I have commented in the past here about some songs that we sing in church, but somehow don't seem doctrinally sound to me. For example:
"I'm trading my sickness, I'm trading my pain, I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord."
Please don't hate me. I know many people LOVE this song. I'm just not one of them.
While I like the thought, it doesn't jibe with what scripture says. We can't just lay down our sickness, walk away from it and have only the joy of the Lord to contend with. Sometimes, no matter how much we'd like to dump pain on the side of the road and leave it there, our suffering instead becomes a part of our lives and, hopefully, a part of our witness. We can, however, rejoice in our suffering (Romans 5:3-5), knowing it will mature us in our faith. We can also count our trials (i.e. suffering and pain) as joy (James 1:2-4) for the same reason. But that is not the same thing as laying down our sickness and pain. That is only one example, of course, and many, MANY, songs are written that are consistent with scripture. Some favorites:
Shout To the Lord -All time #1 (Psalm 98:4-8)
He Knows My Name (Brings my thoughts directly to Psalm 139 every time we sing it)
How Great is Our God - A new favorite! (Only touches the surface of Psalm 104. Lovely.)
I bring the issue up again, first, in the hopes that it might be a reminder that just because a song seems to be "Christian," doesn't mean it is biblically accurate. We need to be careful what we listen to, especially when it comes to songs written for Christian audiences. Turning our radio to the Christian station does not give us permission to put our thoughts on auto pilot. Think about the words being sung in the song. Yes, it may have a catchy beat or make you feel special, but is it TRUE?
Lifeway is getting ready to release a new 2008 edition of the Baptist Hymnal. Baptist Press published an article on the subject that included some really important stuff. First, Jon Duncan, state music director of the Georgia Baptist Convention, said something that is so true I needed to read it twice just to take it in:
I believe that, along with most Baptists, my theology was shaped through the singing of hymns... Although I didn't understand everything I was singing as a young boy, the theological deposits being made during these formative years provided anchors for my life. As a result, the teaching impact through singing our hymns cannot be understated.
He is absolutely right! Much of our personal theology is shaped through the music we listen to and sing! Think about it! We need to be careful that the music we expose our children to presents the Gospel accurately or they may grow up to have an inaccurate understanding of God. That's big stuff.
The committee took their job of selecting songs to include in the hymnal very seriously. Here is the criterion they used:
Each song's suitability is based on these questions:
-- Does the hymn speak biblically of God?
-- Is it God-honoring?
-- Does the hymn present a biblical view of man?
-- Does the song help us to cover the depth and breadth of our theology?
-- Does the hymn call us to true discipleship, service, repentance, witness, missions and devotion?
-- Does the hymn speak biblically of salvation?
-- Does it engage the whole person - allowing a person to express his deepest feelings?
-- Does the hymn emphasize that Christ is the Christian's Lord, Master and King? (the idea of total submission)
-- Does the hymn present an Americanized/Westernized gospel? (civil religion)
-- Is there a balance with corporate and individual response in worship? (immanence and transcendence)-- Does the hymn speak biblically about the church, the body of Christ?
If we used such a criterion to consider the songs we allow in our homes, cars and even our churches, do you think it would change anything?
I'm just askin'.....
The new hymnal will include about 650 songs, 300 of which are brand new to the hymnal. Some of the titles are:
Amazing Grace
Awesome in This Place
Better Is One Day
Breathe
Change My Heart, O God
Draw Me Close
God of Wonders
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
He Knows My Name (YES!)
I Give You My Heart
I Worship You, Almighty God
Just As I Am
Made Me Glad
Open the Eyes of My Heart
Shout to the Lord (Double YES!!)
Wonderful, Merciful Savior
You Are My King [Amazing Love]
and the list goes on...
I am not saying the Baptist Hymnal is the "bible" to be used to judge whether or not a song is Biblically accurate! What I am clumsily trying to express is that we need to use discernment regarding everything we expose ourselves and our children to, including music written for Christian audiences. The list of criterion the committee who chose the songs to be included in the hymnal impressed me as something that could be applied in many circumstances. That's all.
You can read Mr. Duncan's interview through this link.
You can read the Baptist Press article, which lists the criterion, through this link.
You can find the complete song list at http://www.lifewayworship.com/
3 comments:
Uh, I left a good long comment for ya and it got deleted.
I think this song is Biblical. I believe it suggest Bibical principles...not promises, but principles. Sort of along the same lines that if you manage your money well, you will prosper...not a promise, but a principle. Most of the time, good stewardship equals God's blessing, but sometimes, there are exceptions and tests.
Here, if you lay down your burdens, you will experience deep and abiding joy. If you lay down the weight of your sickness and pain, you can experience his healing joy...sometimes just moments of refreshing joy in intense seasons of suffering, perhaps, but joy.
The bridge points to the scripture that identifies seasons in our Christian walk, but the promise of hope: though the sorrow may last for the night, the joy comes in the morning. That's not a literal thing, but a figurative metaphor that means...God will not abandon, or forsake or forget us. He has the deliverance waiting.
I think of the number of times Jesus asked someone: Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be made well?
So many times, I've met people, and...okay, I myself have been a person who was not ready to "be well". The season had lasted so long I wearied of the struggle for the wellness. And there comes a time when he asks us..."You ready now?"
That song gives me strength in the same question. Can I have hope? Or have I given in to a life of defeat and despair?
I was having this same conversation with a mentor several years ago. Sometimes people are just sick and tired, and no amount of joy singing is going to take that away. They need to be where they are.
Their response was, "Yes, but people need to be reminded in those times that there is a happy place. They cannot be taken to the depths in those times. They need to be reminded there is a place of joy and happiness and light-heartedness waiting for them, and the church can be that relief."
I had never seen it that way either, and I had some stretching to do. During the week and with staff, people seek the deeper healing...sometimes they cannot do it in a group of 500 people...but they can experience joyful hope and community there. Acceptance, love.
It may somewhat depend on how ministry is set up to occur in your body at any given season.
Once I saw a man fishing from the shore-line. He was an older man. The line kept washing back in to his feet. He'd patiently reel it back it and cast it right back out, knowing it would come back again.
This song says to me, no matter how many times it washes back to my feet, to keep casting it back out to Jesus. He can carry it and make it productive. Sitting at my feet, it's just a tangled mess.
He already died for everything I'd ever carry. This song reminds me to let him carry it and walk in the joy He already paid the price for me to have. Little joys some days, but joys. At one time, I had to write them down I was so depressed. But they were there. I just had to trade in the weight of my burden to receive them.
This is long, but part of my testimony I don't often share, so I've enjoyed the writing.
I do so thank people for challenging words of songs to make sure our understanding lines up with Scripture. Sometimes, it is a matter of correct interpretation. "I am a Friend of God" is similar. Yes, but he is also in authority over me...we aren't buddies or chums for him to pal along with me necessarily. As long as I understand he said, "I no longer call you servants, but friends", we can understand the song more correctly.
Songs are great jumping points for teaching...something we don't do enough of. Keep setting the standard high and teaching!
I hear you. You aren't the first person to set these thoughts before me. I totally respect what you're saying. In the deeper sense, this song makes sense. I certainly don't think this song is the worst Christian song ever! We sing it at church and I do sing along. Even though I don't fully agree with it, I know it brings others hope. I was using it as an example of a song that I, personally, don't think jibes with scripture. I understand why others do, I simply don't agree.
So many people come to church looking for comfort. Often they don't read their Bibles, so they seek that comfort in the music we sing. I went through a time of very painful loss where whenever I heard this song it felt like someone was mocking me. I could not lay my burden down and it made me feel like a failure as a Christian. As I sought the Lord in scripture, I grew to trust Him more and laid that burden at His feet, although I still pick it back up from time-to-time.
What if I hadn't sought the Lord in His Word? It would have been easy to dismiss Christianity as some sort of "feel happy all the time" band-aid.
That is my only issue with this song. Well, that and the chorus annoys me excruciatingly (but that's definitely a personal issue, not a biblical one!).
My main point is that we just need to THINK about what we sing. We take the fact that a "Christian" label is pasted on it and that makes it theologically accurate. It doesn't.
Here's another example that fries my cookies. I know in the figurative sense David was pivotal in exhorting us to praise God at all times. But that song, Day's of Elijah, still drives me nuts. "These are the days of your servant, David, rebuilding the temple of praise." Accurate? In the theological sense, that's arguably true. However, his son, Solomon, rebuilt the actual Temple.
How many kids think David rebuilt the temple because they sang that song in church growing up?
I'm just asking us to THINK about it.
Hi, Suzanne -
I know I'm commenting to an older post, but this brought so much to my mind. My Grandpa spent a great long time shepherding the project to put together a hymnbook for the small midwestern denomination he loved. And though he completed this before I was born, he always talked about the discernment needed to select those songs. And what he felt most led to do was make sure those songs spoke absolute truth to the singers and the hearers. I think that for many the songs they sing in church growing up are the whisperings of the gospel during years when they may not be touching Christ in any other way. I love contemporary Christian music but sometimes I'm blown away by how light weight the lyrics are - sort of designed for the "high" rather than the true meaning. And I haven't found that we get to "lay down our sorrow" as an act of will very often at all. Glad I happened on your wonderful writing.
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