Mar 20
Do worship songs get any worse?
There’s always a worse worship song out there than the last one you thought had plumbed the depths. Today the bar was lowered further as I was confronted by what I can only hope is exceedingly disposable. Shame, really, as the title was promising: “Filled with compassion for all creation”. (And I quite like, for example, the same authors’ “All heaven declares”)
But unfortunately, despite the good intentions of the chorus, (”Stir us to action, Filled with Your passion, For all the people who live on the earth) the bad theology just mounts up.
- “There was but one way that He could save us” Really? So much for divine freedom, grace and election.
- “Having no Saviour they’re lost forever, If we don’t speak out and lead them to You” Well I guess we could debate the different ways in which evangelism relates to salvation, but this really does make it all depend on us.
To this point, this song is no worse than many, and charitable interpretations are possible of the lines that I’ve scorned. But what really makes it unacceptable is its appalling conclusion:
From every nation we shall be gathered
Millions redeemed shall be Jesus’ reward
Then He will turn and say to His Father
Truly my suffering was worth it all
At the moment, apparently, Jesus isn’t sure right now that the cross was worthwhile, but when we’ve shown just how good we are at evangelism, he’ll feel rewarded by what God does with our efforts, and say “Wow, Dad, thanks for blessing all that evangelism, it actually feels like the cross was, well, you know, okay.”
Truly, Mr Brain has left the building.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Doug, did you recognise the allusion to the Moravian rallying cry “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering”? Or for that matter to this poem?
You may not entirely agree with these sentiments, but they are hardly original to Noel and Tricia Richards. Anyway the song is 14 years old (© 1994) so you can hardly complain about its appearance as “Today”.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I learned to my cost that complaining about worship songs on a blog is a dangerous activity. That being said, I share your reservations about this one - it is trying hard, but doesn’t get where it means to go.
March 20th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
All today means is that I heard this for the first time today. That should be mildly obvious from the context, even to a pedant such as you, Peter. And I don’t care who or what they’re alluding to. They’re writing dangerous heretical drivel.
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Filled with compassion does have a great tune. Shame about the rest.
Nick Page wrote a good book summarising the worship song problem … and had notable trouble finding a copyright holder to give him permission to quote from modern songs! Particularly liked his “lamb count”.
And Now Let’s Move into a Time of Nonsense: Why Worship Songs Are Failing the Church. Someone familiar wrote one of the Amazon reviews
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Hi Alan. Yes, I loved the Nick Page book. Thanks for the link. I’d join you in recommending it to readers. Nick also has a blog, although his postings are fairly sporadic.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
[...] have ranted before, and will take the opportunity to rant again about Filled with compassion. I really do not know [...]
May 30th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Hi, I’ve just stumbled across your blog whilst researching worship resources. I am supprised that a parish priest has nothing better to do with his time than “rant” about what he considers
to be the bad theology of worship songs. If you are so concerned about this
being incorrect, misleading, heretical, uninspiring etc etc why don’t you
speak to Noel Richards himself (least he should make the same mistakes again)
I’m sure he would be very happy to explain the theology behind what he writes
(and he’s written quite a lot). He can be contacted at:
http://www,noelrichards.com
If you do go to his website the top right hand corner will turn off the album thats playing.
I would be very interested (as someone regularly involved in leading congregational worship) to know what inspires you to worship and what songs
or hymns you find facilitate you in your worship. Thanks.
May 30th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Really. I’m surprised that if you want my co-operation as your last sentences imply, you introduce yourself by telling me off because you don’t like my opinions. It’s hardly the way to make contact.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Oh dear! sorry I did not intend to be rude but I am genuinely interested in what you have to say. Since this afternoon I have looked around the rest of your site and have found some answers - Singing with St Augustine for one. I actually didn’t agree or disagree with your opinions in my post, but I do admit to telling you off.
Although this is an open site, I feel that I have butted in somewhere that I am not welcome. So unless I hear otherwise I shall just butt out….
May 30th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
No, you are welcome. I was just surprised by the way you introduced yourself. I don’t think there’s a clear answer to your question, though I do think good songs engage both mind and heart. I also think that there’s too much emphasis in many contemporary songs on “how I feel about Jesus” (or “how Jesus makes me feel”) that ends up focussing attention on the worshipper’s feelings rather than God. As you can also tell from my criticisms of some songs, I think a good tune often gets in the way of people thinking about what they;re actually singing, and that songwriters and publishers should employ theological consultants and poets as well as singer-songwriters.