De at the Thinklings blog has a good post about that most popular of church pasttimes: bashing modern praise music. The next time you’re tempted to roll your eyes and critique a praise song that you think is shallow or meaningless, try setting your critiques aside for a moment and just focusing on worship. Obviously, we shouldn’t be singing heretical or otherwise faulty songs in our worship services, but if you’re spending more time mentally picking the praise song apart than you are actually praising God, you may need to lighten up.
Confession time: that Thinklings post really hit home for me. Maybe this isn’t a problem for a lot of you, but the temptation to play Snobby Church Music Critic is one I find myself facing almost every single Sunday. And over the last six months, I’ve found myself slowly coming to the same conclusion that De reaches in the above post.
You see, I love the use of music in church worship, and I have a special appreciation for the classic hymns of the historic church—I love the beautiful harmonies, the wonderful sound of the organ, the poetry of the lyrics. Unfortunately, the church I attend makes frequent use of two songbooks: one excellent hymnal that contains all of my beloved hymns of the faith, and another (a paperback!) that contains what I considered shallow, musically simplistic, “politically correct” (whatever that means), more modern (post-1960s) worship songs. It wasn’t that the songs in that dread paperback songbook were theologically incorrect or somehow inappropriate for a worship service; I just really didn’t like ‘em.
For a long time, I would cringe each time during the Sunday worship service that I had to haul out the Modern Praise Book; I’d roll my eyes at each repetitive chorus, and I’d ruthlessly document how much worse it was than my favorite hymns. I’d subject my wife to rambling diatribes about Modern Worship Music on the car ride home from church.
But at some point in the last year, I realized that I was spending more time snootily picking apart the songs than I was actually singing. And I realized that my overly critical attitude was completely distracting me from the act of worship. It’s hard to get much out of a Sunday sermon when you’re mentally agitated over the praise song used earlier in the service. That was a problem, and I knew deep inside that the problem was more with me than it was with the church’s choice of Sunday music.
Since that moment of realization, it’s been as if a weight were lifted off my shoulders—I still prefer good old-fashioned hymns, but I’m finding that it’s much more pleasant to just participate in worship than it is to sit back and continually critique it. My wife still has to put up with the occasional music-themed rant from me, but over the last few months I’ve even caught myself starting to appreciate some of the Modern Praise Songs I used to complain about. Who cares if the lyrics aren’t quite as clever or poetic as I would’ve preferred? I don’t think St. Peter is standing at the Pearly Gates handing out awards to the snarkiest church music critics.
All this to say: sometimes you just have to shut up and worship.
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July 2, 2007 at 18:53
hmm. i feel torn reading this—i am the Dir. of Devotional Arts at my church, and i confess this dilemma resonates with me. there are times (especially when i am ‘merely’ a worshipper rather than wearing my ‘pastor’ hat) that i find it’s difficult for me to turn off my ‘professional’ head—which tends toward the more critical, with high standards—and just be fully present in worship. however, i also believe there is a difference between being the snarkiest critic of music worship and having a healthy discernment about it. some worship music IS shallow, IS predictable, and frankly isn’t very good music! as such it isn’t as helpful a tool to guide our people into deep worship as it could be. some music worship, as one of my worship leaders puts it, ‘solves all the world’s problems by the bridge’, and therefore does not help our people, living in a difficult, broken world, to engage in authentic worship with the Most High God. as those who are called to awaken people to the presence of the Spirit, and help create an environment not only open to, but welcoming of, deep, authentic worship, it behooves us to do our best to choose music worship that is not simplistic (though it may be simple), and respects the reality of brokenness, the richness of faith and the intelligence of our congregations. never examining the music we choose is as much a mistake as over-critiquing. while i don’t believe we’ll ever get it exactly right, neither do i believe we should stop trying. we need to do our best to discern when we need to shut up and worship, and when it’s time to intentionally evaluate our choices and reasons for them. God, His people and His church deserve nothing less.
July 2, 2007 at 19:39
This hit home with me. I play the acoustic guitar in our church and I’m one of those “snooty church music critics”.
Thanks for posting. I’ll remember it the next time I’m tempted to complain…..
I like the “shut up and worship” motto!
July 2, 2007 at 19:53
I think we have all done this. And I agree with your conclusion of trying to enjoy it instead of criticizing it. After all, not everyone will be pleased with it. You can’t please everyone nowadays.
July 2, 2007 at 22:34
I don’t care for many of the modern worship songs either. It makes me think of the verse Matthew 6:7
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
When you sing a chorus no less than 5 or 6 times, I think it loses something. Maybe it’s the execution of the songs rather than the songs themselves. It just gets tedious when you’re trying to focus on God and the leader is having you sing the same thing over and over.
July 3, 2007 at 03:03
And here I thought I was the only one who felt like this. What drives me crazy is the sloppy wording of most modern church music. For example, this hymn by Andrae Crouch: “You’re my brother, you’re my sister; so take me by the hand…” Which gender does he think I am, exactly?
If enough of us feel this way, why is it that we have to “shut up and worship?” Why can’t we all just get together and stop some of this stuff from being rammed down our throats? I wish that there was some more vocal opposition to praise music. Right now, the consensus seems to be that 90% of the people attending church prefer the modern stuff—which I don’t think is true at all.
July 3, 2007 at 07:06
I used to be on my congregation’s worship team but after a period of conflict and tension on the team among the members and two leaders, I took a leave of absence that, since there has now been a change of leadership, I am not sure I can end (I have to be re-invited back onto the team). I’ve been on both sides of this debate, but I have a different perspective than most of the posters and readers will. I am Messianic Jewish, so the conflict is not about hymns vs. modern praise choruses but is more about liturgical worship using the prayer books and using older music (for us, that starts in the sixties) and music by veteran artists (Paul Wilbur and Joel Chernoff, for example) and using music by newer, younger artists and music from the CCM scene. The conflict for us is more about the Jewish-oriented music vs. CCM. I appreciate the CCM, but sometimes it seems that using the CCM is more catering to the crowd (we have a mixture of Jewish and non-Jewish congregants) than bringing depth to worship through lyrics and quality music (and sadly, some of the newer music – and even a little of the older music – seems that way) and even detracting from the Jewishness of the experience. Sure, the terminology can be adapted, but the real issue is what is the music we use really saying, about our identity and about our faith?
July 3, 2007 at 08:45
This is an interesting topic for me since I have a little of the “snobbery” from the other side. I prefer praise and worship songs to hymns. Both of my grandfathers were pastors and we often have discussions about this topic as they have seen their churches become more and more “contemporary” in music, much to their chagrin.
We had a conversation about the differences of the two recently. One of them said that modern praise and worship has so many lyrics that are just repeated that it makes it hard for him to get anything out of it. I pointed out that many, many hymns do as well: “Blessed be the name, blessed be the name, blessed be the name of the Lord (now repeat)”, “there is power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb (now repeat), and I could come up with several more.
I believe the simplistic criticism could go both ways. And just as importantly we should not be singing songs that do not resonate linguistically. Songs that have Old English wording, that once were common, but have now, all but disappeared really have little or no meaning to younger generations, and many are left wondering what in the world the words mean, instead of being able to focus on singing to the Lord.
I think it is also important to remember that songwriters such as Fanny Crosby were criticised in her day by church leaders, labeling her songs as “tavern music”.
I just feel more worshipful when the songs mean something to me, and my grandfathers say the same. So, it really is just a preference.
What I do is the same thing my grandfathers do -enjoy singing the songs from my heart to the Lord that resonate with me, and pray (while singing) that the other songs will come to mean something to me, but most importantly that God would be glorified. And I can be happy that although a song may not mean much to me that at least it is very special to my grandfathers or others in church that day.
July 3, 2007 at 09:30
I am one of the “sound guys”—you know them. It is all but impossible to “worship” while up in the booth. I can kinda sing a little here and there. I guess it may just be me. I always had a problem with “Let God arise and His enemies be scattered” since many people are told that or feel that THEY are God’s enemies. What is that other one where his enemies (or hills?) melt like wax? Holy Nukes! God is gonna come and kill you! I agonize about the pre-service and offering music since I get to pick my own tracks. I like to bring in some of the better indie stuff. Future Of Forestry got people’s attention. I watch people and see if they start to “get into it”, especially during the offering. I Hate playing the same ol’ over-played radio worship tunes. People get too comfy and don’t even listen. It is more like hearing some 70’s soft rock at a diner. You just feel “comfortable” without really participating. I really would like to slip in some hardcore but then I would have to project the lyrics. A guy screaming “I feel like dying today” would definately resonate with some but would probably be too contoversial for the masses. Just kidding… a little.
July 3, 2007 at 10:49
I don’t think criticism of “modern” praise songs is snobbery at all. Some of the lyrics are so banal and navel-contemplating that they get in the way of worship. It’s not all about God, it’s all about “watch me do my praise.” Some lyrics confuse worship of the deity with the warm hormonal feelings of carnal love. (Carnal love is OK in the proper context, but its not what exists between me and a pure spirit.) I find the same thing with Christmas music: I don’t like “Home for the holidays” because it is about celebrating, rather than about what we are celebrating. Even a pantheistic nature/winter song is better (at least it is celebrating the creation) than songs about what we are going to eat or how bright our lights are. In modern praise songs, I appreciate themes like “Welcome into this place” and “Holy is the Lord God Almighty.” Putting modern beats to the actual lyrics of (English approximations of) psalms can be quite good also.
July 3, 2007 at 22:20
Bottm Line is we are worshipping God. It doesnt matter how repetative it is or isnt. We are bringing these songs to God, and as long as they are poured out to him with our whole hearts then what does it matter. We often times make worship about what WE are getting out of it, when actually its about what we are bringing to God.
July 4, 2007 at 07:20
Lively discussion – right on about the concerns that ANY part of worship be about the worshippers and not the One who is worshipped. To further agitate those who claim intense dislike for modern music – think over Matt Redman’s lyrics – sums it all up well don’t you think?
“When the music fades and all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart
I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
All about You, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the things I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
All about You, Jesus
King of endless worth, no one could express
How much You deserve
Though I’m weak and poor, all I have is Yours
Every single breath”
July 4, 2007 at 17:09
My husband is the music director of our church, and this is an issue he is constantly facing. The problem in our church is that the older, and more vocal, generation is more concerned with being entertained and less concerned with their reason for being there—which should be worshiping God. My husband has tried and tried to explain to them that they aren’t the audience, God should be.
Our church currently uses a “blended” style of worship—meaning we start the service with a few praise choruses, and then work our way into older songs from the hymnal during the service. We do this because the older hymns simply don’t resonate with the younger people that our church is trying to reach. People who haven’t grown up with the older hymns can’t relate to them and aren’t fed by them; but if they’re introduced to them in a mixture with praise choruses that are more easy to grasp, the hymns become more accessible.
My husband also has a theory behind repeating praise choruses. The first time the congregation is trying to figure out what they’re singing. The second time they’re finally getting how it goes. It isn’t until the third time through that most people are able to listen to the theology of the chorus and start to thing about applying it to their lives. (He never repeats them more than three times—which is the same amount of times you hear the chorus in a hymn if you’re singing the traditional first, second and last verses that so many churches sing.)
Too bad it’s rude to advise others to “shut up and worship”. Thanks for my new mantra.
July 5, 2007 at 01:20
The next time you’re buying a Valentine’s Day card for your wife and you’re tempted to roll your eyes and critique the poem inside the card, try setting your critiques aside for a moment and just focusing on how much you love your wife. Obviously, we shouldn’t be getting our wives false or otherwise faulty cards, but if you’re spending more time mentally picking the banal poem apart than you are actually gushing over your wife, you may need to lighten up.
As long as you gush “with your whole heart” when you give the card, it doesn’t matter what the card says.
July 5, 2007 at 09:13
Great reminder…
BUT!
Its nearly impossible to “worship” without thinking about the words that are coming from our hearts and out of our mouths. In order to genuinely worship in truth, we must reflect on the truth/integrity of the words that we are expressing.
July 5, 2007 at 09:26
While I do agree that we must be careful that we do not have a critical spirit, I 100% disagree that we should just “shut and worship”. While there are good praise and worship songs, there are also many which are fluff and drivel and to call them such is simply to call a spade a spade. On the flip side, there are some older songs which could be tossed into that same category.
One thing is for sure, you will never make everyone happy, no matter what you do. In my opinion, the church should always seek to maintain a balance. I believe that there is no need to throw out all the hymns for praise and worship choruses. Nor, do I believe that all praise and worship songs should be avoided. The best churches (musically) that I have been to in the recent past do blended worship. A little of something for everyone.
July 5, 2007 at 10:48
In many respects it doesn’t matter whether the song is traditional or modern. What matters is the heart and meaning that birthed the song. One of the prevailing truism’s that God teaches us through his Word is that ‘as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.’ And any honest artist will tell you that the book you read, movie you watch, painting you view and song you sing is a peek at the heart of the author, director, painter and lyricist. And therein lies the rub. Most traditional songs are marked with profundity because they reflect the praise of God born from people clinging to faith in the midst of the horrors and griefs that pervaded the lives of many during the pre-industrial age. Modern praise songs reflect the feel-goodism, insulation and immediacy of the current American zeitgeist. Not that that’s a bad thing, it just doesn’t inspire songs of deep meaning.
July 5, 2007 at 12:41
The Angels in Heavan are repeating, “Holy, Holy, Holy”. The saints in Heavan are repeating the refrain, “Worthy is the lamb”. Perhaps there are a few disgruntled theologians on the sidelines muttering, “why do they have to keep repeating Holy. Isn’t one Holy good enough?” I grew up singing ALLLL the old hymns and ALLLL the old choruses (born in 1950) and can launch into them at a moments notice. But there is a significant difference with the kind of worship music coming out lately by people like Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Delirious, Hillsong, etc. The worship is God-focused, intimate and full of love. Older hymns and songs tend to be more testimony focused and speak to other believers more. But this new breed of latter days kind of worship says “I love you Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship you, oh my soul, rejoice” and “How great is our God”, “Blessed be your name” and other heartfelt expressions. If you examine the genre carefully you notice that a lot of it is scripture put to music. Christian POP songs have been around forever, and are evangelistic in nature and depend on popular music styles. It’s never been my favorite kind of music. But when the congregation closes it’s eyes and sings “How great is our God”, my hands begin to raise, I lose consciousness of myself and my problems, and I sense the presence of God, and I want to repeat that chorus.
July 5, 2007 at 13:41
Yikes.
I’m always glad when someone in the congregation can be honest enough with me to come up after service and let me know how they didn’t like one song or another, or how they did it different at their last church and so we should maybe change things, or how we’re not doing enough hymns mixed in with the modern stuff, etc. I appreciate the candor and openness, but if I can be equally as real…
I also cringe. Like any other human being, I immediately go to war against my fleshly desire to defend myself. But just as I’m about to figuratively carpet-bomb my opinionated family member, informing them that worship and praise are not FOR them… I’m gently reminded that they’re not FOR me, either. They’re directed to heaven, or they’re just words.
Much like the Bible is physically ink and paper- it takes the Spirit to breath life into it, make it real, make it holy and worth something. It took the Spirit to write it, inspire it, direct it… I honestly think it takes that same Divine influence to really worship… in Spirit and Truth.
So I ask daily- “Holy Spirit, You worship the Father through me- inspire my thoughts to purity, my will to Yours, my worship and praise to a place where all glory is Yours”, and He does it. He changes my heart on the matter, takes over so to speak, and the more I yield my own opinions, my own desires, my own motivations in worship to the altar- He meets me there.
And that, I think, is the truest form of worship. Scripturally speaking- the only thing that’s ever been required for worship is an altar.
July 5, 2007 at 17:30
I am torn on this subject . I am a youth worship leader but not THE worship leader so I don’t get all the choice in songs.
1) Many of the songs we sing lack much depth in teaching our youth about God. i.e. we have many songs that repeat the same lines i.e. ‘faithfulness’ ‘love’ and neglect other aspects of God’s character or fail to talk about major aspects of faith like ….... Sin.
Please check out this
http://www.stimulus.org.nz/index_files/STIM%2015_1%20Marshall.pdf
2) In saying that our morning congregation seems so set in its ways that it insists a modern song is something from the early 1990s and members of the morning congregation won’t come to a night (youth service) primarily because of the music, which is sad for community and the youth.
July 6, 2007 at 10:10
I’M STILL GRUMPY ABOUT CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP SONGS, AND I AM A WHIPPERSNAPPER! Here is why:
We are instructed to worship God with all our hearts, souls, and MINDS. Not emotions.
My concern with contemporary songs is that they engage us in emotional chants, rather than introspective thought on our need for grace.
In my view, the reason the Gospel is being watered down in America’s churches is because of little things like this, where we’re focused more on what feels right than the infinite disparity between God’s nature and our own.
Let’s take two songs and compare them.
I’ve sung AMAZING GRACE for so many years, that it keeps whacking me over the head with spiritual humility. The words resonate in new ways over time, like scripture. Life situations bring the lyrics to mind and open up new understandings. In short, it makes me THINK! It puts me in my place, spiritually speaking.
By contrast YOU ARE WORTHY OF MY PRAISE is one of those irritating songs that you can’t get out of your head. “I will give you all my worship…” Chant chant chant – how many of us chant this, and then walk right out the church and go back to worshipping the almighty dollar or the “stuff” it can bring us.
Is this the only way we can appeal to a younger generation???? Who started that assumption? “Nothing too deep” – is that our new mantra? I submit to you that youth would rather be more real than shallow, if they are really seeking.
To sum up, the contemporary stuff seems like CASUAL WORSHIP. I suggest that our churches should inspire us to think about the day each of us will be faced with our own judgment. Will we fall at the feet of Jesus, or will we whistle at him and tell him we need a favor? Our worship style should reflect our approach to the throne.
July 7, 2007 at 11:17
I read some of the comments about this article, and as a praise and worship leader and songwriter, I must admit, we should be prayerfully careful about what we sing. Keep in mind songs are written by different people, for different reasons, at the songwriters’ current level of growth in their walk, during different generations where life maybe different compared to our current generations culture.
At my church, we sing various styles of music, Psalms, contemporary, hymns, southern country, “Christian”, “Gospel”, you name it. But we are missing the main point in our so-called critiques. That is, worship is not for us, it is for God. Has anyone asked Him how He feels about the music that is supposed to be sent up to His throne? I do and if something is inappropriate, He changes it. Not necessarily because it’s not a properly written song, but doesn’t fit what He wants for the moment. He is the one who is the object of our worship, not us, unless you care more about how you feel about it (which can be idolatry). He is the One who is supposed to accept or reject it, like the difference between Cain’s and Abel’s sacrifices. If we put more emphasis on how we feel about worship, then who’s getting the worship, us or God? That is what got Cain into trouble. He wanted to give God what he felt was acceptable to himself and not what was acceptable to God. The truth is, if your own heart is not worshipping God in spirit and in truth, then the music doesn’t matter. Worship is a lifestyle, not a preferred music genre.
It’s time to think less of ourselves and more on God. I believe the theme “shut up and worship” may apply in alot of what I have read today. If we do that, then when we enter the manifested presence of the LORD, we will discern what is proper. God will give you peace in it, He will let you know if He finds pleasure in your worship, no matter the song. The Holy Spirit will reveal this. It has nothing to do with our preferences for certain types of music, which sounds alot like what I have read in these comments posted. As for the comment about the Andre Crouch song, you miss the point of the lyrics. The lyrics adress both our “brother” and our “sister”. This isn’t critiquing, this is a sort of song bashing in the body of Christ. Don’t you think that we should be careful how we criticize one another, especially in public?
This does not exemplify the love of Christ for one another that Jesus said we should have. If you are not sure what someone means, then dialogue with them and let them explain themselves to you. It’s about loving understanding not tearing others down.
PS
I suggest to those who respond on this site to please pray first before you respond. Maybe some of the types of comments we see may not be necessary or could be written more respectfully.
July 9, 2007 at 09:22
I don’t care if it’s a “praise worship” song (a rather misleading and divisive term anyway: after all, we can praise and worship through a hymn) or a ‘traditional hymn’, as long as it says something.
Some hymns are difficult to sing, have archiac language whilst some ‘praise worship’ songs have meaningless chants and lack a decent melody. My wife and I have never failed to be surprised at the snobbery that comes from those in either camp. We have experienced traditional hymn-based churches where the congregation is mainly elderly and sit in silence. We have also suffered ‘independent’ churches where they sing the same ‘set list’ of six songs (mostly post-2000) each week – where the young worship band acts out it’s fanatsies of being on ‘X-Factor’.
In both situations, it’s the lack of a will to reach out to the congregation and a lack of understanding of how to give both life and quietness in a service which leads to an unsatisfactory experience.
July 9, 2007 at 17:08
This has been an interesting topic with thoughtful commentary so far. Please accept my two cents…
I am the Worship leader at a contemporary Christian church plant in New Hampshire. In my past church “Worship Arts” experiences, I have heard nit-picking and critcism of everything related to the selection and presentation of worship songs, regardless of whether they were old or new, traditional or modern. I generally smile and thank the critic for caring enough to share his/her opinion and thank them also for listening…
Most people do not understand, however, that music does not equal Worship. Music is an aspect of Worship and praising the Lord in song is an act of Worship. We also Worship the Lord through our giving, our prayers, our service, etc. Worship is vertical. Worship is the natural response to our total devotion to the Lord.
The Message paraphrase of Romans 12:1-2 really hits home for me about Worship—
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
One last thought… If the Worship music offered during a service—traditional or contemporary—is interfering in your ability to freely Worship our Lord, then you need to really focus on the Lord and what He wants from you in Worship. If you can’t do that, find a place to Worship where the music is no longer a barrier.
July 10, 2007 at 10:56
I’m glad someone mentioned Amazing Grace. That is one of the “old hymns,” isn’t it? How many “modern” worship services could do without it? I was also rather taken recently with Isaac Watts’s “Oh That the Lord Would Guide My Ways,” which I had not heard before. I would not, however, feel moved by a CD of Isaac Watts’s Collected Works, no matter who played them. There ARE some real gems, some duds, some tunes that grabbed people’s hearts in their time, but seldom do any more.
I think where the fluff comes in is when worship music becomes a career. The “stars” have to keep coming up with “latest hits” to sustain their fan base and their support from the production industry. It may not be realistic to expect a gifted composer and performer to wait for some real inspiration, and meantime support themselves driving a bus or working in a government bureaucracy at a day job. But the pressure to produce something “new” will deliver a lot of junk, a good deal of it self-centered.
Many of the lines cited with approval in previous submissions here are not exactly original: “Holy holy holy” for example. “Worthy is the lamb” Maybe trying to be too original leads into some trite lyrics that are not worship at all. By the way, I WOULD critique the verses in a Valentine card BEFORE buying it for anyone I cared for, and if I didn’t find a verse that spoke for ME, I would get a card without a printed message.
July 10, 2007 at 17:43
It would help if we kept in mind Ephesians 15-21.
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”
July 11, 2007 at 07:04
I was in the music part of our services,I know the tune being played here… it’s not about any song…it’s not about any tempo…it’s not about the “language” of the lyrics(..i.e; modern/old english/rap slang)..it’s not even about the singer/musician…and it’s definately about your personal taste…it’s entirely about giving total,uninhabited Praise from your heart,which shoulda started before your feet hit the floor that morning. to be honest, the best Praising I’ve ever done…was done to a dialect that I knew not…to an unfamiliar rythm of out-of-tune instruments…but the Holy Spirit was Leading Worship that day.
July 12, 2007 at 09:02
I’m so blessed, first of all by the article and second, by all the comments. Wasn’t much left to say, but thanks for allowing me access to the website.
July 13, 2007 at 11:23
It seems that the author has separated worship from any cognitive content. In other words that in worship doesn’t need to think, but only feel. And the foregone conclusion is that if you do find a “praise” chorus lacking in depth that you’re just being stuffy. I think the author also makes an artificial division between hymns in a book and praise choruses. There are hymns that are just as vacuous as praise choruses. Worship is both a focus on God as well as a participation WITH God in praising Him, recounting his “mighty acts”, declaring his salvation in Christ. One should “critique” worship songs. Worship not only is participation but a response. And if you’re going to respond then you are responsible to God (and the body of Christ) for what you are saying. Understanding the import of lyrics is just as important as evaluating what is being said in a sermon.
July 31, 2007 at 18:45
I have stopped going to church altogether because of the casualness and contemporary music in most churches. I have tried to find a church, but most have huge screens that project only the words to the music, whether it is a hymn or mantra (praise song). I believe that freeform services, casualness, and praise teams dumb down the congregation.
I for one want to sing in parts. I certainly cannot sing the melody all the time. I need a hymnbook so that I can read the music as well as see the words. I also need a bulletin that outlines a structured service.
I know there is no perfect church, because as soon as I get there, it is imperfect! I do, however, wish I could find a traditional, conservative church that has hymnbooks and a huge pipe organ that plays the good old hymns!