Abstract Worship Songs: Enough Already

One reason people love classic and modern hymns is that many of them feature sound theology and clear expressions of praise (who is to be praised and why he is to be praised, along with specific injunctions to praise him). Kristen and I attempted to do this with our modern hymn My Song In The Night, which you can download for free in the column on your right (we won’t give out your email address or spam your inbox). Last week I wrote this, in an article about how abstract language robs personal testimonies of their power.:

Abstractions run amuck in bad writing and bland public speaking. Abstractions are weak-kneed, slack-jawed pansies that infest second-rate poetry (as demonstrated here), songs, sermons, stories and personal testimonies – even stories of redemption, healing and salvation.

But what about the praise and worship songs we sing on Sunday?

In the early days of our church, Sojourn Community, the late Chip Stam paid Sojourn a visit. Chip was a professor of church music and worship at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the founding director of the Institute For Christian Worship.  Keep Reading >>>