One of my heroes, Douglas Wilson, told the story of how the Church he pastors made the move from using grape juice in Communion to using wine. He had become convinced that refusing to use wine was wrong, but for a long time they continued the practice for the sake of the tender consciences in the parish. Each week, as he celebrated, he would pray the Lord's forgiveness that they were doing it again, and over time they moved to the exclusive use of wine. The whole point was to bring about reform in a charitable, pastoral manner, teaching as they did it.
Recently, I remarked on Todd's blog that I likewise will sometimes be asking the Lord to have mercy on us for the things we sing to Him, or for what's going on around them. I'm really convinced that a lot of the stuff that gets sung in the contemporary worship "scene" is inappropriate and sometimes flat-out erroneous. For example, God, Who reveals Himself in detail in His Word, is not "Indescribable." Sorry, Chris, I like your song, but He isn't.
This puts me in a really weird place, because playing this music in Churches is almost all I do anymore.
I want to be really careful here. I do not want those with whom I work to think that I believe they are some kind of heretics. They aren't. I am fortunate to work with some of the finest Christian men and women I've had the pleasure of meeting. This is a Church-cultural problem, not a personal one.
"So," one might say, "Mr. Convictions, if a lot of what is going on is wrong, then you should resign and not take Church gigs anymore." Well, I've thought about that pretty seriously. Prayed about it, even. I don't believe that's the best course of action (and no, I don't need the money that bad).
By God's grace, I have a unique position from which to speak to these issues to the people who choose or write worship music. Sometimes directly, other times by merely being present as someone who sees things another way. I've earned their trust and respect. God gives those things as tools to be used for His purposes. If God has given me influence with them, then maybe I can make an impact.
So, unless He tells me otherwise, I play the inside game. One of two things will happen--I'll be an instrument for reform or I will be reformed because I'm the one who's jacked.
In the meantime, when necessary, I pray. "We don't know any better, Lord, and we earnestly desire to worship You as You command, in reverence and godly fear. Bring that about."
3 comments:
Loving this! Keep it up - you're an inspiration to alot of us. Really like the honesty and grace evident in this post, man.
Have you heard The Favor Of the Lord by Isreal Houghton? They do that one at Lakewood occasionally. The arrangement is tight. (In fact, all of his arrangements are great.) I think that is what makes the song such a disaster. But the chorus (Luke 6:37-38) does inspire the question: When is it the season for the judgment of the Lord?
Yup, what Todd said. I've always wondered if songwriters run their lyrics past their pastors for a theology check. But their pastors may have a wierd angle on things as well.
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