Two More Ways to Write Bad Worship Songs

Bob Kauflin throws in his very valuable two cents in on the Top Ten ways to Write Bad Worship Songs. Amen! I’m not a songwriter nor do I aspire to be one but permit me to add two more. When the songwriter has got it down may I suggest that he sings it for a group of men. If it nauseates them and they head for the door, scrap the song. There has already been a mass exodus of men from our churches today and we can’t interest them in coming back. This may very well be one of the reasons why, that is, lovey-dovey songs that are more suited to be love songs than worship songs. And, the second point, we must use the name of Christ (or Lord, God, or other biblical name for one of the persons of the Godhead) in the song. If a Muslim could sing the song (not that any would) then it is not suitable for worship. Robin Mark, who is on most occasions a biblically, outstanding lyricist, stumbled when he wrote There Is No Other Name. Ironically, that name is never mentioned in the lyrics. Great tune but the lyrics sadly let us down.There are numerous other worship songs that contain one or both of these faults but the most notable is Draw Me Close which is more aptly suited for a woman to sing to the man in her life. There should be no doubt in our worship who we are singing to or what we are singing about. May we always exalt the our Lord without slipping into some kind of over-emotional, feminized sea of goo.