Comments on: Weird worship

By: Miriam Aponte

Miriam Aponte — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:19:00 +0000

I am a little confused with one of the comments above. It states “To Him, our finest singing voices, our most intellectual lyrics are still not even close to glorifying Him as much as He deserves” So this means, just throw out there whatever you want, even if it makes no sense and call it worship? Who are we worshiping? If we were to go to England to appear before Queen Elizabeth and have to speak with her, we would choose our words carefully. We would even bow before her. How much more the GOD OF HEAVEN? Of course it makes a difference whether or not the lyrics are ‘weird’ or not to Him; He delights in the worship of his people. True worship. Not the make me feel good rhythms that causes ME to want to dance and clap my hands. It is not about our feelings, it is about Him.

Miriam Aponte

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:13:18 +0000

Steven, thanks for the comments – I loved all three of your examples! And I agree that many of the more modern hymns are laughable in their musical content (some are outright groanable). We shouldn’t have to choose between high musical quality and high lyrical quality, doggoneit.

Thanks also for the encouragement. I hope you stick around and interact on some of those other “interesting studies”.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:13:00 +0000

Thanks also for the encouragement. I hope you stick around and interact on some of those other “interesting studies”.

By: Steven

Steven — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:38:07 +0000

I’ve got a few offerings for the strange lyric pile:

1. “Getting Used to the Family of God” is made up of syrupy lines aplenty. But how about this one in the chorus: “Learning to love you, how easy it is.” I don’t find it easy learning to love everyone in the church, which is what the song seems to be about. Maybe it’s just me…

2. “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning” is one I can’t bring myself to lead. Consider the words in the refrain: “Let the lower lights be burning, send a gleam across the wave! Some poor fainting struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save.”

3. I think I’m leaning more toward picking on certain lines than entire hymns, but here goes again… “Let Me Live Close to Thee” contains this: “In Thy field I would wield sickles brave and true.” How can a sickle be brave and true?

There are more but I don’t want to over-do it. I’m pretty critical of some of our hymns but keep it in my own thoughts mostly, so as not to discourage folks who are encouraged by them somehow. The music in some of them is worth ridicule. One in particular has a verse whose music sets up for the refrain in such a way that I expect the chorus of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer will be forthcoming.

Keep up the interesting studies and sharing them with careful thoughtfulness. I’m still considering and testing what you’re presenting in other posts. Thanks for the work.

By: Steven

Steven — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:38:00 +0000

I’ve got a few offerings for the strange lyric pile:

Keep up the interesting studies and sharing them with careful thoughtfulness. I’m still considering and testing what you’re presenting in other posts. Thanks for the work.