{"id":6929,"date":"2012-06-04T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2012-06-04T13:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theamericanjesus.net\/?p=6929"},"modified":"2012-06-04T08:00:31","modified_gmt":"2012-06-04T13:00:31","slug":"guest-post-im-a-christian-i-dont-like-worship-songs-by-ryan-pugh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/zackhunt\/2012\/06\/guest-post-im-a-christian-i-dont-like-worship-songs-by-ryan-pugh\/","title":{"rendered":"GUEST POST: ‘I’m A Christian, I Don’t Like Worship Songs’ By Ryan Pugh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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Our first guest post of Open Mic Week is brought to us by Ryan Pugh.<\/em> \u00a0Ryan (<\/em>@ryanjpugh<\/em><\/a>) is a husband, friend, mentor, and youth pastor living in Boise, Idaho, with his wife Rachael and labradoodle, Ellie. He is passionate about the Church being the living presence of Christ in the world. Ryan is the author of <\/em>The Money Experiment: A Community Practice in Financial Simplicity<\/a>, published by <\/em>The House Studio<\/em><\/a>. He enjoys reading and playing basketball and blogs at ryanjpugh.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Worship songs frustrate me sometimes. Well, if I\u2019m honest, worship songs frustrate me quite a bit. Maybe that\u2019s not what you want to be hearing from a Christian. Or a youth pastor. But it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not because I can\u2019t sing worth a penny or because I gave up on guitar not much longer than ten minutes in to my first lesson.\u00a0Whether I\u2019m at a Sunday service, school chapel, or special worship gathering, I\u2019m frustrated by so much of what we sing because I just don\u2019t think that a majority of the songs we sing are really that useful. Even more than that, some of the songs we sing seem antithetical to the gospel itself.<\/p>\n

This is more than a simple distaste for a certain style or preference of music. It\u2019s more than the usual \u201cworship wars\u201d that so many churches have battled and split over. I\u2019m really not concerned with whether there\u2019s an organ (I actually love the organ), an acoustic set (I actually love the acoustic set), or a rock set (ok, I\u2019ll admit I don\u2019t like the rock concert worship show). My thoughts run much deeper than the classic\u00a0conversations<\/s>\u00a0debates\u00a0about what style of music is better.<\/p>\n

A full blog series could be done on the poor and shallow theology of specific worship songs that are popular among churches. I think that series could go on for weeks. But I think it\u2019s more important to think about what we\u2019re singing in general before looking at particular songs.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 three things on my mind when it comes to singing in worship.<\/p>\n


\nSong Theology \u00a0> \u00a0Sermon Theology<\/span>
\n<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>You might think I\u2019m crazy, but the theology of the songs we sing is more important than the theology in sermons. If you aren\u2019t with me on this, that\u2019s ok. But think about it:\u00a0Do you ever go away from a service humming the words of the preacher\u2019s message? Do you bounce out of the sanctuary with scripture ringing in your ears?<\/strong>\u00a0Chances are you don\u2019t go away \u201chumming\u201d anything, because in most churches you can come with your cup of coffee, stare at the back of someone\u2019s head (or angry birds flying through the air), and leave an hour later without a clue of what just happened.\u00a0BUT, if you do leave the service with something fresh in your mind and heart, it\u2019s likely the words of a song, not the words of the sermon.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sermons just aren\u2019t very memorable. We might remember how they made us feel, but, as my Facebook feed shows, worships songs are much more quotable than any sermon, even the best sermon.<\/p>\n

Most contemporary worship songs are so shallow in theology, it\u2019s no wonder so many of us Christians are shallow and biblically-illiterate. We have focused almost wholly on sound and being \u201cattractive\u201d that we\u2019ve neglected having any real theological depth to the songs. We don\u2019t sing about the kingdom Jesus came to establish. We don\u2019t sing about the goodness of creation and God\u2019s plan to restore the world \u2013 instead we proclaim that the world sucks and I can\u2019t wait for the day I get to fly away to heaven. We surely don\u2019t enter into the messiness that life actually is. Nothing about our doubts. Nothing about searching for God in the midst of suffering. There\u2019s no room for crying out in frustration, lament, and even anger when God seems nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n

Does theology matter? Yes! It shapes how we live and view the world. Do we have to get it right all the time? No. And getting it \u201cright\u201d is often dependent on interpretation so we won\u2019t always get it right and we won\u2019t always agree. Is it important to focus on Christ despite the lyrics of a song? Yes.\u00a0But if it\u2019s true that songs are what we remember more than anything, shouldn\u2019t we pay much more attention to what we are proclaiming as we sing?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n


\nCommunity \u00a0> \u00a0Individualism\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Most Christians I know are ready to leave behind the hyper-individualistic faith that has characterized Christianity for the last couple centuries. We recognize that faith is much more than just me and God. We are ready for the Church to actually be the community of the people of God who share life together. We\u2019re ready to counter the message of the world that says it\u2019s all about looking out for number one: me, myself, and I.<\/p>\n

But you wouldn\u2019t know it by looking at our worship songs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The message of most of our songs are that\u2019s it all about\u00a0my\u00a0<\/em>relationship with God. It\u2019s all about God\u2019s love for\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/em>Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for\u00a0me<\/em>.\u00a0I\u00a0<\/em>will sing to and worship the King. You are\u00a0mine.<\/em><\/p>\n

Is there a personal aspect to faith? Of course.\u00a0But there is <\/a>nothing<\/em> personal about living the Christian life. You cannot be a Christian and not be part of the Church. You cannot be a Christian and not be involved in the community of faith, gathered around the table.<\/p>\n

How much more formational would songs be for our communities if we sang about\u00a0our<\/em>\u00a0love for God,\u00a0God\u2019s love for\u00a0us, our<\/em>\u00a0need for God\u2019s grace and mercy, and the grace that\u00a0we\u00a0<\/em>need.\u00a0Wouldn\u2019t we start to be more community-minded if we simply changed our songs from\u00a0<\/strong>me<\/strong><\/em>-focused to\u00a0<\/strong>us<\/strong><\/em>-focused?<\/strong>\u00a0Do simple pronouns matter? I think so.<\/p>\n

Hands Stretched Out \u00a0> \u00a0Hands Stretched Up<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I hate, I despise your religious festivals. Your assemblies are a stench to me. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to your music.\u00a0But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!\u00a0\u2013 God, Amos 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything about theology and pronouns in worship songs can go out the window if our lives don\u2019t reflect the love, justice, mercy, and compassion of the kingdom of God.<\/strong> We can have all the right theology and say all the right words, but if we aren\u2019t feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, setting the oppressed free, and having compassion on the poor, it\u2019s all for nothing.<\/p>\n

Can we stretch up our hands and sing on Sunday and call it worship if our hands aren\u2019t stretched out in love for the least of these? Can we strum a guitar and call it worship if justice isn\u2019t \u201crolling on like a river\u201d in our lives?<\/strong>\u00a0We can sing with all our might and lead worship with the best of the best, but God doesn\u2019t hear our music if we aren\u2019t gathering as a community to serve the least of these.<\/p>\n

Maybe instead of gathered worship having to be a service, we should starting considering that gathered service to the least of these<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>is<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>worship \u2013 the kind of worship that pleases God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0 \u00a0 Our first guest post of Open Mic Week is brought to us by Ryan Pugh. \u00a0Ryan (@ryanjpugh) is a husband, friend, mentor, and youth pastor living in Boise, Idaho, with his wife Rachael and labradoodle, Ellie. He is passionate about the Church being the living presence of Christ in the world. 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