I was just reading an essay by D. A. Carson, “Worship Under The Word”.
Carson is, in my estimation, one of the greatest biblical scholars in the world today. And I don’t just say that because he loves university ministry. 🙂 Approximately one gazillion (rounding up from three hundred and forty-four) of his writings are available for free online. They’re worth reading. Or at least saving to your hard drive so you can find them when you search your computer using Google Desktop…
Anyway, in footnote 39 on page 47 of this essay, he makes a rather pointed observation. I have bolded my favorite line.
Perhaps this is the place to reflect on the fact that many contemporary “worship leaders” have training in music but none in Bible, theology, history, or the like. When pressed as to the criteria by which they choose their music, many of these leaders finally admit that their criteria oscillate between personal preference and keeping the congregation reasonably happy—scarcely the most profound criteria in the world. They give little or no thought to covering the great themes of Scripture, or the great events of Scripture, or the range of personal response to God found in the Psalms (as opposed to covering the narrow themes of being upbeat and in the midst of “worship”), or the nature of biblical locutions (in one chorus the congregation manages to sing “holy” thirty-six times, while three are enough for Isaiah and John of the Apocalypse), or the central historical traditions of the church, or anything else of weight. If such leaders operate on their own with little guidance or training or input from senior pastors, the situation commonly degenerates from the painful to the pitiful.
Heh. Heh. Heh.
I would “heh” more, but apparently three times is enough. 🙂
I’ve been complaining a long time about bad worship choruses, but I’ve finally decided to do something about it. If I can’t fix them theologically, I can at least fix them linguistically. You know “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever”? Well there’s that line, “Over the mountains and the sea/ your river runs with love for me”. That’s always driven me crazy. How does a river run over the sea? So here’s my version: “Over the mountains and the sea, your river defies gravity”. Whatcha think? Still absurd, but at least the absurdity is openly acknolwedged!
Now that’s brilliant.
that is a great quote and his point is taken about “singing” holy 36 times.
charismatic worship is filled with the Spirit not overly repetitous.