LCMtvS

I fully expected the videos from the Commission on Worship (CoW) to include a Contemporary version. I clicked on the first one and wasn’t too surprised. The song was vaguely familiar, and after a while I realized it was a rockified version of a hymn in Lutheran Service Book. The phrase “become the Lamb of God” stuck in my maw, as I commented below. The video images presented varied from boring to horrifying. One image of Jesus in particular could have come from a fever-nightmare.

So I expected the second video to be more ”traditional,” if you can call music videos traditional at all. I was flummoxed that it wasn’t. Not only was it contemporary, but it was more obnoxiously contemporary than the first. I didn’t notice the images in the video because I became increasingly distracted by the  loud and obnoxious guitar soloing in the back ground. And I used to own a Les Paul. And I think “Randy Rhodes Tribute” album by Ozzy is one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time. And I even tried to learn many of the songs and solos Rhodes played. It was that bad, friends.

I spent some time pondering this. My gut said it was garbage and must be taken out, to put it politely. But why? Why was I reacting so viscerally to it?

I tried to justify it. Before Gutenberg, there were no hymnals. Would I have thought those an abomination? Go back further and there were no organs used in church. Would I have thought those inappropriate once they were introduced? Less than fifty years ago churches started using PA equipment and microphones. If I had been there as those were introduced, would I have thought them inappropriate? What is wrong with using a projection screen to show lyrics and images while people sing? I enjoy the “smells and bells” of high church liturgy and explain it as involving the senses; what’s wrong with involving the sense of sight while singing a hymn?

I believe there are many criticisms one can make, but most fundamentally for me is that Church is not for watching TV.  It is that fundamental. Watching music videos and possibly singing along is not worship. I cannot change the fact that almost everywhere we go televisions are on and blaring at us. Restaurants, stores, the gym, chances are you will be watching TV. Not at church. That’s where I draw the line.

Marjorie had some good insights into this. She is active in Mothers Of Preschoolers (MOPS), attending the national conventions for the past several years. They have a worship time at all their conventions which involves a high-profile “worship leader” coming to sing songs and give testimony in between. A high-profile speaker gives the “message.” That’s worship. Marjorie noted that most of the worship leaders really are giving concerts. They have the spotlights on them, sing to the audience, tell stories about the songs in between and then sing some more.

My observation: people confuse worship with feeling. They see a great performer, hear great songs they can believe in and think it’s worshipping God.

American Idol indeed.

Possibly Related posts:

1. It’s Not About Singing and Music
2. Rant, Part II
3. Not Your Grandfather’s Church
4. Singing ‘This is My Body’
5. Hymns, Part II: The Advent Version