Today’s question was about music style and differences between praise and worship.
You are actually "kinda sorta" hinting around at two similar but separate fundamentals. They definitely overlap some but let's try them one at a time.
#1 Praise versus worship. They are similar and they overlap as well. But try to look at it this way. Praise is giving credit for something that someone has DONE. Worship is giving credit for something that someone IS. Very close but different. Example: I can praise you for being a good guitarist or a fast runner. That is something that you have DONE. But you NEVER deserve worship because you ARE only human. God on the other hand deserves both praise and worship. I PRAISE you God for saving me, I PRAISE you God for healing me, I PRAISE you God for helping me. These are things He has DONE. But I also WORSHIP you God because you are God, you are Holy, you are loving and just. These are not things that He has DONE these are just things that He IS. So this is your difference between praise and worship. You praise your children. You do not worship your children. You praise AND worship God. As a matter of fact God can praise us to an extent by approving of us and blessing us but of course it is based on what we have DONE. Salvation is NOT merited but praise is. But GOD CANNOT WORSHIP! The bible speaks of two immutable things, and then it says it is impossible for God to lie. It seems to refer that the fact cannot be changed that there are two things that God cannot do. Lying implies of course that God cannot sin. But what is the other thing? I have always thought about it and the best I can come up with is this. God cannot sin and God cannot worship. To worship is TO BE IN AWE OF SOMETHING GREATER THAN YOURSELF. This is why we cannot worship each other because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God and it is also why we can worship God, because we are in awe of how much greater He is than us, BUT God cannot be in awe of anything greater than Himself! No such thing exists.
#2 Music styles. You seem to refer to a difference in music styles without ever really getting to the exact point. But you make enough of the right references that I think I see what you are trying to get out of this. There are a lot of terms being thrown around out there like, Gospel, Southern Gospel, Contemporary, Christian Rock, Old Time Hymns, etc etc. These are genres or styles and (watch me real close right here) these are not what I am all that concerned with. Of course, anything that leans toward a sound that has for decades been expressly used for the world and it's vices are going to end up causing a problem. But you must remember that ALL modern music came out of Christian Music. I know some people will question that but don't forget that the first song ever recorded in the history of the world was the song that Miriam and Moses sang about the horse and the rider being swallowed up after God shut the red sea passage when the Egyptians were chasing the Israelites etc. So if that was the FIRST song ever and all other songs sprang out of that then....well you see where I am going. So if all music morphed out of Christian music then it all has roots in Christian music so it all will have some ability to sound like something similar to Christian music at some version of it or another. Here is my point. I really don't care "doctrinally" so much what your music SOUNDS LIKE. I care what it SAYS. More importantly I care WHO IT'S ABOUT. Who it's about is how we decide if this is Christian music or secular music. It doesn't matter if it says Jesus, or God or Church or Heaven or anything else. It only matters who it's about and how it's about them. GOSPEL music is about GOD!!! Secular music is about ME! Example: If these are the words to a "christian song"; I want to go to heaven, I feel so much better when Jesus is around, I am having a hard day so I need to pray so that I can have strength.....THAT SONG IS ABOUT MMEEEEEEEE!!! I, me my, mine, us, ours, we, how I feel, what I think, what I like, what I get. That is not a GOSPEL song. That is a secular song by definition. When a song says something like; For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, when things go wrong, He'll make them right, and the God of the good times is still God in the bad times, the God of the day is still God in the night. Or if a song says; Oh I love that old cross, where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.....these are songs about HHHHIIIIMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!! That my friend is Gospel! Drums or no drums, electric or acoustic, slow, medium or fast....If it's about HIM then it is by definition, GOSPEL.
I personally like what is known as southern gospel, I even like stuff that is almost country gospel. I also like some modern black soul gospel. But THIS IS MY "PREFERENCE" NOT MY "BELIEFS"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just for the fun of it let me show you another angle on this. In many of the old traditional Hymns whenever you and I were mentioned, we were mentioned in a negative light. Look at Amazing Grace where we are "a wretch like me" and "I once was lost" and "was blind". When we are mentioned in the old hymns, we are mentioned in a song that is ABOUT HIM and we are small, and sinners and wretched and, He reached WAY DOWN for me, "I was lost and UNDONE". BUT in these modern "secular christian songs", sometimes called contemporary christian music, WE ARE THE HEROS OF THE SONG. It's about our feelings and our strength and what WE CAN DO for God and His kingdom and OUR peace and OUR joy and so on. As if we are blessing God and doing Him this great favor by allowing Him to save us.
So a true Gospel song by definition is about HIM not US and when we are mentioned we should be mentioned in the light of HIM which would DEMOTE us not PROMOTE us. And Praise is for something that someone has done but Worship is only reserved for something that someone IS! Thus only God can and should be worshipped and thus God starts Exodus chapter 20 with a long command and explanation of how we are to NEVER WORSHIP anyone or anything but Him.
I REALLY HOPE THIS HELPS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. LOVE AND PRAYERS.
Your humble servant,
Rev. D. Todd Sloggett
#1 Praise versus worship. They are similar and they overlap as well. But try to look at it this way. Praise is giving credit for something that someone has DONE. Worship is giving credit for something that someone IS. Very close but different. Example: I can praise you for being a good guitarist or a fast runner. That is something that you have DONE. But you NEVER deserve worship because you ARE only human. God on the other hand deserves both praise and worship. I PRAISE you God for saving me, I PRAISE you God for healing me, I PRAISE you God for helping me. These are things He has DONE. But I also WORSHIP you God because you are God, you are Holy, you are loving and just. These are not things that He has DONE these are just things that He IS. So this is your difference between praise and worship. You praise your children. You do not worship your children. You praise AND worship God. As a matter of fact God can praise us to an extent by approving of us and blessing us but of course it is based on what we have DONE. Salvation is NOT merited but praise is. But GOD CANNOT WORSHIP! The bible speaks of two immutable things, and then it says it is impossible for God to lie. It seems to refer that the fact cannot be changed that there are two things that God cannot do. Lying implies of course that God cannot sin. But what is the other thing? I have always thought about it and the best I can come up with is this. God cannot sin and God cannot worship. To worship is TO BE IN AWE OF SOMETHING GREATER THAN YOURSELF. This is why we cannot worship each other because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God and it is also why we can worship God, because we are in awe of how much greater He is than us, BUT God cannot be in awe of anything greater than Himself! No such thing exists.
#2 Music styles. You seem to refer to a difference in music styles without ever really getting to the exact point. But you make enough of the right references that I think I see what you are trying to get out of this. There are a lot of terms being thrown around out there like, Gospel, Southern Gospel, Contemporary, Christian Rock, Old Time Hymns, etc etc. These are genres or styles and (watch me real close right here) these are not what I am all that concerned with. Of course, anything that leans toward a sound that has for decades been expressly used for the world and it's vices are going to end up causing a problem. But you must remember that ALL modern music came out of Christian Music. I know some people will question that but don't forget that the first song ever recorded in the history of the world was the song that Miriam and Moses sang about the horse and the rider being swallowed up after God shut the red sea passage when the Egyptians were chasing the Israelites etc. So if that was the FIRST song ever and all other songs sprang out of that then....well you see where I am going. So if all music morphed out of Christian music then it all has roots in Christian music so it all will have some ability to sound like something similar to Christian music at some version of it or another. Here is my point. I really don't care "doctrinally" so much what your music SOUNDS LIKE. I care what it SAYS. More importantly I care WHO IT'S ABOUT. Who it's about is how we decide if this is Christian music or secular music. It doesn't matter if it says Jesus, or God or Church or Heaven or anything else. It only matters who it's about and how it's about them. GOSPEL music is about GOD!!! Secular music is about ME! Example: If these are the words to a "christian song"; I want to go to heaven, I feel so much better when Jesus is around, I am having a hard day so I need to pray so that I can have strength.....THAT SONG IS ABOUT MMEEEEEEEE!!! I, me my, mine, us, ours, we, how I feel, what I think, what I like, what I get. That is not a GOSPEL song. That is a secular song by definition. When a song says something like; For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, when things go wrong, He'll make them right, and the God of the good times is still God in the bad times, the God of the day is still God in the night. Or if a song says; Oh I love that old cross, where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.....these are songs about HHHHIIIIMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!! That my friend is Gospel! Drums or no drums, electric or acoustic, slow, medium or fast....If it's about HIM then it is by definition, GOSPEL.
I personally like what is known as southern gospel, I even like stuff that is almost country gospel. I also like some modern black soul gospel. But THIS IS MY "PREFERENCE" NOT MY "BELIEFS"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just for the fun of it let me show you another angle on this. In many of the old traditional Hymns whenever you and I were mentioned, we were mentioned in a negative light. Look at Amazing Grace where we are "a wretch like me" and "I once was lost" and "was blind". When we are mentioned in the old hymns, we are mentioned in a song that is ABOUT HIM and we are small, and sinners and wretched and, He reached WAY DOWN for me, "I was lost and UNDONE". BUT in these modern "secular christian songs", sometimes called contemporary christian music, WE ARE THE HEROS OF THE SONG. It's about our feelings and our strength and what WE CAN DO for God and His kingdom and OUR peace and OUR joy and so on. As if we are blessing God and doing Him this great favor by allowing Him to save us.
So a true Gospel song by definition is about HIM not US and when we are mentioned we should be mentioned in the light of HIM which would DEMOTE us not PROMOTE us. And Praise is for something that someone has done but Worship is only reserved for something that someone IS! Thus only God can and should be worshipped and thus God starts Exodus chapter 20 with a long command and explanation of how we are to NEVER WORSHIP anyone or anything but Him.
I REALLY HOPE THIS HELPS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. LOVE AND PRAYERS.
Your humble servant,
Rev. D. Todd Sloggett
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