I really like the assembly we are currently attending, primarily because of the very good teaching, good leadership, and mostly friendly people. However, I really get tired of all the “radio” songs the music leader chooses for worship.
I call them “radio” songs because they are songs which are normally only heard on the radio or purchased with a CD. They were never written to be sung in a congregational setting, rather they are written for being performed by a singer. Unless you are someone who either purchases these performers’ CDs or hear them on the radio, you have no clue what the music is when they put the lyrics on the overhead; you are expected to just learn the music as you go regardless of how difficult it may be for congregational singing. (I know, those boring old hymn books just don’t help to manufacture emotion the way these “CCM” songs do.)
Today I’m giving two examples of what we sang as a congregation this past Sunday (I didn’t sing them because I had no clue about the music).
One more thing: We don’t need “bridges” in congregational music; the band doesn’t need a solo performance because it isn’t about them, rather it is supposed to be worshipping the Lord.
We Will Remember, by Tommy Walker
Chorus
We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness
(REPEAT)
You’re our creator, our life sustainer
Deliverer, our comfort, our joy
Throughout the ages You’ve been our shelter
Our peace in the midst of the storm
(CHORUS)
With signs and wonders You’ve shown Your power
With precious blood You showed us Your grace
You’ve been our helper, our liberator
The giver of life with no end
(CHORUS)
When we walk through life’s darkest valleys
We will look back at all You have done
And we will shout, our God is good
And He is the faithful One
Bridge
Hallelujah, hallelujah
To the one from whom all blessings flow
Hallelujah, hallelujah
To the one whose glory has been shown
I still remember the day You saved me
The day I heard You call out my name
You said You loved me and would never leave me
And I’ve never been the same
Chorus
We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness
(REPEAT)
What I can’t show here is that in the next to last verse the song leader raised the octave and volume as would be done by a performer — how is the congregation supposed to know to do that?!?!? Also, the band got louder at that point to where it crescendoed with loud drumming. This crescendo with loud drumming also took place in the last verse.
I don’t have a problem with the lyrics of this song, it’s just that this is not appropriate for congregational singing.
The other song, Sovereign, was by Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, et al (of course).
Sovereign in the mountain air
Sovereign on the ocean floor
With me in the calm
With me in the storm
Sovereign in my greatest joy
Sovereign in my deepest cry
With me in the dark
With me at the dawn
In your everlasting arm
All the pieces of my life
From beginning to the end
I can trust you
In your never failing love
You work everything for good
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you
Sovereign in the mountain air
Sovereign on the ocean floor
With me in the calm
With me in the storm
Sovereign in my greatest joy
Sovereign in my deepest cry
With me in the dark
With me at the dawn
In your everlasting arm
All the pieces of my life
From beginning to the end
I can trust you
In your never failing love
You work everything for good
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you
All my hopes, all I need
Held in your hands
All my life, all of me
Held in your hands
All my fears, all my dreams
Held in your hands
All my hopes, all I need
Held in your hands
All my life, all of me
Held in your hands
All my fears, all my dreams
Held in your hands
In your everlasting arms
All the pieces of my life
From beginning to the end
I can trust you
In your never failing love
You work everything for good
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you
As with so many of Tomlin’s songs, notice how much “me” focus there is. And it just goes around and around ad nauseum. Tomlin never impresses me with his writing, which in my opinion shows a total lack of imagination.
Again, this song should not be used for congregational singing! But, hey, we can get the band going and manufacture some more emotion with his stuff!
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