It has come to my attention that there are certain topics that the church at large doesn't like to talk about: sex and death being the two largest elephants in the sanctuary. This past year, I have seen more of my friends experience the reality of death than I have in the other 18 years of my life. Four people have died, and three of them occurred within the current semester: a mother, a father, and a young teen suicide. This semester also witnessed the Boston Marathon Bombing and the West, Texas plant explosion. What do we have to offer those who go through this?
"Their suffering is over."
Not that these aren't true, but let's be honest: they're pretty lame. No one really knows how to deal with death, and that's not even really the issue here. The death of a loved one is a hard thing to go through, and fortunately I have yet to experience it first hand. The issue is this inability to connect with the people who are experiencing it. The major shortcoming of contemporary worship music is its inability to give voice to those people that are so obviously hurting, and not at all in a place to sing happy worship tunes.
Protestants have this habit of neglecting the bad stuff in order to get to the good stuff (spiritually speaking, that is). This past Easter I played for the Good Friday service, and to my memory it was one of maybe two Good Friday services I have ever attended (two is being hopeful; it may have been the first one). At the close of the service, my friend sang "Were You There?" a cappella, without the lights on, and everyone left in silence. It was certainly the most sombre service I have ever been to, including my friend's mother's memorial service. Later that night, when I was talking with my dad about the service, he said, "You know, in the twenty or so years we've been members at the church, I've only gone to two Good Friday services." I would guess that a similar number is shared among many of my Protestant friends. We just don't go to Good Friday services, because we leave feeling so down, so sad. All Sons & Daughters wrote a song called "Buried in the Grave" that accurately captures how we leave that service, and how the disciples must have felt when Christ actually died (watch the video here). Protestants, therefore, place a high emphasis on the celebration of Easter Sunday, oftentimes saying "There can be no salvation without Christ's resurrection." Certainly this is true, however Catholics would reply "There can be no resurrection without Christ's death." After attending my first Good Friday service, Easter Sunday was immeasurably more joyful and powerful than it has ever been. Good news is good, but only in light of the bad news, which we Protestants and "modern worshippers" often neglect to talk about.
This habit of neglecting the bad stuff is what brings pastors to preach about how Jesus came that we may have life, and "have it to the fullest" (John 10:10), but leave out that "the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). This habit of neglecting the bad stuff is what brings songwriters to write about how we will stand, "with arms high, and heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all" (The Stand, Joel Houston). This habit of neglecting the bad stuff leaves us with a Christian faith that we cannot relate to.
One of the most powerful verses in the Gospels is also the shortest: "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). This verse captures one of the most tender moments in Jesus' ministry, and I want to draw attention to the fact that there is no resolution. Jesus' friend, Lazarus, had died. Martha, ever the cerebral one, went out to meet Jesus. "'Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my bother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask'" (John 11:21-22). I applaud Martha's faith and all those who can suffer tragedy and speak with that much confidence. However, Mary embodies that which many of us go through: sorrow and struggle. "When Jesus saw her weeping...Jesus wept" (John 11:33, 35). Jesus offered no hope, no resolution. Jesus wept.
The director of the Worship Arts degree at my school joked with me that when a family loses someone, we arrive at their door and say "We're so sorry for your loss; here's a tuna casserole." But sometimes, that's just what we need. We need people to come and offer no words of comfort, but simply sit and cry with us. No words need be spoken; it is community that helps soothe the aching of our hearts. We cannot ask God to reverse the situation, or ask Him "Why?" as if He'll realize He made a mistake and will get to work fixing the situation. Sometimes the best choice is to simply ask God, "Walk with me through this." That's where worship songs fall short. Sometimes, "when sorrows like sea billows roll," I can find it in myself to say "It is well with my soul," like Martha did. But in those moments when the weight of my life's circumstances weigh so heavily that I cannot even bring myself to say that, there is no song* that says "Jesus, walk with me through this." There is no song that captures the same compassion and tenderness as John's two words, "Jesus wept."
In response to this, I have begun to write my own "Kyrie" (Kyrie Eleison meaning "Lord, have mercy"). Hopefully, it will be something that meets people where they are and gives them a song to sing and to really cry out to God with. My hope and my prayer is that it will help people worship honestly when life becomes overwhelming.
What are some other short-comings of modern worship songs that you have noticed? What are other topics the church doesn't address, but should? Let me know in the comment section below!
*I want to state that there are, in fact, songs that say this, and one of the best exceptions is the song "Reason to Sing" by All Sons & Daughters (watch the video here). David Crowder* Band's "Oh Great God, Give Us Rest," "Let Me Feel You Shine," Gungor's "Please By My Strength," and Hillsong Live's "Desert Song" are some other songs that I'm aware of. However, this list is quite small compared to the myriad of other modern worship songs currently being sung.
I think you've got it right on. There are not very many songs that connect with us when we are really struggling and going through hard times. I wish there were. The most comforting songs during the hard times most definitely are the ones that talk about how God is with us, how he is there, and will never leave us. Because God may not fix our situations the way we want him to, but he will always be there for us to lean on. Anyway. Great post. Made me cry a little bit.
ReplyDelete<3 Nuna
One reason for the lopsidedness in the mood of CCM may be the simple fact that the Good News is better than the bad news, hands down. The Good News always wins. The Good News is the dwelling place of all believers in Jesus.
ReplyDeleteIt can be easy to forget, then, that not everybody lives here. That a lifeline is needed by those who are on the outside, whether because of lack of faith or just due to tough circumstances or emotions. I love your phrasing... "Jesus, please walk with me." I think those kinds of songs (and just honest lives in general) can serve as powerful demonstrations that God is not just in the hyper, "spiritual" moments, but that worship really just means walking with God, following Him, loving Him.
You really got me going here! One more thing... Artists (and American culture in general) have a tendency to be really really enthralled with our emotions. So sad=bad, happy=good. (Some) Christian artists (can sometimes) carry this worldly wisdom over into their work, and it ends up communicating something like, "Jesus is better than anything else because He makes me feel better than anything else." The first part is true, but the second part ends up alienating anybody who might be having any kind of struggle at any time with feeling what they're "supposed" to. People who know Him as a person and not a marketable product MUST use every means possible to show the world the value of a genuine relationship with Christ. It includes mountains and valleys, singing, silence, elation and brokenness. The focal point in all of them is the nearness of God (Psalm 139).
Good thoughts, Cuz. I like how you say 'em.
Thank you so much for posting this comment! I just revised my post a little bit by adding to the end of the paragraph that starts with "Protestants." I realized that I just gave my Good Friday talk without mentioning Easter Sunday or even why I was brining up the experience in the first place haha.
DeleteThe Good Friday Tenebrae service is my favorite service of the year. But I would argue that Protestants don't do a good job of celebrating Good Friday or Easter Sunday. I think we've lost sight of what the Resurrection actually means and its implications for life and life after death. If we truly understood the hope of a physical, bodily resurrection at the end of time, in a world where everything is made new, exactly as it was meant to be, for us to live and play and work and explore, we would approach death differently. As it is, most Christians have a very flimsy, wispy idea of heaven that's derived more from pop culture's imagery of people-turned-angels floating on clouds and playing harps. It's hard to offer hope for life after death when it's something we don't understand Biblically or really find hopeful.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree that we need more worship songs that deal authentically with suffering and pain. But I also know it's hard in a congregational sense to expect everyone to engage with songs of grief unless there is a congregational loss that needs to processed corporately. (I know you're presenting the flip side - not everyone can identify with the happy songs, but it will take a larger cultural shift to come to the place where songs of grief are expected/tolerated by the majority. Too many people expect the happy songs in corporate worship - some even coming to church for an escape / pump up experience before returning to the pain of the real world.) I think this can be dealt with by crafting a set list that incorporates a range of emotions, but even better are the songs that can do that within themselves.
I think the success of songs like "Desert Song" or "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" is that they do reflect the broad range of emotions in the Christian life. Everyone in the congregation can connect to some part of the song (to me, this is preferable to everyone being able to connect to one song out of the whole set). Not only that, but each individual brings a varied context of worship experiences to each new moment of worship through the song. Personally, I've sung 10,000 Reasons minutes after saying goodbye to a loved one going off life support and at very happy moments in my life. That range of experience adds a depth as I reconnect with God in a new moment - no matter where my emotions currently are, I remember how He has been faithful in the highs and lows. The Psalms are filled with laments, but almost all of them, no matter how angry or hurt or vengeful they may be, end with a declaration of God's faithfulness and goodness.
Good thoughts! I'm glad you're thinking about these things, and I'm looking forward to seeing the solutions you'll create.