Not all churches have good liturgies. Just ask the sixteenth-century Reformers. Prior to their work, worship services had become a type of spectator’s sport whereby congregants merely observed and measured the success of the service by the quality of the music, choir, and aesthetic artistic expression brought about by creatives.
The Reformers, on the other hand, crafted liturgies soaked in Scripture under the conviction that the Spirit of God applies the Word of God to the people of God as a balm to heal the wounded, comfort the poor, strengthen the weak, soften the hardened, and change the cold-hearted to beat with warm affection for Christ. The Reformers were convinced that the Word of God would bring about proper worship of God. As a result, Scripture-soaked congregations were transformed, made confident in Christ and courageous in good works.
Today, we still need leaders who minister with songs soaked in Scripture—psalms, hymns. And, yes, more psalms.
Why? Because God’s people still maintain a fountain of pollution deep within their nature. We daily struggle against sin, battle against the world, succumb to pride, chase after vain things, pursue folly, and our faith is assailed and weakened by the schemes of the devil.
We need songs saturated in Scripture to show us the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the exceeding riches of mercy, the heavenly session of Christ, the sure defeat of our enemies, the exceeding wonder of grace whereby the Father pardons the guilty, the Son redeems the sinner, the Spirit applies the guaranteed seal of salvation, and our faith gets the victory because Christ is both the author and finisher of it.
We need the word of Christ to dwell richly in the hearts of the congregation so that they can teach and admonish one another as they sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another in the worship service (Colossians 3:16).
Unfortunately, too many music leaders base the selection of a set list or a particular song on lesser standards. “This week’s planning was hard,” said one leader, “because now that the electric guitarist called off, I can’t do two songs.”
Listen, if the song doesn’t work because of the instrumentation, the issue is likely with the lyrics. Songs ought to be clear, singable, congregational, theologically precise and not awkward.
Not awkward? Yes, let me explain: You see, my pastor instilled a principle in me early on. He taught me to measure the quality of the song based on its theological truths by reading the lyrics in the same manner and tone as in reading a letter, book, or poem. He instructed me that if the lyrics are vague or if the endless repetitious nature of the chorus sounds silly when I read it aloud (awkward), adding drums, keyboard effects or a guitar solo does not change anything regarding the quality of the lyrics. If reading the lyrics aloud without instruments feels awkward or theologically thin, that is often a sign that the song’s strength lies more in its musical instrumentation than in its actual content.
I applied this principle years ago, switched to Psalms and hymns, and the church is better for it.
God’s worshippers need more than shallow lyrics veiled behind awesome instrumentation with an amazing bridge and tag. The gathering is full of people who have sinned against God, forgotten His benefits, neglected pure devotion to Him, starved their faith, heeded to fleshly calls, followed error, rebelled against truth, and have been assaulted by Satan’s condemnation, the world’s condemnation, and self-condemnation.
We need songs that help tune our blundering hearts to our beautiful God with lyrics that help us to sing to one another with truths that: highlight God’s eternal goodness, acknowledge and confess our deep sin and depraved rebellion; direct our gaze to Christ’s humility in our stead; marvel at Jesus’ triumph at the cross; wonder at the Son of God’s defeat of sin, Satan, and his wicked schemes; invite us to comfort in the Spirit; to hold fast to our assurances in Christ; stand amazed of this amazing grace; behold the incomparable mercy shown us; so that we might sing the excellencies of him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, whose glory and dominion are his forevermore, and our hope ever sure.
Dear friend, sing songs soaked in Scripture. Your liturgy will be better, the church more confident, and God will be glorified by it.
This is great.