5 Reasons Worship Lyrics Matter
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.
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? Let’s make sure we keep our priorities straight and always remember …
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.
Lyrics should be an integration of God’s gift of art and our obedience to use this gift for his glory.
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.
