http://julieclawson.com/2008/10/05/singing-theology/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:52:33 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://julieclawson.com/2008/10/05/singing-theology/comment-page-1/#comment-3393 Weekly Meanderings « The Way of a Pilgrim Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:09:43 +0000 http://julieclawson.com/2008/10/05/singing-theology/#comment-3393 [...] 2. …and John Frye shares his thoughts on Scot McKnight’s “Blue Parakeet”. 3. Singing theology. 4. Commentary on teen abortion rates falling. 5. Faith based dieting (read the comments for some [...] [...] 2. …and John Frye shares his thoughts on Scot McKnight’s “Blue Parakeet”. 3. Singing theology. 4. Commentary on teen abortion rates falling. 5. Faith based dieting (read the comments for some [...]

]]> http://julieclawson.com/2008/10/05/singing-theology/comment-page-1/#comment-3381 journeyingrick Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:17:54 +0000 http://julieclawson.com/2008/10/05/singing-theology/#comment-3381 hey julie i'm for any song that helps a baby be happy. okay, maybe not death metal. (maybe i'm thinking that because my 20 year old son has embraced death metal as his favorite music right now. i am now officially old.) but i'm with you - i can't say "i will sing of your love forever" to god - not because it's not a nice song, but because it's not true, even on my best days. so i struggle with that. i'm lucky because at journey we on purpose don't sing a praise song or hymn if its theology isn't consistent with what we feel is true. but hell that's hard. i don't think i like every word in any hymn ... but i don't mind singing every beatles or u2 song, and a lot of the time, i have no idea what they're even talking about. hey julie
i’m for any song that helps a baby be happy. okay, maybe not death metal. (maybe i’m thinking that because my 20 year old son has embraced death metal as his favorite music right now. i am now officially old.)
but i’m with you – i can’t say “i will sing of your love forever” to god – not because it’s not a nice song, but because it’s not true, even on my best days. so i struggle with that. i’m lucky because at journey we on purpose don’t sing a praise song or hymn if its theology isn’t consistent with what we feel is true. but hell that’s hard. i don’t think i like every word in any hymn … but i don’t mind singing every beatles or u2 song, and a lot of the time, i have no idea what they’re even talking about.

]]> http://julieclawson.com/2008/10/05/singing-theology/comment-page-1/#comment-3373 Maria Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:02:13 +0000 http://julieclawson.com/2008/10/05/singing-theology/#comment-3373 Julie, I, too, find myself not singing a lot of lines (and sometimes whole songs) because of the theology being put forth. I've never heard the "don't lie" lecture, so there's a part of me that can try to live into the sentiments that I don't quite have the faith for at the moment. But I appreciate your point about the song's story -- certainly the context makes "I'll fly away" something I could sing. My five-year-old's favorite goodnight song is "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," which has similar eschatology and background, and I really will feel better singing it after reading your post. But with so many contemporary songs, there isn't a story -- not even much of a connection with the biblical story. It's all "I feel good when I worship" or "Please come make me feel good" with the occasional "You're awesome because you make me feel good." Appropriate for soothing a fussy baby, perhaps, but I kind of choke on it Sunday mornings. Julie,
I, too, find myself not singing a lot of lines (and sometimes whole songs) because of the theology being put forth. I’ve never heard the “don’t lie” lecture, so there’s a part of me that can try to live into the sentiments that I don’t quite have the faith for at the moment. But I appreciate your point about the song’s story — certainly the context makes “I’ll fly away” something I could sing. My five-year-old’s favorite goodnight song is “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” which has similar eschatology and background, and I really will feel better singing it after reading your post. But with so many contemporary songs, there isn’t a story — not even much of a connection with the biblical story. It’s all “I feel good when I worship” or “Please come make me feel good” with the occasional “You’re awesome because you make me feel good.” Appropriate for soothing a fussy baby, perhaps, but I kind of choke on it Sunday mornings.

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