Comments on: Whom Do You Worship?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 14:27:26 +0000

Victor said it well. It's not that the song is in itself bad, it's that it's not a song of worship to God. But when it's placed in the context of worship it becomes idolatry. There are plenty of great songs of community that we can offer to God, this isn't one of them.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 12:10:39 +0000

Well, there is nothing with the song itself, just the context it is placed in. It isn't a worship song to God since the focus of the lyrics is between you and the other member(s) of the Body.
I also wouldn't call it a song of prayer since, again, the song is not directed towards God.
At best, it is a song of affection and encouragement towards one another as a Body. Where Murdock finds this problematic is that it is placed in the context of worship. (Unless he just doesn't like it all ;> ) The implication here is that with the focus being on one another and not on God, it becomes idolatry, whether it is the worship of self or worship of others.
Of course, many Christians do not see it this way because, perhaps, the song, and many others like it, are songs that inspire them, make them feel upbeat and good, and there doesn't seem to be any harm in them. I definitely am all for that. But whether or not one is inspired, feels good, or seems unharmed, we must do what is right. If the content of a worship song is not directed towards or about God, then it must be directed elsewhere that is not Him.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 11:08:56 +0000

“God help us when in His temple (the Body of Christ) we worship ourselves at the altar instead of Him. ”
In response to the above statement God help us if we can't do what the word says “Love our neighbors as we love ourselves” without someone calling it self worship. How anyone could come to the conclusion that the song “I Need you” is self worship is a total mystery to me when it in fact, is teaching us how to treat each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Nowhere in the song does it say I worship you and I don't know about anyone else but on this earth, I do need my brothers and sisters and appreciate every prayer they send up for me. I also praise God for putting them in my life.
God created Eve because he saw Adam had a need for human companionship.
Karen A.
Chambersburg PA

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Apr 2005 02:11:51 +0000

McLaren says in A Generous Orthodoxy, “the gospel of Jesus is not 'all about me'” (p107). Shane Rosenthal (producer of White Horse Inn) asked him in an interview about the dangers of individualism in the emerging church. I think it can be a problem in just about any movement, not just EC. But what I've seen more to be the problem in EC is in reaction to individualism they re-focus to the community. I'm not sure that McLaren would have a problem with this song above. It fits his description of good worship in the CT article, “They're writing new songs and preaching new sermons of justice and compassion, of mission and hope, of God-love and neighbor-love, of the glory of a God who loves, not just me/me/me, but the whole world.” (the “neighbor-love”).
Instead of reacting to the individualism and pointing to God, some, like McLaren, are pointing to the community. Spencer Burke claimed to not be a relativist. Then he said that what's true for one community isn't true for another. He may not be an individualistic relativist, but he's a community relativist- which is just as bad. It's not “me/me/me”, but it's not “us/us/us” either. It should be “Him/Him/Him” (which may be Father/Son/Spirit).

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 16:17:58 +0000

That song horrifies me.
Also, I think this is a great point: “The colonists were seeking freedom from a restraining authority keeping them from what they thought they ought to do. Today we seek freedom from any authority to do what ever we want to do.”

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 10:36:52 +0000

You know what is interesting and ironic? Read this:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2004/cln40830.html