I tend to get on the fix where I listen to a certain band over and over again. My latest has been a christian band by the name of Newsboys. In my opinion they are the last of the three "super groups" in contemporary christian music, the other two being DC Talk and Audio Adreneline (yes you can make arguments for other bands, but this is just my opinion). I really enjoy their music, He Reigns, Something Beautiful, I Am Free, Glorious, Breakfast Song...the list goes on and on. (Just for the record, I think they are just as good with Michael Tait as Peter Furler)
Lately I have been trying to listen to one of their songs before my first class to uplift my spirts and get my day going on the right note. I like to sit and reflect on the song and pray to God, asking how he would want me to live my day today. I also think about what the song means and how I could apply it to my faith. This morning practice is one that I am enjoying more and more each time I do it.
The other day I noticed a discussion on facebook. There was a group of people discussing the theological depth and musical depth of worship songs and how contemporary worship songs are being dumbed down.
Now I am not posting this because I am angry, in fact, out of the people who partook in the discussion, I have a great respect for all of them that I know. However, I seem to be in the minority with my opinion.
One of the songs that I have been listening to, and a song that we perform at my home town church a lot is "Amazing Love (You are my King)." Here is basically the entire lyrics of the song:
I’m forgiven because You were forsaken, I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me, Because You died and rose again.(Repeat x2)
(Chorus)Amazing love,How can it beThat You, my King, should die for me? Amazing love,I know it’s true. It’s my joy to honor You, In all I do, I honor You.
Not a lot of words to the song, nor is it that musically challenging. However, in my opinion, it has a GREAT tehological depth! What does that mean, to honor God? What does it mean to have joy in honoring God? "Spirit within me?" What does that mean? and after all, it is amazing love? How can it be that God's love for me is so amazing that I deserve such love?
My point is that their is sooooo many questions that come out of that little short song. In my opinion, when you can look at a song and think about what it means, and you have several questions, that is theological depth!
Besides, worship music is about worshipping God. It is also about what the church declares about God. In that song, we are declaring that God has this amazing love that is so great, that the only thing we can do is try to honor him because of that love.
Now I understand some of the old hymns have more theological depth to them, however, worship is suppose to connect us to God. Some people are not conencted to God by singing old complicated hymns, even if they are theologically deep. They are connected by listening to the words, singing them outloud, no matter how bad they sound, and simple lyrics that just get stuck in your head and drilled in your brain so you can reflect on that song and apply it to your life. They are also connected to music they enjoy, so that God's message can become mroe personal to them.
The important thing is that people are connected to God in worship. If that is by using old hymns with great theological depths...GREAT. If it is by simple songs that people can easily remember and can easily sing to...GREAT. God wants us to come to him, just as we are. The important thing is to praise him!
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