So it has been a pretty full on number of weeks since I last wrote to all you lovely people who read this blog.
But they have been a good few weeks too. Had our exams for last term (they went pretty well, thanks for asking). And then holidays last week.
Holidays were great! Got to see a lot of people, and just chill, which is fantastic. It was so cool to see the homeland with all its lovely green-ness. Thank God for New Zealand, and all you awesome people who live in it.
I've been thinking, just now, about worship songs that we sing in church and such. Having grown up in church, I just kind of sing any song that they are playing as a worship band, and that kind of worries me now. Since coming to Bible College, I guess I have become more aware of what we are singing in church and what it means to those who sing it.
One of our lecturers in term 1 was talking about the song "Indescribable". Now, one of the lyrics of this song is "Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go?" But if that is the case, then what about all those people killed and injured from being hit by lightning? Does God want people to be hit by lightning? I don't know, because sometimes, may be He allows it to happen, as He allows so many other bad things to happen in this world. But it does bring up a good point.
Another thing that I have been thinking about was a time I was in church and we were singing "Blessed be Your Name". As far as I can gather (and I have sung this song many times, and know all of the lyrics) this song is about praising God in the good times and the bad times. The pastor got up after singing this song, with an interpretation of the bridge which says:
"You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord blessed be Your Name"
and so it was interpreted that the way this works is that God will take away your sickness, and all those things that are going wrong in your life, and then He will give you healing, and all the good things in life.
Now, don't get me wrong, I do believe that God does that in life, and there are many examples of this through history and around the world. And the interpretation used for this church service may have been appropriate.
BUT, I do not think that this is what Matt Redman meant when he wrote this song.
The bridge I think should be interpreted in context with the rest of the song, which makes it mean that no matter what comes in life, the good and the bad, it doesn't matter, because I will bless the Name of the Lord, because that is the ultimate thing! That is a powerful theme to have for a song, and I believe it is right, and God loves it when we overcome the bad and rise over it in praise for our God who rides through it all with us.
Anyway, those are two thoughts/examples on worship songs in church. Now instead of just singing, I am trying to use my head with my worship and listen to and mean what I am singing to my God. It makes worship come alive, and helps especially for us younger generation who may find ourselves in a church singing hymns.
Why don't you try it one day soon?
