Here is a great post by Matthew Smith on his use of contemporary settings of hymns in worship.
“The lyrics I was singing were not about my desires and how much I wanted to worship God, they were about Jesus and His desires, and they gave specific and beautiful reasons why He was worthy of worship.
Arise, my soul, arise! Shake off your guilty fears—the bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears.
Before the throne my surety stands…my name is written on His hands.
“The hymns also invited me to be honest. Rather than demanding that I leave the hardships of life at the door to lose myself in a “worship experience” (which had never panned out anyway, and upon reflection, seemed more of a Buddhist ideal than a Christian one), they spoke frankly about how weariness, sorrow, and pain are a part of the normal Christian life—not a sign of personal spiritual failure.”
Read his whole post. Then look for his music. The Indelible Grace CDs he mentions are outstanding. If you don’t have them you should. They blend contemporary music styles with traditional, thought-provoking hymns by some of the greatest spiritual thinkers and hymn-writers.
