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Yesterday at church the preacher challenged those who lead the singing in our church to pay attention to their song choices. In the context of talking about the importance of gathering together as the people of God, he said that one of the important things we do together is sing. I remembered then how much we had missed it when we couldn't!
As one, we declare truth about God and his world, and about the gospel of grace we've received. It’s important therefore that what we’re singing is truth. We need songs that we can all sing, songs that we all know are true.
I’m not sure if my ‘amen’ was audible, but it’s a matter very close to my heart. As one who preaches and teaches I’m always concerned with presenting truth clearly and correctly. As preachers and teachers should, I spend time reading and researching Biblical texts and commentaries, paying attention to correct exegesis and faithful exposition. The aim is always to bring clarity (as well as inspiration and by God’s grace, transformation). Where there is muddled thinking, I want to counter it with truth and understanding. I hope I’m successful at that, at least some of the time.
I’m not here to beat up song writers: goodness knows I’m in awe of people who can write music and make words fit that music. Not just any words: words that lift the soul and fill the heart. It’s a wonderful gift.
Reflecting on the preacher’s exhortation to worship leaders, I thought about two types of song in particular that I find difficult to sing in church.
The first is the kind of song about God which doesn’t clarify; in fact which sometimes doesn’t even get the facts quite right. The song Such an Awesome God (Maverick City Music) came to my attention recently, and while I don’t take issue with the poetic language of expression, and while most of the statements it makes about God are uncontroversial, I do have a problem with the suggestion that God is selfless.
God is holy; he is mighty, wonderful and awesome. He is seated in majesty, reigning in holiness, and nothing comes close to the Lord Almighty. All of which helps us to know, when we pay attention to clarifying who God is, that he is the least selfless being ever. He names himself I am that I am. He is self-defining, self-sufficient, self-glorifying. We know that everything exists for his glory. He is generous and he has in his infinite benevolence condescended to draw us into friendship with himself, when we were enemies and deserved judgement. If that’s what we mean, we should find a way to say it. I think it's uncontroversial to observe that most Christians get a lot of their theology from the songs we sing. It's important to be clear if we want to teach people truth.
This is only one example but I’m sure we’ve all come across songs which are nearly great, but spoilt by sloppy attention to theology in one or two lines.
I said there are two types of song. The second is the song which doesn’t so much express truth about God or the gospel: truth than we can find in the Bible; but rather expresses in the first person our attitude towards God, or life, or the gospel. This is a tricky song to write, especially if your intention is for it to be sung by a congregation.
My church family is diverse: there are old and young; black and white; male and female; baby Christians and those who have walked the road of faith for six or seven decades. To write a song of this type for a congregation like that is a challenge.
Ooh I feel like dancing, it’s foolishness I know. I appreciate that the writer of the song felt like dancing, but I’m not sure you should expect a whole church full of people to sing that. It just will not be true for many of them! I like the song (I could sing of your love by Delirious) and first bought it and listened to it years ago when CDs were the thing (I might even have had a cassette tape with it on!).
I’m dancing on this mountaintop to see your kingdom come. This one is controversial: it’s poetry you may tell me, imagery like we find in the Psalms. But I don’t think or talk like that; and I’m not even entirely sure what the sentence means. Because it expresses something of the writer’s attitude and heart (I assume), it’s personal and experiential, and it doesn’t necessarily apply to every Christian in a church service. It would be weird if it did. My Redeemer Lives (by Reuben Morgan) is a cracking song, but in congregational singing this line just feels silly. It does to this congregant anyway.
My point is not that there is anything wrong with these songs per se, if I choose to listen to them and sing them. My point is that when we put a song before the gathered church and ask them to sing it as an expression of our shared identity as worshippers of God, and of those who have been saved through the gospel of Christ, and blessed with endless benefits as a result, surely we can find songs which are uncontroversial in their lyrics, sound and clear in their theology, and lack the kind of subjectivity which make it awkward for many people (me included) to sing them.
I’m not going to like every Christian song that is written: we all have favourite styles of music, and preferred song writers, and that’s fine. I just want to sing songs full of truth; or put another way, songs that are true. . . at least when I’m in church.
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