Friday, August 21, 2009

Worship Songs Turning Jesus Into Our Girlfriend/Boyfriend

While the songs that purport to be hymns of hope are still fresh in my mind; I thought I’d vent a bit concerning worship songs that turn Jesus into our girlfriend or boyfriend. It’s down right scary listening to some of ION’s Worship channel’s songs of praise.

If it wasn’t bad enough that most of what I’ve been listening to seem to forget to even mention Jesus or His work at the cross destroying sin, death, and the devil, some of these “praise songs” could actually be sung to a girlfriend or boyfriend and not in a I love you as a fellow Christian kind of way. It’s not too much of stretch to imagine these same songs being played with a racy music video that couldn’t be aired during the evening family hour instead of the candle lit auditorium with young people waving their hands in unity with hip soul patched music director up on stage.

Think I’m just an angry blogger setting up a straw man to attack because a particular style of praise song might not be to my liking? Au contraire. Allow me to make my case:
I could certainly choose any number of artists or worship leaders but for today’s discussion we’ll look at Kari Jobe’s “The More I Seek You”. Here’s the lyrics:

Chorus; The more I seek you, the more I find you

The more I find you, the more I love you

I wanna sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand.

Lay back against you and breath, hear your heart beat

This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand.

I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming

Chorus:4x

Now, is this song an appropriate song of praise or is it a love song to one’s girlfriend or boyfriend? I would argue that with the simple switch of the musical setting that Kari Jobe’s praise song makes the transition to a love song rather effortlessly. Am I incorrect or just making too much of too little? Is singing a song that can be either/or appropriate for any kind of worship or praise team?

I would argue that any song that invokes, unintentionally or not, a good cuddle on the living room sofa with the Lord is not only something that need not be sung in a church setting but rather something that we would be wise to steer clear of. For crying out loud Jesus is the author of creation itself and savior of fallen humanity not a prom date! Who the heck thinks this nonsense is worship? Who thinks this is a sacred song? Not me that’s for certain even knowing the context in which the author intended it to be sung. When I look at “The More I Seek You” all I see is a creepy song that I want to avoid.

51 comments:

Dan @ Necessary Roughness said...

You have to give it up for Faith + 1 !!!!!

Frank Gillespie said...

Dan, I was listening to “Once, twice, three times my savior” when I wrote this!

Elephantschild said...

Her voice is beautiful; she's a good vocalist.

The song itself is barfy, though.

Anonymous said...

This praise song doesn’t address who it is sung to so how exactly can we be confident it’s meant to be sung to Jesus . This praise song doesn't address any work of our Lord so how can be certain it’s not somebody’s prom date. This praise song is juvenile.

Rev. Larry Beane said...

It reflects a sad understanding of love - a confusion of agape with eros.

It reminds of of the creepy pictures of Billy Ray Cyrus snuggled up with his nearly naked daughter in a way that is, shall we say, disturbing (not to mention the spectacle of his 16-year old daughter doing a "pole dance" as Dad gives her a standing ovation).

Our culture (read: youth culture") is so dripping in eroticism that it has become natural to speak of the love of God in the same way that pop divas warble about this week's hookup.

Our culture has forgotten what divine love actually is, actually looks like, and is actually lived out in the Church. Maybe this is partially the result of speaking about having a "relationship" with God rather than being in "communion" with Him.

Anonymous said...

Years ago Amy Grant was asked about the fact that so many of her songs could seemingly be listened to as either worship songs or love songs. She said that she liked idea that her pop love songs could also be seen as songs sung to God.

Steve Martin said...

Bishop Hanson would love it!

Especially if two lesbian pastors and their pet goat sing it.

Rev. Larry Beane said...

Dear Steve:

Throw in a couple of midgets and you can call it the Howard Stern Show.

Elephantschild said...

Don't forget the canon to shoot those midgets, Father Hollywood!

Dawn K said...

These sorts of songs are all about "feeling the presence of God." Both the lyrics and the music are meant to induce a mystical/emotional experience. Though I doubt they would put it that way, that is what is really happening - "feeling close to God" was a very important thing for me when I was an evangelical. Contrast that with Lutheran worship which is all about the objective reality of what Christ has done, and His actual, objective presence among us in the Divine Service.

Wasn't this the woman who led worship at an LCMS youth event? That's scary. It is absolutely not true that worship style does not matter. This song speaks volumes to me about the theology of Kari Jobe - that we climb up to God through our experiences/emotions, not that God comes down to us to give us His gifts.

Lutheran Lucciola said...

Dan beat me to the South Park link!!

It's just creepy in my opinion.

Frank Gillespie said...

Dawn K wins the no-prize! I didn’t just pick Kari Jobe’s hymnic masterpiece randomly. Ms. Jobe is indeed the woman that the Texas district invited to be the worship leader/lead worshiper at a Lutheran youth conference last summer.

Anonymous said...

intimacy with God is one of the strongest needs....or else it becomes a religion not a relationship. The work of the cross was to bring a true spiritual intimacy with God that sin had severed. Therefore a song like "the more i seek you" is referring the work of the cross because the cross brings to oneness with God. If you ever experience his presence in true intimacy then songs like this will be produced. God rewards those who diligently seek him!!!

Kelly Klages said...

I guess the really surprising thing to me is that today's Christians think of "intimacy" in the world's terms: warm fuzzies and emotional experiences. We're confusing a kind of sexual intimacy with the sort of intimacy we have with God through Christ. Perhaps people read the stuff in the Bible about the Church being the Bride of Christ and project all of their limp-wristed modern romance onto it. But the feminization (and sexualization) of modern evangelicalism is well-documented and comes as no big surprise anymore. But it is dangerous that people are being led to believe that in order to be "truly" intimate with God, you need to express yourself in this sort of way and are rewarded by your romantic pursuit.

I have an intimate relationship with God as my Father, but I would never sing a similar song as this praise song to my own earthly father! In the name of good taste, I wouldn't even sing it to my husband. Why are we content with cheesy romantic sappiness? Why do we think of that as "intimacy"?

The popular phrase "relationship not religion" disheartens me. Christianity *is* a religion, according to the most basic dictionary definition of the word. Our fathers in the faith were able to use that word and still knew perfectly well that our faith was about having a relationship with God through Christ. It is the modern Christian church's desperate attempts to appeal to the unreligious who have sadly decided to concede the word "religion" as being a bad thing, and it's a shame.

Frank Gillespie said...

You are correct that the work of the cross is to bring us back into the relationship with our Lord that He intended before Adam’s rebellion although I would argue with your phrase “a true spiritual intimacy”. That being said, as this song is so ambiguous as to who it’s singing to, it should never be sung in a church. Without seeing the song sung in a church setting, could you really tell that it’s about the work of the cross? Does it mention the cross? Does it even mention our fall into sin so that we might understand why Jesus had to propitiate God’s wrath with His own sinless blood? If this song played on a secular pop station would anybody hear about an intimacy with God?
I try, when I evaluate any hymn or song, to focus on the words. This song is clearly a love song but I don’t see it being even remotely clear that it is God she’s singing to apart from the setting.

Frank Gillespie said...

Kelly, you always says things much gooder than I do :-) Thanks.

Annie said...

I'm wondering what you think about the song by Delerious called "Friend Forever." Thanks!

Frank Gillespie said...

Hi Annie, Are you referring to "What A Friend I've Found" written by written by Martin Smith? What’s your thoughts on the song?
I'll be happy to look at the song in a seperate post but it'll have to wait until next week as I've been pretty busy playing metrologist the last few days.

Annie said...

Yes, I'm speaking of this song. I think there's a difference in singing about Jesus, and to Jesus. The song by Martin Smith speaks of Jesus as a friend, but isn't singing specifically TO Jesus as a "lover." I actually really enjoy this song and was just curious as to your take on it. Thank you so much for this blog. The first time I heard Kari Jobe's song, "The More I Seek You," it made me very uncomfortable. I thought, "How does this glorify Him even remotely?" It just was like everyone in church was giving themselves a big hug or something. I was a little afaid that I was just being cold or hard not enjoying it, but after reading your blog, I'm glad that I'm not the only one! I do like some of her songs, such as "Revelation Song," and if you haven't heard it you may want to. However, she also sings one called, "Sweep Me Away," which is just like "The More I Seek You," in content. Looking forward to your response!

Frank Gillespie said...

Annie, I'll put something together for later in the week; I need finish taking care of some customers and then I'll get right to work on it.
If don't mind me asking, what's your background as far as church goes. Also, have you been reading POTF long? The reason I ask is that I may frame my post differently if you are say a lutheran than if you are more used to dealing with folks of a more evangelical stripe.
I've found that sometimes my evangelical friends and I use some of the same words but we mean very different things. I just want to make sure we are all on the same page.

Annie said...

This was my first blog I've read from your page. I just really enjoyed it because the whole "Jesus is your boyfriend" thing makes me really uncomfortable. Because He certainly can't be a "girlfriend," either, right? I feel like our music is just loosing so much theological richness that the older hymns had. (Just like much of our preaching today!) However, I really enjoy the more contemporary STYLE of worship music. It's just the content I often struggle with. I am not an official member of a denomination, but am much more acquainted with the evangelical side. Even so, I am really searching out the theological problems that I run across and am just taking slow steps. Thanks!

Frank Gillespie said...

Thanks for the bio Annie! Since you’re more familiar with the evangelical way of seeing and talking about things I know how I’ll format the post. Very often I use terms and expressions that my Lutheran readers understand but that might throw you off if you are not familiar with century’s old terminology. In addition, I’ve been known to, on occasion, to write in a somewhat sarcastic tone and people not familiar with POTF can sometimes, shall we say…not get all of the jokes.

It’s not only the blog that that I find myself tailoring discussions with people but I’ve found that sometimes it’s important to do this when having face to face conversation as well. I had a three year argument once with a dear friend who is a nondenom evangelical on the word “worship.” She wanted to know “how do you worship” so I told her what it was that I was doing on Sunday morning. This upset her greatly for a host of reasons but mostly because she thought I was using our liturgical setting of Sunday worship as a substitute for daily devotionals and scripture readings. For her worship meant something very different than it did to me. I had never heard anyone use the word worship is such a way and it caused almost three years of headache. She knew I read my Bible every day but was concerned that I only “worshiped” one day a week.

This is why I asked you what your background was before I started to put together a post.

Frank Gillespie said...

Annie, I wrote a 1900 word post on your song last night but I need to edit it down a bit before I publishing it. Trust me, nobody wants me to ramble on that long...
Also, I need post one thing ahead of your requested review. It'll be up by Saturday for sure.

Anonymous said...

I'm still kind of undecided on this. Yes, it does seem a bit mushy, but then again I've gotten mushy to God sometimes; but always in private. I don't even sing this kind of stuff ever in public, certainly not in church. But singing to God that I want to feel His heartbeat, ect, can sometimes become a very sweet experience only meant for you and Him. Why not pray and ask Him?

Frank Gillespie said...

Anon, can you show me in Scripture where we are to lay back against Jesus and feel Him breath on us and hear His heart beat? This is what you might sing to a boy/girlfriend but not the Lord. In addition, also from Scripture, can you show me where it say that we are to have sweet experiences only meant for us and Jesus? If you look at how the Church (and in this I include Old Testament Israel) works it’s always corporately that we gather to receive God’s divine gifts and sing songs of praise. Yes we are saved individually but we always gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus for worship. The idea that we have individualistic experiences by going off to be alone with the Lord is an ancient Gnostic heresy that has been condemned time and time again for almost two thousand years.

Dawn K said...

"Sweet mystical experiences" are more about one's own self than they are about Christ, IMHO. Christ does not promise that He will come to me if I just sing mushy love songs to Him and imagine Him holding me in His arms. I might get a warm fuzzy feeling from these things, but there is no promise in Scripture that Christ is really present and working when I do them (and I say this as one who has actually done these things).

On the other hand, there are promises in Scripture that Christ is present when His Word is proclaimed, and in Baptism, Absolution, and the Holy Supper. I would rather "experience God" where He has promised to be rather than in something I manufacture in my own mind. But even then it's not so much about the experience per se, as it is about the objective reality of what is happening.

Anonymous said...

Just a thought...in 1 Samuel 6:14-22, King David danced before the Lord in his linen ephod, in front of many people. I would venture to guess that he was feeling some sort of warm fuzzies toward his Heavenly Father since he was "leaping and dancing before the LORD."

Frank Gillespie said...

Anonymous, two points; first the verses you are referring to are from 2 Samuel not 1 Samuel.
Secondly, going on the premise that you are being serious and saying that the Jobe song and David’s actions are similar in that they express love for the Lord of all creation… (you are being serious aren’t you?) the verses you site would show that there is also a wrong way to sing praises to God in that Saul’s daughter Michal rebukes David for dancing around like an idiot and half naked when she says in verse 20 “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”” Sure, David rebukes Michal for her comment and says that the female servants who have seen him act in such a manner are gonna hold him in high honor, but ya know what, I’m siding with Michal on this one. David did as he said and was humble in his OWN sight but were the people focused on his song or rather his nakedness.
If you say that this is right worship do you then think we should have nearly naked singers dancing in our sanctuaries singing songs of feeling Jesus breath and “melting in his peace”? Are you saying that this is proper and something that should be done? I have seen liturgical dancers do just such a thing and there was no difference between that and what goes on in a strip club.

Anonymous said...

Dear Frank,
I appreciate your response. For the record, I am an extremely unconfrontational person, I love Jesus, love my husband and stay at home with my two young children (just to let you know where I'm coming from...I know you have no idea who I am). Yes I messed up...it was 2 Samuel. Sorry-that is indeed important! I felt so strongly I should follow up with your response. If you read the scripture closely you will notice that David was wearing a linen ephod (a close fitting, sleeveless garment worn by priests when they conducted their business before the altar of the LORD). He was not naked. Secondly, you will notice that Michal despised him for not wearing his royal robes, but choosing to wear priestly garments instead. David's reply to Michal in verse 21 said basically, "this was between me and the LORD...whatever others think of me when I'm not donning my royal robes but a priestly garment instead doesn't matter!" Regarding your last paragraph about dancing naked before the LORD and melting before Him, of course that's improper! It is not what David did and our LORD is not to be worshipped with stripteases but in spirit and truth.

Frank Gillespie said...

Anonymous, I think you will find that when I find people disagreeing with me here, I do try to tone it down a bit so as to not be confrontational myself. I don’t know how long you’ve been reading POTF but I give a goodly amount of latitude here especially if those who disagree with me are not well versed in Lutheran theological speak and if they from outside the historic catholic traditions. I don’t think and hopefully don’t say that people who are outside of my theological traditions don’t love Jesus with all their heart. Just because we may disagree does NOT mean I don’t consider you a sister in Christ.

You are dead on correct that David was not naked even if Michal is insinuating otherwise. I was being snide without fleshing out my argument properly. My response was knee-jerk and I apologize. I’ve heard this exact verse used to defend liturgical dance that did indeed resemble a seedy strip club act….

I do think we need to understand that while David was a man after God’s own heart, we also need to understand that David was quite unique in the line of the patriarchs. Jesus himself (Luke 6) uses David eating the showbread as an example that it He that is the Lord of the Sabbath and not the law. I can find nowhere in Scripture where Jesus or the apostles say that we should do what David did with the show bread in regards to the Eucharist If we rushed the alter every time the Lord’s Supper was instituted for a mid morning snack would that be good and proper for church order? Should someone dress up as a pastor as David did even if they aren’t just because David did? Just because David did something does not give us license to do the same (I’m not talking about the Bathsheba thing here)?

That’s really where I was going and should have made my argument a bit more coherent.

Sharon said...

I was broken by so many things in my past... being sexually abused by a couple different men in my childhood was the start of many bad years to come... What was I left with after all those years???? Brokeness, Hatred, and Confussion... I lashed at anybody and everybody that tryed to help. So when I found out that there was a God and He does love me... He loved me past the craziness that I had going on... b/c he saw my heart. Nothing wrong with hymns... but why NOT offer up words from the heart....????? I have an awesome husband.... So, I am not looking for God to be my "husband"... But I see NOTHING wrong with this song... It's very true in so many ways... Let's take the first couple lines: The more I seek you, The more I find you... That's soooo true... The more I seek to learn about God the more I find out about Him. Each line you can find a biblical scripture that goes with it... Now as far as "I wanna lay back against you and breathe, feel your heart beat: I know a a fatherless child I never got a chance to "sit" on my dads lap and him make everything better... God says he is the father to the fatherless.... when my daughter comes to me crying I put in my lap and she puts her head on my chest and calms down... she hears my heart beating... That's all the song is talking about .... when we need to run to Him he is there to "calm" us down and make everything better... I think its crazy that people try to make something sooooo stinkin' perverted, when there is NOTHING perverted about it... I don't know anyone here or the life that they live... Just sayin' God brought me out of a lot of junk... so I ought to be able to sing him a song from my heart to Him.... He is the greatest part of my life and without Him... well I wouldn't have the BEAUTIFUL life that I have today :O)

Anonymous said...

This is extremely important that we invest our lives in verbally bludgeoning someone that invests her entire life in the relentless pursuit of worshiping God.
Jesus (who came that we might have abundant life) is so pleased when we attack those who invest their entire being in pouring out their lives and gifts to honor Him.
Just because the Song of Solomon (the SONG OF SONGS) that's included in the BOOK OF BOOKS delineates romance between the creator and creature doesn't mean that mere Sons and Daughters of God should ever participate in any verbiage that in any way remotely alludes to such a concept.
What a bunch of vile, vomit like chaff....

Nathalie said...

Hello! Have you read Song of Solomon! We ARE the Bride of Christ! He is our lover!

Frank Gillespie said...

Sharon, I’m so sorry that so many bad things have happed to you. Always remember that no matter whatever sin or emotional baggage you bring, Christ’s atoning work at the cross and His imputed righteousness is for you. He loved you so much that He died FOR you! Never forget the blessed Gospel message.

I also got chewed up and spit out by people (mostly by people in a pietistic church). It is only by the grace of God that I found my way back to Christ’s Church after 15 years of atheism. I still want to stay on my knees night and day thanking our Lord that He found a means to get me back in spite of myself.

We all need a “relationship” with Jesus but we need to understand that he has told us how He comes to us: in His Word and His blessed Sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and Holy Baptism. It is there that we need look for him. I agree that some pervert songs into something that they are not. I also think that this is what I think the artist in the video has sadly done. The Lord of creation, while also our brother in His humanity, is still Lord of all and we need follow the biblical model of treating Jesus as such.

Where I always have a problem with songs like this is when I can cross out the name Jesus and insert the words boyfriend or girlfriend and have the song still make perfect sense. If the song can be understood as either being a love song to our sweetheart or Jesus simply by substituting a pronoun, it’s missing the mark as to what’s appropriate or edifying.

Frank Gillespie said...

“Hello! Have you read Song of Solomon! We ARE the Bride of Christ! He is our lover!”

Nathalie, At first I was going to dismiss your comment as just a sarcastic mocking of my post but then I thought about it and decided that you might actually be serious. So, let me ask you a question; are you really serious? Are you going to argue that we should sing songs with sexual overtones because Jesus is a lover, our lover? Really? Where the heck do you find the Apostles (or any of the church fathers for that matter) arguing that we as a church are to be compared to a bride on her wedding night because the crucified and risen Lord is to be our lover? Where in scripture does Jesus say he has come to be our lover? How exactly is that the Gospel message in any historical sense that any apostle or disciple could recognize? Seriously, I would love to see you make your argument from a Biblical text. Seriously.

Frank Gillespie said...

Also from you… “Yeah I was just at this guy's website that was saying songs like this are awful because you can sing it to a lover and you can't tell who she is singing it to in this video. I was like what???Have you read Song of Solomon? We are the Bride of Christ. It would take an imbecile to not deduct from the video she was singing to God in this video”

Nathalie, calling me an imbecile for not deducing that she is singing her love song to God shows that you failed to comprehend what I was saying… I agree completely that she is singing to God. My problem with the song is that it COULD be sung to a boyfriend and girlfriend merely by swapping a pronoun or two. You should actually read a post before you comment next time.

Wedge said...

I was listening to Keri Jobe's "Sweep me away" and found this to be quite odd.

"Father I love your ways
You came in your mercy,
and died in my place."

Father died in her place? Perhaps she is into modalism. :)

Frank Gillespie said...

Wedge, I hear many folks who fall into the modalism heresy and certainly Jobe went there even if she didnt intend to. This is why we like our hymns to be theologically sound and not merely to elicit an emotional response ;-)
For those you who are unfamiliar with the modalism heresy here is a decent article: http://www.theopedia.com/Modalism

Anonymous said...

Some of you guys sound like Pharisee!!! Do you even read your bible? The psalms? The story of Mary and Martha? Your rigidity and narrow-mindedness will keep you from experiencing God in his fullness. Thank God for worshipers like Kari Jobe who express her heart to God so specifically and openly. It encourages others to not keep God in some distant box that makes him unreachable...except to those who only sing worship songs with the WORD "cross" in them!

BECAUSE of the work of the CROSS we have DIRECT ACCESS to God to share our heart and soul with (that includes my mind, will, and emotions... yes... even love). So a song expressing that love is as a result of the cross!!! It's really not rocket science!

Perhaps some of you never had a father that let you sit in his lap and lay on his chest. Perhaps he never expressed his love for you beyond paying the bills or playing catch with you. Perhaps your earthly father never held you close and kissed your face and told you he loved you. If that is the case, I'm so sorry that you haven't experienced that. BUT, God will do that and more!!!! He desires to share that intimate of a love with you, as well as receive it in return.

Don't allow your earthly paternal deficits to keep you from experiencing the depth of love that God the Father wants you to experience with him. My prayer is that God would enlighten you and open your eyes to the depth of love that you are missing.

".....like a little child..."

God Bless

Anonymous said...

Guys hold up.. who cares? For goodness sake have an experience with Christ so that when you hear this song it becomes all you want to do! She is an amazing talented singer living and shining for Christ! I could see your side if it was every song but she has enough experience with Christ that she knows who exactly she's singing it to.. Melt in His peace! We shouldn't be turning against another Christian or talking against what other Christians are doing for the Lord.. its hard enough in this world!

Anonymous said...

SHARON YOU ROCK!!!!! That's what I'm talking about!!!! I'm not sure who in the world would take this song in a perverted way... Weird! Haha but anyways Jesus wants us to have a relationship with Him.. and in this song you can sing to God telling Him that you are seeking Him.. you desire to be close to Him.. once you find yourself only wanting to be closer to Jesus this song will make since to you.. I've experienced such difficulty in life at times and I find that where sin abounds grace much more abounds which puts me in the position to seeing His overwhelming love which makes me want to do absolutely nothing more than to get to know Him more!! Once you have a relationship as He is your father and you will let Him hold you when times get rough this song makes so much since. I feel bad that some have not got to experience that.. you can tell by your post.. its such an incredible experience.. I hope you all have the chance.. its very humbling

Anonymous said...

I don't think as a christian for one thing we should down our brethren and most of all be gossiping. If you love Jesus it does not matter, it comes from a christian who definitely is impacting lots of people to God and who already know God. God searches the heart, we are not to judge. If you speak evil against your brother that is not good. We will be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:22). If we speak evil what better are we. If you have a problem with her take it to God in prayer. Lets be christians and stop acting a fool. God is our soul mate our husband so why not sing to him like he is our lover. Yes we can hang out with him next to the sofa, he is with us all day all the time. What else are is God to us. Definitely not a religion we find at the church altar, but the spirit who dwells in and with us all the time. Right?

Frank Gillespie said...

Anonymous, Where in Scripture is God called our "soul mate"? Seriously?!

To quote Pastor Beane above who is actually trained in the biblical languages "It reflects a sad understanding of love - a confusion of agape with eros."

Anonymous said...

Personally, I'm more concerned about Kari Jobe's song 'On My Knees', the lyrics of which go "I'll find You when I'm on my knees...You lift me up, You never leave me thirsty." As a song-writer myself, this kind of double-entendre strikes me as being beyond naïveté and just plain wrong when sung in the context of loving God. You can say "well, we shouldn't think like that" but the world certainly will be, and we're to be wise as serpents. The lady can sing, but I question where she's coming from.

Anonymous said...

What in the Bible makes you believe that Jesus would disapprove of this song? On the contrary, have you read the Song Of Solomon? You may say, "that's about a husband and wife." Do you know why we love? Because He first loved us. Where do you think love came from? God IS love. And he not only loves you, he is in love with you. "You are my tressure, my bride." Isaiah54:4-6" For you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the holy one is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth He is called. For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast of, says your God." God BREATHED LIFE into us. That alone is more intimate than anything on Earth. And then He SENT his son Whom gave HIMSELF (litterally himself, as Man's life is his blood) to wash us clean. From the very beginning, He's loved you. Passionately. Intimately. God dressed his beloved children by hand. He killed an innocent sheep, first innocent blood ever to be shed- and physically clothed Adam and Eve. His Love surpasses human understanding. The song Kari Jobe sang was beautiful. It was to Him. For him. And he delights in it! Don't make it perserve. Don't make it evil. "We love because He first loved us." <---- all the Love we know came from Him first. He IS love.

Frank Gillespie said...

Christine,

It's clear you either didn't read my post or my previous comments. You wish to use a language that if you substituted a boyfriends name it would work as a intimate or romantic song for the second person of the Trinity and you don’t think there's anything wrong with that?

“The song Kari Jobe sang was beautiful. It was to Him. For him. And he delights in it! ” Where in the Bible does it say that the Lord, who through everything was created, wants you to sing love songs to Him and he enjoys it?

There is a right and wrong way to worship Christ...

Anonymous said...

I believe the words and emotions of "The More I See You" would likely reflect those of the woman (some Gospel chapters call 'Mary') who washed Jesus' feet and dried them with her hair. At least that is what I envision when I listen to this song. Of course, that vision presumes that one is not searching for the evil in the praise and worship song of youth. Believe me, if youth are looking for those types of songs, they will not be looking to Kari Jobe for them! Too often self-righteous and judgmental adults are the screen doors to the church of God -- particularly problematic when it comes to youth and music that might speak to a different audience than those already schooled in traditional hymns and praise/worship. Self-righteousness is not what Jesus reflected in his own teachings and example to us on earth. Look back at the Psalms of David -- sung to his God, these songs could also be construed as love songs of a romantic and even sexual nature. OK - enough said on this topic. As for me, I will be singing a version of this to my own church congregation and hope that it will reach and touch someone in a different way than Rock of Ages.

Dave Helmuth said...

How does this verse inform this discussion? "There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved." John 13:23

Unknown said...

It is a love song...to Jesus. That's what praise & worship is all about praising, thanking, & loving Jesus!

Frank Gillespie said...

Dave, do you understand the cultural significance of what it means to recline at the table with Christ? Understanding that would answer your question...

Frank Gillespie said...

Tara, I'm guessing you didn't actually read the post.... or the previous comments. Please read the post.