About Church Music...

[WhenFinallySetFree777]

I just want to know if this has ever run through anyone else's head before.

Today I'm standing in church, singing the song the praise band is singing, and thinking "...where is the feeling in this?" We can write such original and moving songs for romance, for sorrow, for anything else (nothing wrong with that, of course) but when it comes to writing about God we recycle the same "churchy" sounding words, put those worn-out lyrics to some generic sounding soft rock/pop music, and ta-da, "worship" music that often doesn't edify.

I'm not suggesting at all that all worship songs are musical trash, because I've heard some (especially at my old church - most of their worship songs were sweet) that were absolutely awesome. I don't suggest that this applies to every church either, as I just mentioned that a church I used to attend had excellent music. It just seems like the majority I hear are bland and shallow. Main point: God deserves better than processed music.

 

[Nienor]

i agree. there are a lot of bland songs. some can be really good. but usually not.
its sad.

 

[WhenFinallySetFree777]

i agree. there are a lot of bland songs. some can be really good. but usually not.
its sad.

Cool - I'm glad that it's not an alien concept to people, but at the same time it is sad that you do know what I'm talking about. I know this topic fits better for the Christian or worship music boards, but I figured I would just be called a heretic or something of the like just for mentioning that maybe Christians are doing a mediocre job in the music department.

 

[blackwasp]

I realized praise music had hit rock bottom when we sang a song about Jesus being our best friend at a retreat in high school. How lame. I think hymns are where it's at though...especially "Come Thou Fount".

 

[nadroj1985]

I was just about to mention hymns. I wonder why everyone went to praise songs, when hymns are so good already. "Amazing Grace," "Be Thou My Vision," "It is Well With My Soul," etc. are really good songs.

 

[Nienor]

I was just about to mention hymns. I wonder why everyone went to praise songs, when hymns are so good already. "Amazing Grace," "Be Thou My Vision," "It is Well With My Soul," etc. are really good songs.

i agree
most hymns have more feeling and passion in the words. probably because they weren't trying to come up with one more song for a CD or selling the CDs.

 

[The Theory]

I was just about to mention hymns. I wonder why everyone went to praise songs, when hymns are so good already. "Amazing Grace," "Be Thou My Vision," "It is Well With My Soul," etc. are really good songs.

agreed.

"Be Thou My Vision" brings me close to tears.

My favorite hymn (just sleightly ahead of that) is "Lo! How A Rose E're Blooming"... and that does bring on the waterworks.

 

[MoreInSorrow]

Many hymns, in the way of song structure, don't really do it for me. But I find many of those songs lyrics in and of themselves to be moving.

But I also think modern day praise and worship is pretty watered down stuff for the most part. Not a whole lot of substance there, although there are some exceptions.

 

[LITB]

I guess the only church music that I've enjoyed, are the Vineyard worship songs, but even they have this tendancy towards being samey - it seems there's a formula for writing new praise songs, (G, C7 and D chords) and they all (with a few exceptions) end up sounding the same.

i agree
most hymns have more feeling and passion in the words. probably because they weren't trying to come up with one more song for a CD or selling the CDs.

I have to agree with previous posts regarding traditional hymns: though the style is very traditional, and they're not really my thing, the words can be so deep and powerful, eg. Dear Lord and Father of Mankind and Immortal, Invisible are my favorites.

 

[Zoomer]

Today I'm standing in church, singing the song the praise band is singing, and thinking "...where is the feeling in this?" We can write such original and moving songs for romance, for sorrow, for anything else (nothing wrong with that, of course) but when it comes to writing about God we recycle the same "churchy" sounding words, put those worn-out lyrics to some generic sounding soft rock/pop music, and ta-da, "worship" music that often doesn't edify.

I find that alot of praise music is just to evoke feelings in the singer. It often lacks depth and is repetitive. I am so glad that my church does only has contemporary service once a month.

 

[traingosorry]

I love this song and its lyrics because of what they mean. This song was written when he realized that people were relying too much on 'good' emotional music to worship and forgetting what 'WORSHIP' really is and who it's for.

I agree that many praise songs these days are a bit unoriginal, many just copycats of themselves, and that hymns often express what we really mean to say.

 

[reformedfan]

We sing Psalms in my church, those are some deep, theologically correct things to sing

 

[wgjones3]

When I'm worshiping God, I don't care it's a hymn or a contemporary song passing across my lips. My focus isn't on the music.

 

[Qyöt27]

I was just about to mention hymns. I wonder why everyone went to praise songs, when hymns are so good already. "Amazing Grace," "Be Thou My Vision," "It is Well With My Soul," etc. are really good songs.

Even though I doubt it needs to be said, "Amazing Grace" is best performed on bagpipes. That doesn't even need the lyrics with it to move someone to tears.

 

[KristianJ]

Cool - I'm glad that it's not an alien concept to people, but at the same time it is sad that you do know what I'm talking about. I know this topic fits better for the Christian or worship music boards, but I figured I would just be called a heretic or something of the like just for mentioning that maybe Christians are doing a mediocre job in the music department.

You probably wouldn't - I have seen threads in those sections that are very similar to this topic and you're not the only one who thinks this way I'm happy to move the thread to one of the other forums if you'd like...

 

[musicPhan#41]

i approve of this thread.


although my church is pretty good about mixing it up with hymns, acoustic, rocking, creative ways of doing "artistic church worship* "





*not to be confused with worship- the lifestyle kind.

 

[philN]

I think hymns are where it's at though...especially "Come Thou Fount".

One of my favorite hymns.

I was just about to mention hymns. I wonder why everyone went to praise songs, when hymns are so good already. "Amazing Grace," "Be Thou My Vision," "It is Well With My Soul," etc. are really good songs

Agreed. I think praise songs are more popular right now because they for the most part they are full of shallow theology and thin feel-good lyrics, which is perfect for most christians (most are shallow theologians and only interested in the good feelings that a relationship with christ brings them). I think from an artistic standpoint, praise songs are fourth-rate poetry set to the same few chords, repeated over and over and over again, whereas hymns (not all hymns, but most) have some musical merit and more theology in the words. I think it's becoming more and more apparant that christians view worship as an emotional thing and seek sentimentalism rather than letting intellectual interaction become part of the picture.

 

[WhenFinallySetFree777]

When I'm worshiping God, I don't care it's a hymn or a contemporary song passing across my lips. My focus isn't on the music.

Feel-good theology and shallow emotion in "worship" music is detrimental and distracting to the focus of true worship. That last sentence is a cop-out that distracts from the original intent I had for the thread - to discuss why the type of music (especially mediocre music) we hear affects how we worship, because it does.