I’ve been tagged with a meme twice today yesterday. I was originally going to post some hymns and newer songs that have odd refrains or phrases in them. During the process I got a bit depressed though and decided not to reply at all. Well, that has obviously changed, thanks to this post by Lingamish.

So I’m a bit disillusioned with the state of so-called “Praise & Worship” in church. Not my church in particular, but most of the churches I have ever attended. I rarely enter in to the presence of God through church music, or experience the emotional high of those around me, and generally don’t expect nor get much out of the experience.

Over the last couple of years I have steadily come to believe that it is okay for me to take pleasure in and glorify God through other music. Not the sort of songs that I don’t care for (see above) but those that I do enjoy. As my philosophy professor once quoted,
“Art for art’s sake.” So even if I don’t get in the groove on a Sunday morning, I still worship God in song as I sing along or passively listen to music every day of the week. I’ll close with lyrics that do move me; these coming from a band that I recently discovered and enjoy immensely, mewithoutYou:

Torches Together

Why burn poor and lonely?
Under a bowl or under a lampshade,
Or on the shelf beside the bed,
Where at night you lay turning like a door on its hinges.
First on your left side,
Then on your right side,
Then your left side again.

Why burn poor and lonely?
Tell all the stones we’re gonna make a building.
We’ll be cut into shape and set into place.
Or if you’d rather be a window, I’ll gladly be the frame,
Reflecting any kind words, we’ll let in all their blame,
And ruin our reputation all the same.
So never mind our plan making, we’ll start living!
Anyway, aren’t you unbearably sad?
Then why burn so poor and lonely?

We’ll be like torches!
We’ll be like torches!
We’ll be like torches! OH!!!
We’ll be torches together… TORCHES TOGETHER!
We’ll be like torches!
We’ll be like torches!
With whatever respect our tattered dignity demands.
Torches together, hand in hand.

Why pluck one string?
What good is just one note?
Oh, one string sounds fine, I guess,
But we were once ‘one notes.’
We were lonely wheat, quietly ground into grain,
What light and momentary pain!
So why the safe distance, this curious look?
Why tear out single pages, when you can throw away the book?
Why pluck one string, when you can strum the guitar?

Strum the guitar!
Strum the guitar!
Strum the guitar… with no beginning, with no end!
Take down the guitar, and strum the guitar!
Strum the guitar if you’re afraid!
And I’m afraid,
And everyone’s afraid,
And everyone knows it,
But we don’t have to be afraid anymore.

You played the flute, but no one was dancing,
You sang a sad song, but none of us cried.
You played the flute, but no one was dancing,
And you sang a sad song, and none of us cried.
You played the flute, but no one was dancing,
You sang a sad song, but none of us cried.
You played the flute, but no one was dancing,
And you sang a sad song, you sang such a sad song.

Experience it in full on YouTube