Monday, May 10, 2004
Yet more on hymns
Strange how this subject keeps cropping up. At church yesterday, our pastor spoke briefly on the relative merits of modern "praise" music (in quotes not to disparage but to set it aside as a particular genre within Christian music) and the old hymns. His point -- which I find utterly convincing -- is that praise music is good or bad depending on its emphasis on God.
Much praise music takes as its theme not the character of God, nor Christ's work on the cross, but rather a focus on worship; and not worship in itself, but worship as what we are going to do. The songs do not worship God; they talk about worshipping God. They do not say "We worship you, Lord" but rather "We're going to worship the Lord."
This may seem a subtle distinction, but it's an important one (and I want to be at pains, as was our pastor, not to paint with too broad a brush; there is much praise music that escapes this trap and is profitable for use in private and corporate worship, perhaps even the majority of it, but the songs that fall into the trap are far too numerous for comfort). Songs that refer to worship rather than engaging in worship create a barrier between the worshiper and God. Like characters in a David Mamet play, we wonder if we're talking, or just talking about talking.
And the barrier is not the worst of it. The worst of it is that by placing our reaction, our emotions at the center of worship, we demote God from the centrality He by rights should enjoy. To put it bluntly, when we worship, it isn't about us.
Does it matter? Only if you consider your approach to the eternal, sovereign God to be of even passing importance. Are we playing games when we worship the Most High?
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Much praise music takes as its theme not the character of God, nor Christ's work on the cross, but rather a focus on worship; and not worship in itself, but worship as what we are going to do. The songs do not worship God; they talk about worshipping God. They do not say "We worship you, Lord" but rather "We're going to worship the Lord."
This may seem a subtle distinction, but it's an important one (and I want to be at pains, as was our pastor, not to paint with too broad a brush; there is much praise music that escapes this trap and is profitable for use in private and corporate worship, perhaps even the majority of it, but the songs that fall into the trap are far too numerous for comfort). Songs that refer to worship rather than engaging in worship create a barrier between the worshiper and God. Like characters in a David Mamet play, we wonder if we're talking, or just talking about talking.
And the barrier is not the worst of it. The worst of it is that by placing our reaction, our emotions at the center of worship, we demote God from the centrality He by rights should enjoy. To put it bluntly, when we worship, it isn't about us.
Does it matter? Only if you consider your approach to the eternal, sovereign God to be of even passing importance. Are we playing games when we worship the Most High?
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