We’ve all been there. You’re in a sensational worship service with all the arms raised high, voices loud and awesome, lyrical art drawing a fierce connection between you and the Father — and then that song comes on. We could fill in “that” with a number of variable modern praise songs For me, that song causes me to roll my eyes and, honestly, get a little grumpy, because I think worship lyrics matter.
This author obviously doesn’t know their theology!
There’s no way these lyrics were thought through!
This is a bunch of emotional fluffage!
Although it is fair to criticize worship songs to an extent, I will admit that my attitude used to go beyond righteous criticism and into pride. But there is an evident problem with many modern worship songs stemming from their lyrics. Many of them are written and sung through an emotional dialect but lack sacrificial rhetoric, while others are self-centered instead of God-centered. This is a problem because, after all, we are responding to God, yes?
5 Reasons Worship Lyrics Matter
Let’s make sure we keep our priorities straight and always remember . . .
1. IT’S NOT ABOUT US.
Our responsive worship should be as intentional as our practical worship.
Worship isn’t just singing, it’s a lifestyle, and thus worship should reflect consistently throughout our lives. Whether we’re ministering to others, singing praise songs to God, or taking out the trash because our parents told us to, we’re worshipping. If our hearts are in humble and obedient posture before the throne, then we will worship in all we do, even writing lyrics. Lyrics should reflect our adoration, theology and even our requests. Making our requests known to God is an obedient maneuver as well because it shows that we are sons, not slaves, and that we trust in the sovereignty of God.
RELATED: God-Centered Praise
Lyrics should be an integration of God’s gift of art and our obedience to use this gift for his glory.
2. We Are Worshipping the Almighty
Worship may be concert style, but it is not a concert. Concerts bring attention to the performers and it stops there. In a corporate setting, the worship leader’s purpose is to usher the congregation into an intimate time of responsive worship before the Almighty Father. When we remember that God is the focus, the lyrics we pen should reflect such an attitude. Consider Justin Kintzel’s worship hit “Love Displayed”:
He is love displayed,
Grace and justice now collide.
He is ransom paid,
In flesh in blood alive.
He is Kingdom come,
He’s the one great miracle.
Shining like the son,
He is love displayed for all.
This song to me is like cheese-puffs; I’ll never get tired of it. In a short chorus, Kintzel has presented the gospel and the loving attributes of the Father while directing all attention toward heaven. I asked Justin his thoughts on the fact that many lyrics today are not thoroughly considered before being published. His answer was awesome:
There is something so powerful and pure about hundreds or even thousands of people from all walks of life coming together in one place and singing the same words with one voice as one body to The Lord. I think when song lyrics don’t reflect the profound nature of what congregational worship truly is, we ignore some very important things to think about when deciding what the body should be singing. I’m not one who opposes new stuff or old stuff by any means. I appreciate and love “Oceans” just as I appreciate and adore “It Is Well” and believe there is a very important place for both. Style, preference or time period isn’t what I’m referring to … it’s content. There are many songs, beautifully written, that don’t really mean a lot to the average Christian, and I think as worship leaders, we just need to hack through the thick forest of culture and figure out what those are. Sometimes, very catchy but shallow songs will be accepted into Christian culture and will be sung passionately, but we just have to remember that our job as worship leaders is not to lead what’s cool and popular that will garner a response, but what is true, solid and will garner a response based upon the fact that some dots were connected in people’s heads and the passion they feel is not toward the music they are singing but toward the truth they are singing. When you can get a beautifully written song with beautifully true lyrics, we as humans who appreciate art and truth can grab a hold of it. Some songs are impacting culture in a very significant way but aren’t really saying much as a whole. Some can still be used though, if carefully, strategically and thoughtfully done, and so that’s where this gets tricky. Some of the “easier” songs can be used to lead to more deep content in a worship set. I think some of it comes down to very careful and balanced discernment and conviction from the person who is shepherding the ministry.
