Contemporary worship music

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"Worship music" redirects here. For Anthrax's album, see Worship Music
(album). For music named "Worship", see Worship (disambiguation).
"Praise music" redirects here. For music named "Praise" or by "Praise",
see Praise (disambiguation).
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Contemporary worship music

Stylistic origins Jesus music, contemporary Christian music

Cultural origins 1950s and 1960s

United States

Other topics

Contemporary worship, church music

Contemporary Christian worship in Rock Harbor Church, Costa Mesa, United States

Contemporary worship music (CWM), also known as praise and worship

music,[1] is a defined genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship. It
has developed over the past 60 years and is stylistically similar to pop music.
The songs are frequently referred to as "praise songs" or "worship songs" and
are typically led by a "worship band" or "praise team", with either a guitarist or
pianist leading. It has become a common genre of music sung in many
churches, particularly in charismatic or non-denominational Protestant churches
 with some Roman Catholic congregations incorporating it into their mass as
well.

Contents

 1History and development

 2Theology and lyrics
 3Musical identity
 4Performance
o 4.1The worship band
o 4.2The role of technology
 5Criticisms
 6Popularity
 7See also
 8Citations
 9General references

History and development[edit]

Contemporary Christian worship in Lifehouse International Church, Tokyo, Japan

In the early 1950s, the Taizé Community in France started to attract youths from
several religious denominations with worship hymns based on modern
melodies.[citation needed]
In the mid-20th century, Christian Unions in university environments hosted
evangelistic talks and provided biblical teaching for their members, Christian
cafés opened with evangelistic aims, and church youth groups were set up. [example
needed]
 Amateur musicians from these groups began playing Christian music in a
popular idiom. Some Christians felt that the church needed to break from its
stereotype as being structured, formal and dull to appeal to the younger
generation.[example needed] By borrowing the conventions of popular music, the
antithesis of this stereotype,[clarification needed] the church restated the claims of the Bible
through Christian lyrics, and thus sent the message that Christianity was not
outdated or irrelevant. The Joystrings were one of the first Christian pop groups
to appear on television, in Salvation Army uniform, playing Christian beat music.
[citation needed]

Churches began to adopt some of these songs and the styles for corporate
worship. These early songs for communal singing were characteristically
simple. Youth Praise, published in 1966, was one of the first and most famous
collections of these songs and was compiled and edited by Michael
Baughen and published by the Jubilate Group.[citation needed]
As of the early 1990s, songs such as "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High", "Shine,
Jesus, Shine" and "Shout to the Lord" had been accepted in many
churches. Integrity Media, Maranatha! Music and Vineyard were already
publishing newer styles of music. Supporters of traditional worship hoped the
newer styles were a fad, while younger people cited Psalms 96:1, "Sing to the
Lord a new song". Prior to the late 1990s, many felt that Sunday morning was a
time for hymns, and young people could have their music on the other six days.
A "modern worship renaissance" helped make it clear any musical style was
acceptable if true believers were using it to praise God. The changes resulted
from the Cutting Edge recordings by the band Delirious?, the Passion
Conferences and their music, the Exodus project of Michael W. Smith, and the
band Sonicflood. Contemporary worship music became an integral part
of Contemporary Christian music.[2]
More recently songs are displayed using projectors on screens at the front of
the church, and this has enabled greater physical freedom, and a faster rate of
turnover in the material being sung. Important propagators of CWM over the
past 25 years include Vineyard Music, Hillsong Worship, Bethel
Music, Elevation Worship, Jesus Culture and Soul Survivor.

Theology and lyrics[edit]

As CWM is closely related to the charismatic movement, the lyrics and even
some musical features reflect its theology. In particular the charismatic
movement is characterised by its emphasis on the Holy Spirit, through a
personal encounter and relationship with God, that can be summed up
in agape love.
Lyrically, the informal, sometimes intimate, language of relationship is
employed. The terms 'You' and 'I’ are used rather than 'God' and 'we', and lyrics
such as, 'I, I'm desperate for You',[3] and 'Hungry I come to You for I know You
satisfy, I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry' [4] both exemplify the
similarity of the lyrics of some CWM to popular love songs. Slang is used on
occasion (for example 'We wanna see Jesus lifted high' [5]) and imperatives
('Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, I want to see You' [6]), demonstrating the
friendly, informal terms charismatic theology encourages for relating to God
personally. Often a physical response is included in the lyrics ('So we raise up
holy hands';[7] 'I will dance, I will sing, to be mad for my king' [8]). This couples with
the use of drums and popular rhythm in the songs to encourage full body
worship.
The metaphorical language of the lyrics is subjective, and therefore does risk
being misinterpreted; this emphasis on personal encounter with God does not
always balance with intellectual understanding. [clarification needed]
Just as in secular, popular and rock music, relationships and feelings are
central topics[example needed], so in CWM, association to a personal relationship with
God and free expression are emphasised.
As in traditional hymnody, some images, such as captivity and freedom, life and
death, romance, power and sacrifice, are employed to facilitate relationship with
God.[example needed]
Beginning in the 2010s, contemporary worship music with a
distinctly theological lyric focus blending hymns and worship songs with
contemporary rhythms & instrumentation, began to emerge, primarily in
the Baptist, Reformed, and more traditional non-denominational branches of
Protestant Christianity.[9][10] Artists include well-known groups such as Shane &
Shane, Aaron Peterson, and modern hymn-writers, Keith & Kristyn Getty[11] as
well as others like Sovereign Grace Music,[12] Matt Boswell, Matt Papa,
and Aaron Keyes. By the late 2010s, the format had gained sizable traction in
many churches[13] and other areas in culture[14] as well as being heard in CCM
collections and musical algorithms on several internet streaming services.

Musical identity[edit]
Because, in common with hymns, such music is sung communally, there can be
a practical and theological emphasis on its accessibility, to enable every
member of the congregation to participate in a corporate act of worship. This
often manifests in simple, easy-to-pick-up melodies in a mid-vocal range;
repetition; familiar chord progressions and a restricted harmonic palette. Unlike
hymns, the music notation may primarily be based around the chords, with the
keyboard score being secondary. An example of this, "Strength Will Rise
(Everlasting God)", is in 4
4 with the exception of one 
2

4 bar shortly before the chorus. Rhythmic variety is achieved by syncopation,

most notably in the short section leading into the chorus, and in flowing one line
into the next. A pedal note in the opening sets the key and it uses only four
chords. Structurally, the form verse-chorus is adopted, each using repetition. In
particular the use of a rising four-note figure, used in
both melody and accompaniment, makes the song easy to learn.
At more charismatic services, members of the congregation may harmonise
freely during worship songs, perhaps singing in tongues (see glossolalia), and
the worship leader seeks to be 'led by the Holy Spirit'. There may also be role of
improvisation, flowing from one song to the next and inserting musical material
from one song into another.[clarification needed]

Performance[edit]
The worship band[edit]

A contemporary worship team leads the congregation using lyrics projected on a motion background,
and coordinated lighting
There is no fixed band set-up for playing CWM, but most have a lead singer and
lead guitarist or keyboard player. Their role is to indicate the tone, structure,
pace and volume of the worship songs, and perhaps even construct the order or
content during the time of worship. Some larger churches are able to employ
paid worship leaders, and some have attained fame by worship leading, blurring
contemporary worship music with Christian rock, though the role of the band in
a worship service, leading and enabling the congregation in praise normally
contrasts that of performing a Christian concert. [example needed] In CWM today there will
often be three or four singers with microphones, a drum kit, a bass guitar, one
or two guitars, keyboard and possibly other, more orchestral instruments, such
as a flute or violin. There has been a shift within the genre towards using
amplified instruments and voices, again paralleling popular music, though some
churches play the same songs with simpler or acoustic instrumentation.
The role of technology[edit]
Technological advances have played a significant role in the development of
CWM. In particular the use of projectors means that the song repertoire of a
church is not restricted to those in a song book. [clarification needed] Songs and styles go in
trends. The internet has increased accessibility, enabling anyone to see lyrics
and guitar chords for many worship songs, and download MP3 tracks. This has
also played a part in the globalisation of much CWM. Some churches, such
as Hillsong, Bethel and Vineyard, have their own publishing companies, and
there is a thriving Christian music business which parallels that of the secular
world, with recording studios, music books, CDs, MP3 downloads and other
merchandise. The consumer culture surrounding CWM has prompted both
criticism and praise, and as Pete Ward deals with in his book "Selling Worship",
no advance is without both positive and negative repercussions. [15]

Criticisms[edit]
Criticisms include Gary Parrett's concern that the volume of this music drowns
out congregational participation, and therefore makes it a performance. [16] He
quotes Ephesians 5:19, in which Paul the Apostle tells the church in Ephesus to
be 'speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit', and
questions whether the worship band, now so often amplified and playing like a
rock band, replace rather than enable a congregation's praise.
Seventh-day Adventist author Samuele Bacchiocchi expressed concerns over
the use of the "rock" idiom, as he argues that music communicates on a
subconscious level, and the often anarchistic, nihilistic ethos of rock stands
against Christian culture. Using the physical response induced by drums in a
worship context as evidence that rock takes peoples' minds away from
contemplating on the lyrics and God, he suggests that rock is actively
dangerous for the Church.[17]
The theological content too has raised questions for some, including Martyn
Percy, who argues there is too great an emphasis on a very intimate
relationship with God, using terms such as 'I' and 'you' instead of 'we' and 'God',
and very passionate, physical language, and argues that this bias needs urgent
correction. He explains how the emphasis on emotion can encourage hype and
a need to create an atmosphere which evokes a sense of encounter with God,
rather than allowing God to do so.[15]
Despite the biblical basis employed to underpin CWM, such as Ephesians 5:19,
its surrounding culture tends to exclude systematic use of the psalms in weekly
worship, sidelining lament from regular worship practice. [18] The emphasis on
praise, and on an interpretation of 'worship' that is overwhelmingly positive, can
lead to avoidance of the psalms of lament. Michael Vasey writes: "Scripture is,
of course, full of lament – and devotes its finest literary creation to warning the
godly against quick and easy answers. The power of many of the psalms we
are embarrassed to use lies precisely here. Of all this there is little echo in our
contemporary reading."[19] Whereas denominational churches generally use a
weekly lectionary that gives a broad range of scriptural themes, including
selected psalms on those themes, CWM churches tend not to have an agreed
lectionary and the consequent agreement on using a broad range of material.
[citation needed]

Pope John Paul II, concerning the role of music in regard to worship, said
"Today, as yesterday, musicians, composers, liturgical chapel cantors, church
organists and instrumentalists must feel the necessity of serious and rigorous
professional training. They should be especially conscious of the fact that each
of their creations or interpretations cannot escape the requirement of being a
work that is inspired, appropriate and attentive to aesthetic dignity, transformed
into a prayer of worship when, in the course of the liturgy, it expresses the
mystery of faith in sound."[20]
Some have noted that contemporary worship songs often reflect the social
climate of individualism as the lyrics emphasize personal relationship with God,
even within a group context.
Interviewed in Christianity Today in 2011, Grove City College professor T. David
Gordon said contemporary music was not easier to sing or better than
traditional music, but familiar. If this style of music was all people listened to,
then that would make them happy. He also said praise bands had a hard time
finding good music, but played the contemporary music because the church
wanted it, with the only criteria being how contemporary the music sounded.
Gordon also said churches were adding hymns to contemporary services, but
that in the past the main concern had never been how new the music sounded.
[21]

Gordon said in 2014 that contemporary music could not be as good because
one generation could not compete with 50 generations of hymns, and even the
contemporary songs were in some cases just the old hymns with an updated
sound. Writers of new songs had a hard time with "theologically sound, but
significant, profound, appropriate, memorable, and edifying". [22] After his 2011
interview, Gordon said Mark Moring of Christianity Today had observed that
contemporary music in churches was on the decline. Gordon said the people
who first wanted it are older, and contemporary music had become so common
that it was no longer a marketing tool, and no longer new when people wanted
what was new. Praise teams, Gordon said, were like performers, but that they
were in conflict with what the Bible said. And the congregation needed to
participate.[22]
Popularity[edit]
Some songs now appear in more traditional hymnals. Evangelical Lutheran
Worship (published in 2006 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
includes "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High" by Rick Founds[23] and "Shout to the
Lord" by Darlene Zschech.[24] The United Methodist Hymnal (1989) includes "Thy
Word Is a Lamp" by Amy Grant[25] and "Take Our Bread" by Joe Wise.[26]
Contemporary Christian worship groups, such as Hillsong United, are ranking in
the top ten on Billboard and other national charts and are earning publicity in
pop culture publications.[27][28][29][30]
In 2019, the U.S. radio network Air1 (which was previously devoted to Christian
hits) changed its format to focus primarily on worship music. [31][32]

See also[edit]
 List of Christian worship music artists

Citations[edit]
1. ^ "Hymnology: Praise and Worship Music".  smithcreekmusic.com. Archived
from the original  on 2016-10-05. Retrieved  2016-08-16.
2. ^ Breimeier, Russ (2008-07-29). "Modern Worship Is Going Nowhere".  Christianity
Today. Retrieved  2015-10-31.
3. ^ Barnett, Marie, 'Breathe', 1995
4. ^ Scott, Kathryn, 'Hungry', 1999
5. ^ Horley, Doug, 'We wanna see Jesus lifted high', 1993
6. ^ Baloche, Paul, 'Open the eyes of my heart' 1997
7. ^ Tomlin, Chris, 'Great is your faithfulness', 2002
8. ^ Redman, Matt , 'Undignified', 1995
9. ^ March 26; 2018.  "Keith Getty Is Still Fighting the Worship
Wars". ChristianityToday.com. Retrieved  March 26,  2019.
10. ^ "BRnow.org - Getty worship conference strikes a chord | Baptist
News". brnow.org. Retrieved  March 26,  2019.
11. ^ "Modern Hymn Writers Aim To Take Back Sunday". NPR. Retrieved  March
26, 2019.
12. ^ June 25, Ben McEachen |; Comments, 2018 11:49 AM | Add a Comment. "What
do you mean by worship? - Eternity News".  www.eternitynews.com.au. Retrieved March
26,2019.
13. ^ Smith, Rew; Today, Kentucky.  "Doxology & Theology conference: Churches need
to sing the Word of God". Kentucky Today. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
14. ^ "Hymn Writer Keith Getty Becomes First Christian Artist To Be Appointed Officer
Of The Order Of The British Empire (OBE) By The Queen". BREATHEcast. July 27, 2018.
Retrieved  March 26,  2019.
15. ^ Jump up to:a b Ward, Pete (2005). Selling Worship: How what we sing has changed
the church. Authentic Media. ISBN 978-1-84227-270-1.
16. ^ Parrett, Gary, A. (2005-01-28).  "Theses on Worship: A disputation on the role of
music".  Christianity Today. Retrieved  2013-04-22.
17. ^ Bacchiocchi, Samuele (ed.), The Christian and Rock Music: A Study on Biblical
Principles of Music
18. ^ Lee, David (1998).  "How long, O Lord, will we forget?". Retrieved 2010-08-16.
 19. ^ Vasey, Michael (1986).  Reading the Bible at the Eucharist. Grove
Books.  ISBN  1-85174-018-X.
20. ^ Hakim, Naji  (2003). "Music in the Catholic liturgy in France at the end of the 20th
century". Archived from  the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
21. ^ Moring, Mark (March 2011).  "Pop Goes the Worship". Christianity Today: 22–25.
22. ^ Jump up to:a b Gordon, T. David (October 27, 2014). "The Imminent Decline of
Contemporary Worship Music: Eight Reasons".  Second Nature.
23. ^ 'Lord I Lift Your Name on High', Rick Founds, copyright 1989 Maranatha Praise,
Inc.
24. ^ 'Shout to the Lord', Darlene Zschech, copyright 1993 Hillsong Publishing
25. ^ 'Thy Word Is a Lamp', words by Amy Grant, music by Michael Smith, arrangement
by Keith Phillips, copyright 1984 Meadowgreen Music Co./Bug and Bear Music
26. ^ 'Take Our Bread', Joe Wise, copyright 1966 by Joe Wise, used in the United
Methodist Hymnal by permission of G.I.A. Publications, Inc.
27. ^ "Hillsong United Chart History". Retrieved  2018-03-05.
28. ^ "Hillsong United Chart History". Retrieved  2018-03-05.
29. ^ Hung, Steffen.  "Australian charts portal".  australian-charts.com. Retrieved  2018-
03-04.
30. ^ "Hillsong United Chart History". Retrieved  2018-03-05.
31. ^ "EMF Adjusts Air1 Programming To Focus On Worship". Insideradio.com.
Retrieved  2019-01-12.
32. ^ "EMF Unveils Air1 Worship Now". All Access Music Group. December 31, 2018.
Retrieved  January 1,  2019.

General references[edit]
 Bacchiocchi, Samuele (ed.), The Christian and Rock Music: A Study on
Biblical Principles of Music (Michigan, 2000)
 Darlington, Stephen, and Kreider, Alan (ed.), Composing Music for
Worship (Norwich, 2003)
 Jones, Ian and Webster, Peter, "The theological problem of popular
music for worship in contemporary Christianity", in Crucible. The journal of
Christian social ethics (July–Sept 2006), pp. 9–16; full text in SAS-Space
 Miller, Donald, E., Postdenominational Christianity in the Twenty-First
Century, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science,
Vol. 558, (July, 1998), pp. 196–210
 Parrett, Gary, A. (2005). "Theses on Worship: A disputation on the role
of music". Christianity Today.
 Sheldon, Robin (ed.), In Spirit and in Truth: Exploring Directions in Music
in Worship Today (London, 1989)
 Ward, Pete (2005). Selling Worship: How what we sing has changed the
church. Authentic Media. ISBN 978-1-84227-270-1.
 Webster, Peter and Jones, Ian, "Expressions of Authenticity: Music for
Worship" In: Redefining Christian Britain. Post 1945 perspectives. SCM,
London, 2007,pp. 50–62; full text in SAS-Space
 Webster, Peter and Jones, Ian, "Anglican 'Establishment' reactions to
'pop' church music in England, 1956–c.1990". Studies in Church History, 42
(2006) . pp. 429–441; full text in SAS-Space
 Wilson-Dickson, Andrew, A Brief History of Christian Music, (Oxford,
1997)
 Wuthnow, Robert, All in Sync: How music and art are revitalising
American Religion, (California, 2003)