Does It Matter What We Sing in Church?

The question posed in the subject of this post is quite possibly one of the most important questions for the church in this generation.  The war over musical style and preference has waged on for centuries.  During the Reformation, Martin Luther made a point to write hymns and engage the congregation in the act of singing songs.  Up to that point singing in church was only done by the professionals in a language that the common person could not understand.  Battles waged over the types of instruments that were "holy" enough to use in a church setting.  Some argued that anything other than voices was a fleshly tool of the devil, while others saw the significance and benefit to adding music to the words they sang.

So, here we are today.  Still singing, and in many cases, still arguing over the semantics and application of our music and song selections in our church services.  But what is often forgotten in this argument is the most crucial part of worship, namely God.

It has been said that worship is like a mirror, unto which God looks to see himself.  So, obviously the question that the church must ask then is, how much of Himself does God see in our worship?

Our understanding of God influences our worship, and our worship practices are a reflection of who we believe God is.

Our worship should encompass both:

1.  The acts of God (i.e. Salvation, Redemption)

2.  The attributes of God (i.e. His holiness, His sovereignty, His Glory)

God is to be both the object and subject of our worship.  Are we honoring him in our approach?

1.  By our heart and attitude in worship

2.  By our song selections (Biblical Lyrics and God honoring music)

Does it matter what we sing in Church?  In short....yes...it matters because our worship needs to be a biblical reflection of God.

Here is a sad example of a church who has chosen a pragmatic approach to a song they sang in church.  This church band (for the sake of being relevant) sang AC/DC's Highway to Hell!  Not just the music w/ rewritten & clever Christian words.  They sang the whole thing start to finish.  Now, tell me, how is God honored in this?

Jason