2012年1月29日日曜日

Could Sing Of Your Love Forever: Kids

could sing of your love forever: kids

Church Music « Dreaming in Color

I know it's been a while since I've written anything, especially anything snarky.  To be honest, I've been going through this phase in which I question whether or not I should make fun of things on my blog, because I risk offending people who are/like/wear/do those things. But Dan (my boyfriend – yeah, the dating thing is new to me and is a cornucopia of blog-worthy tales), is like, "But that's what I like about you!!!"

I'm totally off topic now. I was going to write about church music. Yeah, I know, Jon Acuff has probably pretty much covered every possible mock-worthy aspect of the church music scene. But I'd like to give my two cents.


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  1. Hymns. There's so much to say about hymns. I mean, I know it's primarily old people who ask this question, but why don't we sing them in church anymore? Every church I visit, there the hymnal sits, forlorn and dusty next to The Sinner's Bible. I know some churches put the text of the hymns on PowerPoint, but this probably means they're only using "The Solid Rock" or the chorus of "How Great Thou Art" to follow up singing "How Great is Our God" 392 times. I don't think all hymns are better than all modern songs. But think about it. There are some great points of doctrine in "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" that just don't seem to be making an appearance in "I Will Worship You For Who You Are". (I mean, honestly, the song talks all about wanting to do that but barely talks about who God is.) And see I think it's funny when music leaders or church members talk about how nobody knows them, and that's partly why we don't sing them. Like it's more confusing to look at a hymn and see verses and a chorus than it is to follow this whole contemporary thing where you've got verses, chorus 1, chorus 2, bridge…alternate bridge…and not always in the normal order. Sometimes the song ends on a verse. My sense of organization is completely violated. Also, the other day I heard someone say, in reference to "In Christ Alone": "Gosh, there's just nothing like those old hymns." It's from 2001.
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     It's hard for me to call a song "old" if the composer is still alive. Or if the song is younger than me.
  2. The Interchangeable Church Song/Love Song Phenomenon. I've heard a lot of these in my time. But I still get a kick out of them every time. That Anthem Lights song on KLOVE? I think maybe I'll cover that and sing it to Dan for Valentine's Day: "Hold me/pull me just a little bit closer/I don't wanna lose this moment/your love has covered me/and now I can't get over you/I can't get over you." The whole song isn't completely interchangeable but it's pretty close. Or "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever". I mean, there are things that are different and better about God than my boyfriend. I think it would be easy to make songs about the two of them, you know, different from each other.
  3. Awkward Musical Moments. I know I'm immature but I love these. My personal favorite is when somebody who thinks they know where the worship leader is going starts singing really loudly and no one else is singing yet. I have my suspicions that worship leaders enjoy this as well. Also, I find it awkward how whenever a worship leader does decide to do a hymn, they play and sing it like it's a ballad of some sort because, I mean, singing something in 4/4 that has no syncopation would be heinously old school. The Hymn Shrouded In Rhythmic Mystery is some kind of conspiracy to make sure no one over the age of 60 knows what or how to sing during church.
    Which is a shame because I like hearing old man voices.
  4. Worship Stars. I feel uncomfortable with the new persona of church music composers/leaders. I don't understand how they came to be more than gifted lyricists. I mean, Chris Tomlin's celebrity status is out of control and he's not even that original. In a lot of the churches I've been to recently, the worship leader is regarded with awe and reverence and it sort of makes me uncomfortable. Want to be on the worship team? Well, you're going to have to "try out". As if church is American Idol now, and you have to look and sound like a star in order to contribute musically. I've been to several "auditions" for "worship teams". You know what's weird though? I've never been asked about why I want to serve in that capacity and I've never been asked about my character, my theology, or my leadership qualities. Ever.
  5. The overuse/misuse of the word "worship". People have been complaining about this for a while now, I know. That Youtube kid with all the hilarious videos about church and being home-schooled mentioned it. I misuse it too, mostly because I'm so used to calling the music leader a "worship leader" since that's what we call them now. But honestly, it is just ridiculous when you ask someone how a church service was and they're like, "The worship was AWESOME.
    " What is that even supposed to mean?

My best friend goes to a church where they don't have music leaders. Someone just says what to sing and they stand with everyone else and sing it, a cappella. And you know, it's pretty cool. No "try-outs". No celebrity status from being a "worship leader". No trendy songs and flashing lights. Sometimes I wonder if we really need a "worship leader" in order to sing praise to God?

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