Think About God | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Free E-mail Newsletters:

RSS Feed | More Feeds | RSS Help

Home > 2007 > July

Christianity Today, July, 2007 |

Think About God

Pioneer Brian Doerksen on what's wrong with worship music.

Andree Farias | posted 7/16/2007 08:49AM

Related articles and links |

1 of 1

One of the founding fathers of modern worship music, Brian Doerksen has released his fourth solo album, Holy God (Integrity). While he's enthusiastic about his Lord, Doerksen isn't so excited about trends in the worship genre.

You have 25 albums to your credit as a worship leader or producer. So why do few people know your name?
When I first felt called to do this more than 20 years ago, I wanted to perform music on big stages. But God quickly called me to be all about worship, which is really, "Notice God, don't notice me."

That explains why you'd rather lead at your local church than get your name out there or go on a high-profile tour.
It is connected. If I'm going to write worship music, inspiring others and putting songs in the mouths of the local church, if I'm not anchored in the local church and finding my primary identity there, it's going to feel false. I hear people say, "My goal is to write a song that the whole world will sing." I look at them sideways and ask, "Why don't you try and write a song you want to sing in your prayers to God? Or a song that your local church wants to sing, where you're serving, where you're known and loved?" Let God worry about the rest of the world.

Why make an album focused exclusively on God's holiness?
Two reasons. The positive reason is, when I went to withdraw and seek God at the beginning of last year to learn what he wanted me to do, I had such a powerful encounter with him and his holiness. The more I meditated, the more it became the only thing I wanted to sing about.

The negative reason would be simply my deep concern about some of what is going on in the modern worship explosion—the shallowness, the man-centeredness, the banality. I wanted to do something that was about God and his core attributes. A song like "Holy God" is a God song, not a song about our feelings toward God. It's not our response to God. So this was my way of saying, "Think on these things."

Andree Farias, a regular contributor to Christian Music Today.

Related Elsewhere:

A longer version of this interview is available from Christian Music Today, which also has a review of Holy God.

Doerksen's official webpage has podcasts about Doerksen's songs in Holy God, information on Doerksen, and another interview.

1 of 1

July 2007, Vol. 51, No. 7

E-mail this page

Write CT

Print this article

Post a comment

Reader Reviews are below

Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only.

If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.

Click here for international orders

2-for-1 Gifts!

[Reader Reviews]

Average User Rating:

Displaying 1 - 3 of 32 comments.

See all comments

sb	Posted: July 16, 2007 2:13 PM

I agree with much of Doerksen's critique of the modern me-centered worship service. But he doesn't go far enough. Rom 12:1 says: "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (NASB) Note that this definition of a worship service says nothing about singing--me-centered or not. While I think worship can involve song, that's only a very small part of me presenting my body as a living sacrifice. While I often fail at this, I'm closest to God (what most of us want when we worship) when I'm out there in the world where he is, with people who don't even know what the inside of a church looks like, making an attempt to present myself to him. When this happens, worship is great! On the other hand, if I spend most of my time in disengaged complacency, is it any wonder that a couple songs on Sunday are less than terrifically satisfying?

Shane

Posted: July 17, 2007 1:19 PM

As a christian songwriter, I would have to agree with concern over "the shallowness, the man-centeredness, the banality" that may characterize some comtemporary worship music. However, I think the bigger "problem", if you will, is that some contemporary christian music is being used out of context. Not all christian music is written to be used in worship and, unfortunately, some of it is. This does nothing to devalue the music itself. The world is hungry for truth and hope and that can effectively be offered through christian music. As we minister to people we have many tools available to us. We have scripture, devotions, personal experiences, and music to name a few. There are times when ministry is done most effectively by laying out the truth (citing scripture) and other times, for example, people need a more comprehendable foothold on the truth. We witness to God's greatness, mercy and love and sometimes that comes in a practical (to the one being ministered to) medium.

clems

Posted: July 18, 2007 9:08 AM

the only and fastest means to touch a soul is gosple music. the heart of man is susceptible to music, true worship song touches the heart that is hardened, the word of God is a double edged sword that cuts deep into the heart. i feel that a true christian music should portray the epitome of christianity which involves, the birth, the death, the crucifiction, the death and ascension of our lord and saviour jesus.and also Gods relationship with man.