A few months ago I wrote about “worship pastors” and the problem I see with them in the Church in general, and I explained how our assembly decided to hire one of these guys even though we had a wonderful, mature song leader. A few days later I wrote an article about the upcoming service being noted on Facebook as going to be having a new song for us to learn - right from Hillsong and vacuous as it could be. That Sunday there was a notice in the bulletin from this new “pastor” requesting input, so I responded and sent an email expressing my concern with focusing on one demographic, and using songs from aberrant groups like Hillsong and Vineyard because all it did was give them credence. I essentially pasted in my article in regards to some of the songs we have used from these groups so as to demonstrate the false teachings in many of them. His response was basically that there is no “perfect” song.
In October we sang Chris Tomlin’s My Chains Are Gone, and a few weeks later we sang Grace Like Rain, but we never sing Amazing Grace any more. So I e-mailed this “pastor” and our lead pastor and asked if we could go back now and then to Amazing Grace, and explained the same thing which I wrote about Tomlin’s song in this post, while also pointing out that Grace Like Rain was an even worse version with a dirge-like melody and the nonsensical phrase, “grace like rain falls down.” I stated we were going down the wrong road trying to appeal to one demographic. The response was that, no, they are not trying to appeal to one demographic and everyone has different opinions of music. Period.
By the end of November my wife and I were only attending every other week as we looked at other places for worship. Whenever we did attend, we continued with lots of his favorites, horrible rock/country type beats, changing melodies of old hymns, changes lyrics of some other old gyms, and used more and more “contemporary” junk-food songs. (A friend gave me updates for the weeks we didn’t attend.) The “worship” periods are mostly opportunities for this “pastor” to perform, and he has been joined on the “stage” by a woman who accompanies him vocally and an elder who has joined him with an electric guitar and acts like part of a rock band.
We haven’t been back since then, partly due to weather prevention, but mainly due to finding an assembly which seems to be working out. We love the people in our old assembly, and have some good friends there who are also unhappy with the music but are staying for various reasons.
With this heart open wide
From the depths from the heights
I will bring a sacrifice
With these hands lifted high
Hear my song, hear my cry
I will bring a sacrifice
I will bring a sacrifice
[Chorus:]
I lay me down I’m not my own
I belong to you alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Hand on my heart this much is true
There’s no life apart from you
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down
Letting go of my pride
Giving up all my rights
Take this life and let it shine
Take this life and let it shine
[Chorus:]
I lay me down I’m not my own
I belong to you alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Hand on my heart this much is true
There’s no life apart from you
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down
[Bridge:]
It will be my joy to say Your will Your way
It will be my joy to say Your will Your way
It will be my joy to say Your will Your way always
7 comments:
Hi Glenn,
I'm sorry you and Jill have had to seek a new assembly because the leadership at your former church home is choosing to ignore good discernment with regard to music. You are right, music is theologically important, and preaches as much as a sermon. There is no room for drivel, sung or spoken, in church. You made a very good point - often the decline in music quality goes hand in hand with the embracing of a market-driven philosophy.
I hope the new assembly you found is a blessing to you both.
-Carolyn
Are you able to find another fellowship that has better discernment? Our trouble is if we found a place that had better music, the preaching and teaching would be off. Way off! We are in the PNW, and rural at that, so not many churches to choose from. I hope you are able to find a place.
Who is this Chris Tomlin? For some reason, he seems to have the worst songs. The songs I want to walk out of worship time with, are by him. Very strange.
We've visited a couple places, one being staunch Calvinist so we decided against that one. The other one we've been to six or seven times. We've know the pastor from the past when our daughter worked with his wife in the local "Family Christian Store" almost 20 years ago. We know he's pretty discerning. From listening on line to some old sermons, he seems to be a moderate calvinist. I'm not really wild about their music because so much of it is from Sovereign Grace. While the are doctrinally sound, too often they are just choruses. The teaching overall has been good. So we're not committing to anything, just coming every couple weeks while we explore other options.
There are actually quite a few people in our assembly who are disgruntled with this latest move to bring in a "worship pastor."
I've heard the PNW can be quite liberal with their churches - too many liberal moving up there from California.
Chris Tomlin is a well-known Christian musician. From what I've seen, though, most of his stuff is feel-good and vacuous. He is the one who did "My Chains Are Gone," which is nothing more than shortening up Amazing Grace and putting his own chorus in it. I addressed that issue with this article:
http://watchmansbagpipes.blogspot.com/2014/10/appealing-to-me-generation.html
But everyone loves him all because they like the pap he feeds them.
The PNW is liberal even without anyone coming up from CA. : ) (In fact, most Californians I know are more conservative than the average PNW'er, especially from Northern CA.) Mother Earth is worshipped here more than anything.
I do truly think there's something more than the words Tomlin uses. I think there's something up with the music too. It's very appealing. Very emotional. Enchanting. Gives people a drive. But not in the right way, in a dangerous way, in my opinion. But people hear the songs on their Christian radio station, then love to hear them at church services as well.
: (
You are correct; Tomlin's melodies are for exciting the emotions. Just like so many "contemporary" songs which have no meat. The music is what drives them. And that is manipulative.
Sad indeed
Glenn, we are running into the same problem in our church. Solid bible teaching; pastor has been there for years, they have three services and lots of people coming. But the music is SO LOUD that at times I have to cover my ears. We sing some of those same Chris Tomlin/Hillsong songs chosen by the worship pastor. The lyrics you provided are really eye opening. What sacrifice can we bring? I thought the sacrifice was finished - Jesus Christ was the sacrifice and the Great High Priest - and He cried out 'It is finished.' And the part about 'laying myself down'? Where is the biblical language/principle? Besides why the constant repetition of meaningless phrases, almost like chanting? Which leads me to my last point. Instead, why not read scripture from the pulpit, particularly a hymn or two, instead of another lame, inane song? They do read the passage to be preached on, but what about working through the psalms as well, or some other portion of scripture. This music overload always puts the focus on us, our music, our "talent," our sound system, our technology, our feelings, etc. rather than on the real worship of God. It truly is grievous.
Anonymous,
It truly is grievous. It seems each church leadership is out to try to be like everyone else, or even top them. To heck with what is best for the sheep; let's see how many goats we can get to come to our assemblies!
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