Problem with Modern Worship

Remember people were humans and we cant be stiff emotionless people that arent into good rockin music. Lot of my friends were saved through music from United, if I made em listen to some oldskool hyms they'd never be saved. We have feelings, we like to be current, and cool, we like to shout, we like to dance. I love getting down with my saviour, being real and being open to rockin out with him in cool worship songs that essentialy are simple maybe in lyrics but get what im trying to say to God. Im only speakin from expirience though. Just be real with Christ when you sing whatever song, dont try and impress others with your theology of "proper worship".

by the way god gave us emotions and god himself is emotional. how can you not be if he has washed you in the blood and saved you.

I came up with a definition of worship. Worship doesn't ask God for anything, except maybe to hear us praise Him. If we ask for forgiveness, not a worship song. Ssk God to touch us, not a worship song. These songsa are perfectly alright, but they aren't "worship songs". Although any song can glorify God, many songs are innapropriate in a woship setting.

Brenron said:

I came up with a definition of worship. Worship doesn't ask God for anything, except maybe to hear us praise Him. If we ask for forgiveness, not a worship song. Ssk God to touch us, not a worship song. These songsa are perfectly alright, but they aren't "worship songs". Although any song can glorify God, many songs are innapropriate in a woship setting.

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I don't any person can limit the way I worship God, through some sort of definition.

Sure, some songs may not touch your heart in such a way, but to say that it isn't worship is putting worship into a man-made box. Anything can be worship, even something as simple as a painting, or living life how God wants us to.

Jars of Clay's song Flood glorifies God, but it wouldn't be good as a worship song because the song is a prayer. The definition only applies to songs used in worship services, and it wouldn't be right to ask things of God while we're praising Him. Worship should be all about God, not us.

Brenron said:

Jars of Clay's song Flood glorifies God, but it wouldn't be good as a worship song because the song is a prayer. The definition only applies to songs used in worship services, and it wouldn't be right to ask things of God while we're praising Him. Worship should be all about God, not us.

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I wouldn't want to judge how other people worship just because you don't think it's appropriate. In the end, only God knows the heart of man, and judges accordingly.

Anything that gives glory to God is worship.

I never judge how people worship, but in a corporate setting, things have to be considered. Things like how Mary, Did You Know is not a good idea for a worship service, since it's a song sung to and about Mary.

I think I'm being misunderstood, I'm really talking about in a sense of what makes a song a "worship song" or what should be used in a worship service. Since worship is adoration, how exactly is a song asking God for something really a "worship" song? How are we defining worship?

when we praise and worship we enter in and give god glory praise and our hearts it is only after we enter in that we ask god for anything and it is through true praise and worship that god will move

Distant_Shores said:

Anyone finding the "hot new" worship songs a bit uhm... how do I say this... not very good? Not very biblical and self centered rather than God-centered?

Just these emotional songs that are often confusing to me as to what the composer is writing about.

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Absolutely...
I mean "good" if you wanna sing to express your "true" emotions but it all boils down to one standard. Are we glorifying God in what we sing or we just wanna glorify ourselves...? I dont know if its a strategy to win souls(prolly is).. Wouldnt know ... just gotta ask them. But in all... we have to give God the praise in all that we talk, sing ... and do..

Bless your hearts

bill16652 said:

when we praise and worship we enter in and give god glory praise and our hearts it is only after we enter in that we ask god for anything and it is through true praise and worship that god will move

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Exactly.. I agree right here...

That seems to much like buttering God up to me. Would you want someone to be praising you and then suddenly ask you for something? Wouldn't you wonder if they were just praising you so they could get something?

God moves through prayer, worship is solely for God's benefit. It would be selfish to use worship to ask God for anything.

Just to throw my opinion into the arena....

I think we contemporary Christians are using the word "worship" incorrectly. I think we often say worship when what we mean is 'music'. I think we should be using all of our time, whether among the congregation or at home, at work, at school, at play... to worship God. (Romans 12)

But, in terms of music, I think a lot of what is popular contemporary music really is lacking in value for use in the congregation (but not necessarily lacking in value elsewhere, although of course the need to "entertain" could be debated ad nauseum!). It wouldn't be fair to highlight individual songs, though, because frankly any one here would be able to identify a time when it's use was particularly appropriate. It is when we have sets/entire services which use these songs. An indivividual song might be quite appropriate, but we need to look at our choices across the board.

I am guessing a lot of posters here are involved with music ministry in our churches? Perhaps over the coming weeks you can look at your music sets and count the number of songs which refer to Jesus Christ by name, or to His blood and our salvation. It is the Name of the Lord which I have seen disappearing quite conspicuously. Case in point? A worship leader (at my church) had a bracket of 3 songs one week with repetitions etc... not a single mention of Jesus' name. Like I mentioned, the individual songs might be okay for a specific purpose, but I think 3 (or 2 or 4 etc) in a row is probably leading us away from true congregational worship of Jesus.

Music is wonderful, and I believe God is thrilled by the joyful noise we make especially when we come together in Jesus' Name as a family and agree to praise Him. But music is also really emotive, and I feel we can be numbed by it's beauty while lulled into a spiritual coma due to it's lack of depth.

IMO, that's the bottom line of all we do in worship (whether music, prayer, supplication, marriage, child-rearing, working etc etc etc) .... does it have substance? Does it have depth? Does it exalt the power of Christ and His unfailing love for us?

Apologies if I rub anyone up the wrong way.
Cheers,
Ruby

Just thought I should add... there's a standard that I'm writing about here to which I aspire - I am not under the impression that I've reached perfection yet!

What's I've been talking about here is just in relation to music. I did say that earlier.

Music is wonderful, and I believe God is thrilled by the joyful noise we make especially when we come together in Jesus' Name as a family and agree to praise Him. But music is also really emotive, and I feel we can be numbed by it's beauty while lulled into a spiritual coma due to it's lack of depth.

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I like what you've said here, this is a good statement. I would be careful of saying that a worship song must say Jesus in it. Some hymns don't say it, but they do make it very clear that it's about God. A "worship song" must be clearly about God would be my standard. If it's too vague, it doesn't usaully serve its purpose well.

i pray but i also use music to enter in. i have had some powerful times with god after putting a worship ie slow christian on, and entering in. music to god is not about the music but about the heart and how we feel about him

Our pastor preached a message talking about worship. He said when you are looking for a church you should look at what the preaching is saying not just pick based solely on the music. We do 99% hymns and maybe one old chorus each Sunday. I grew up on hymns. The hymns have the deeper message than most of todays praise and worship songs. Don't get me wrong, I love praise and worship music. I believe there is a place for it in our lives also. The point to music is to ready your heart for the preaching of God's Word not get so hyped up you can't listen to the preaching.

in terms of meaning listen to shout to the lord, glory to the king, and many more that carry so much meaning. i agree that we should be open to the preaching and that is the important part but worship has its place too

Our pastor preached a message talking about worship. He said when you are looking for a church you should look at what the preaching is saying not just pick based solely on the music. We do 99% hymns and maybe one old chorus each Sunday. I grew up on hymns. The hymns have the deeper message than most of todays praise and worship songs. Don't get me wrong, I love praise and worship music. I believe there is a place for it in our lives also. The point to music is to ready your heart for the preaching of God's Word not get so hyped up you can't listen to the preaching.

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That's a good point, I've been careful never to judge a church by its worship team.

I think what makes a song a worship song is the intent behiend it. Take for example when I am drumming along to my CD's. I consider most of that modern music "worship" beacuse that is what I'm doing. My heart isn't focused on my drumming in the living room, but on praising the Lord by using the talents he gave me.

On the other hand, I think preforming in places other than the church (for purpose of leading worship) is not worship, but just music, since the focus is on your performance, not praising the lord.

Would people agree with what I am saying?


Eric

I think what makes a song a worship song is the intent behiend it. Take for example when I am drumming along to my CD's. I consider most of that modern music "worship" beacuse that is what I'm doing. My heart isn't focused on my drumming in the living room, but on praising the Lord by using the talents he gave me.

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Sure, I can agree with that.

On the other hand, I think preforming in places other than the church (for purpose of leading worship) is not worship, but just music, since the focus is on your performance, not praising the lord.

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I can agree with this somewhat, but I'd just say playing outside of a worship service, not just outside of a church.

BlessedMan said:

There are definitely some good ones out there but there are a lot of what we call "7-11" songs...(7 words sung 11 times)

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So, so true.