{"id":4658,"date":"2016-01-07T17:37:51","date_gmt":"2016-01-08T00:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/?p=4658"},"modified":"2016-01-21T07:13:19","modified_gmt":"2016-01-21T14:13:19","slug":"why-im-still-struggling-to-sing-in-your-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2016\/01\/why-im-still-struggling-to-sing-in-your-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I’m Still Struggling to Sing in Your Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

A few years ago, I wrote a pos<\/a>t finally just being honest about what I thought about modern church worship music in evangelical circles. It struck a chord as I discovered I was not alone in my frustration.<\/p>\n

I wanted to sing\u2014and to sing in a way that didn\u2019t make me feel as if I were back in grade school\u2014and a lot of other people did, too.<\/p>\n

\"music\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Many people came out of the worship closet then, saying they had left the church entirely because of the pathetic state of music.<\/p>\n

Although I don\u2019t endorse that decision, I can understand it.<\/p>\n

Others took offense, criticizing me for daring to speak an opinion on the matter, claiming that if I only knew how hard it was to be a worship leader I would never dare to critique any of it.<\/p>\n

They claimed I was reigniting the flames of a \u201cworship war.\u201d Let me tell you, if there was a war, it\u2019s been over for a long time.<\/p>\n

And the Christian Church did not win.<\/p>\n

Checking Out of Worship<\/h3>\n

I realize that my worship experience may be suffering from too little exposure to what passes for Christian radio Top-40 these days, but whenever I do tune in, I hear exactly what I\u2019ve been hearing for the last decade and a half. No, the worship music industry hasn\u2019t done the church any favors. In fact, it may have a lot to answer for some day.<\/p>\n

So I still struggle with what passes for singing in church these days, and perhaps more so than ever, as I have come to realize that the church in America is about to be sifted as never before. <\/a><\/p>\n

Yet we\u2019re all crooning endlessly: \u201cOh, how He loves us so\u201d with our best faux Australian accents (because that\u2019s what all the best worshippers use, don\u2019t you know).<\/p>\n

I know, I am painting with a broad brush. One must when discussing issues on a grand scale. There are always exceptions to every rule.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s face it, much of what passes for evangelical worship music is empty<\/em>. And here\u2019s the thing: a lot of people in the pews agree with me but don\u2019t want to say anything for fear of seeming harsh or, worse yet, \u201cnot right with God.\u201d<\/p>\n

They check out when the \u201cband\u201d checks in.<\/p>\n

Dumbing Down the Church<\/h3>\n

My latest book with co-author Erick Erickson <\/a>offers some theories as to why the church has lost its cultural influence.<\/p>\n

We explore why pastors, priest, and pulpits have lost their influence and offer concrete strategies for the Church to experience a Resurgence in the new book\u00a0You Will Be Made to Care<\/a>. It is available for pre-order now and\u00a0the book launch team application process is open\u00a0<\/a>BUT\u00a0only until January 26, 11:59 PM ET.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One of the main reasons is that Christians no longer understand much about the faith \u201conce for all delivered\u201d (Jude 3, ESV). The anti-intellectualism that swept through American culture swept through the Church as well, leaving a bunch of sincere folks focused on personal piety, but not at all certain of what they believe or why.<\/p>\n

I lay the blame ultimately at the feet of pastors for their insipid sermons (another topic we address in the book).<\/p>\n

\"worship-music\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But music has always been a powerful teaching tool in the Christian church. And it is here that we are paying a high price for our vapid\u00a0attempts to sing in church, because the music has been teaching us that truth doesn\u2019t matter all that much anymore.<\/p>\n

Add that to the sermons, and it\u2019s no wonder so many Christians can\u2019t defend the truth.<\/p>\n

Both sermons and songs have been dumbed down to offend as few people as possible and appeal to as many as possible.<\/p>\n

In the process, Christians have lost their way on issues of doctrine, having little idea how to apply truth in their private lives and how to declare truth in the public square.<\/p>\n

3 Things that Drive Me Crazy<\/h3>\n

I mentioned other concerns in my post then [See my post Why I\u2019ve Stopped Singing in Your Church<\/a>], all of which remain relevant and largely unaddressed.<\/p>\n

But if I could sum up my concerns now I would say the evangelical Christian church is still guilty of doing three things:<\/p>\n