I've been turning my radio and headphones to more worship music lately. What catches me are lyrics that magnify and glorify our great God. I find myself to have wasted money on worship songs that are man-centered and have lyrics that seem to imply that "God's my boyfriend/girlfriend". What ever happened to the elaborate doctrines and lyrics of the Psalms and hymns in our worship services? I'm not trying to be hyper-critical, but mindful of the fact that we worship leaders over the past few decades have chosen some wimpy songs to lead the people of God into worship with.
Compare the lyrics of this contemporary worship song and hymn:
I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever
Over the mountains and the sea
Your river runs with love for me
And I will open up my heart
And let the Healer set me free
I'm happy to be in the truth
I will daily lift my hands
For I will always song of when Your love can down
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
Be Thou My Vision
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
You can see the difference in doctrinal depth here. Yes, they are both doctrinally correct, but which one gives a deeper understanding of God? Do you see what I'm saying? Here is a comparison with another contemporary song and hymn:
Draw Me Close
Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I'm Your friend
You are my desire
No one else will do
Nothing else could take your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace
Help me find the way
To bring me back to You
You're all I want
You're all I've ever needed
You're all I want
Help me know You are near
Come Thou Fount
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my hear to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my sign of victory
Hither by Thy help I'm come
And I know, by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wand'ring from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
O, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wand'ring hear to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O, take and seal it
Seal it for They courts above
Now I'll take a step away from hymns and look at more contemporary worship songs that have deep doctrinal depth. Here is one of my favorites:
Counting On Your Name
My name is written on Your hands
You call me Your own
You call me Your own
Now I am Yours
No earthly power could tear us apart
Tear us apart
I'm counting on Your name
I'm counting on Your name
Counting on Your name to save me
I'm trusting You're the way
I'm trusting You're the way
Trusting Your the way
My Savior
My life is built on nothing less
Than Your faithfulness
Your faithfulness
Counting on Christ and Christ alone
I'm hoping in You
Hoping in You
How is that compared to:
Arms of Love
I sing a simple song of love
To my Savior
To my Jesus
I'm thankful for the things You've done
My loving Savior
My precious Jesus
My heart is glad
That You call me Your own
There's no place is rather be
(Than) in Your arms love
Your arms of love
Holding me still
Holding me near
In Your arms of love
Now I know some of these songs are probably your favorite worship songs, and you've probably got some things of your own to say to me. Before you do, think about the point of this post: do my songs I use to lead the congregation of God into the worship of God lift high the name of God? What's the point of worship? To make God's people feel warm and have an emotional high? No way! It's about bringing people to feet of the God of the universe and letting them praise Him for who He is and what He's done. It's about singing the praises of God. Let the Holy Spirit have reign over people's emotions with songs filled with good doctrine not good ideas.
Yes, harsh, but I think necessary. Praise God for who He is and what He's done. Lead the people of God in songs of good, sound doctrine.
Blessings,
Nick
