Recently, my friend Dan Alcantara and I challenged each other to write a song that could be used in corporate worship setting. I love writing songs and think this will be a great challenge. It has really got me thinking about the components of a good worship song. In my own opinion, I believe a truly good worship song is biblical, beautiful, and beneficial. To be biblical, the song must derive its content and imagery from God’s revelation, which the Bible. This doesn’t mean that every word has to be taken from the Bible, but that the lyrics are consisent with a biblical worldview. To be beautiful, the song should have an interesting–yet singable–melody line, along with chord progressions that match the lyrics. A beautiful song doesn’t merely ape the riffs of other popular songs, but is original and expressive. Finally, for a song to be beneficial, it should be useful in building up the congregation and leading them in a worship–whether that is through praise, adoration, lament, confession, or thanksgiving.
Here’s a song that I wrote this past month based on Philippians 2:1-11 . I’m wondering if it might be an appropriate song for a corporate worship setting. What do you think? Why or why not?
[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfGx1EOshZ0[/youtube]
Name Above All Names (Philippians 2:1-11)
By Tom Schmidt
If there’s any encouragement in Christ, Any comfort in God’s love,
Any fellowship with the Spirit, Any affection or tender care,
Let us be one.
There’s no place for jealousy,
Envy or lust, Selfish motives or human praise,
With humble hearts consider each other, More important than yourselves,
Let us be like Christ.
Jesus, although in nature God, did not consider his place a thing to be held onto.
He emptied himself, by taking the form of a man, and as a man he humbled himself and was obedient to death,
On a cross, therefore God has exalted him, and given him the name above all names,
Everyone will say, “Jesus is LORD”
We strive against temptations of sin, We put them to death,
We put them to death, Recognizing their worthless,
They lead us to death, So we put them to death,
United with the death of Christ.
We’re a new creation in Christ,
Already not-yet, Already not-yet,
Forgiven and loved with the love the Father, Has for the Son, Has for the Son,
United with the life of Christ.
Jesus, although in nature God, did not consider his place a thing to be held onto.
He emptied himself, by taking the form of a man, and as a man he humbled himself and was obedient to death,
On a cross, therefore God has exalted him, and given him the name above all names,
Everyone will say, “Jesus is LORD”
