Have you ever heard the argument about modern worship music just being vain repetition and therefore shouldn’t be used? There are usually examples cited and even Bible verses that back up the claim, such as:
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. I Kings 18:25-26
Come on, seriously? I ask them to explain this:
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:1-11
When someone is singing that, is it vain repetition? I think not. Definitely repetition, definitely not vain.
What other worship complaints do you have or have you heard?
thanks for this…
I think 2 Chronicles 5 through to 2 Chronicles 7:3 is helpful here. In fact most of the early chapters of Chronicles detail (the tiniest detail at that) the building of the temple and how glorious it all is. Then in 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 we have this:
“The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:
“He is good;
his love endures forever.”
Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.”
(this make me smile; they had it all planned, (no organ though, mind you) God shows up and they can’t do what they thought they would do…)
Then there is Solomon speech and his prayer of dedication
and the “best” the people could come up with is:
“He is good;
his love endures forever.”
(I think they [all the people] probably said it more than once, and that is described as worship.
this is the bit of scripture I tend to come back to when these “modern” songs and hymns I like are referred to as too simplistic or repetitive (although often they are musical settings of verses from the Bible, this aspect is ignored).
LOL! I love that..God showed up and they didn’t know what to do!
Thanks, Tobit..I appreciate your thoughts.