My faith journey sometimes feels like a hike in the mountains – delightful views, vistas of deep basins and more mountains ahead. I love the perspective, but it seems I hike alone on some of the paths I take. I know that can’t literally be true, but I do not know of any others who believe like I do on some topics. Some are untouchable creeds of the Faith. This morning as I did my prayer journal, I wrote that I was straying from the norm but that I was reminded of how Martin Luther also strayed from the norm. Straying from the norm does not a heretic make. My goal is not to undermine anyone’s faith or usurp any leader’s authority. I just want to share my thoughts and beliefs. If brought out, maybe something good will come of it. I am leaving that up to God.
So here goes.
One of my most heartfelt desires is for worship time in church to be like it was. Stay with me, please. I understand true worship is really lived out, not just a song, but for the purpose of this post, “worship” refers to the time set aside in church services to sing together as believers, as unto the Lord. Disclaimer over. I remember when the words of the worship songs had lots of scripture in them, some were all scripture. Lyrics talked about the greatness of God, His might, His power, His goodness and said things like, “I worship You”. Today it’s a struggle to find such music. It saddens me. The Church has changed—subtly—and I’m not altogether sure how or why or even when it started, but there has been a definite shift. It has shown up in worship music. For example:
- I am not a fan of songs sung as worship songs that request and seek after fire, wind, rain, power and other elements. (I realize they are intended to bear spiritual significance.) This is not good. It’s best left to God’s handling. I am not going to request fire from God. Nor rain. Nor wind. I will leave Him in charge of the spiritual weather, and His power is already here at the believer’s fingertips. (“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…” – Romans 1:16) His power is ever with us who believe.
- Some of the music seems to have little to do with God and worshipping Him and the “I” word is liberally dispersed throughout the lyrics. What has happened here?
- Other lyrics seem hyper-spiritual, an evoking of some sort. If we humans try to make something happen, it may happen, but it will not be of God.
- Other lyrics are quite vague, often laced with metaphors of nature and/or seem self-focused. As I try to participate, I struggle to find any semblance to worship. What are we doing?
- Then there is the sound of the music. Many modern church songs seem almost dirge-like, somber in tone and tempo. Hey! This is the Almighty God we are singing to, Maker of heaven and earth! “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!” (Psalm 100:1) I just want some hand-clapping, toe-tapping JOYFUL music. Is that wrong?
- Finally, I do not hold that worship time brings us into the presence of God. He is omnipresent. Singing worship music may get OUR attention and make us aware of His presence, but there is no time or place when and where the Lord is not present. But that’s a topic for another post. For now, I pray that we will recover a heart for worship, true worship of an Awesome God; not an experience, not a seeking, not an attempt to make something happen and certainly not a mourning. Then the music will follow.
What does the Bible Say?
“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!” – Psalm 47:
“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” – Psalm 96:1-3
“I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” – Psalm 9:2
“Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power.” – Psalm 21:13
“Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.” – Psalm 33:3
I could list many more. Just do a search on the book of Psalms—a total reference book on worship—and look up the keyword “sing”.