Those words you're singing in church

Lamb

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tango

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All the time. I refuse to sing anything that comes out of Bethel and encourage the people who choose the songs to avoid anything from Bethel too. Some of the songs in and of themselves are inoffensive but their teaching spreads like a dark plague and I don't want it anywhere near my church. I've seen the damage it can do in a church.

There are a few other songs, usually the more modern ones, that are either theologically very thin, or theologically very dubious, or so mindlessly repetitive I don't want to take part. When something is sung over and over and over to the point all I can think of is chanting "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna" something feels badly out of kilter. When the words on the screen contain endless uses of "woah" and "oh-oh-oh" I wonder if we're singing praise or commercial pop.
 

MennoSota

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Do you ever stop to think about what you're singing in church?

All the time. I read the words and notice if they are God ward or man ward. So much of what has been written over the past 100 years has been focused on what God can do for me. So little has been focused on God's majesty and glory.
But, when a song is God ward oh how blessed it becomes. It leads our souls upward to the throne of God where we can worship our Sovereign King.
 

Lamb

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Did you guys click on the link to listen to the song?? LOL It was a parody on praise music.
 

tango

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All the time. I read the words and notice if they are God ward or man ward. So much of what has been written over the past 100 years has been focused on what God can do for me. So little has been focused on God's majesty and glory.
But, when a song is God ward oh how blessed it becomes. It leads our souls upward to the throne of God where we can worship our Sovereign King.

Did you see some of the drivel coming out of the uber-charismatic churches like Bethel? A lot of it isn't even about what God is doing but it's all about me, me, me and what I'm doing. Sometimes it widens the scope a little and refers to what we are doing.
 

MennoSota

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Did you see some of the drivel coming out of the uber-charismatic churches like Bethel? A lot of it isn't even about what God is doing but it's all about me, me, me and what I'm doing. Sometimes it widens the scope a little and refers to what we are doing.
Yes, your comment about Bethel Music stands out. They are an intrabiblical cult so it does not surprise me that the words have no theology. I was at a Christian University for an event and the student band played "King of My Heart" (A Bethel song). As many people were raising their hands and swaying, I was laughing. I found the words so lacking that it became funny to consider the mindless drivel that expressed nothing of God's Sovereignty and everything about the human experience. Some people turned and glared at me while others likely thought it was "holy" laughter. I did write the school to express my philosophy of worship in music, but I received no response back.
My favorite contemporary worship groups are "Sovereign Grace Ministries" and "Indelible Grace." Both consider the words of a song to be extremely important in glorifying God. Check them out as an option.
 

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The local Christian radio station, out of the University of Northwestern at St Paul, is also the parent station for a vast network. They and Moody are the biggest network. I joke that they have a 1 out of 10 ratio of playing a worship worthy song. 1 God-centered song to 9 man-centered songs.
 

tango

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Yes, your comment about Bethel Music stands out. They are an intrabiblical cult so it does not surprise me that the words have no theology. I was at a Christian University for an event and the student band played "King of My Heart" (A Bethel song). As many people were raising their hands and swaying, I was laughing. I found the words so lacking that it became funny to consider the mindless drivel that expressed nothing of God's Sovereignty and everything about the human experience. Some people turned and glared at me while others likely thought it was "holy" laughter. I did write the school to express my philosophy of worship in music, but I received no response back.
My favorite contemporary worship groups are "Sovereign Grace Ministries" and "Indelible Grace." Both consider the words of a song to be extremely important in glorifying God. Check them out as an option.

For a time I attended a church that was very much into Bethel. Any time they wanted to use a song, if a version existed that was performed by Bethel or Jesus Culture they used it. The drivel that passed for worship there almost had to be seen to be believed - I find Bethel songs to be mostly tedious drivel but if you've ever seen what comes out of IHOP in Kansas City you wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry. For me the urge is twofold - partly to laugh at the idea that people could actually consider it worship, paired with crying at the fact people actually do consider it worship.

Their idea of "worship" seems to be little more than singing the same couple of lines over and over and over for 5-10 minutes, then shifting to another couple of lines repeated ad nauseum, and then repeating the whole thing ad nauseum.

With that church is was IHOP that had me thinking I couldn't stay around much longer and it was a "worship video" from Bethel that pushed me over the edge. I managed to tolerate it for nearly 10 minutes before walking out and even my wife gave up and left after about 40 minutes. That was the last service we attended at that church.

I'll have to look into the two groups you mention - in general I prefer more contemporary music to the more traditional hymns but so often find the more contemporary lyrics to be so lacking in theological meaning and prone to fall back on endless repetition.
 

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For a time I attended a church that was very much into Bethel. Any time they wanted to use a song, if a version existed that was performed by Bethel or Jesus Culture they used it. The drivel that passed for worship there almost had to be seen to be believed - I find Bethel songs to be mostly tedious drivel but if you've ever seen what comes out of IHOP in Kansas City you wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry. For me the urge is twofold - partly to laugh at the idea that people could actually consider it worship, paired with crying at the fact people actually do consider it worship.

Their idea of "worship" seems to be little more than singing the same couple of lines over and over and over for 5-10 minutes, then shifting to another couple of lines repeated ad nauseum, and then repeating the whole thing ad nauseum.

With that church is was IHOP that had me thinking I couldn't stay around much longer and it was a "worship video" from Bethel that pushed me over the edge. I managed to tolerate it for nearly 10 minutes before walking out and even my wife gave up and left after about 40 minutes. That was the last service we attended at that church.

I'll have to look into the two groups you mention - in general I prefer more contemporary music to the more traditional hymns but so often find the more contemporary lyrics to be so lacking in theological meaning and prone to fall back on endless repetition.
This song was sung at my nieces funeral. Powerful words that call upon a Sovereign and Healing God. 250 or more people shouting their adoration through their grief. I tear up just recalling this glorious and sad moment where we all stood before the throne in awe.
https://youtu.be/k8EA-EcBMMg
 

Imalive

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All the time. I refuse to sing anything that comes out of Bethel and encourage the people who choose the songs to avoid anything from Bethel too. Some of the songs in and of themselves are inoffensive but their teaching spreads like a dark plague and I don't want it anywhere near my church. I've seen the damage it can do in a church.

There are a few other songs, usually the more modern ones, that are either theologically very thin, or theologically very dubious, or so mindlessly repetitive I don't want to take part. When something is sung over and over and over to the point all I can think of is chanting "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna" something feels badly out of kilter. When the words on the screen contain endless uses of "woah" and "oh-oh-oh" I wonder if we're singing praise or commercial pop.

I was in one service where they only sang lalalalalalala. I wanted to leave. I rather listen to trololol guy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z4m4lnjxkY
 

ImaginaryDay2

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NOT the "Trololo" guy! PLEASE! Anything but that! :scared:
 

ImaginaryDay2

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Absolutely I do. One of the things I've noticed about where I live is that churches seem to cater to the "modern" group. Even the Lutheran church I've been attending have decided to go a more modern direction with their worship, which bugs me a tad. So when we're singing, I don't typically sing songs that either focus on what God can/will do for us, how much "I" love God - anything singular - a God and me/me and God sentiment. Any Hymns that have been modernized, I refuse to sing any modern verses. Blessed Assurance doesn't need any help (I know, it's an "I" song). I can't recall when I last sang A Mighty Fortress Is our God. That's sad.
 

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I blame Charles Finney for the abysmal music written by people with a theologically weak grasp of God. They have replaced God with an idea of God in their own image.
 

ImaginaryDay2

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Laura Storey and Amy Grant are on my list. I'd love to ask them what they were thinking.
 
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