Biblical Illiteracy and Worship
I've heard it for years now: The old hymns have so much more theology and scripture in them. The new songs have no depth.
And the complaints go on.
So, today I read in the Baptist Standard: "The widely observed decline in biblical literacy among American Christians has paralleled a growing interest in developing new and enriched ways of worshipping. 'How can these two event--biblical illiteracy and a great passion for worship--be happening at the same time?' asked [Christopher] Teichler who teaches at an evangelical university in the Chicago area and blogs on music issues."
Great question. I have never thought of it in these terms--a relationship between worship and biblical illiteracy. In my Bible learning days, most of what I really learned about scripture was done on Sunday nights and in Sunday school. The worship event itself was more about music and experience. I have to admit that I remember very few things from the mouth of Dr. Criswell (could this be God's protection?). However, I remember many things from Sunday School teachers, discipleship leaders, and peer group discussions. Truly, all of the foundations set in my youth finally found realization in college classes and bible study. So for me, I find it difficult to be critical of modern worship in terms of biblical illiteracy.
Then, the article drops the bombshell: "If biblical literacy is so low at this point in Western history, then the God of the Bible is not the god being worshipped but rather a shallow and incomplete version of him."
OUCH!!!
I don't think it has much to do with worship style as much as it has to do with the overall culture that permeates our society. If we are not worshipping God, but a god who is shallow and incomplete, then it permeates all of our church culture and program and relationships, not just worship. Don't blame the upbeat, simple music of the day. Blame the upbeat, simple discipleship that our marketers tell us we need in order to grow churches. And blame ourselves for buying into a simple, easy Gospel. Now, I don't think we need to weigh people down with burdens we ourselves don't intend to carry. However, don't we all need to bear the cross? I do not want to be ashamed of the Gospel, but we all need to address what is at the heart of our Gospel. If we argue that we only need to carry part of the cross, or none of it, in order to follow Christ, then don't blame the music. We obviously need to read the Bible more and be obedient to it, regardless of the songs we sing.
Bottom line: if our music is shallow, it is a reflection of deeper problem--our discipleship is shallow.
And the complaints go on.
So, today I read in the Baptist Standard: "The widely observed decline in biblical literacy among American Christians has paralleled a growing interest in developing new and enriched ways of worshipping. 'How can these two event--biblical illiteracy and a great passion for worship--be happening at the same time?' asked [Christopher] Teichler who teaches at an evangelical university in the Chicago area and blogs on music issues."
Great question. I have never thought of it in these terms--a relationship between worship and biblical illiteracy. In my Bible learning days, most of what I really learned about scripture was done on Sunday nights and in Sunday school. The worship event itself was more about music and experience. I have to admit that I remember very few things from the mouth of Dr. Criswell (could this be God's protection?). However, I remember many things from Sunday School teachers, discipleship leaders, and peer group discussions. Truly, all of the foundations set in my youth finally found realization in college classes and bible study. So for me, I find it difficult to be critical of modern worship in terms of biblical illiteracy.
Then, the article drops the bombshell: "If biblical literacy is so low at this point in Western history, then the God of the Bible is not the god being worshipped but rather a shallow and incomplete version of him."
OUCH!!!
I don't think it has much to do with worship style as much as it has to do with the overall culture that permeates our society. If we are not worshipping God, but a god who is shallow and incomplete, then it permeates all of our church culture and program and relationships, not just worship. Don't blame the upbeat, simple music of the day. Blame the upbeat, simple discipleship that our marketers tell us we need in order to grow churches. And blame ourselves for buying into a simple, easy Gospel. Now, I don't think we need to weigh people down with burdens we ourselves don't intend to carry. However, don't we all need to bear the cross? I do not want to be ashamed of the Gospel, but we all need to address what is at the heart of our Gospel. If we argue that we only need to carry part of the cross, or none of it, in order to follow Christ, then don't blame the music. We obviously need to read the Bible more and be obedient to it, regardless of the songs we sing.
Bottom line: if our music is shallow, it is a reflection of deeper problem--our discipleship is shallow.
Labels: biblical literacy, discipleship, worship
posted by Randy Rogers at
11:31 AM
1 Comments:
It was interesting to note in that article that the source of the problem of biblical illiteracy was attributed to a time in the post WWII era when many people began to attend church who previously had not. It makes me rethink something a former deacon of ours, who has since moved south of the plains, said about new converts and their need for descipleship before they were set loose to evangelize the world of sinners. Oftentimes excitement(emotional heightening) is not enthusiasm(enfilling of God), and thus is misleading to the yearning and easily persuaded members of the mission field. This leads to a confounding of the intent of God, or at least his missionary. It might also hamstring the newby and discourage them from further efforts at Glorification of God. And so worship becomes futile, frustrated, or at best confused.
So we must read our scriptures prayerfully and share those unveilings, with which we are thereby blessed, in the company of others to whom we know we are united by Christian Love and those of God's Spirit lead circumstance.
Surely then worship will be spontaneous whether traditional or modern and thus encouraging and refreshing to all of the United Love of Christ.
RobeFRe
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