It is easy for us to think of music as innocuous, and to emphasize melody over meaning. Most popular songs that end up being chart-busters do not achieve that status due to their lyrical profundity. They’re not offering unique insight into the world, or human nature, but simply have a catchy beat. Many are quite formulaic, and we often associate a ‘sound’ with a particular artist. As long as it matches our mood, or lifts our spirits, or even distracts us from the chaos of our thoughts, its purpose is served.
It’s not surprising that that same thinking is carried forward into the selection of church music. A lot of what’s called, Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) also endeavors to make us feel good. In and of itself, this is not problematic, for who wants to listen to music that gets us down, or plumbs the depths of melancholy, or is not appealing to our ears. That’s sometimes the critique from modern worship leaders – that those who appeal to high standards in Christian worship music, simply care about a fuddy-duddy style, familiar and comfortable to an older generation. That reverence toward God has nothing to do with the choice of music, as long as the ‘heart is in the right place’.
Apart from being simplistic, this view is also terribly ignorant of the value that God Himself places on musical worship. In the Old Testament, we see the great care that king David took in the order, style, and decorum of the musicians who were to serve God in the Temple. When the reformer king Josiah celebrated the Passover, he had musicians follow the prescriptions for worship, alongside priests in the service of the Lord’s Temple.
This is not to say that there is no room for variety in worship. In India, where I come from, there are beautiful ghazals and kirtans composed by converted believers, now singing for Christ. These draw listeners in, and help them see that Jesus is not an alien Westerner, but the Creator God of all mankind. That He's the God who died, rose again, and offers redemption to these rural villagers trapped in superstition, and ritual worship of the powers of darkness.
Songs are a deep and entrenching way of memorializing God’s universal truths for generations. When Christians gather for corporate worship, they are singing for an audience of One. Songs rich with Scripture, composed from Biblical passages, declaring God’s attributes and divine nature, serve to fertilize the hearts and minds of those assembled in His Name. They are more attuned to hearing God’s Word, having taken their eyes off themselves, contemplating instead on God.
Now of course, the stirring up of emotions is not only acceptable, but to be expected. There is something marvellous about 300-year old songs, passed down from generations, connecting the modern believer to that universal Church, since ages past. A catchy beat, rhythm, melody, and exuberance are all well and good, as long as they add to, and not detract from the message of the song.
Consequently, biblical standards of worship would easily eliminate the megachurch Christianese songs churned out year after year, by the Bethel/ Hillsong/ Elevation industry. You might wonder, some of their songs appear acceptable, so why throw the baby out with the bathwater. The fact is, even the music produced by false churches and teachers, are not necessarily explicitly heretical. Smart as the enemy is, and true to his modus operandi, the bad theology is packaged aesthetically, with emotive mood-lighting, while half-truths are sung mixed with errors. These songs are then crystallized within immature minds, reinforce the impact of false teaching, and export the rot to nations far and wide.
To be clear - the choice is not between reverence and intimacy. It’s not either/or, it certainly is both. Each time someone encountered the majesty of God in the Old Testament, the only response was to fall down in awe. That did not change in the New Testament – John had the same response to the vision in Revelation. This was the Jesus he knew - against whom he leaned, walked, and shared meals with.
It matters that the songs we accept into corporate worship be truthful, precise, and firmly based on Scripture. It is a solemn responsibility, and one that pastors (and by extension, those in worship ministry) who are entrusted with guarding the flock against false teaching, are not to take lightly.
I do listen to the occasional megachurch song – not all are dyed in the same extreme wool. I apply discretion, and while there are several songs that could be good companions for a long drive, they could be absolutely inappropriate for corporate worship. I won’t get started on the mushy effeminate romance, or the irreverent boyfriend tunes, but, emphatically, God’s love is NOT RECKLESS, the all-sufficient One DOES NOT NEED US, and the Triune God, did not NOT WANT HEAVEN WITHOUT US.
