Sunday, December 20, 2015

Riven Christmas.

Remember Myst? The Cyan game with Riven and Exile sequels where worlds were created by writing them into existence into special books? Where, in Exile, the villain Gehn was incapable of writing creatively, of understanding how the elements of the worlds interrelated, but still wanted to create worlds - and so, stole fragments and phrases from Atrus the hero's books to create inoperable books and Frankensteinesque worlds of his own? I broke world 37 when I made the ocean warm. All the water is gone. Oops.

Today's wership songwriters cobble lines together like Gehn. 

These were the lyrics to a christmas-wership mashup song today:

Oh come all ye faithful
Bow before our Savior
Come let us adore 
the One Who came for us
Glory in the highest
Praise the name of Jesus
Our King has come

Oh come let us adore Him
For He alone is worthy
Our King has come
Our King has come


This really happened. Someone really lifted taglines from established carols and called the synthesis a song. Someone at the church where I was attending today thought that the synthesis was worth presenting as wership. 

And, someone in the 8th row back, just off center stage, found it laughable, then sad, and finally, an indictment on the substandard state of contemporary christian philosophy.
He can't answer for everyone, but he knows he can do better. And will. And is. Time to write a world of worship inhabitable by God.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I do remember Myst. Loved that game. My brother-in-law and I played it tag-team style until we finished.
I know exactly what you mean about the lyrics to songs. I think that we often do that in our lives as well - we create something that sounds good, or something that feels good, and call it worship.
You stated that it is "time to write a world of worship inhabitable by God." You have reminded me that the Holy Spirit inhabits my soul, and made me ask the questions:
"Is this a place that God wants to live?"
"Am I simply throwing some things together that make ME feel good and calling it worship?"
"How can I affect others to recognize that the creator of the universe loves all of us and wants a relationship with us?"

hedge said...

And I'm learning that what is said is powerful, so I want declarative lyrics that affirm/reaffirm what is most true, what I want to speak into being, what I want to pray as I sing. No room for nonsense lyrics or degraded theology.
And, as you're pointing out, seeing to it that worship gets beyond songs.