does contemporary songs--they are almost all from the 80s--not really contemporary at all! Argh.

There seems to be something sustaining in a lot of the older hymns. I can't think of one that I get sick of singing, while I am tempted to walk out of church every time I hear the beginning of "Shine, Jesus, Shine" or "Awesome God".

40. Susan said the following at 11:38 AM on Jul 5:

Going back to the author of the song, Dennis Jernigan, as a reader brought up a few days ago - say what you want about praise songs, but it's difficult to label a song by Dennis Jernigan as "trite." Not all of his music is necessarily my style, but his testimony of being delivered from a homosexual lifestyle has been what has produced most of his writing.

I've been in two worship sessions led by him, and the depth of his worship is astounding. He does not give concerts, he truly ministers to those in the audience and leads them in worship singing the words God has given him. I have not really seen any other singer/songwriter like him.

There's a lot of "praise" songs that I probably wouldn't choose to sing on a Sunday morning, but making broad statements about praise music in general is poor judgment and assumes the authors of these songs are wasting their time and talent God has given them. Who are we to say, simply because it seems a simple song to us, that God has not used it to transform lives?

41. Armen said the following at 11:59 AM on Jul 5:

Scott,

I actually sing psalms and the old hymns, accompanied by a piano, organ, or both. However, I have looked into a more 'reformed' way, and if anything, I'd say the argument against instruments seems to hold more weight than the argument against hymns.
If I was completely honest, it might be one area where I'd be a little afraid to really seek God about, because if God really convicted me that instruments and/or hymns were wrong, I really don't know where I'd worship!
It's a tough one.

42. Greg said the following at 2:08 PM on Jul 5:

Susan - I agree with you re. Dennis Jernigan. I actually prefer some of his older stuff a bit more than his newer songs; the older songs aren't as "modern" in style, but he seems to have moved more towards exhortation in music in recent years than worship in music. Still a lot of good stuff there though :)

Armen, Scott - I basically understand the idea behind RPW, but think that it is an example of a doctrine that is not "either-or" in nature -- rather there is a continuum of positions. There are lots of aspects of worship that even the most "serious" of RPW'ers practice that aren't directly commanded in scripture. Sola Scriptura, of course yes, but even if one is in the RPW camp and not the normative camp, one has to decide what facets of worship are governed by RPW and what are not. If one thinks about it enough, there has to be a line there somewhere :) My personal belief is that with some doctrines like RPW, at some point the application of the doctrine becomes more "scripture + intellectualism", which of course goes against the sola scriptura principle to begin with :)

As one who occasionally leads worship, I sometimes find myself having to "explain" a song, to make sure people understand what they are singing in the light of scripture. One example is Reuben Morgan's You Said. The chorus begins: "You said, 'ask and I'll give the nations to you,' Oh Lord, that's the cry of my heart". That's a more or less direct quote from Psalm 2, but in that verse God the Father is speaking to Christ the Son, not to us directly. To sing the song properly in the context of scripture, we need to recognize that in singing "Lord, we ask for the nations", we aren't asking for the nations for ourselves (duh), but as the Body of Christ on this earth on behalf of our Lord, in recognition of what the context in Psalm 2 really is :) I know, it is a bit nit-picking, and I really like a lot of Reuben Morgan's songwriting, but occasionally I do have a quibble about a praise song (or hymn)!

43. Elena said the following at 3:27 PM on Jul 5:

Greg: That sounds like a good thing, actually--->to delve into the lyrics. In literary circles, that's called explicating a poem—mining the poem for its meanings and then showing how words, phrases, and lines create those meanings or point to those meanings. Makes for a richer experience in reading and appreciating.

Such an explication of the hymn's or song's text can itself be worship... especially when done to edify the body of Christ. And the explication can be woven into the worship service such that the presentation isn't awkward and jarring.

I think this is the intellectual workout that so many churches are lacking. They think that to do so would be too taxing upon people's energies and more challenging than the audience can grasp.

But indeed, as we must wean children off of milk and introduce soft and then solid foods to them, we must do the same with growing Christians and spiritual food.

Sometimes the problem with hymns or other songs of worship/praise is that the tune of a song of praise to God doesn't adeptly express the same tone as the lyrics do. Sometimes the tune is apt, but the lyrics are faulty or merely flaccid.

Then there are those songs which harmoniously combine words and tune to create that wondrous whole--->art.

Why are some of the hymns richer? Because their lyrics are actually poems that are better written than the ones we have today! (And because the word choices and the syntax are a bit more unfamiliar to us---we have to work harder to understand them and appreciate them. Thus, they have more value to us.)

When a song is excellently crafted and when it is played and sung with a heart drawing near to God, then it is the entire package of a high-quality offering.

44. DanL said the following at 4:35 PM on Jul 5:

Xeres,
I think you misread my post (you made me reread mine, to make sure I didn’t say something other than what I thought I did). I don’t see where I say anything at all suggesting anything was wrong music and the arts. What I have a problem was way people fight over what and how music should be performed on Sunday morning. I even mentioned that we were commanded to sing praises to our Lord. I did say the fights over music in my church were harming my ability to enjoy music elsewhere but I presented this as a bad thing (that’s what the “I worry” in my last paragraph was supposed to signify). By all means let us have Christians active in the arts, but let us deal with out disputes about them civilly (and having an elder get mad and run off never to be heard from again is not acting civilly).

Your last sentence about knowing Christians who feel they must choose between art and God really has me puzzled. In my neck of the woods, is seems that all churches talk about are the arts. It’s the scientists and the engineers around here who wonder if they have any place in the church.

45. xeres said the following at 5:19 PM on Jul 5:

DanL, thank you for your reply. Now I understand what what you mean. I hope I didn't make you go on a guilt trip. You did have some good points. I guess I just got worked up becuase the Church in general even up to now isn't willing to fully give the Arts a chance as a vessal for God's glory. True, there's more dicussion about, way more than it used to be. Thats a good sign in the right direction for now. However, it's really more half-hearted. They talk a lot but they spend more time being critics without providing legitimate alteratives at times. When they do, however, it's more sub-culture rather than counter-culture at times. A lot of Christian folk are artists often don't really have the Church openly celebrating their calling as artists and the blessings they have receive from God. In others, the Chruch is extremely schizophrenic in the most negative fashoin you can ever think of. It is not just the artist folk who experience this schizophrenia. A lot of science folk and academic folk, as you mentioned, often face the same problem, if not worse thanks to the current anti-intellectualism which is appearing in the many Christian circles in result of fighting fervorly against moral relativism and post-modernism. DanL, you're right. The Arts have it a little easier nowadays since there's more people avdocating for it and we are living in the media-obsessed culture but the relationship between the Arts and the church is extremely schizophrenic to say the most.

46. Jen said the following at 6:43 PM on Jul 5:

Lots of good insight here, and interesting discussion... :)

This topic is close to home because my church has intense followers for either the one side (hymns) or the other (choruses.) Our service alternates between the two weekly. It is sad to see a subject that is so divisive, and I honestly can see the point for both sides.

The quote from Henry -
"...the key phrase, the supposed theme, "You are my all in all," means really nothing. It's a piece of pop endearment."

This is taken from a Bible verse:
"Christ is all, and is in all."
-Colossians 3:11b
May He always be our all in all.

Armen -
"I must admit, the argument that instruments ought not to be used in worship is a very strong one. (If someone replies to this, with the attitude that no instruments in public worship is crazy, then I'll know for sure they've never properly looked into it)."

Armen, it looks like you have studied this subject, and you are acting in obedience to Him to study for confidence in what you believe. However, when I think of the debate of instruments/no instruments I have to read Psalm 150, along with the many other scriptural passages where it speaks of praising Him with musical instruments!

Katie M. said:
"But then I am the true offender, caring more about my own tastes than heaping glory on the name of God."

Well said. May He always be glorified in our worship, and may our personal tastes always be deflectable to His praise! For His glory... our purpose whether in instrumental, accapella, hymns, choruses, and all worship.

A favorite verse of mine...

"What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also."
- 1 Corinthians 14:15

May His greatness always inspire us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. To the Lord be all glory!

47. Armen said the following at 11:49 PM on Jul 5:

Jen,

I'll be completely honest, I haven't deeply studied the subject, but I have looked into it in a way some aren't even aware of.
Put simply, Psalm 150, or any other OT passage cannot really be used to reconcile our need to use instruments. As John Calvin said, if you're going to use instruments because they were used in the OT, then it's time you brought out the Laver, Shewbread, Altar, etc.

48. Leah said the following at 2:27 AM on Jul 6:

Hymns, praise and worship music all have a place. If you don't like it, that's your personal opinion and you shouldn't press it on others. As long as it is God-honouring and not me-honouring, that is all that matters.

On a personal note, I think Stuart Townend is AWESOME. (If you ever get the chance, listen to "In Christ Alone" to the bagpipes.) Graham Kendrick and Matt Redman are both awesome music writers too.

49. Stephanie said the following at 9:10 PM on Jul 7:

I write songs, so this topic is especially interesting to me. :-)

Taste in music varies so much based on age, culture, and individual. The kind of music that is truly honoring God is whatever kind YOU can sincerely worship him with and whatever kind makes you love Jesus more.

You probably can't worship to African drumming, or Eastern Orthodox chant sung in Coptic or Aramaic -- but to an African or an Arab that is how they worship Jesus! That is sincere, from their hearts.

Some lyrics are better than others, and some songwriters are better than others, but no lyrics are trite if you sing them to God from your heart and sincerely mean them. ;-) On the flip side of "trite" worship songs is the fact that many hymns are written in archaic English that is completely unnatural to the modern worshipper and may be anywhere from dated and hard to understand to incomprehensible.

Basically, it's all about the heart and the worshipper loving Jesus. That's my opinion. Don't make fun of me, but personally I like old worship songs from the 70's, 80's, and early 90's. They're simply worded with good solid tunes and they have energy. I do like a lot of hymns, too, as long as the words aren't too flowery or archaic. I like some modern songs, but I find the style not "tuney" enough for my taste. ;-)

In my own songs, I love setting scriptures to music -- that way no one can criticize my lyrics for being trite. :-D When I do write my own words I like to have 3 verses and a chorus -- enough words to be interesting but not too many to drown people in them. I try to go for "profound simplicity" ... In my opinion music is a time to worship with your heart, not twist up your mind trying to be complex and intellectual.

50. Felicia said the following at 7:25 PM on Jul 8:

Since I did not read all of the comments, this may have already been said, but I want to say it anyway. I believe any worship music can have it's faults. Isn't the point of worship to honor and glorify God? This can specifically be said of music here as is the discussion. Yes, it's important to be discerning of what you sing to God, but ultimately isn't He looking at your heart? I have recently been convicted of wanting a worship 'experience' with a certain way of playing and certain songs. God reminded me that first of all worship is not about me and second of all that He can meet me in any context He so chooses and during any style of worship music. Let's not get too caught up in exactly what we are singing (though of course there are lines to be drawn or else we would sing mindless babble) and more focused on who we are singing to and why. Some food for thought anyway.

51. Andrienne said the following at 3:36 PM on Jul 10:

Wow!

It's amazing, just looking through all of the posts, the crazy diversity in the Christian church. Some prefer no music, old music, relatively new music, rock music...

DanL, as the daughter of a Christian musician, your original post is one of the saddest things I've heard this whole week (I'm serious). I'm so sorry you've had such an experience, and I do pray that one day you'll be able to enjoy music again.

I am a third generation pentecostal, and for each generation, at least one person has been involved in the music ministry. My grandmother sang, my father is a minister of music, my sister plays for a local Christian music group, and I lead worship for my Bible studies. It's funny, though - not one generation has agreed completely on what music style is acceptable. I love rock, my Dad loves African-American stuff (I do too, but I love rock as well), and my grandma was a stickler for old hymns.

I suppose you'd say that my biological family looks a lot like the family of God right here on this message board. We each have different preferences and convictions, but it doesn't really matter. Whatever style of music accommodates it best, our hearts and minds need to be on God in those times. Also, as long as we realize that although we don't worship together (probably because of our differences in tastes), we are still one family under God our Father.

52. Try Mercy said the following at 11:23 PM on Jul 10:

Just a reminder that Lucifer was once in charge of all the music in Heaven. The big issue of Praise and Worship got him kicked out. He wanted to be the One praised and worshipped.

As long as we keep in mind that that was a big issue, is a big issue, and will probably always be a big issue, we can keep our perspective...IF we remember it is not all about us. We are called to serve. We are to consider others as we would consider ourselves...1) What matters most to God? What most blesses God? Is it Scripture in song or our most genuine "new song" that He asks us to bring? or all of the above? 2)what does the lost visitor in church next to us need to hear us say about our God? Does it even sound like we mean it when we sing it? 3) What do we need to remind ourselves and each other about God and the Christian walk? Praise does this. We should be smart enough as a group of Christians aka church to figure out how to get the great hymns and the rockin' choruses into one church service. Give everyone the music they crave. (The guy who wants no music can turn up late if he wants. lol It's his life!) But, remember it's not about us...we should primarily concern ourselves with BLESSING GOD!!

I've heard it said that Praise music is for us...it reminds you and me that God is with us through these storms. Worship music is for God...it is where we turn our attention from ourselves to God and give Him the adoration, the honor, the exalting that He deserves.

But, what I hope you see me saying more than anything else goes along with what Adrienne said, "we are still one family under God our Father." We are the Bride of Christ. Let us behave with graciousness toward our fellow siblings in Christ when they want a different type, style, sound, volume, color, flavor, etc. of music. But, mostly let's BLESS GOD!!

Try Mercy
Because His mercy will change your life!

53. David said the following at 10:49 AM on Jul 11:

As one can see from reading this, the topic of music is a very touchy issue to a lot of people, as we all have our different preferences. So really when people are complaining about the music, they are being selfish. It is important to make sure that the songs we sing in church are praising and worshiping God, no matter what type of music, be it hymns or praise songs. God is the creator of music, and thus, all sorts of music can be used to praise the Creator. Satan has taken something good that God has created, and has used it for evil. This doesn't mean that we still can't use it for good. All this division over church music is sad, as what message is that sending to the world if we can't even get along over something as basic as music?

As for the "I"-worship songs, I think there needs to be a balance, as I think there is value in singing that "I will worship" or "I am free" as it makes the music personally meaningful. But on the same sense, we can't just focus on ourselves and must focus on God. I love the song "All in All" for this reason, as it has great balance. The verse is personal, but the chorus is complete praise to God - "Jesus, Lamb of God, Worthy is Your name." In fact, I think we will be singing that chorus for all of eternity.

Let's let music bring us together and closer to God, not divide His church.

In Christ,
David

54. John E said the following at 3:55 PM on May 26:

The great traditional hymns of the Methodist and other denominational hymnals have an almost magical power to uplift and to inspire, by appealing to heart, soul, and mind. We are treated to rich 4-part harmonies, pleasant melodies, poetic meter, scriptural lyrics which reach across the ages, and, budget permitting, the majesty of the "king of instruments," a pipe organ.

I am thoroughly modern and liberal in my theology, but there is nothing like a rousing rendition of a good traditional hymn (some of which were written in the 20th Century) to yank me back from the fringes of agnosticism, to feel the presence of that universal power, love, awareness, and intelligence we call "God."

I hate to think that we can recruit new church members and attendees only by dumbing down our music program, which would drive me to either a different church or the "church alumni association." Through the past several centuries, the church has helped to promote and to preserve our musical heritage, and I want it to help me pass this cherished and valuable heirloom to future generations.

55. Charles said the following at 12:50 PM on Dec 13:

Praise music is just another symptom of the dumbing down of America. Trite, shallow & easy to sing pop style crap -- religious pablum for the moronic masses. If you don't like to think too much or work too hard, praise music is perfect for you. I'm afraid that most people today have zero appreciation for sacred masterworks by composers such as Bach, Mozart, Mendlessohn, Faure, Brittain, Honneger, Rutter, Vaughn Williams, etc. It's too bad we are training ourselves and future generations to only appreciate that which is simplistic, selfish and vapid.

56. oldfashioned said the following at 4:43 PM on Dec 13:

I have been told in our church that the praise music is to reach the unchurched and baby Christians. I disagree with this. I don't consider praise music milk, more like water. How can you sing a love song to a God that you don't know or know what he He has done for you through His son Jesus? These praise songs describe Jesus as if He is a boyfriend. It kind of makes me uncomfortable. I can't see how baby Christians would get much from praise songs because none of the songs tell us what Christ has done. They lack depth, and I can't stand them.

Contributors

About Us

Relevant Boundless Articles

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL

Newer Post | Older Post