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What Songs Belong in Church? A Concise Guide on the Issue
Most Christians would agree that some songs don’t belong in gathered worship. The harder question is the one that actually divides us: where do we draw the line? On what basis do we draw that line? For some, if a song is labeled “Christian,” it’s automatically fair game on Sunday. Others would expand the standard to include “non-Christian” songs with Christian themes. (I still remember seeing a church sing “You Raise Me Up,” by Josh Groban, and being quite shocked). For others, only a narrowly defined style or sound is acceptable. So how do we evaluate worship music wisely, without drifting into anything-goes pragmatism on one side or some sort of legalism on the other? Are there any passages that talk about this issue directly? This is the first question to ask when working through any issue. Regarding this issue, Colossians 3:16 is very appropriate (cf. Eph 5:19). Let the…
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You Become Like What You Worship
Human beings are created to worship the Creator. The psalms in particular are replete with calls for all of mankind to worship the Creator (cf. Pss 66:4; 95:6; 99:5; 150:6). But, as Paul points out, it is part of fallen humanity’s penchant to exchange the truth about God for a lie and worship creation rather than the Creator (Rom 1:22-25). This idolatrous worship practice can take place in many ways. Buddhism, Hinduism, and many African religions are examples of pagan idolatry. Even secularism, which claims to be empty of all religious components, takes the form of idolatry by replacing God with the autonomous self. Idolatry at its core is the epitome of human pride, arrogance, and foolishness. Psalm 115 on Worship and Idolatry Psalm 115 gives insightful commentary on the subject of idolatry and worship. Psalm 115 depicts the false idols who have mouths, eyes, ears, noses, and hands; yet,…
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Book Review: For the Glory of God
I recently had the privilege of working through For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship by Daniel Block. Published in 2014, For the Glory of God is a masterful work, relying on Block’s extensive teaching and research experience. In many ways it is exhaustive, hitting the subject of worship from every conceivable perspective. Looking at the table of contents gives that impression. The book is divided as follows: Toward a Holistic, Biblical Understanding of Worship The Object of Worship The Subject of Worship Daily Life as Worship Family Life and Work as Worship The Ordinances as Worship Hearing and Proclaiming the Scriptures as Worship Prayer as Worship Music as Worship Sacrifice and Offerings as Worship The Drama of Worship The Design and Theology of Sacred Space Leaders in Worship There are also three appendices covering (A) Doxologies of the New Testament; (B) Hymnic Fragments in the…
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No Idol or Likeness—The Uncommon God (Exod 20:4-6)
The first commandment stated that God is supreme above all things. The second commandment is, like the first commandment, also an application of the supremacy of the Creator. The first commandment applied the supremacy of God through mandating that nothing is to be treated as God. The theological reality which undergirds the second commandment is that God must never be brought down to creation status. So, together the first two commandments teach that nothing must ever be elevated to God’s rightful status as supreme object of our affection and worship; second, God must never be treated as common or as a part of creation. The second commandment, like the first, is rooted in Genesis 1. We see this clearly by the repetition of Genesis 1 language, “heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” This commandment focuses specifically upon making any representation of God…