The next question is, "well, how do you go about picking good songs, and what is a good song anyway?"
A good friend of mine took some time to put together a sound criteria for what makes a good song for worship. The first thing to think about when looking at a song is that songs for worship need to be functional art. when I pick out a couch or a chair, I want it to be completely useful and be able to fulfill the purpose of me sitting on it every day, but it also needs to have some aesthetic value. I want it to look nice. I could just use a log to sit on that I pulled out of a forest, and in a way that might have its own artistic value, but it does not serve the intended purpose. The same goes with songs for worship. They need to be functional/culturally relevant/situationally applicable as well as aesthetically valuable and relevant to the body that it is serving. They have a dual purpose - education and edification. And yes... we could talk long hours and go way more in depth with this...but maybe later. .
So, with all of that said.. here is the list - now this list isn't set in stone, nor are they rigid rules. Rather they are points to seriously take in to account when looking at using a new song or reviewing a song that you already use. None of these points are end-alls for a song, but if you find your self wondering "mmm...well..." all to often after reviewing a song be confident in following the axiom: "when in doubt, throw it out."
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3 comments:
I agree, and that list is great.
Some things i have noticed and would add are:
-Does the song have a real message and not just Christian catch phrases?
-Does it enhance the message of the service, or retract from it?
-Does it bring a new tone or sound? Or sound like the same old song you have heard 100 times?
God's people are so diverse, so should be his praises!
good stuff
Why did I not know you have a cool blog? Well, now I know. :)
Miss you, cousin of mine!
Archie, I love your point on the use of Christian catch phrases. I am using this list as an outline for my class project and most of the songs I have gone through are very shallow buzz words and phrases. I am shocked by the weak content of these songs.
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