Christian song lyrics

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5 responses to “Christian song lyrics”

1. 

   Matthew

   February 6, 2007

   There are basically two components to a song, the words and the music. A good song will have words and music that will stand the test of time and win, such as many of the hymns we still use today, many decades after they were written.

   A hymn with excellent words but dated music may well find itself being put to a new tune, such as “Before the throne of God” or “The Lord’s my shepherd”. However, a song with a good tune but poor words is unlikely to last long because the words are harder to update. I’m sure there are many hymns that had fantastic tunes that have been lost due to poor lyrics. The same will happen I’m sure with many of the modern songs which are great to sing but don’t really say much.

   The issue about our songs being more focused on the relationship than grace is more the responsibility of the worship leader in choosing the right songs. If a service is filled with songs with nice tunes but no message then it’s the fault of the worship leader rather than the songs themselves – it’s not like we’re stuck for choice! There is a time and a place for everything, and there are times when more personal reflective songs are more appropriate, but if it’s a Biblically-based song with a strong message you’re after there are many old and modern hymns that will do nicely.

   Basically what I’m trying to say is that it’s not the song writers who dictate the direction or theme of worship, it’s the worship leaders.

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2. 

   Simon

   February 6, 2007

   “Basically what I’m trying to say is that it’s not the song writers who dictate the direction or theme of worship, it’s the worship leaders.”

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3. 

   Simon

   February 6, 2007

   Okay, so the second half of that thoughtful and interesting comment has disappeared…

   Summarised cos I can’t be bothered to write it again, I said:

   “Basically what I’m trying to say is that it’s not the song writers who dictate the direction or theme of worship, it’s the worship leaders.”

   Ouch.

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4. 

   Joe B

   February 7, 2007

   Isn’t it something of a self-fulfilling cycle, given that a lot of the top “worship leaders” or music group leaders as I think they should be called are also the ones who write the modern content-sparse songs … and they choose their peers songs. I agree that there’s a huge amount of power with the people who choose the songs, but because the likes of Matt Redman and Tim Hughes are also writing them, they can’t complain that there just aren’t the songs out there. It needs to be a joint effort, songwriters writing Biblically based content-rich songs with more of a corporate not individual focus and the music group leader choosing them.

   Personally I think that the music group leaders wield far too much power in choosing songs and that many choose them on the basis of what’s nice to sing and play rather than songs that have good words.

   And please, please, please can we stop using the term “worship leader” to mean singer or music group leader – it’s extremely unhelpful, thoroughly unbiblical and promotes the role of musicians so far beyond what it should be!

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5. 

   Joe B

   February 7, 2007

   Also, I think great old hymns (with the same tune) can be given a whole new lease of life if imaginatively and sensitively played by a modern band – a great discipline for music groups to learn. Too often people think a hymn has to be played as a slow miserable dirge and so people hate them and find them boring.

   All Christian guitarists in particular should spend sometime learning to play hymns well – great exercise for brushing up on your chord changes and such a valuable thing to do as you can then help give these great old hymns a bit of a drive and a bit of oomph …

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