For example: Things we don’t really mean.
“I surrender all!” (Really? – Everything? – You have money to buy a new car, and you tithe how much?)
“Draw me close to you.” (You’re interested in having a near death experience? I think you’re actually hoping I will do the “moving” closer.)
“I’m desperate for you. “ (That’s funny… you’ve been acting pretty self-reliant all week long.)
Things that contradict themselves.
“O to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be. Let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wondering heart to thee. “ (But grace is NEITHER about being a debtor NOR being bound.)
I don’t mean to be harsh to any song, or songwriter, but I think it’s appropriate to laugh at our own weirdness. What do you think? What are some of the silly things you have heard yourself say to God in worship? Or do you disagree that we (and you) are wierd?
Rooting for you,
Andrew
Tony Campolo once did a talk where he changed that first song to “10% to Jesus I surrender, 10% to him I freely give. . .I surrender 10%, I surrender 10%. . .”
Another one that got me was “though my world may fall I’ll never let you go.” Because, unfortunately, I let go of God more than I care to admit. It’s God who never lets go of us, not the other way around.
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05.27.09 at 11:44 am
when my children were young they would make some astounding statements… i never derided nor scoffed at them. instead, i’d help them work to accomplish their hopes or help them work through the disapointment when their words and reality didn’t quite or even come close to matching up. if i, being evil, could have such intentions and actions, how much more our Father in heaven. i wonder if the Lord doesn’t look into the heart of the pray-er and honor her heart intention over her “abibility” to fully live out the words. certainly there are those who sing songs with less than pure hearts/motives, but many sing/pray them honestly knowing the words are bigger than they are nevertheless sing/pray the words as prayers for grace to live more fully toward the Lord and her neighbors and enemies.
besides, have you read the Psalms lately? there are some pretty far fetched things said and plenty of contradictory statements made throughout – claims of perfect obedience in some and confessions of being conceived in sin in others… which is it? and is there anyone who can ascend the mountain of God?
i’ll set my cynicism aside and with open eyes receive the gifts of the poets and artists for what they are, gifts given to the body of Christ and sing/pray the prayers/songs of consecration as part of the spiritual exercise of worship.
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05.27.09 at 9:26 pm
what about “Our God, the three in one, Father, Spirit, Son, the Lion and the Lamb”?
Doesn’t that make five? The Holy Quinity?
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05.29.09 at 12:56 pm
Dan W: I always associated “though my world may fall I’ll never let you go” with Job’s statement: “Though he slay me, yetl I will trust in him.” True enough, it’s an ambitious statement to make, yet a good resolve to voice.
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06.01.09 at 12:04 pm