Church Music Part II
If you read my last post, you would know that the style of church music is not all that important to me. If you can understand the words then you can worship. However, the words are what I want to focus on in this post. Words mean things. Many of our most loved worship songs are just plain theologically incorrect. We should be very careful what we sing to God.
One problem I see in some of our music is a growing movement of individual thought. Worship is to be a communal act. The church is to sing together to worship God. If you look at our oldest hymns, you will find that the entire hymn is directed to God. The entire church as a community is singing a worship hymn to God. Today, many of our hymns are very individualistic instead of communal. I see a lot of songs with the word "I" in them instead of the word "We".
This doesn't bother me all that much if the song is saying what everyone should be doing. "I Have Decided TO Follow Jesus" isn't a great communal song, but it should be the desires of everyone worshipping. However, there is one contemporary song that drives me nuts when I hear it. I believe I hear this song every time I go to a big event. I do not know the title of the song, but there is a line in the song that says, "Lord, I feel like dancing. It is foolishness I know." Now I run in Baptist circles. I do not believe that the majority of people in our state convention actually feel like dancing during the service. Nevertheless, they all sing it to God as if it is true.
There is a place for individualistic hymns and songs. I believe home worship is very personal. However, public worship is what it is. It is for the entire Church.
The worse thing a hymn could be is theologically unsound. My least favorite hymn is "Love Lifted Me". First, the music is all wrong. The piano in this song sounds like a carnival, but the words are about sin. Second, and most important, you are not sinking in sin. You were already sunk in sin. You were not on top sinking down. You were on the bottom dead in your trespasses of sin. God did not hear your despairing cry. He quickened your spiritually dead soul that you might be saved. This teaching is called Pellagianism. It was called heresy in the 4th century and it still is today.
The place in the worship service where we sing the worst hymns is during our invitations. First, most of our invitation hymns are individualistic and not communal. However, I can understand this because we are offering an invitation. Second, Man, some of the things we sing are just wrong.
"The Savior is Waiting" is a very popular invitation hymn. However, the chorus should make anyone who believes in a sovereign God want to vomit. "Time after time he has waited before and now he is waiting again. To see if you're willing to open the door, Oh, how he wants to come in." Poor Jesus' He just can't do anything unless we let him. Poor Poor Jesus. He is just incompetent.
"Softly and Tenderly" sings to us and not God in the 3rd verse. "Death Beds are coming, coming for you and for me". Boy that is pleasing God. I feel so woshipful. How about "Pass Me Not". In this song God is up in Heaven and he is passing people by that are earnestly calling on him. Since lost people don't call after God, then God must be passing over his children.
The purpose of this blog is not to mention every song that has a problem. The purpose is to get you to read what you are singing before you sing it. If I cannot preach it, why on earth would I sing it. Think hard before you say something to God in worship.
By the way, I will be at the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio next week. My next blog will be the following week. I will write and tell you all that I learned at the State Convention.
One problem I see in some of our music is a growing movement of individual thought. Worship is to be a communal act. The church is to sing together to worship God. If you look at our oldest hymns, you will find that the entire hymn is directed to God. The entire church as a community is singing a worship hymn to God. Today, many of our hymns are very individualistic instead of communal. I see a lot of songs with the word "I" in them instead of the word "We".
This doesn't bother me all that much if the song is saying what everyone should be doing. "I Have Decided TO Follow Jesus" isn't a great communal song, but it should be the desires of everyone worshipping. However, there is one contemporary song that drives me nuts when I hear it. I believe I hear this song every time I go to a big event. I do not know the title of the song, but there is a line in the song that says, "Lord, I feel like dancing. It is foolishness I know." Now I run in Baptist circles. I do not believe that the majority of people in our state convention actually feel like dancing during the service. Nevertheless, they all sing it to God as if it is true.
There is a place for individualistic hymns and songs. I believe home worship is very personal. However, public worship is what it is. It is for the entire Church.
The worse thing a hymn could be is theologically unsound. My least favorite hymn is "Love Lifted Me". First, the music is all wrong. The piano in this song sounds like a carnival, but the words are about sin. Second, and most important, you are not sinking in sin. You were already sunk in sin. You were not on top sinking down. You were on the bottom dead in your trespasses of sin. God did not hear your despairing cry. He quickened your spiritually dead soul that you might be saved. This teaching is called Pellagianism. It was called heresy in the 4th century and it still is today.
The place in the worship service where we sing the worst hymns is during our invitations. First, most of our invitation hymns are individualistic and not communal. However, I can understand this because we are offering an invitation. Second, Man, some of the things we sing are just wrong.
"The Savior is Waiting" is a very popular invitation hymn. However, the chorus should make anyone who believes in a sovereign God want to vomit. "Time after time he has waited before and now he is waiting again. To see if you're willing to open the door, Oh, how he wants to come in." Poor Jesus' He just can't do anything unless we let him. Poor Poor Jesus. He is just incompetent.
"Softly and Tenderly" sings to us and not God in the 3rd verse. "Death Beds are coming, coming for you and for me". Boy that is pleasing God. I feel so woshipful. How about "Pass Me Not". In this song God is up in Heaven and he is passing people by that are earnestly calling on him. Since lost people don't call after God, then God must be passing over his children.
The purpose of this blog is not to mention every song that has a problem. The purpose is to get you to read what you are singing before you sing it. If I cannot preach it, why on earth would I sing it. Think hard before you say something to God in worship.
By the way, I will be at the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio next week. My next blog will be the following week. I will write and tell you all that I learned at the State Convention.
posted by Foundes Community Church @ 11:59 PM
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