<\/p>\n
In discussion about worship with a youth group recently we compared different secular song lyrics that expressed love and the group put them on a spectrum of how usable they were in worship to God.<\/p>\n
Some struggled with the \u2018cheese factor\u2019; some pop songs have a more obviously different style to the songs we may be used to singing in church, whilst others grappled with the content and meaning behind the songs. Some felt that a bit of cheese and some \u2018ooohs\u2019 may add to mirroring David\u2019s undignified approach to worship!<\/p>\n
Take a look at the following lyrics; how comfortable would you feel about using them in worship? Why\/why not? What makes something appropriate\/inappropriate to sing in worship? Do you think God would feel as uncomfortable about hearing these words as you would singing them?<\/p>\n
And all the roads we have to walk along are winding Because maybe You rocked my world, you know you did How do I live without you ‘Cause we belong together now, yeah Yeh are you diggin on me Cause baby, And I love it when you call my name I\u2019m a slave for you. I cannot hold it; I cannot control it. Don’t tell me it’s not worth tryin’ for Love is all that I can give to you I’ll write a symphony just for you and me These words are my own Got me hoping you save me right now It could be even more fun to play a game\u2026 worship lyric or pop song! A friend of mine recently told me about the \u2018Mandy Test\u2019. This is where if you substitute the name \u2018Jesus\u2019 with \u2018Mandy\u2019 and it still works as a lyric, then you\u2019re stepping into the love song zone!<\/p>\n I wonder if part of why we compare worship songs to romantic songs is that part of romance about being showy and explicit about your love; we come across much fewer songs about how you love your grandparents or you love your peers platonically. Is it that worship songs share a link with romantic songs on this, or is it that there is something of this romance that we recognise in worship too? Is this where Songs of Songs draws this link? Is there something about being captivated by that one special person?<\/p>\n However, in an earlier comment to another post on this site<\/a>\u00a0I loved how the idea of worship becoming like a romantic getaway with God was expressed. Maybe we need to be more founded in what it means to love God, and what that looks like if it\u2019s not just romantic and about feeling \u2018in love\u2019.<\/p>\n Maybe this discussion is even bigger than what words we use in worship but more about how we worship. Maybe words are always going to be problematic for some people. To look at learning styles and multiple intelligences we understand that because we are made up differently and are intelligent in different ways, (or \u2018gifted\u2019 at different things if we use more typically evangelical Christian language) then some will find it easier to express themselves with words than others.<\/p>\n Some of Gary Chapman\u2019s theories on love languages tells us that people give and receive love in different ways and so maybe we need to learn a wider vocabulary of worship that is bigger than what words we express. He suggests that the 5 love languages are; Maybe here we find ways to worship that men in our cultural climate may feel more comfortable with. For example, I recognise that a huge way my dad shows his love for me is helping me with finances and tax advice, or washing my car. We can recognise that God loves us in more ways than just the words he uses with us, but also in the things he provides for us, for example.<\/p>\n Or to look to Howard Gardiner\u2019s multiple intelligences we see that there may be other ways to get us expressing our desire to worship God at our best. The multiple intelligences he suggests are; Some of these intelligences we may be able to derive an easy link to. But maybe we need to get creative about what it looks like to use the fullness of our potential in worship. For example, logical-mathematical intelligence must hold a wealth of untapped ways to worship God.<\/p>\n Maybe this conversation is just a little part of a wider conversation about thinking about what we sing in worship. In our consumer culture maybe it is just to easy to engage with what is fed to us, rather than more actively engaging with worship and choosing carefully the words we mean and why. Maybe there is a challenge here to begin thinking about what words we\u2019d choose for God, whether we are worship leaders or simply worshippers.<\/p>\n These ideas are inconclusive, but we are not just called to be led in worship by leaders, but to be communities made up of participating and worshipping individuals, who together build on a corporate identity of a worshipping community. The more we enter into conversation and discussion about these issues, the bigger a picture of both worship and God we begin to build in dialogue together.<\/p>\n Becca Dean is a youth worker\u00a0at Carpenters Community Church in\u00a0Chorleywood, England. She has particular interests in humour, creativity, theology and working out what it means to be a Christian in today’s culture. She is currently writing a book for young people on creative ways to help them pray.<\/p>\n Cartoon courtesty of AsboJesus.wordpress.com<\/p>\n Other related posts you might find helpful:<\/strong><\/p>\n Worship songs just aren’t for men – interview with Matt Redman<\/a><\/p>\n Why men hate going to church<\/a><\/p>\n Brian MacLaren on worship songs<\/a><\/p>\n What is worship?<\/a><\/p>\n What does coming to a meeting prepared look like?<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAnd all the lights that lead us there are blinding
\nThere are many things that I would
\nLike to say to you
\nI don’t know how <\/em><\/p>\n
\nYou’re gonna be the one who saves me ?
\nAnd after all
\nYou’re my wonderwall<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAnd everything I\u2019m gonna give (You rocked my world)
\nAnd there ain\u2019t nothing we could find
\nSomeone like you to call mine (You rocked my world)<\/em><\/p>\n
\nI want to know
\nHow do I breathe without you
\nIf you ever go
\nHow do I ever, ever survive
\nHow do I
\nHow do I
\nOh, how do I live<\/em><\/p>\n
\nForever united here somehow, yeah
\nYou got a piece of me
\nAnd honestly,
\nMy life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you<\/em><\/p>\n
\nYeh yeh yeh
\nIm diggin on u now baby
\nYeh do u wanna little bit of my love
\nYeh wait a minute wait a minute<\/em>
\nYou give me something
\nThat makes me scared alright
\nThis could be nothing
\nBut I’m willing to give it a try
\nPlease give me something
\nBecause someday I might know my heart<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThere ain’t no mountain high enough
\nAin’t no valley low enough
\nAin’t no river wide enough
\nTo keep me from getting to you<\/em><\/p>\n
\nI love it when you call my name
\nBoth ends of the candle burnt by the flame
\nYeah I love it when you call my name, n-n-name<\/em><\/p>\n
\nI\u2019m a slave for you. I won\u2019t deny it; I\u2019m not trying to hide it.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nYou can’t tell me it’s not worth dyin’ for
\nYou know it’s true
\nEverything I do – I do it for you<\/em><\/p>\n
\nLove is more than just a game for two
\nTwo in love can make it
\nTake my heart and please don’t break it
\nLove was made for me and you<\/em><\/p>\n
\nIf you let me love you, I’ll paint a masterpiece
\nJust for you to see
\nIf you let me love you, let me love you<\/em><\/p>\n
\nFrom my heart flow
\nI love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
\nThere’s no other way
\nTo better say
\nI love you, I love you…<\/em>
\nAnd I…
\nWill always
\nLove you, oohh
\nWill always
\nLove you
\nYou
\nMy darling you
\nMmm-mm<\/em><\/p>\n
\nLookin so crazy your love’s got me lookin
\nGot me lookin so crazy your love<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Words of affirmation
\n\u2022\u00a0Quality time
\n\u2022\u00a0Receiving and giving gifts
\n\u2022\u00a0Acts of service
\n\u2022\u00a0Physical touch<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Linguistic intelligence (the intelligence that we focus on when looking at lyrics)
\n\u2022\u00a0Logical mathematical intelligence
\n\u2022\u00a0Musical intelligence
\n\u2022\u00a0Bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence
\n\u2022\u00a0Spatial intelligence
\n\u2022\u00a0Interpersonal intelligence
\n\u2022\u00a0Intrapersonal intelligence
\n\u2022\u00a0(More recently added intelligences are Natural intelligence, Existential intelligence, and Spiritual intelligence).<\/p>\n