Chorus Christians

For all of you at Liberty... or in any "modern church" for that matter... have you ever stopped singing and just watched people during the praise songs in Convo or Campus church? I've been doing this more and more recently... its rather comical... and entirely predictable.

As one of my friends said the other day... they're Chorus Christians... or they only are "Spirit-filled" when the band is playing G-chords. As soon as the key changes, or the beat picks up, up shoots the hands.

Tim Hawkins, one of my all-time favorite speaker, comedian, and person in general has some really good videos on Worship Styles, Worship Songs, and others.

 However, this post isn't intended to hurt anyone's feelings. If you choose to worship by raising your arms while singing, that's all fine and good. I do it too sometimes. The main intent of this post is to get you to think about something...  

What are you worshiping when you're singing?

Are you worshiping the song?
The band playing them that sounds really good?
The words of the song?  
Or are you worshiping the One the song is really about?

I've taken a step back in the past few months and evaluated my worship, especially in places of corporate worship. In all honesty, the songs are shallow, the lyrics barely graze the surface of what God has done for us.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when the songs make it sound like you're singing to a boyfriend or girlfriend rather than to our awesome Savior and the Creator of the Universe. "When Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss." Really? Those lyrics don't even make sense. (I do like that song, but that one line just bugs the bejeebies out of me). It was even worse when one band decided to change it to a sloppy wet kiss. What is wrong with our society today?!

What happened to the hymns? The ones with so much depth, and meaning, heartache and love that just seeps out of the lyrics when they're sung. Have you ever read the stories behind those hymns? It Is Well With My Soul was written after Horatio Spafford lost his four daughters in the sinking of the S.S. Ville de Havre in 1873 and seven years later also lost his 4 year old son to a childhood illness. Out of tragedy came a beautiful song that has impacted millions of people.

How about one of the most well-known songs of this day and age - Amazing Grace. Did you know that the original writer, John Newton, was the captain of a slave ship? It was during a horrific storm on May 10, 1748 that he had what he called his "conversion experience." Later, he wrote the hymn Amazing Grace, which had more verses added to by other writers throughout the years. He became a famous preacher and his life has touched millions of lives. The messages behind these beautiful songs are so much more powerful and meaningful than some of the songs we sing in "worship" today.

What are you worshiping? Do you raise your hands because everyone else is, or are you really lifting your hands in praise to the One who is worthy of your worship?  
Search within your heart the next time you sing... ask your self why.