Posted by Jim at April 17th, 2005

As a clueless undergraduate, I majored in religion, later adding a sociology major and attending seminary for a couple years. Beyond learning that I should not become a minister, I came to appreciate various styles of music and worship.

Once on my own, I eventually joined a Christian Reformed church whose worship style can best be described as eclectic. It includes Calvinist theology, an odd mixture of music (traditional hymns, praise choruses, hymns from other parts of the world and music written by members of the congregation), and a liturgy closely descended from the Orthodox/Roman Catholic/Episcopalian branch of worship.

Sometimes the music amuses me more than it ought to. Today for example we sang a hymn that included the following phrases:

Tell the grim, demonic chorus, “Christ is risen, get you gone”

There just aren’t enough hymns in which you get to sing the phrase, “grim, demonic chorus.”

UPDATE: Oh, and while I’m at it, I’ll also provide a link to one of the cheesiest hymns I have ever encountered (though not at my church). It’s called “The Royal Telephone.” Its a great example of how to take an inoffensive metaphor (the telephone as prayer) and drive it into the dirt through overuse.

Its my hope that I never encounter a hymn that likens any part of a Christian’s experience of God to the internet in any way. My suspicion is that I would find it aesthetically painful.