Contemporary Christian Praise and Worship Music

"My Lord, I should be sorry if I only entertain them. I wish to make them better." - Handel

"Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world." - Martin Luther

"A good hymn book is a wonderful companion to the Bible." - Francis Schaeffer


Many traditional hymns of the Church speak of our sin and God's wrath. They also praise God's character and attributes. They bring conviction and repentence as they invoke a sense of awe and wonder at God's majesty, excellency and beauty. Many of these hymns follow a practical systematic theology of Guilt, Grace and Gratitude. Traditional hymns, like those of Martin Luther, Augustus Toplady, John Newton and William Cowper, are rich in theological content and reverence to the awesome power and wonder of God. Yet the "ole ones" seemingly aren't much in vogue these days. Much contemporary Christian music appeals to sensual experience at the expense of also loving God with our minds. Praise and worship music laden with saccharine sentimentality is a serious reflection of theological anemia among our assemblies. Michael Horton has characterized some of this as "Jesus, my boy friend music". Subjective, inane experience comes often at the expense of rightly dividing the Word. Yet as disheartening as this is, there are some modern Christian songs that appeal to contemporary musical tastes, carry sound doctrinal messages and are truly God-centered worship and praise. Jonathan Edwards, who knew God's reality with his head and passionately felt God's reality in the love of his heart, is right when he says, "God glorifies Himself toward the creatures also in two ways: 1. By appearing to . . . their understanding. 2. In communicating Himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying, the manifestations which He makes of Himself. . . God is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart." Christian music, therefore, should be an expression of what John Piper calls thinking truly and feeling duly. Such music I believe can be found in the work of such contemporary writer/performers as Reformed troubadour Steve Camp, balladeer Don Francisco, evangelicals Michael Card and Dennis Jernigan, and British charismatic Graham Kendrick. This Page seeks to explore lyrics of the music of yesteryear and today that convey Scriptural integrity, sound doctrine and true worship and praise.


WHERE'S THE THEOLOGY?


Note the richness and depth of theology contained in the traditional hymn penned over two hundred years ago and the new song based on Jonathan Edwards' classic sermon in contrast with the lyrics from the contemporary praise and worship scene.

TWO MODERN HYMNS:

"Hold me Lord, in Your arms. Hold me Lord, in Your arms. Fill me Lord, with Your Spirit. Fill me Lord, with Your Spirit. Touch my heart, with Your love. Touch my heart, with Your love."

"Lord, I love You, You alone did hear my cry. Only You can mend this broken heart of mine. Yes, I love You, and there is no doubt, Lord, You've touched me from the inside out."

from Worship Songs of The Vineyard, Volume 1


A TRADITIONAL HYMN:

Not the labors of my hands Can fulfill thy law's demands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears for ever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling; Naked, come to thee for dress, Helpless, look to thee for grace; Foul, I to the Fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die. Let the water and the blood, From thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me from its guilt and power, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee.
- Augustus Toplady, Rock of Ages 1776


A NEW TRADITIONAL HYMN:

God looks at your heart, that dark and weary place
The times you've mocked His mercy and trampled on His grace
So should you be surprised or should you find it odd
To see yourselves as sinners in the hands of an angry God

You've built a rotten bridge of man-made righteousness
Suspended over flames of hell, an endless second death
You think that you are safe, the truth is you are not
Now you face your doom as sinners in the hands of an angry God.
- Steve Camp, In the Hands of God, 1994
(courtesy of Jonathan Edwards, 1734)


  • Worship and Christian Music by Michael Horton

  • The Steve Camp Page

  • The Michael Card Page

  • The Graham Kendrick Page

  • The Dennis Jernigan page

  • Singing and Making Melody to the Lord by John Piper

  • What is Christian Music? by Terry Ewell

  • Calvin on Music in the Public Worship of the Church

  • Martin Luther's Church Music

  • Martin Luther's Hymns

  • Contemporary and Traditional Worship by Michael Horton

  • Music and the Christian by Jerry Solomon

  • Worship by Jerry Solomon

  • Reformed Worship


    • Truly one of the great hymn writers of the Church was William Cowper, a close friend of John Newton. Cowper (pronounced Cooper) suffered from deep depression almost his entire life and tried to commit suicide three times. Yet God raised him up to minister to those in their darkness and despair. The following I consider one of the greatest modern statements about God's sovereignty over all life and what an encouragement and joy it is.

    GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY
    (originally Conflict: Light Shining Out of Darkness )

    God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm.

    You fearful saints, fresh courage take: The clouds you so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head.

    Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace; behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

    Deep in unfathomable mind of never failing skill He treasures up His bright design and works His sovereign will.

    Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, and He will make it plain.

    - WILLIAM COWPER


    "How Firm A Foundation" is an English hymn that first appeared in Dr. John Rippon's "A Selection of Hymns" in 1787. It was sung at the funerals of American presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, and American Civil War general Robert E. Lee. It is a sermon in a song. The Bible is the foundation of our faith from which emanates the Lord's promises to His children, "I will be with you, I will comfort you, I will sustain you in fiery trials, and I will never leave you or forsake you." In these words Jesus calls believers to put into practice what they have heard. Using the story of two builders (Matt. 7:24-27), Jesus encourages us to lay firm foundations by:

  • believing who He says He is;
  • doing what He commands us to do; and
  • standing amidst the challenges of the present age coram Deo

    • "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?"

    "Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid; I'll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand."

    "When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress."

    "When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."

    "The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake."

    "Even down to old age all my people shall prove My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne."

    "In every condition, in sickness, in health; In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth; At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, As thy days may demand, shall thy strength every be."