Theological depth in worship lyrics

I talked about some of the differences in modern worship lyrics and old hymns in the comments section of the article two posts removed, and it has gotten my juices flowing.

When we talk about lyrics, I feel that the best example we have is the Bible. Of course, the obvious "hymn book" of the Bible is Psalms. There is a remarkable bit of variance in the Psalms -- songs of lament (which you almost never hear in modern Christian music -- we're supposed to pretend that we're happy and brimming with confidence all the time) songs of joy, of suffering, of doubt, of assurance, of victory. Songs that probe the nature of God and man, as well as simple love songs to God. The Psalms show that there is no one "this is how deep every song should be" rule. We will always need simple songs that express, in an easily-related fashion, our praise. But, taken as a whole, the Psalms and the other songs in the Bible show us how far off the mark we've fallen with some of the praise choruses in the modern Church.

Let's look at some of the earliest hymn fragments of the early Church, recorded in scripture:

The song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55) which in later time became known as the Magnificat, the song of Zacharias (Luke 1:68-79), later known as the Benedictus, and the song of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32), which became the Nunc Dimittis, were all theologically sound, expressive, rich outpourings. In other words, you wouldn't mistake the God celebrated in these songs for an earthly lover or your big cosmic buddy.

The apostle Paul recorded several hymn-like fragments in his epistles, which scholars believe were quoted from early Church worship services. These were doctrinal hymns, creeds set to melody -- these early Christians were doing what Paul taught them to do: speaking to each other and instructing each other through song. For instance:

He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory. (1 Tim. 3:16b, NASB)

and this fragment from a baptismal hymn, which Paul used to illuminate his teaching:

For this reason it says,
"Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you." (Eph. 5:14, NASB)

The book of Revelation is particularly rich in song, particularly doxological (praise) hymns. Here's an example -- "The Song of Moses, The Servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb":

And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways,
King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED." (Rev. 15:3-4, NASB)

This is strong stuff -- there is no confusing the God worshiped in this song for an earthly lover, the deity of another religion, an impersonal life-force or a warm, fuzzy fog of enlightenment or "higher power." There is history and future in this refrain, and a God who is clearly Lord of all. This is the kind of thing that the Church continued to express for nearly two millennia.

And, again, I would say that there are still many examples in the modern Church of great worship songs, great modern hymns, that can truly be used by a singer, band, or choir to lead -- really lead -- a congregation into worship. Sadly, however, there are many songs that fail any such standard, and many churches that specialize in singing these fluffy kinds of songs in the names of inclusiveness, relevance, and seeker-sensitivity -- good goals in their proper context, to be sure, but nevertheless goals that have often run amuck in the modern Church.

These are the kind of things I keep in mind when writing my own songs. If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them.