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- Scott
- Atlanta, GA
- Married to the best woman on the planet. Father of three lovely daughters. Worship leader, song writer and marriage blogger by calling. Passionate about exalting the name of Jesus through worship and strong marriages. Electrical Engineer by education and experience, currently a global product manager.
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The Advent of Your Marriage - Advent reminds you to expect great things in your marriage, but also to look for your spouse and for God to deliver in unexpected ways. Contrary to popul...8 years ago
Saturday, February 13, 2010
What's Your Worship Diet? - Part 1
Don't be fooled by the title. This post isn't about some fad diet where you worship instead of eat. The term worship diet refers to the totality of the songs you sing as part of your worship experience. I use the phrase to make a case for the importance of a having a balanced worship diet. This is the first of a multi-part series on that all-important topic.
I recoil a bit against the common habit of simplifying worship into two catch-all categories: praise and worship. Well-meaning individuals often use this kind of shorthand to describe songs as either high-energy and exuberant (praise) or slow and intimate (worship). The problem with this overly simplified categorization is that worship is much more complex than this.
Perhaps I overdo it a bit in counter-reaction to this, but I think it is actually healthy, once in a while, to step back and look at our worship from several different perspectives. At my church I actually do this once in a while as I review our “core” song list. If it’s true about food, the old saying “You are what you eat,” then the true is same in worship, “You are what you sing.” At least it’s true in the context of worship songs anyway.
Over the course of the next few posts I’ll be opening up this topic in some detail. I’ll make my case for why it’s important to understand what you sing on whole as a church or group (and in your personal worship time). I’ll be looking to assess the worship diet from the following viewpoints:
Stop by and check in regularly to stay up with the series. To make it easier, consider following this blog, or subscribe via your favorite RSS reader. And please be sure to join the discussion with your comments.
I recoil a bit against the common habit of simplifying worship into two catch-all categories: praise and worship. Well-meaning individuals often use this kind of shorthand to describe songs as either high-energy and exuberant (praise) or slow and intimate (worship). The problem with this overly simplified categorization is that worship is much more complex than this.
Perhaps I overdo it a bit in counter-reaction to this, but I think it is actually healthy, once in a while, to step back and look at our worship from several different perspectives. At my church I actually do this once in a while as I review our “core” song list. If it’s true about food, the old saying “You are what you eat,” then the true is same in worship, “You are what you sing.” At least it’s true in the context of worship songs anyway.
Over the course of the next few posts I’ll be opening up this topic in some detail. I’ll make my case for why it’s important to understand what you sing on whole as a church or group (and in your personal worship time). I’ll be looking to assess the worship diet from the following viewpoints:
- General Category – I use my own four category model
- Focus – Does the song focus on God or on our response to him?
- Voice – Is the song about God or to God?
- Singular or Corporate – Is it a “we” song or an “I” song?
Stop by and check in regularly to stay up with the series. To make it easier, consider following this blog, or subscribe via your favorite RSS reader. And please be sure to join the discussion with your comments.
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2 comments:
I totally agree with you saying you are what you sing. I once heard that the majority of our theology comes from the songs we sing. Over time I have come to appreciate songs with greater theological depth more and more. I agree we cannot always consume the same theology, style, or whatever over and over again. We are a creative species and must connect with God through a plethora of styles, words, and theological concepts.
Andrew,
Thanks for your thoughts. I think human nature is that we are creatures who gravitate to comfort so we easily get locked into styles and patterns that don't grow us up or challenge us or fascinate us as we were designed for.
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