Justin Chan is a Programme Executive at Methodist School of Music, Worship & Church Music Department. As a reformed rock musician, he believes hymns and heavy metal can co-exist for the glory of God. / Photo courtesy of Justin Chan
Worship
Are worship songs of the youth
I
too emo?
received Christ when I was 13 years old,
In particular, I commend the theocentricity of
and so my faith was in its infancy during
the lyrics, which is a breath of fresh air from
the tumultuous teenage years. Back then,
the anthropocentric “I-me” in some songs.
doctrinal accuracy of the songs I sang wasn’t
A line in the chorus—“It’s Your breath in our
as important as how the songs made me feel
lungs”—strongly resonates what Romans 11:36
connected to God.
(NIV) says, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.
This is not to downplay the role of doctrine in
Amen.” What a thought, that God even gives
song. Indeed, music and lyrics have been used
us breath to praise, hearts to engage, and
for didactic purposes throughout history, and
hands to raise for his glory! Songs like this
even secularists concede, “let me make the
help lift our youth’s eyes from their focus on
songs of a nation, and I care not who makes
personal problems to see the hope in Jesus,
its laws.” However, it would be foolish of
the true I AM.
[1]
those of us in church leadership to dismiss the emotional power of music and its role in the
So, the next time you hear the youth lead
life of a young believer.
a song with the bridge repeated for the umpteenth time, don’t dismiss them as being
We may be quick to dismiss the songs our
unnecessarily emotional. The song might be
youth enjoy just because we feel the lyrics are
helping them have a personal encounter with
“not deep enough”. However, songs are not
their Saviour.
lectures, and neither are lectures meant to be songs. Each has their place in ministry. I can still vividly remember those midnight worship sessions as a teen, armed with just an acoustic guitar, pouring my whole heart into worship, and feeling the Father’s smile with each and every song I (badly) played. Those songs I sang wouldn’t have won prizes at seminaries for their doctrinal content, but they certainly helped me transform my chaotic teenage angst into tempered devotion. Justin at 16 years of age
One such song is “Great Are You Lord” by All Sons & Daughters. Although the lyrics are relatively few compared to many other worship songs, they are permeated with the truth and hope of God’s word. Its simple vocabulary and accessible musical range make the song easy to pick up even for those less musically inclined.
[1]
Andrew Fletcher, 1653–1716, Scottish writer, politician and patriot, Commissioner of the old Parliament of Scotland, quoted in Donald J. Grout, A History of Western Music, 1973.
July 2022 Methodist Message 35
