Though I admire the young Peter Kirk, and think him witty and sometimes wise (especially when he agrees with me), I have to respectfully decline his invitation to join the ranks of the weird worship song meme generation.
I do this for two reasons: first, I have not a bit of tolerance for 99% of the rubbish pawned off in modern churches as ‘worship and praise’ music. It’s all just weird to me so I don’t listen to it. And if I’m at a denominational meeting where they foist the garbage on us, I go to the loo until it’s over. Second, if I were to follow Peter in listing verses from the Psalms I would be in agreement with his assertion that those lines are weird. I don’t find them so. I find them, instead, profound.
So, that’s why I must tearfully decline, mit brennenden Sorge…
I couldn’t agree more with your sentiments regarding the majority of today’s “worship and praise” music. I half way wonder, because this music’s propensity to be painfully (and hypnotically) repetitious, if Matthew 6.7 should read/applied afresh.
They don’t need the bible- they have their seeker sensitive mindless chanting nonsense to fill their empty heads and hearts.
Fair enough, Jim. Basically you have said it all with “It’s all just weird to me”.
I agree that the psalms I quoted from are profound if read in context. And the same is true of at least some of the worship songs David Ker finds weird. Actually even without more context I find “And what was said to the rose to make it unfold was said to me here in my chest” profound rather than weird. The problem comes when words from these songs are taken out of context – not just the context of the rest of the words, but of the music, and of the occasion of their writing and their intended use.
Praise songs are to sacred music what greeting cards are to literature.
Very well said Scott!
Scott, what exactly do you mean by “Praise songs”? As far as I am concerned “praise songs” is more or less synonymous with “sacred music”. (Well, there is also instrumental sacred music.) Or are you implicitly talking about one particular style of praise song, and if so, which?
Here in the States ‘praise songs’ is a sub-genre characterized by mind numbing repetition of the same phrases over and over again for far too long.
Imagine repeating ‘I am in love with the Holy Spirt” 400 times until your mind melts and you can’t feel your feet any more. Those are the sorts of ’songs’ that some imagine to be ‘praise’ but in fact are cruelty and rubbish.
“Imagine repeating ‘I am in love with the Holy Spirt” 400 times until your mind melts and you can’t feel your feet any more.”
Sounds like Gregorian chant.
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The young Peter Kirk is older than you! And I repented of my “rather lukewarm reception” comment. Please forgive a moment of weakness.
David, I rather liked “young Peter Kirk”. Better that than a comment about my real age.