well, that's a broad sweeping generalisation, if you can generalise about a single person. i enjoyed reading his article 'i love worship - seriously!' in the June 2006 edition of Summa Supremo. much of my view of contemporary congregational worship songs/experience was expressed.
for example:
"I'm getting tired of singing love songs to Jesus-my-boyfriend. And frankly I feel silly when I have to sing songs so sentimental and cloying they could have been written for a 1990s boy band. As much as I loath to admit it these days, I'm not 'in love with Jesus' (for some people this might sound like blasphemy). But let's be honest, I love my three daughters more deeply than I could ever imagine loving anyone, but I have never fallen in love with them. My love for them transcends the exciting, heady, temporary feelings of romantic love. Likewise with Jesus. I love him and am completely in his debt. But I'm not head over heels in romantic love with him.
So it's not the singing I don't like. It's the kind of singing that I'm expected to engage in.
As much as this romanticising of worship bothers me, even more disturbing is the recent trend of singing worship songs in which I have to pledge my unfaltering devotion and service to him. You know, the 'Jesus, I will never let you go...' type song. In these songs I have to declare that I will follow him to the ends of the earth and that I will praise him all my days. In one sense, there's nothing wrong with making such promises to God ... But frankly, I'm so much more comfortable with singing about the fact that Jesus has promised that he will never let me go. My promises seem hollow and unreliable. It's God's promises to me in Christ that are solid, reliable and unfaltering."
That's a snippet. The whole article is good.
I have problems singing such songs - even as a "it would be nice, I want to to that" kind of attitude. Coz I know I don't do these things - "I'll love you forever", "everyday it's you i live for", "Jesus, I will never let you go".
But I don't know that lots of people will read this article. I don't think there will be any change. until the next trend in song writing comes through. in the meantime, i'll just keep singing my version during the songs in church.
Category: God stuffHi Jenny,
Do you have a link for that article? Where did you read it? I'd be interested in reading the whole thing...
Cheers!
Posted by: Matt at July 4, 2006 09:37 AMit's not up on the website yet, but you could keep an eye open for it on: www.morling.nsw.edu.au/news/publications.html
i saw it in hardcopy, in summa supremo.
i don't know if it's elsewhere on internet if you scout for mike frost articles.
sorry to not be more helpful!!
Posted by: jenny at July 4, 2006 10:27 AMAmen Sister!
Posted by: David at July 4, 2006 01:11 PMI agree! YAY for Mike Frost!
Posted by: Tamara at July 4, 2006 02:41 PMHow trueeee
Posted by: Ben at July 4, 2006 03:21 PMi also think mike frost is great. I was at a conference recently for community services workers, and he was on a panel for a hypothetical as the token 'christian leader'. The lady running ot purposly ignored him till the very end, then asked him his opinions on the discussion and he came out with the most profound, unexpected and fabulous response. Blew the whole room away.
Posted by: jo at July 4, 2006 05:01 PMpsalm 42 makes a pretty interesting read
Posted by: steve at July 8, 2006 08:14 PM