It's OK If You Want To Sing Those Songs part 1

Recently an article appeared on my Facebook feed a few times calling for us (“us” meaning contemporary-worship-music-singing-churches) to banish a particular set of songs from corporate worship. This is, of course, just one of many pieces that have a bone to pick with certain songs, and in those pieces, certain objections tend to show up frequently.

The Lord is not mentioned by name

Obviously the Lord must be mentioned by name for it to be clear that He is being worshiped and exalted. It says so right there in the book of Esther, does it not?

I do understand the desire for worship music, especially corporate worship music, not to descend down the God-as-girlfriend slippery slope. But in the context of a church service, I think it’s crystal-clear that the singer is expressing a desire to draw near to God, and He is the object of desire. Really, how far apart is the overall text of “Draw Me Close” to this:

Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. (Ps 73:5)?

The Lord IS mentioned by name. By THE name.

The writer of the piece I’m referencing cites such diverse sources as Jewish tradition, the Vatican, and the Christian Reformed church as support for avoiding the use of YHWH or Jehovah in songs. Honestly, I do think reverence for the name and how we approach its use is a conversation worth having, but complaining about not using God’s name and then about using it struck me funny.

Repetition

It wouldn’t take much time on the internet to find plenty of folks carping about excessive repetition in contemporary songs. Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “7-11” songs: those which repeat the same 7 words for 11 choruses. 

Hey, you know what’s repetitive? Psalm 136. Hebrews 11. Even Psalms 42-43. Sometimes repetition is needed to drive home a point. And when you get down to it, Psalm 136 and “One Thing Remains” are repeating and driving home the same point. God’s loving kindness endures forever. It never fails. Hear this! Believe it!

But driving home a point that we honestly need to hear over and over is not the only benefit of repetition. I mentioned to my small group that I was thinking of writing this post, and mentioned that one of the points was going to be repetition. One of the women mentioned that songs with repetitive lyrics are the ones her 9 year old is quickest to learn and also the ones he is most likely to sing. If this is true for a 9 year old, how much more for a preschooler? Because my kids are older, I would not have thought of this, but it’s an excellent point, and I’m so glad she mentioned it. If we are showing our kids that worship is important, then making sure the service includes music that is more accessible to them is a right thing to do. A room full of four year olds singing “How Great Is Our God” blesses me, and I can’t help but think it blesses the Lord.

Overpromising

The writer happened to pick on a song called “Burn For You” (I’m not familiar with this song) for lyrics that overstate what the typical churchgoer is willing to do for the cause of Christ and in obedience to him. Similar things have been written about “Oceans” and could be written about any number of other songs, both contemporary and traditional.


Yes. It’s true. My affluent suburban life suggests that I probably have never actually gone anywhere and done anything at any cost to follow the call of Christ. My desperation in my own difficult circumstances is sufficient to see that going where my faith is without borders would likely send me reeling even more than I do. 

So if I sing songs like this and realize I’m not at that point of abandon, am I making a false statement to the Lord who knows my heart as I attempt to worship him in spirit and in truth? Or do I come before Him realizing that I fall short, and sing a song that I know I don’t live up to because it reminds me of how I need to be? Because it is aspirational? I can’t help but think: “Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?” And speaking of heaven:

Inadequate cosmology

The writer dings on the lyric “From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky” because “the idea of heaven being in ‘the sky’ is just theologically incorrect.” Well, yes, Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us is not happening in the earth’s atmosphere. But 

And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

So maybe that lyric could be referring to crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, you reckon?

That’s not all of the gripes in the article, but these points (well, maybe with the exception of inadequate cosmology) are the ones she used that I’ve seen the most in other writing. While some of her points raise very valid questions that could lead to edifying discussion, the piece on the whole is just a way to express her personal preferences about some popular worship songs. But should these preferences drive song selection? More on that next time.