Two months and nothing...Sorry. The holidays, finals, and travels have made my time pretty tight. I'm just finishing my three holiday break before I travel back to school. To tell you the truth, I am more concerned about leaving my wife and puppies this time. I just forgot how much I loved my best friend. Anyway enough about all this sappy stuff. Another reason why I haven't blogged for a while is that I've had a hard time not repeating myself. An issue that is often overlooked deals with the intent of worship. I've written about the importance of worship in my life but this is a little deeper.
I grew up in a traditional church. (Nothing against them, it just didn't work for me) I remember looking in the back of the hymnal. I've always been a bit of an organizational nerd, I'm into indexes, glossaries, etc. In the back of this hymnal was a index of songs according to their worship type. Are all songs meant to be used in the same fashion? It's an idea that has been drifted away from with churches but it is important to understand. Worship tunes shouldn't just be looked at as fast or slow but at the heart of what they emphasize. One of the favorites at The Journey is Forever by Chris Tomlin. the song focuses on God's continual goodness and strength. It isn't difficult but it is powerful!
What's the purpose of the song? Is it to sound good or to have a great beat? In my mind Forever has two purposes. It describes some of God's attributes while encouraging people to remember that God is forever faithful, strong, and with us. For me there's a difference when I worship with different songs. When I understand the purpose behind a song it allows me to strengthen my communication with God. It might sound funny but by understanding the songwriter's intentions I understand the words and emotions of particular songs I have a stronger worship experience. Think of it as understanding lives being lost for protecting freedoms while reciting the pledge of allegiance. Or the love that comes from someone truly speaking the words "I love you."
I probably didn't develop this thought fully or rationally but it gives me another concept to remember as I continue to worship with all my mind, heart, and strength.
What's the purpose of the song? Is it to sound good or to have a great beat? In my mind Forever has two purposes. It describes some of God's attributes while encouraging people to remember that God is forever faithful, strong, and with us. For me there's a difference when I worship with different songs. When I understand the purpose behind a song it allows me to strengthen my communication with God. It might sound funny but by understanding the songwriter's intentions I understand the words and emotions of particular songs I have a stronger worship experience. Think of it as understanding lives being lost for protecting freedoms while reciting the pledge of allegiance. Or the love that comes from someone truly speaking the words "I love you."
I probably didn't develop this thought fully or rationally but it gives me another concept to remember as I continue to worship with all my mind, heart, and strength.
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