When you sing worship songs to God, those songs should include every facet of life... shouldn't they? I mean if we experience it, we should filter it through the lens of our life in God and express it back to him - even if that expression is haunting, uncomfortable, and doubtful. It seems to me that all of the songs we sing in church are all happy clappy. And then, when people show up we tell them to "sing it from their heart". Well, what if they can't? What if the song we are singing isn't their song that day? What if their song is sad? Is that okay?See, I don't think crying to God is an expression of doubt anymore than a child crying to its mother is a lack of trust. A lament is a profound expression of faith. Faith that someone is listening. Faith that the someone who is listening doesn't require a smile and a hop to care for you. Faith that there is hope beyond the sorrow... or at least faith that there is a chance of hope. Or else why cry? Babies left abandoned in crowded orphanages give up crying after awhile. They know that no one is listening. I hope the church - in our effort to celebrate the goodness of God - doesn't minimize the fallen state of the world.
It's ironic that in our effort to be relevant... we paint on a smile and ignore the real life situations confronted by everyone.
So, Todd, write a couple of laments if you haven't already. Your new recording project will stand out in a crowd of true but incomplete pictures of the life in Christ.
11 comments:
Brian Doerksen has talked a lot about this over the past few years...in fact, his thoughts are almost identical to yours.
In my mind, worship songs (or GOOD worship songs) are the hardest things to write. I can certainly attest to the fear that comes along with the idea of writing laments.
I think it comes, in part, from the fact that worship leaders are typically gifted as "encouragers," and therefore we want people to feel their absolute best when they are with God. That's necessarily the right way to do it, but I think that's how we tend to work.
If laments are ever going to be utilized, I think they'll have to be intimately tied to the word. While most worship leaders would never use some sad song of grief in their opening set, many might use a lament at the close of service in conjunction w/ what the pastor has said. In this respect, I think laments must be treated with the utmost care...in my mind, the idea situation is to have a "time of lament" led by a pastor/teacher, someone who can lovingly lead people to embrace this element of following God that was so important those before us.
Am I making sense?
Sounds interesting. Is anyone doing this currently? I know people are writing laments but is anyone implementing them into a service on a regular basis. I'd like to see what results are being experienced. Are people growing because they are tapping into a God-designed area of their lives or are they walking away with more questions than before.
I guess that is where it comes down for me. If artists are writing these songs just to fill a genre and not lifting up the body then they may need to consider their motives.
I think my song is a lament Lance. But it isn't really something that others would sing along with (as far as "leading worship"). I'm glad that you blogged this. I think it is something I have been holding back in my writings, which is why I haven't really. I miss you.
Well, Todd... you did make sense.
But, I think a more natural progression would be what is followed in the psalms. The lament would begin the service rather than end it. What do you think?
Robert,
I agree that one needs to address one's motives. But, they need to do it on the positive end of the spectrum as well. For instance, are we singing all happy positive songs because it feeds our own need to please others? Motives are always tricky... aren't they?
The thing about laments that scares me as a writer is that, personally, I think there's more room for disaster with songs in the color blue.
Look, we all know (writers and non-writers alike) how easy it is for worship songs to quickly turn into personal proclamations that don't line up w/ scripture.
The danger in laments is that since they are songs that should express human grief, pain, brokenness... I think they are even more of a risk for us putting "too much of ourselves" within the song.
The cynical part of me envisions a plaintive, minor-chord psalmesque song evolving into a full-on weeping musical monologue. (Think "Somebody Kill Me" from The Wedding Singer.)
You're right, that it should be probably be done...I just don't know who's brave enough to do it in their churches. Don't look at me.
I would take your question a bit further Lance...
"Where are all the sad sermons?"
Surely not in anything Broad-or-Podcasted these days.
I've heard your sermons, Rob. Believe me, they're sad.
walked right into that one!
i like this..
p.s. i told you i found your blog! =]
Todd...good thoughts, been thinking them myself. Do you all know any laments that people have been leading with these days? would like to incorporate some into a service in the near future...
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