Scripture makes it plain that we are to sing praises unto God. But in the landscape of modern worship, I've noticed that not all songs seem to have an equal effect. In particular, there is a palpable difference when between modern "praise and worship" and the hymns of the past. What is that difference, and why does it matter?
If we’re going to explore the answer to that question charitably, then we should start with the clear biblical instruction to praise God. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:18-20 echoes the idea: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
These verses show four important things about music that are often overlooked by modern “praise and worship”; and to be fair, sometimes they are even overlooked by fundamental hymn-singing churches:
It starts with the word of God dwelling in you. This is perhaps why the Holy Spirit starts the list with psalms - work from what He gave you in Scripture.
Songs are to teach and admonish. The purpose of our singing is to teach and gently warn one another based on God’s word. It is not primarily a gushing emotional display. It must have substance and accurate content from God’s word. Our music should cause us to know more about God as He is revealed in His word, and caution us about the things God cautions about in His word.
It should involve giving thanks to God. This is a necessary facet of any healthy Christian life. See II Corinthians 2:14, II Corinthians 9:11-15, Ephesians 1:16, Ephesians 5:4, Ephesians 5:20, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 1:3, Colossians 2:7, Colossians 3:17, Colossians 4:2, I Thessalonians 5:18, I Timothy 2:1, Hebrews 13:15, Revelation 7:12, Revelation 11:17 to name just a few.
It is all done unto the Lord. Our primary audience - the one we seek to please - is God. His word is a sure-fire way to please Him. We are not performing for others, nor are we performing for our own benefit or blessing.
With those principles in place, let us now consider the content of modern praise and worship alongside the content of hymns.
An Observation of Hymns
The hymns of the past were composed by men and women steeped in the word of God (usually the KJV – if you want to know why I think that point is important, check out this post). That Scriptural saturation is naturally reflected in the songs they composed. As such, an accurate view of God (reverence) and of self (deprecation) is apparent. They directly set Scripture, or Scriptural principles, to music!
Consider how much Scriptural knowledge is required to truly grasp what is being sung in the old hymns. Even something as relatively common as "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" demands that we be biblically literate with its references to promised seed, bruising the serpent's head, and the second Adam! While these are not the most obscure biblical references made in hymns (consider the reference to "Mount Pisgah's lofty height" in "Sweet Hour of Prayer") they are certainly beyond a cursory Sunday School familiarity with Scripture.
An Observation of Modern Praise and Worship
In contrast, the modern praise and worship is produced by a generation that seems to be characterized by an ignorance of the depth and breadth of Scripture - in short, biblical illiteracy. What little biblical content does influence the music comes from a kaleidoscope of modern translations (which in many cases do not agree with each other when you put them side by side). Instead of being steeped in Scripture, they are steeped in humanism. That's why those songs are by and large about ME, and how much God loves ME, and how it all makes ME feel.
Furthermore, consider the manner in which most modern praise and worship is conducted. It is a performance. It amounts to a rock concert, complete with smoke, flashing lights, animated backgrounds, dramatic movement, clapping, a crowd in front of the stage, and even costumes (be honest, that’s what they’re wearing). Please don’t misunderstand my intention here: I am not suggesting that any of those things are inherently wrong, but in my experience they put the congregation's focus on the performance, thus robbing God of our attention and reverence. The combination of those elements also causes me to raise a critical eyebrow; Ephesians 5:18-20 plainly contrasts being drunk with wine against Spirit-filled worship. When it looks like a concert, feels like a concert, and sounds like a concert – when it mimics the sort of event where people are generally drunken and emotional – I am leery of its effects.
What Am I Looking At?
If we’re going to consider this topic fairly and charitably, then we can’t slip into the error of discarding everything composed during whatever range of years we’re going to label “modern.” After all, at one time even the most beloved hymns were “new” songs. There are some modern songs that are excellent; consider “Hymn in E Minor” by Matt Papa or “We Stand Amazed” by Attalus. Likewise, there are some hymns that contain errors; for example, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” contains a boldfaced error in that angels do not sing, and “Victory in Jesus” has a questionable use of the word “repent” in its first stanza. Let’s also be clear on this: a classic hymn does not have to be performed on a pipe organ by Sister Beatrice. You can take old hymns and set them to modern instruments; Bart Millard, Attalus, and Audrey Assad are three examples of artists who transposed the lyrics of the old hymns into more contemporary musical sensibilities without sacrificing content or reverence.
A thoughtful and biblical stance needs to examine each song on its own merits. We need to ask ourselves the question “What am I looking at?” Or more appropriately, "What am I listening to or singing?" In addition to the content and presentation of the song, we should also recognize that not all songs need to be the same. Consider again Colossians 3:16 and the classifications it gives us: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
As mentioned previously, psalms are those musical pieces directly given to us in Scripture. Clearly these are superior. Next in the hierarchy would be hymns – the kind of music described above that is steeped in God’s word. Finally, there are spiritual songs. We might classify these as songs that are about the spiritual life of the believer but lack the biblical gravitas of psalms and hymns. They might be more personal and experiential, with more emphasis on the relationship between God and self rather than the great doctrines of Scripture. Regardless of which category we might place a song in, it should align with the four God-given guidelines mentioned above from Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18-20.
The Sum of the Matter
Many today would argue that the classic hymns are archaic, formal, and unappealing to today's people. But I would argue the difference of opinion on music is parallel to the difference of opinion on Scripture. I want music written by people who shared my high view of God's word, and wanted to sing about it; that teaches, admonishes, and gives thanks; and that keeps the Lord as the sole recipient and beneficiary of the music. Any blessing I receive is just God’s grace poured out for my obedience in song.
This is why the good old-fashioned hymns are so far superior to the modern drivel of “praise and worship.” Nearly all modern songs are based very loosely on His word; they accurately teach very little (if anything) about God’s word and admonish even less. Songs like “Amazing Grace,” “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and “I Know Whom I Have Believed” are so far superior because they are undeniably biblical!
I realize that this may be a difficult pill to swallow, so in a future post, we will look at specific examples of modern praise and worship songs alongside classic hymns to illustrate the point, with special effort to give credit where credit is due (rather than simply disparaging anything “new”).
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