It's Sunday morning in middle America. Folks have rushed through the sunrise preparing for events that will take place within a few hours or moments depending on the digits set on their alarm clocks. They hurriedly drive across town wondering where they will park their vehicles, which child to drop off in what order, and where to have lunch afterward. All this is done while contemplating the richness of being in the Presence of the Creator of the Universe; the One Who surrendered His life that we might find ours in abundance. We finally enter the main sanctuary and find our seats among the other worhippers. The mind clears, the heart reaches upward and we cooperate and connect in a swelling of melodious and rhythmic offerings cast heavenward in anticipation of an inner trembling; that unique experience when the power that hung the stars gently invades the crevices of our heart and stirs a response. Humility, gratitude, repentance, affection, deep regret, joy inexpressible, unrestrained delight, brimming tears of liquid love or howling laughter of playful tickles, the pendulum of emotions has no limitations to what the Spirit of God can stir in a whirlwind of passionate caresses, soft kisses and gentle whispers. We have experienced God in all these ways. And then there is... the music.
Music is the vehicle of transportation used by every worship leader to carry our souls from the mundane to the eternal, from the temporal to the Solid Rock of faithfulness that never disappoints. Styles, instrumentation, direction of melody lines, chord progressions and the timbre of the vocalists and harmonies selected all contribute to the preparation for God's consuming Presence. Like a table set for a banquet every detail has an effect. Equally potent to these are the lyrics. The words that draw one to reflect on Who God is; His character; His lovingkindness, mercy, compassion and passion for us; His gifts; who we are to Him; the steadfastness of our relationship; and any number of other literary reflections that cause us to see His face as He is, the great I AM ...or perhaps not.
Music is an ethereal vehicle. It is spiritual in nature. It moves into our soul with surgical precision and it carries with it the lyrics our heart and mind has been opened to receive sometimes inconspicuously. Like a syringe piercing a vein with direct flow to our life support system. We are caught up in the moment, in the emotive response to the melodies, harmonies and rhythms and fail to notice that our doctor has mistakenly given us a dose of something to which we are deathly allergic - a lie. And here we are singing along, increasing the dosage with each repetition, with each verse perpetuating the theft of our unity in the Spirit.
John 4:24 reads, "God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." The scriptures are clear that the author of deception is satan. John 8:44 calls satan the father of lies for lies originate in his nature. The pursuit of truth is so significant to life in God that Jesus equated Himself as the embodiment of Truth. Truth is steadfast and immovable, like the Rock upon which we as believers stand. It does not falter. It is faithful, strong and sure. We can depend on it. It should be our ambition therefore to pursue truth at all costs and to be aware the thief comes in the night, in the shadows, hidden from apparent view and sometimes sneaks in to slither on sound waves.
A while ago, I was at a worship service with a most dynamic and powerful worship leader. This beloved brother causes knees to buckle with a simple "check, check" into the mic. This is one seriously anointed worship leader yet we sang a song whose chorus repeatedly exclaims, "He gives and takes away". My spirit locked. The God that I know is a giver, not a taker. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. I come that you might have life and have it abundantly." Romans 8:32 says, "He Who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him freely give us all things." John 3:16 says God loved us so much that He gave His very Son. He gave. Does the evidence under the covenant which Jesus fulfilled show otherwise? Is there one example in the New Testament that indicates God takes anything of value from us? Is God a taker? In fact I am reminded of an amazing passage in I Chronicles 29:14 where David asks God, "But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You and from Your hand we have given You!" God is a giver! The only things He takes away are sin, death, shame, disease, sorrow, etc... (This particular minister of music, several months later during his once again use of this song, stopped in the middle of worship and precisely clarified this point - thus expressing the true character of God).
Today, our entire congregation with arms outstretched and in deep reverence with great passion sang a chorus in reference to the woman who offered her perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus. Luke 7:37-38 records this beautiful story of repentance and gratitude. Mark 14:3-9 records the same story and Jesus' response of honor for the woman's expressive offering. You see in verse four of that passage, several onlookers questioned why such expensive perfume that could have been sold to feed the poor was "wasted" on Jesus. And here is the chorus, "I'm going to waste it all on you, Lord". And the people sang it over and over and over again.
Would anything be considered a "waste" in honoring or giving unto Jesus or His body. How can we in a spirit of worship sing such things? Beloved, I am not judging the songwriters or worship ministers who promote these messages in their song choices nor am I condoning a religious dissecting of all songs subject to committee reviews. What I am suggesting is that we not be so quick to jump with the popularity of a particular song or artist without first considering the biblical tenets of the words we are about to promote in worship.
Alright, let's consider that man looks on the outside and God looks at the heart. I most assuredly agree that every member of that congregation was sincere in their reverence of God at that moment. God sees beyond the words, after all, He invented language and our capacity to think and communicate. He cared about their surrender. In that surrender was real beauty and the true offering of the moment. But none the less, the lyrics were not complimentary.
I searched through scriptures in my mind to justify this specific occurence and recalled Philippians 3:7-8, "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss, (waste) for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish (waste) so that I may gain Christ."
Beloved, without the need for justification, let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds by selecting, sharing, writing and singing songs whose lyrics speak truth and light and love and life!
"Life and Death are in the power of the tongue." Proverbs 18:21a
May Blessings be the Song of the Day!
Music is the vehicle of transportation used by every worship leader to carry our souls from the mundane to the eternal, from the temporal to the Solid Rock of faithfulness that never disappoints. Styles, instrumentation, direction of melody lines, chord progressions and the timbre of the vocalists and harmonies selected all contribute to the preparation for God's consuming Presence. Like a table set for a banquet every detail has an effect. Equally potent to these are the lyrics. The words that draw one to reflect on Who God is; His character; His lovingkindness, mercy, compassion and passion for us; His gifts; who we are to Him; the steadfastness of our relationship; and any number of other literary reflections that cause us to see His face as He is, the great I AM ...or perhaps not.
Music is an ethereal vehicle. It is spiritual in nature. It moves into our soul with surgical precision and it carries with it the lyrics our heart and mind has been opened to receive sometimes inconspicuously. Like a syringe piercing a vein with direct flow to our life support system. We are caught up in the moment, in the emotive response to the melodies, harmonies and rhythms and fail to notice that our doctor has mistakenly given us a dose of something to which we are deathly allergic - a lie. And here we are singing along, increasing the dosage with each repetition, with each verse perpetuating the theft of our unity in the Spirit.
John 4:24 reads, "God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." The scriptures are clear that the author of deception is satan. John 8:44 calls satan the father of lies for lies originate in his nature. The pursuit of truth is so significant to life in God that Jesus equated Himself as the embodiment of Truth. Truth is steadfast and immovable, like the Rock upon which we as believers stand. It does not falter. It is faithful, strong and sure. We can depend on it. It should be our ambition therefore to pursue truth at all costs and to be aware the thief comes in the night, in the shadows, hidden from apparent view and sometimes sneaks in to slither on sound waves.
A while ago, I was at a worship service with a most dynamic and powerful worship leader. This beloved brother causes knees to buckle with a simple "check, check" into the mic. This is one seriously anointed worship leader yet we sang a song whose chorus repeatedly exclaims, "He gives and takes away". My spirit locked. The God that I know is a giver, not a taker. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. I come that you might have life and have it abundantly." Romans 8:32 says, "He Who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him freely give us all things." John 3:16 says God loved us so much that He gave His very Son. He gave. Does the evidence under the covenant which Jesus fulfilled show otherwise? Is there one example in the New Testament that indicates God takes anything of value from us? Is God a taker? In fact I am reminded of an amazing passage in I Chronicles 29:14 where David asks God, "But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You and from Your hand we have given You!" God is a giver! The only things He takes away are sin, death, shame, disease, sorrow, etc... (This particular minister of music, several months later during his once again use of this song, stopped in the middle of worship and precisely clarified this point - thus expressing the true character of God).
Today, our entire congregation with arms outstretched and in deep reverence with great passion sang a chorus in reference to the woman who offered her perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus. Luke 7:37-38 records this beautiful story of repentance and gratitude. Mark 14:3-9 records the same story and Jesus' response of honor for the woman's expressive offering. You see in verse four of that passage, several onlookers questioned why such expensive perfume that could have been sold to feed the poor was "wasted" on Jesus. And here is the chorus, "I'm going to waste it all on you, Lord". And the people sang it over and over and over again.
Would anything be considered a "waste" in honoring or giving unto Jesus or His body. How can we in a spirit of worship sing such things? Beloved, I am not judging the songwriters or worship ministers who promote these messages in their song choices nor am I condoning a religious dissecting of all songs subject to committee reviews. What I am suggesting is that we not be so quick to jump with the popularity of a particular song or artist without first considering the biblical tenets of the words we are about to promote in worship.
Alright, let's consider that man looks on the outside and God looks at the heart. I most assuredly agree that every member of that congregation was sincere in their reverence of God at that moment. God sees beyond the words, after all, He invented language and our capacity to think and communicate. He cared about their surrender. In that surrender was real beauty and the true offering of the moment. But none the less, the lyrics were not complimentary.
I searched through scriptures in my mind to justify this specific occurence and recalled Philippians 3:7-8, "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss, (waste) for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish (waste) so that I may gain Christ."
Beloved, without the need for justification, let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds by selecting, sharing, writing and singing songs whose lyrics speak truth and light and love and life!
"Life and Death are in the power of the tongue." Proverbs 18:21a
May Blessings be the Song of the Day!
