Posted on 01/28/2015 12:05:06 PM PST by millegan
Yes, yes, the Bible describes the relationship between Christ and the Church as a bridegroom and bride, and the Song of Songs is pretty explicit (and is traditionally interpreted as being about the relationship between Christ and the Church), but still – anyone else feel a bit awkward by this phenomenon?
(Excerpt) Read more at churchpop.com ...
I wonder why it is that you refuse to post the full content from what is obviously you own blog?
Apparently just the Catholics.
The only music more offensive than Christian Rock music is RAP music — and that is really, really bad.
The old message was that all we are beggars and all we have to offer to God is our pride, our deceit, and our sin.
The new message is that God is lucky because we have so much love to offer him.
He is now considered our equal and our peer. The mention of any sin in a contemporary worship song is out of the question.
SUCH an overstatement! How about Chris Tomlin’s “Amazing Grace” chorus:
My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior
Has ransomed me
and like a flood
His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace
That’s just one example. And the traditional hymnody is being revoiced for contemporary worship (not the melodies, the instrumentation) to rave reviews.
Took a look at the example. Talk about “too much.” SLOPPY WET kiss? Heart turned VIOLENTLY?
It’s perfectly possible to write movingly about holy passion without visiting the devil’s gutter with the connotations.
Now, it’s also possible to be proud of your humility. Just a word of caution here.
I definitely over-generalized. There are indeed some, even many, modern songs that are very theologically sound and powerful.
But you must admit that “me-centric” is indeed a trend in modern worship.
Komm in mein Herzenshaus,
Herr Jesu, mein Verlangen!
Treib Welt und Satan aus
Und laß dein Bild in mir erneuert prangen!
Weg, schnöder Sündengraus!
(Come into my heart's house,
Lord Jesus, my desire!
Drive the world and Satan out
and let your image, shine forth renewed in me!
Away, contemptible horror of sin!)
From Bach's Cantata #80, Ein Feste Burg, You can hear it here. About 300 years old; as classical music arias go, it's as close to a romantic-sounding love song as it gets.
All worship music was contemporary worship music when it was written. Are those who write worship music today less worthy in the eyes of God to write such music than those who wrote contemporary Christian music 100 years ago?
Is it somehow a sin to compose worship music in the 21st Century?
You are obviously listening to a different set of songs than I do!
Heard one the other day that mentioned giving God a fist bump. All I could think was that we've gone from the concept of Agape Love to fist bumps. Sad...
The Dave Crowder band has re-issued this song to say “Unforseen kiss” because of all the bad press it got.
Just as bad seeing people come to His house carrying coffee cups, wearing shorts, t-shorts with skulls or NoTW gothic crap, flip flops, tatted up, tight dresses, and wearing a ball cap in the sanctuary.
anyone else feel a bit awkward by this phenomenon?
Perhaps because we have become so worldly that even in church we automatically think of love as being eros rather then agape, philia, or storge?
We are losing something precious and very few seem to take notice.
Today I crave the old hymns. Not because they have changed, but because I have changed. I love the "meat" in the old songs. There is a depth there, that I don't find much in todays lyrics.
When you read the lyrics of songs written 100 years ago, or read the works of Spurgeon or Whitefield or Edwards, you realize that people back then were much, MUCH deeper thinkers, than we are today.
Today, it seems, many of our songs have a verse or 2 that is repeated ad nauseam. Seemingly the more repeated, the more deeper or more emotional.
I’m probably as sick of “Jesus is my boyfriend” “praise” songs as you are! I think it stems from the “seeker-focused” squishyness that passes for evangelism in many contemporary churches - heaven forbid we just preach the gospel, rather than trying to figure out what the unchurched want to hear to make them feel good about themselves and then giving it to them. There’s just some really great, worshipful music out there that deserves a hearing.
Interestingly, the lyrics have been changed to replace “sloppy wet” with “unforeseen” in the David Crowder version. I had an issue with the original lyric as well, but there’s some good theology in
He is jealous for me
Love’s like a hurricane, I am a tree
bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
and all of a sudden, I am unaware of this
affliction eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are
and how great Your affections are for me
he neither participates on the forum either, thats hugh!
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