What to write about…
Ξ March 26th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Theology, That's Life, Songs, Music |
I find myself always torn when it comes to song writing. I work in the church and so the songs I can USE the most are the ones that are corporate worship songs. As a musician - an artist - I find that life offers so many more topics to write about than those topics normally associated with worship songs. I mean, most corporated worship songs (songs used for group singing in a church) tend to fit a few basic catagories.
- Songs about who God is
- Prayers in the form of songs to God (this would include laments and songs where we ask for things)
- Praise songs (songs similart to 1, but more focussed on ascribing holiness and greatness to God)
I could probably get picky and find more catagories. I know there are loads of sub-catagories too, but for the most part I think all the songs fit into one of these three in some why. Here’s the part that gets me…
We are taught as Christians that part of our worship is about our lifestyle. Worship can be having a friend over for dinner and serving them. Worship is sometimes defined as doing things that delight the Father - or doing things that give glory to God. Ok, so if it can honour God to simply live according to the example Jesus taught us, then why aren’t songs about life really considered worship songs? I mean, if I wrote a song that focussed on a love relationship like a marriage, or even about sex or whatever, why is it that this song can not be used in worship? Would it not make everyone mindful of who God is and what a great universe He created? Why not sing about the beauty of a lake in the summer time? Do I need to say that God created the lake in my song in order for it to be worship? Do I need to spell it out?
What I’m frustrated with is the whole idea that our lives are supposed to be expressions of worship, but songs about life are not - or at least they usually can’t be used in most corporate settings. Because of this I find myself somehow limited by being a Christian song writer. I envy those who write and don’t have to think about whether or not their song will work as a corporate worship song. I too could write like that. Once in a while a corporate song will come out and I could use it at church, but really what I wish is that I could write about life and people could be mature enough to understand that this in itself can be a part of thier worship.
A band I listen to a lot called, “King’s X” is a three piece rock group from Texas. Some of them were members of the very earliest iterations of the Christian band, Petra. Today they work really hard to avoid being labelled as a Christian band. Though the members may be Christian, they resist being corralled into only singing Jesus songs. I think I understand why. You see, “Christian” should not really be considered a genre of music. It is a way of life - not a type of music. “Christian” can be used perhaps to identify a theme in a song - or even a theme across an album, but without words, it’s all just music. It could be rock music, or classical. It could be jazzy, or bluesy, or a mixture of a few different styles. Without words, I don’t think it can be Christian. Unless we say that if a Christian created it, then it is assumed that it is an expression of his(or her) Christian life and is therefore Christian. What about when a non-Christian performs the instrumental that was written by a Christian? Is that performance Christian?
I can look at a beautiful mountain scape and I almost immediately think of how amazing God is. An atheist looks at the same view and is perhaps just as in awe as I am, but simply thinks about how insignificant he is in this huge universe. We both experience wonder - we could both be moved and inspired to write songs about it.
I just feel somewhat pigeon-holed by the culture of the Church. I feel that if I wrote an angry song and recorded it on the same CD as a praise song, I would be considered…off in some way. It’s too bad, because there is so much to be inspired by in this world. Good things and bad things.
Sometimes I feel like simply naming these things honors God because its as though we say, “God, I noticed this thing (or feeling or injustice or source of joy) in this universe and now I’m going to acknowledge it (or maybe praise it’s goodness, or rebuke it’s vileness)” As a people who is created by our God and as a person who tries (often in vain) to be like my God, when I see something in this universe, good or bad, and I think on it, I often feel that my thoughts are echoed by the Father in heaven. For example, when I feel hopelessly sad for animals that are treated horribly by man, my sense is that God doesn’t remove my sadness because He too is sad. When my heart breaks for children in war torn parts of the world, or areas that suffer under incredible poverty, I come to realize that the Father’s heart breaks also.
Do you think it delights the father when we begin to see the world as he sees it - even if what we see is bad? Do you think he delights when he sees that the heart of one of his children has become slightly more like his? Why not sing those songs then - even as a group - and name the things we see -good and bad? Why not give the opportunity for people to relate to the world and begin to see it the way we think the Father sees it?