The Lodestar

Music and poetry have always been a part of the human experience. Songs have been present in worship since the beginning of the church. While modern technology and social media have enabled Christian worship songs to reach a global audience, it is essential to note that many contemporary compositions fail to capture the full range of human emotions and experiences.

The Bible is full of a wide variety of songs and poetry. However, the Book of Psalms is a canonical collection of Hebrew songs that encapsulates all the different types of pieces found in the Bible. The Book of Psalms is the best model for contemporary Christian songwriters to rethink and compose compelling worship songs covering all life seasons. From celebration to tragedy, dancing to mourning, and joy to lament, the Psalms offer a wide range of emotions and experiences that can be reflected in worship songs.

The Book of Psalms contains many vital characteristics sadly absent from contemporary Christian music.

First, it lacks contemplation of the past. Many psalms remember God’s past saving acts, even in ancestors’ lives. These psalms pass down the memory of God's faithfulness and incite worshippers to be grateful to God and continue to trust in God. They also encourage worshippers to bear testimony of God’s faithfulness from generation to generation.

Second, contemporary Christian music fails to accept the brokenness, but over a third of the Psalms are laments. These psalms bring before God the brokenness in communal relationships, such as the suffering of the righteous at the hands of the wicked, the experience of life tragedies, and other forms of injustice. They implore God to notice these broken realities and heal them.

Third, while the Psalms accept the paradoxes of human life, modern Christian music fails to do so. Psalms acknowledges that human life is vulnerable and prone to uncertainties rather than having an overly optimistic worldview. These psalms lead worshipers to trust in God rather than being self-sufficient.

Fourth, modern Christian music fails to celebrate human life as God’s gift as the Psalmists do. Modern worshippers gratefully celebrate the benefits they enjoy, such as health, food, shelter, and relationships.

Fifth is the lack of teaching in modern worship songs. But many psalms encourage the community to repent, trust, or faithfully follow the ways of the Lord. Others teach practical life lessons. These psalms help the community to pass down their faith, theology, and praxis from generation to generation.

Sixth is the limited social dimension in today’s Christian worship music. But the Psalms embrace all spheres of social life, acknowledging the presence of the poor, oppressed, broken-hearted, vulnerable, and excluded. They also incorporate the creation and its richness.

Finally, the blurring of the lines between the individual and the community. While contemporary music is more individualistic, the individual worshiper and the worshipping community are not two distinct entities in the Psalms. The individual shares in the community’s celebrations and tragedies, and the community shares in the individual’s experiences.

Christian songwriters can use the Book of Psalms as a resource to create worship songs that are transformational and relevant to all. They can craft songs that connect people with God and their community by infusing its characteristics. It is not a mere adaptation of the same lyrics but a revival of its essence that enhances individual worship and strengthens the community.

Author: Naveen Alapati hails from Gangavathi, Karnataka, and is currently studying at India Bible College and Seminary. He has a passion for teaching and writing. He has also published some books, including Encountering the Beast and the Lamb: An Introduction to the Book of Revelation from an Indian Perspective (2022).