In the previous post in this series, we considered the important differences between modern "praise and worship" music and classic hymns; we also considered the biblical guidelines for what makes a Christian song of any generation proper worship.
I get it: criticizing that praise and worship song that you love - whichever one it happens to be - can be a tough pill to swallow, especially for young people or new Christians who are still learning spiritual discernment. So before we begin today with an illustrative comparison, let's review where we landed last time.
The Makings of Good Worship Music
A thoughtful and biblical stance needs to examine each song on its own merits. We need to ask ourselves the question(s) “What am I looking at? What am I listening to? What am I singing?” Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18-20 provided the measuring rod. Ideally, we want music that:
holds a high view of God's word
teaches, admonishes, and gives thanks
keeps the Lord as the sole recipient and beneficiary of the music (any blessing we receive is just God’s grace poured out for our obedience in song)
In addition to the content and presentation of the song, we should also recognize that not all songs need to be the same. Last time we saw how Colossians 3:16 creates a hierarchy of music for us, going from most biblical to most personal: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
With that fresh on our minds, let's now compare two songs - one modern, and one classic - that share a similar topic: foundations. We'll start by simply looking at the lyrics, then follow with some comparative observations.
A Classic Hymn: "How Firm a Foundation" Lyrics
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God's excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake.
A Contemporary Praise and Worship Song: "Build My Life" Lyrics
Verse 1:
Worthy of every song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for You, oh, we live for You
Verse 2:
Jesus, the Name above every other name
Jesus, the only One who could ever save
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for You, we live for You
Chorus:
Holy, there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me
Bridge: And I will build my life upon Your love It is a firm foundation And I will put my trust in You alone And I will not be shaken
Verse 3: Holy, there is no one like You There is none beside You Open up my eyes in wonder And show me who You are And fill me with Your heart And lead me in Your love to those around me I will build my life upon You Lead me in Your love
Comparative Observations
In comparison with the hymn “How Firm a Foundation,” the song "Build My Life" draws attention to the tenor of modern Christianity. The hymn proclaims that God’s word is the firm foundation, and that there is nothing more that needs be said. The contemporary song, in contrast, states that His love is the foundation.
Yes, I recognize that it is not heresy, and that I am making some finely drawn discerning lines, but it seems important. What is your foundation? Is it the perfectly preserved word of God (which includes both His love and His judgment, His grace and His wrath, His righteousness and His forgiveness), or is it the more isolated and nebulous idea of “His love”?
"Build My Life" as a whole is emotional - we should recognize that it does contain statements of genuine worship, and I have no doubt that it can be sung in sincere worship of the Lord, but it includes just as many (if not more) lines of emotionally charged phrases. Let's be clear: there is nothing wrong with expressing emotion in worship. Consider the wide range of emotions clearly demonstrated in the book of Psalms, not to mention the rest of Scripture! It is just an observation - because this song is more emotional, we might classify it as a "spiritual song." And that can have its due space in worship, perhaps especially in private or family worship. But not at the expense of abaondoning other other kinds of worship mentioned in Colossians 3:16.
To further illustrate, let's now consider the hymn. "How Firm a Foundation" begins by establishing God’s word as the foundation, then in successive stanzas provides assurance that in the terrible trials that we experience, God remains with us and maintains His glorious purposes as established in His word. It is also loaded with biblical language, allusions to Scripture, and gives clear and specific reasons to worship God in every stanza based on His attributes. In comparison, "Build My Life" offers praise to God, but offers few reasons why God is worthy; it is vague, unspecific, and nebulous, relying more strongly on emotion than Scripture. Again, that can have its proper place, but it cannot become our exclusive means of worship.
The Sum of the Matter
Music matters. Like Bible translations, it is not all "basically the same thing," and although the example I selected today may not highlight blatant heresy, it is important that we are thoughtful about the music that we listen to and that we sing when praising the Lord. Take each song on its own merits. Ask yourself "What am I looking at? What am I listening to? What am I singing?" Does it meet the biblical criteria for music sung unto the Lord in both content and presentation? While there is nothing wrong with singing something deeply personal or emotional unto the Lord, is there a disproportionate emphasis on such spiritual songs, and neglect of psalms and hymns that teach and admonish?
Remember, even a minor problem can be major down the road. If you've ever navigated using a map and compass, you'll know what I mean: being one degree off may not be a big deal if you're only navigating 120 yards, but the further you go, the more off course you will be. The Christian life is not a sprint - it is a marathon. We are going long distance. Every degree on the compass of our theology, doctrine, and practical Christian living matters.
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