The Songs They Hear (3)
It is not difficult to observe that the content of the Christian songs that young people are attracted to nowadays (regardless of the genre) are expressive, emotional and experiential. Because these songs tend to emphasize on how a person feels about God, young people find it easy to "connect" with the songs and use them as a platform to express their honest feelings to God.There is nothing wrong about being honest and expressive, but within some of these songs are big claims and promises that we often make carelessly. For example, when we sing "I will go to the ends of the earth for you" or "I live for you alone", how often do we really mean what we sing? Imagine how God feels when he keeps listening to our empty claims and promises again and again, whenever we sing these songs.
Many of these songs tend to emphasize on the victorious side of Christian life and ignore the struggling side of Christian life. If we want to express ourselves to God through songs, perhaps it is better to find songs that can better reflect the true condition of humanity; so that when we sing them, we can truly mean what we sing.
Labels: Reflections
posted by Dan at 10/11/2006 11:21:00 pm
8 Comments:
hey, interesting thoughts here that echoes the things i feel strongly about.
am a young person myself at 18pe and feel that most of the songs that young people listen nowadays evidently planetshakers, hillsongs, kutless or mercy me..
if u replace the word "You" or "God" to ur boyfriend/girlfriend's name.. it seemed very apt as well in that context. its becoming more gnostic though im very sure the composers and singers didnt mean so.
though some of them are undoubtedly meaningful, but i still love hymns =)
blogged before at my old blog : http://peilingzhis.bravejournal.com/entry/12868
and also here: http://peilingzhis.bravejournal.com/entry/11534
on this issue.. but forgive me if it sounded rather immature.. was younger then =)
blog-hopping. will definitely be back.
blog's at www.peilingzhis.blogdrive.com
Hey Pei Ling, I dropped by your blog. It is comforting to know that someone of your age shares the same thoughts as well. Keep it up!
Constructive thought.
I used to wonder if I was lying whenever I sang 'You are My World'.
Many times, I felt that I am singing the songs for the sake of singing. Lyrical wise, I would just make myself impressive on the tonality, instead of fully embedding in myself the depth of the lyrics these composers actually put forth.
;) Just part of my thought.
P/S: I will be going to a course on Understanding Contemporary Worship. I need to know more. Pray that I will be very much enlightened after this course Dan.... ;)
I find that many of these songs are very unrealistic in their content and do not really connect with the reality of life. Thus, it makes it very hard for the worshippers to really mean what they sing.
Hi there,
Just want to let you know that your thoughts on worship songs are translated here, of course with reference to you :)
http://cahayanusantara.blogspot.com/2006/10/lagu-lagu-yang-mereka-dengar-1.html
You mentioned,
"I find that many of these songs are very unrealistic in their content and do not really connect with the reality of life. Thus, it makes it very hard for the worshippers to really mean what they sing."
I find that Hillsongs and Planetshakers tend to be a bit unrealistic, in the sense that there is an element of motivating the singers to be like what they sing. So in one sense, as unrealistically as it may be, at least it motivates them.
There are 'realistic' songs too for example by Don Moen, which laments about our failure to maintain our spiritual walk.
What do you think? Is realistically acknowledging our situation better or motivating the worshippers (in this case, young christians/youths) to live up to the higher standard of Godliness?
Hope that there is a change in Esplosion 4's medley of songs.
Thanks keropok for your thoughtful reply. There are songs that only describe our sinfulness, thus singing these songs alone may drive us to a state of sadism and pessimism.
But there are songs that only talk about Christian ideals, which when we sing, we are 'forced' to sing as if we have already reached these ideals.
Therefore, I believe the songs that we write or sing should not only recognize our unworthiness and sinfulness; but ALSO can help us to reflect upon the love and grace of God which will compel us to move towards those ideals.
Well said :)
I like Charles Wesley hymns because he mixed theological propositions with his emotional response to it, and his future anticipation of greater of God's glory. The hymn "And can it be" summed them up.
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