is something wrong with worship???

[jason_the_ecumenicalist]

Is there anything wrong in modern worship?? I think so and here are my concerns.

1). Worship is indeed very popular...but are we really becoming better worshipers of our holy God or better economic consumers of worship related products?

sometimes I think it is the latter, because it is like a fad. Every couple of years songs are "out-dated" and new ones emerge.

2.) Who are we worshiping???

Obvious answer: God.

But do we put too much of ourselves into worship....i.e. Do we over use personal pronouns???

Brian McLaren certainly agrees with this. He states “Just listen to the lyrics at your next worship service and you’ll hear songs about how Jesus forgives ME, how he embraces ME, makes ME feel his presence, strengthens ME, forgives ME, holds ME close, touches ME, revives ME, ect.” (Adventures in Missing the point, 204).

Granted there is nothing wrong with declaring this, for they are true affirmations. But in some church's it is done way to much and most songs sung are all about "me and God" "and what we do for eachother"

That is what bothers me. Worship seems like is has become just another cultural trend and the gons are embarrasing personalistic.


These personalisic songs paint god out to be our best buddy, and focuss is taken away from his holiness that can not be grasped.

When I sit through worship servicers I notice a distinct difference between how we, my church, school, ect, worships God and how worship of God is done in Revlation 4 in the heavenly throne room.

what do ya all think?

 

[KristianJ]

Agreed on the whole - I've had concerns about the individualistic nature of modern songs, but don't forget that in most of the classic hymns written by Wesley, Newton et al, they used the personal pronoun a lot. But they managed to grasp onto the attributes of God in a way that modern songwriters sometimes too easily gloss over. The quote from Bruce McLaren - is that from a book or a website essay?

 

[huntertim]

Agree

 

[lacy]

Sad but true, ....I try to just get into the spirit, no matter what.

 

[ALASKACHICK10]

to me, I think as long as its Christian and you are worshiping God, I don't see anything wrong with the music ..

 

[jason_the_ecumenicalist]

I can see your point that "if it is Christian and it worships God it is fine," but I still have my concerns about what we are actually affirming in our worship tunes. All worhsip songs express one theological point in some way. Granted I used to havethe same response, but I have since changed. I would liek to see a balance of what we sing in worship.

In post-modernity evangelicalism, many times songs take a painfully persoanlistic de-holized God. Yes, we do have a relationship with God, but most of our songs paint this God as being just a friend. God is a God of balance. He is both merciful and judgemental. though he loves us beyond description, he can still choose to strike us down and punish us when necessary, this being both OT and NT theology.

I feel many songs reflect a de-holized God. he is jsut a friend. 'A friend we want to know more" A friend who makes us "want to sing of his love forever" A friend who is the "Beatiful one we love and adore." This is true, but where is the total holiness. When I hear the songs sung at many evangelical church's (not in denomination, but more of the movment) is just that, a personal God who tehre is not much theological expression of.

Ofcorse there are other great songs that get the true theological point accross.
"Holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty. Worthy is the lamb who was slain"

That affirmation is all too absent in many, but certainly not all, worship tunes.
I want more of the theogical and less of the "persoanlistic best-buddy."

 

[Mad Cow Bomber]

McLaren's awesome. Another guy you should check out is Donald Miller, and his book "Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance". He makes an interesting statement about how he feels the same whether he's singing "Rocky Mountain High" or "As the Deer". He gets the same emotional charge, regardless of what he's singing. Interesting challenge to people today - are we worshiping God or just enjoying singing?

 

[shaz_fun]

personally, i think that worship is not just about the songs we sing but the way we live and everything we do......
It's not about how we think other ppl are feeling when we're singing in church... the music that's out today is very general in tastes and there is deffinatly something for all....
what i tend to do is listen to the music and make the words personal to me as i sing i'm singing straight to Him using the gifts of music that He has given me.... If i can't mean the words that is being sung then i personally don't sing them... it's all about u and ur relationship with Christ....
2 songs that i love the most are "I'm coming back to the heart of worship" and "Here i am to worship" both of which helped me see this view and just sing for God never minding anyone else there......
God bless u all
Shaz
x x x x x

 

[GodAtWorkToday]

I have to agree with the original poster, that their are some things to be cautious about. It is all too easy to get out of balance. We do need to look closely at the lyrics of worship songs and ensure that they are truely Biblical. Some are not.

I don't have a problem with the personalized songs that speak about relationship with God, because Christianity is all about relationship with God, however, I do want them to focus more on God and less on me.

I agree with the previous poster, "I'm coming back to the heart of worship" is a great song. It is all about Jesus.

We do need to remember that we are called to be worshippers of Jesus. If we don't even the trees and the hills will rise up and worship Jesus. So let us not, move away from worshipping Jesus, but let us do it as well as we can possibly do it.

My favourite at the moment is Revival by Robin Mark. I sit and listen to this over and over, and just encounter the presence of God. It is a truely annointed piece of worship.

The most amazing worship I ever encountered was at a children's camp back in the 1980's. As a group of about 60-70 children, aged 8-13, were worshipping God, singing "Sing Hallelujah to the Lord" and the Spirit of God fell upon the place. I at first noticed a few children weeping with tears falling down there faces, then a few more, and then more still. We just sang that song over and over again as God did something so special, it still brings tears to my eyes just remembering it some 20 years later. In no time at all just about the whole group was on their knees or lying down just weeping, and worshiping and weeping and worshiping.

The really incredible thing is that when we sang that same song the next morning, the exact same thing happened again. Now that is annointing, and the lyrics of that song only honour and worship God, there is no I or me to be found in it. I still have photos from that meeting that opened by eyes to what true worship is. It is being totally lost and undone in the presence of God. There is no better place to be.

God bless you all.
Kerry.

 

[SomethingRight]

I have....The really incredible thing is that when we sang that same song the next morning, the exact same thing happened again. Now that is annointing....It is being totally lost and undone in the presence of God. There is no better place to be.

God bless you all.
Kerry.

Exactly what worship is. The Holy Spirit moves freely. People worship focussing completely on God.


I've hardly ever got such a blessing singing hyms from my church in 20 years of growing up in a 'traditional' setting. Going to camp and having Bible studies where we sign worship songs etc. have been awesome. Exactly where I want to be.

 

[shaz_fun]

in reply to kerry,
I also love revival... Robin Mark is one of the most anointed praise & worship leaders here in Northern Ireland.... and His music is very apt for the work God is doing here in the country.....
God bless
Shaz
x x x x x x

 

[KristianJ]

I feel many songs reflect a de-holized God. he is jsut a friend. 'A friend we want to know more" A friend who makes us "want to sing of his love forever" A friend who is the "Beatiful one we love and adore." This is true, but where is the total holiness. When I hear the songs sung at many evangelical church's (not in denomination, but more of the movment) is just that, a personal God who tehre is not much theological expression of.

Ofcorse there are other great songs that get the true theological point accross.
"Holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty. Worthy is the lamb who was slain"

That affirmation is all too absent in many, but certainly not all, worship tunes.
I want more of the theogical and less of the "persoanlistic best-buddy."

 

[YankeeQueenoftheSouth]

Food for thought..... The book of Psalms is one of the examples that God gave us as to how to worship Him.

Also, worship is more that just singing songs to God. It's a daily thing. Everything we do should be worship to Him as it should reflect who He is and our devotion to Him!

 

[jason_the_ecumenicalist]

Good replies..much appreciated.

I belive Christianity is not an individualistic personal faith, but a communal faith. Yes we do have a personal relationship with Christ, but we are called into communal faith. That is why their is an emphasis on where two or more are gathered.

So 1, less songs about me, and more songs with teh community responding to God. The creeds begin "We believe." Jesus came and revealed God to a communtiy and through Jesus God's hospitality was revealed...that teh Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the creedal community of Christ. So 1, lets emphaize our beliefs in worhsip with a recitation of the Creeds.
Also, lets have a bigger God in our Worship. Too much of a persoanlistic God who sounds like he wouldn't hurt a flee in our worhsip, for he is our loving, comforting friend. But what about his holiness and theological affirmations of who this God is? Yes God is persoanl and approachable, but he is also more holy then we can imagine. too often this holiness is absent. The God we sing about in worhsip is not the God I see in Revelation 4.

 

[YankeeQueenoftheSouth]

While this is very true our eternal security is not based on the words or actions of the masses. Whether the song says I love you Lord or We love you Lord He is searching each of our individual hearts for sincerity and true devotion!

 

[Grl4Christ987]

See what I like about my church is that we bring in all sorts of Worship music. We listen to "old peoples" Hymns and sing them a lot. And then we bring in Modern P & W and they don't all incorporate just one message(i.e., that it's all about us as individuals being built up from God, but all of us as a whole being lifted up by God).Everywhere I go and visit for various events, yea they do sing the same songs over and over again, and while they do have God's blessing and anointing on it, it gets a bit tiring after a while(The air I Breathe for example, ppl play that WAY too much). But I do agree with you to some extent.