iMonk’s Worship Riff
July 14th, 2008
Michael Spencer has some great remarks on a recent article in “The Briefing” entitled “The Slow Death of Congregational Singing” asserting that “genuine, heartfelt congregational singing is experiencing its dying gasps.” Spencer writes:
“As a whole, we’re on our way to pretty much what you have on The Letterman Show. The band plays and Dave comes out with the monologue.”
“Congregational singing is commanded in the New Testament’s description of gathered worship. If we replace that with performance, it’s a major loss on several levels, not the least being the level of teaching and encouragement specifically mentioned in the epistles.”
It’s not that contemporary worship is bad per se, but as Spencer sees it, here’s the draw back:
“It’s designed for expressive presentation and not as much for edification through musical teaching or mutual encouragement. So you can have a lot of ‘You are holy!’ and ‘I will worship,’ as opposed to four or five verses describing the incarnation or considerations of the meaning of salvation.”
I couldn’t agree more. We utilize a lot of contemporary praise and worship at our church. I think there are a number of well written, singable worship tunes that do a good job of expressing who God is and what He has done. But let’s face it. The shelf life of even the most popular praise song is a drop in the bucket in comparison to the old hymns of the faith. It’s been said, “We don’t sing the great old songs because they’re old. We sing them because they’re great.” That’s why in addition to PowerPoint I insist on having hymnals at our church. How else are we going to pass down the rich heritage of biblical truth in corporate worship?
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not.
As thou has been Thou for ever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Who writes lyrics like that anymore?
July 15th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Yes, agreed, with one caveat: there are some “great old songs” that aren’t so great, or at the very least, have lost much of their impact today. And there are a few new ones that really pack a wallop (”In Christ Alone” is more theologically meaty than most any old hymn I can think of). Overall, your point is well-taken; I just get itchy when comparing “new” to “old” as though “old” is automatically “great” (not that you’re doing that; I just think some folks do). Let’s sing songs with “gravitas” and theological substance, whether they were written by Martin Luther hundreds of years ago or by your worship leader yesterday.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:11 am
As I said, “We don’t sing the great old songs BECAUSE they’re old.”
July 17th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Agree….
I actually see some of this “movement” as a part of the “suckling pig” mentality that you have talked about before Don…and the church feeding it. Some of these choruses being talked about make it easy on people — chanting the same thing over and over with no real depth — people don’t have to think about what they are singing or how they are singing it — where is the worship here??? Unfortunately, it also opens the door for church to be more of a performance than a form of worship - ugh.
I would have to equate it my children — they get in trouble for some sort of infraction and they stare at me blankly and with a monotone voice say “yes sir…..yes sir….yes sir….” when it comes down to it their response means nothing — they just think it will make me happy and things will move on. When you don’t have to think at all about what you are singing and just do it over and over and over how much meaning does it have - is it really worship?
Now I am very grateful that you (Don) take the time to pick out meaningful choruses but also include the “great old songs” in our services.
WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!! GET UP AND BE A PART OF IT!! Of course that is not limited to physical participation but mental and spiritual as well. A “concert” format just doesn’t do it.
Okay I’ll stop now…. Oh, and Don I really don’t think Bob G. will be speaking in tongues any time soon