4. worship in spirit and in truth

ever since i joined a praise team circa junior high school days i fell in love with Christian music.

so from a young age, i was very receptive and responded well to praise songs and Christian music. i realized the full power that music had on a person's worship experience. and the more and more i live my life, i see how important praise music is, and how much it can draw us closer to God.

but the issue of which Christian songs i like to listen to have changed over the years and is still changing now.

for instance, michael w. smith has that famous song, "above all" where he says,

"like a rose trampled on the ground, you took the fall, and thought of me, above all.

when Jesus died on the cross, yes he died for sins, but depending on what you interpret from scripture, the question remains, for whom and for what purpose did Jesus die for?

when Jesus died, i seem to align with the idea that He wasn't thinking so much of you, ABOVE ALL.

He was thinking about the glory of God, the glorification and victory that God was to receive from His sacrifice on the Cross.

the Crucifixion is not about ME, NOR YOU. it's about the glory of God.

on the contrary, songs that my ears have been itching for more and more have been hymns and oldschool poems. i never realized how powerful some of these lyrics were until i encountered them again. they speak so much truth and are able to package it in just a couple of lines. here is one that really hit me powerfully recently:

there is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel's veins. and sinners plunged beneath that flood - lose all their guilty stains.

i think its a delicate process of figuring out what things are good for me, and what things arent. the idea that, as Paul perfectly put it, some things are permissable yet not beneficial. yes, he was talking in the context of sexual immorality here but for me, i think it applies in a life context as well.

im not saying that i sneer and hate people who listen to michael w. smith. nor am i saying that when a church sings, "above all", i just fold my arms and sit down and glare at the worship leader. in fact, ill sing it. and i DEFINATELY am not saying that michael w. smith is any less Christian that i am. in fact, im sure he loves the Lord a wholeee lot.

all im saying is that, these days, ive been getting this feeling that i need to really be serious with the things i put into my body and mind, and that it is as important as the food i choose to eat and the things i choose to watch. i hope to never force my ideas and thoughts upon others and never downplay anyone that doesnt agree with my thoughts.

for me, its things ive been thinking about and wondering how it should shape my life. i dont want to be legalistic with all this but there are just some things that i choose to say, "thanks, but no thanks" to.

sokin.