Comments on JASON BOYETT: O Me of Little Faith: Five Confessions: Annoyed by "Worship"

It's strangely comforting to me that so many other...

2010-04-16T15:22:15.943-05:00

It's strangely comforting to me that so many other people have trouble getting into contemporary praise-ceremony thingies. I really don't know what to do when the lyrics grate on me or when an arm-waving peer whacks me in the head in her fervor [apparently having not watched the video you posted!]. It usually makes me wonder if I am a lousy Christian when rather than feeling more

Yes, Jason you should definitely stick to playing ...

2010-04-14T13:33:45.387-05:00

Yes, Jason you should definitely stick to playing the drums during worship. "I can only imagine" what else you'd be nitpicking if all your limbs weren't busy keeping rhythm. Matter of fact I think you could use a few more symbols, a cowbell, some roto toms and maybe a set of chimes!

The very essence of musical performance is foolishness, secular or spiritual, doesn&

If what we call "worship" is really worship, then ...

2010-03-31T10:52:35.400-05:00

If what we call "worship" is really worship, then why does it have to be so dumb?

I know I am WAY late to the party, but wow, do I resonate with what you say! A blogosphere friend and I have been saying similar things (and blasting songs we particularly hate) at our two blogs as well; my site and was referred to this post by @JanetOber.

I definitely agree with everything you've said here particularly about the language - I can't get into what the songs are saying because they aren&

So this is super late but I just wanted to push ba...

2009-12-06T03:42:12.922-06:00

So this is super late but I just wanted to push back a little. A lot of the comments here (not necessarily the original post) seem to focus on what I get out of communal worship. I refer to it as "communal" worship for a reason. It's not about you. It's about God first, and your community second. I can't remember exactly who said this (it was one of those

Jason - I found your post about this AFTER I wrot...

2009-12-03T14:51:59.632-06:00

Jason -

I found your post about this AFTER I wrote my blog today. I promise.

I'm sincerely seeking ways to lead the little church I attend to do things that glorify God during the service. I like public reading of the Scripture - a lost art, in my opinion, I like times of silent prayer, and I like responsive reading. But I'm a Baptist, so I guess I'm screwed

The church really needs to be careful with some of...

2009-11-30T09:59:13.997-06:00

The church really needs to be careful with some of these things. Regarding point #5, I've actually heard people assert that if someone isn't raising their hands or dancing around, then they aren't really worshipping...or at least not worshipping as much as dancing daniel or hand-raising helen.

I'm annoyed by people who want to correct and disc...

2009-11-10T18:38:40.120-06:00

I'm annoyed by people who want to correct and discourage us from truely worshiping God. I recognise that it is important to ask the "hard" questions and discuss why we do what we do, but there comes a point where we need to allow God to answer these questions under the guidance of His Holy Spirit. Next time you enter a "worship" time I encourage (challenge) all of you to

Good post and very interesting discussion! I have...

2009-11-10T18:22:31.465-06:00

Good post and very interesting discussion!

I have often felt the same way. I know "worship" isn't all about feeling, and sometimes just going through the motions when you don't feel like it is more of an act of worship than going with the flow when it's feeling good.

That said, I think the problem lies deeper. Maybe the lyrics are silly and repetitive

I love talking about worship, too. But what I HATE...

2009-11-10T10:10:59.679-06:00

I love talking about worship, too. But what I HATE is all the people who SIT in their pews/seats and WHINE about the HARD WORK that others put in, rather than STEP OUT IN FAITH to GET INVOLVED and OFFER their own CONSTRUCTIVE INPUT to make worship in their little church better. Unfortunately, it is far easier in our churches to sit and whine, rather than get up and do, and some people think that

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I also read s...

2009-11-10T02:33:28.153-06:00

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I also read some of your posts and I find it very helpful.

What if we would define worship the way the Luther...

2009-11-08T23:58:54.795-06:00

What if we would define worship the way the Luther and others did, as "Gottesdienst": i.e., "God's Service", i.e., God serving us through the speaking of His Word and the imparting of His grace through sacraments, and then we respond to it all by thanking, praising, serving, and obeying Him. What if worship were considered the "rhythm" of God giving to us, and

Well . . . . I posted a comment the day this blog ...

2009-11-06T14:26:19.055-06:00

Well . . . . I posted a comment the day this blog came out but it mysteriously disappeared. So Jason, I'm just giving you a head's up -- if you ban me from your site, I'm gonna start a new 'twitter' kind of talk site and call it "Christian Twerps" and then start a financial blog and call it "Christians - Give Me Money", AND I'm gonna see what I can do

If I end up in an Anglican Church, or even an Orth...

2009-11-06T00:45:04.620-06:00

If I end up in an Anglican Church, or even an Orthodox church where the service is almost all chanting, it'll be because I cannot take the inane worship music in the Evangelical one.

Musically, it's been all the same thing for the past 10 years: Knockoff U2/Coldplay sounds where the cymbals and reverb guitar fill all of the space. Lyrically, so much of it sounds like we're

I was very much able to relate to your post. I of...

2009-11-05T14:19:19.669-06:00

I was very much able to relate to your post. I often don't agree with the lyrics or 'style' of word choice.

However, if you keep in mind that the man or woman who penned those words is the one who felt that way, it helps.

Often times during the Pre-Show Praise I hear what the song is saying and I spend a few moments wondering why the writer wrote what he or

I never thought I liked the old school hymnal wors...

2009-11-05T13:51:44.062-06:00

I never thought I liked the old school hymnal worship until after spending a couple of years in a contemporary upbeat-style church. The church we've been attending for the last 1.5 yr is 90% hymnal with an orchestra vs. a band. It took some getting used to, but the hymnal songs remind me of going to church with my sweet Nana as a child...guess that's why I like them now - they remind me

Hey. I have been reading Jason's Blog for a little...

2009-11-05T11:07:25.728-06:00

Hey.
I have been reading Jason's Blog for a little while but have never left a comment. This issue has been on my mind for a while now. I am a young Children's Pastor right out of Bible College and I am at the point where I am trying to teach my kids (those in my ministry) about true worship. When we learn a new song- I do my best to explain the words and meaning to them. It is

I agree that modern praise music can be a little r...

2009-11-05T00:22:03.961-06:00

I agree that modern praise music can be a little repetitive, but the old hymns?

The songs don’t depress me; it is the mass group of people singing with a mono tone voice. Get 2000 people together that have had a dose of Zoloft and sing Praise You Lord and tell me how this is supposed to move anyone into a place of intimate worship. In my mind, I would think God is saying, “Really?

Thank you for talking about this...it's so nice to...

2009-11-04T20:13:54.510-06:00

Thank you for talking about this...it's so nice to know there are other people out there who have some of the same difficulties I do...it's good that people are talking about this!

Yeah!!!!!! Finally!!!!! I love the old hymns. The...

2009-11-04T19:03:29.256-06:00

Yeah!!!!!!
Finally!!!!!

I love the old hymns. They have meaning — and they rhyme! Some of those P&W songs are so crude, I want to laugh. Like, did somebody actually pay them to write that?

Also, why do we have to STAND UP when we sing? I sing just fine sitting down, thank you. I'm not going to fall asleep. And when I want to do calisthenics, I go to the gym.

I agree with you in so many ways about this! AND ...

2009-11-04T18:58:59.732-06:00

I agree with you in so many ways about this! AND I need to say that "Open the eyes of my heart" is a direct scriptural reference from Ephesians 1:18. But there is a lot of empty rhetoric in MANY praise songs.

Thanks for this!