Old Old Story, New New Song

I love to tell the story
For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it like the rest
And when in scenes of glory
I sing the new new song
'Twill be the old old story
That I have loved so long
Katherine Hankey

Most modern worship leaders see themselves as a “lead worshipper,” and what others have derogatorily dubbed a “God cheerleader.” The reason for this is that the modern worship movement has a very vertical slant to it. This simply means that we sing “to” God more than we sing “about” God. That’s not a bad thing at all. In the early 1990’s, many of us who were leading worship were trying to be more vertical, because the slant in many traditional churches was very horizontal (person to person). If you think about many of the “gospel hymns” that were popular with older generations they were overwhelmingly horizontal. Even songs like Crosby’s “To God be the Glory” or Wesley’s “Blessed Be the Name,” are songs that exhort us to praise. But the voice of these songs is person to person, not person to God.

Because of this overwhelmingly horizontal slant the worship life of many churches was out of balance. Too many songs were “about” and not “to” God. So then these questions arise. Have we gone too far in the other direction? Where are the songs that tell the story? I really believe that as worship leaders we should see ourselves as “story tellers” as much as “lead worshippers.”

There is room for both, and there can be balance. But it will take careful thought and planning on the part of worship planners and leaders. It’s not a new problem. It’s not an original question. But it is one that I believe should be revisited by today’s pastors and worship leaders. After all, who else is going to tell the old, old story, by singing a new, new song?