"The influence of the erotic spirit is felt almost everywhere in evangelical circles. Much of the singing in certain types of meetings has in it more of romance than it has of the Holy Ghost. Both words and music are designed to rouse the libidinous. Christ is courted with a familiarity that reveals a total ignorance of who He is. It is not the reverent intimacy of the adoring saint but the impudent familiarity of the carnal lover."
A. W. Tozer, On Worship and Entertainment....Born After Midnight page 38
Leading worship this book's Title by Tozer, 'On Worship and Entertainment,' naturally piqued my interest. Having long been a reader of Tozer, I am grateful for the provoking sandpaper this brother's writing has had in my life. During times of great dryness I have read his books which reflect his hungry heart...a hunger only God can give a man and I am stirred once again to press through and somehow by grace become hungry myself again in a fresh way...a Hunger for God Himself. Thank You God again for A.W. Tozer! Thank You for Your word and his hunger for that pure word. To hear it and to preach it.
So I got this book and sort of held my breath as I began reading not knowing if I really wanted to read this one containing brother sandpaper himself, Tozer's thoughts on worship and entertainment in the church today. I knew it was going to probably hit home;that it would cause a provoking, a searching, a challenge. I read the above passage today in my continued reading. I had similar questions over the years as I have watched some of the worship song lyric content cause me to blush.....the songs that don't say anything of Christ but have a 'romantic' feeling. The lack of clear Christian content they could sadly also be sung to your boyfriend. My fav example is the popular but ever so lacking , 'Draw Me Close.' I had a brother sing that song to me once in a romantic way. Yuk! I use to refer to Jesus as my 'boyfriend' in my early years, Yuk to that too! That brother's crooning to me was the start of a new thing in me in my perspective on current worship trends. More specifically the whole Vineyard Worship Music/Morningstar Music explosion birthed over intimacy in worship music. What fruit can come of lots of believers singing without exegesis the scriptures of the Song of Songs repeating the chorus to the point of pain? Another Vineyard offering is a worship song titled:, 'Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth'. To the pastor friend who argued with me that the lyrics 'sloppy wet kiss' in the new very popular song, ' How He Loves', were correct and because I was a woman I just didn't 'get it'..love you dear bro BUT well you must be a whole lot more dead than I am cuz it's all visual to me man. Pastor Ed Young might like them lyrics too. He made and still is making National Headlines for his '7 day Sex Challenge,' to his congregation, and most recently his John Lennon/Yoko Ono 'love in; on the rooftop of his church. For what purpose?? You gussed it, promote a thriving sex life among his married congregants. They must have rigidity and frigidity issues at that chuch...lol The erotic trend, the ever growing multi media in our crazed flesh driven society, has it caused us as believers to consider some of the maybe more subtle painful ways we have allowed the world to enter our church, our homes, our lives? We aren't watching porno...but we have become a sensual people expressing sensuality. We are calling it the spirit but it reeks of the flesh. It's' PG13'. But the PG13 of today was the R rating of yesterday. It's suppose to be G rated. G for Glory. Our God who is all attractive is attracted to that which is of His Son. It's not our stuff but the aroma of Christ dwelling in us. We have mixed a scent, an incense of a different kind...a mixture not of a holy apothecary. In the current mantra to be culturally relevant that produced the current sex trend... sex Sunday series in the name of evangelism. Are we to be like the world to attract the world? It's the seeker friendly movement on Viagra. We offer this generation little else but what they already have.
Solomon 2:15
Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Exodus 30:35
And you shall make it a perfume, a confection after the are of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
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