This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, years back. I just never put it into words that would express what I feel. I realize this is most likely going to sound quite strange, I never heard anybody talk about music that way. I am going to talk specifically about worship songs. This is what I feel. I will try to describe.
I believe worship songs are alive. Whoever wrote them put a bit of his soul into them, there is an annointing too, something that was Spirit led. They are full of joy, thankfulness, love, admiration, adoration and awe, some have maybe a touch of sadness or questions as we go through different things in life. It’s something that is heart to heart, men to God, yet God inspired and Spirit led, a mystery. There is something about music that touches people right on the inside, inspires them, opens up their heart to God. Something beautiful, deep, that doesn’t need explaining, that can bring people into worshiping together, can lift them up. Something very powerful that God designed. Sommething that touches the strings of our heart. And that is also a big reason why we need to be careful what kind of songs we listen to.
I belive we need to be careful how we handle songs. We need to handle them with some respect, as they are not just mere tools but living things. Now I am NOT saying we should be worshipping them! Maybe I could describe it like joining them. See where they are going and go together. Does it sound weird? I am not sure how to explain that in a better way. If we are not careful in the way we take and play songs, we can cripple them, disable them. I am sure you know the feeling when you stand there, singing a song and even though the words are right and the music is nice, it feels dead. It somehow doesn’t mean anything to you, it’s like the words are falling from your lips empty to the ground. That is when we handle the song wrong or perhaps it’s not the right time for it. That is another thing I noticed. There seems to be seasons for songs. You can force your favourite song in the wrong season and it just won’t feel right at all. Oh how I know how that feels! You could maybe say that song is asleep :D
The songs want to take us flying, closer to God. Did you ever experience that? Now I am NOT saying, that songs are the goal of worship. Absolutely not. The goal is to worship GOD, not our feelings, not beautiful music, not anything else. Worship for me is telling God how much I love him, what He means to me, how much I trust Him, giving him thanks for everything that He has done, who He is. It’s about Him. But I can’t be missing in there either, otherwise what kind of lovesong would that be, if I was just singing words? My lips would be close to Him but my heart not? The experience is not the main thing but I believe God wants us to feel close to Him, to feel His love as we reach out to Him. We don’t always feel close to Him when we start, but when we join the song, open our hearts, it can grab us and take us flying like an eagle. So it’s important to start even when we don’t feel like it. If you don’t start, you won’t go anywhere. Just reach out to him and don’t close your heart.
When I say that song can take you fly, I mean that time when you sing a song, mean every word and you just sense God’s joy, peace, His presence is really tangible. To me it feels sort of like flying, I can’t explain it any other way. Just feel so close to God and so loved. Just want to tell Him how much He means to you, sometimes you even stay quiet as there is no need for words. Just being in His presence is enough and so precious. Times like that are absolutely better that thousand elswhere.
But back to us handling songs. We need to be careful. I am of course talking about songs that have Biblical foundations, not some weird questionable ones. We need to be sensitive, listen to them and see where they go. Some songs can be easily played in many ways, faster, slower, rockier... they are playful, it just works. Then there are some songs that if you change them, you cripple them. They may even sound nice but half of the live in them is gone (or more!). And you wonder why, when the sound itself is great. It’s just that this song is not supposed to be done that way. Some songs are full of deep, meaningfull and powerful words and if you speed it up too much, you will have real problems putting any meaning into these words. You just killed the song. Some songs need time to express the words, they need the slower pace, the time for people (and yourself) to digest and realize what the deep meaning there is, to focus on God and to whom you saying all this.
On the contrary some songs are so full of joy, thankfullness, like you can hardly wait to sing that all. Fast songs that want to make you dance :) If you slow them down they are most likely going to sound like you are dragging your feet, walking up to your knees in a mud
And again, having said all this, if you are sensitive enough, you can play around with most songs, making them sound a bit different, different style... but never against the grain of the song, if you know what I mean. You need to know what you are doing. Not everything will work with every song. If you are not sure, it doesn’t feel completely right, just stick to the way the author plays it. And we need to remember, there is a time for every song.
There are some songs that are missunderstood. Maybe you don’t like particular one because it’s been done in a wrong way, crippled. I use to not like song „I could sing of your love forever.“ It seemed quit dead and I just couldn’t get into it. But there was one time when we did that song a bit different, and it suddenly came alive. I just realized what beautiful words there were and that they need attention. Not to just be zoomed through quickly but to be expressed with love. Since that moment I loved that song and I can really sing it as my prayer and worship to God.
Recently I heard some great examples of hymns played in a contemporary way. Some of them just grabbed my heart and filled me with awe of God, like hymns done by David Crowder and Chris Tomlin. And there were some other examples that I just wanted to switch off. Both were played professionally. The difference was that in the first case the musicians respected the songs and went along with them, putting their heart into it. In the other case it seemed more like „I want to make this song sound like that because it’s cool“ at any cost. In that case better leave it alone as it was ;)
Of course we could debate about different people liking different styles and some songs really are better than others. One song will mean a lot to one person and not so much to somebody else. But this is not about that. I think even though a particular songs is not your style, if the song is done sensitively, when the worshipper puts his heart in it, you can tell. And if you put aside your prejudice, you can join in even though it’s not exactly what you would usually listen to. And it can take you fly!
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