“Worship music is the logical conclusion of Christian adult contemporary music—not just unappealing but unbearable to anyone not already in the fold. Every song follows the same parameters. It opens gently, with tinkling arpeggios or synthesized harp glissandos that portend the imminence of something celestial in glacial 4/4 time. In the second verse, the band—invariably excellent players—soft-pedals in, gaining volume to the bridge. And then the chorus. Heavens, the choruses. They could put U2 out of business for good, they’re so huge. Another verse. A middle eight. Then, a breakdown when the audience takes over singing. Another massive chorus. Fin.
This isn’t music to appreciate; it’s music to experience.”
- Andrew Beaujon, Body Piercing Saved My Life
Earlier in the year I read this fascinating book by Mr. Beaujon. He’s a non-christian music journalist who dives into the word of christian rock. At one point, he attends Gospel Music Association Week in Nashville, and writes the above words to describe his experience with worship music during a time of worship at the beginning of the week. He later skips out of the concert (after taking all he could bear) and writes his own mainstream Christian song:
With every drop of sweat
From every open pore
As every T-shirt stains, Jesus, I just love you more
Caught up in the lies
I take time to adore
The ruler of my life, Jesus, I just love you more.
I feel this is one of the most accurate dissections of the modern worship music formula that I have ever read. And the fact that he was able to synthesize our process so easily left me wondering, are we too formulaic?
There’s something about the existence of “the worship music industry” that I’ve always found a little unsettling. Don’t get me wrong, lots of music to choose from for putting together worship services is a good thing, especially for most of the worship leaders in the world who don’t write their own music. However, the fact that there is an industry pushing these albums means there are several sets of people who go along with this kind of set up: those who are writing and recording albums, those who are releasing and distributing albums, those who are looking for new artists, and those who are wanting to become new artists. And this means you have a whole bunch of people sitting around trying to write words and music for this industry, and a whole bunch of people encouraging the aforementioned people to get after it.
And so what’s unsettling about all that? Well, I guess it’s the thought that there are people who have created a “process” for writing songs to God. When I think about it, I guess I tend to think that worship music should come into being as a response to God. That people have had some kind of experience that prompted them to write these words. It’s not the result of a formula, a deadline, or the obligation of a 7 record contract. And, so, that somehow makes it more genuine, authentic.
But for someone to be able to write a formula like that
that says something.
It says to me that it isn’t out of the question that people could be sitting around their tables just putting this stuff together like a mad lib. And my intent is not to draw into question the credibility of worship music. But maybe to say that this stuff is really important to think about, because assembly line isn’t really good enough for God. In fact, “good enough” should probably never be used be with anything pertaining to God.
It’s just too important.
