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THE MESSAGE IN THE MUSIC
STUDYING CONTEMPORARY PRAISE AND WORSHIP
Copyright © 2007 by Abingdon Press
All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
ISBN 978-0-687-64564-0
All scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright
1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations noted NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked TNIV are taken from the Holy Bible, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 2001, 2005 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of the
International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968,
1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
BECAUSE HE LIVES Words by William J. and Gloria Gaither. Music by William J. Gaither. Coyright © 1971 William J.
Gaither, Inc. All rights controlled by Gaither Copyright Management. Used by permission.
SURELY THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IS IN THIS PLACE Words and Music by Lanny Wolfe. Copyright © 1977
Lanny Wolfe ASCAP. All rights controlled by Gaither Copyright Management. Used by permission.
How Can We Name a Love
Words: Brian Wren
© 1975, rev. 1995 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Selected lyrics from “Our God Reigns” © 1974, 1978 New Jerusalem Music.
SHINE JESUS SHINE © 1987 Make Way Music (admin. by Music Services in the Western Hemisphere) All Rights
Reserved. ASCAP. Used by permission.
AS THE DEER© 1984 Maranatha Praise, Inc. (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.) All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
DRAW ME CLOSE © 1994 MERCY/VINEYARD PUBLISHING (ASCAP) ADMIN. IN NORTH AMERICA BY MUSIC
SERVICES o/b/o VINEYARD MUSIC USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
BREATHE © 1995 MERCY/VINEYARD PUBLISHING (ASCAP) ADMIN. IN NORTH AMERICA BY MUSIC SERVICES o/b/o VINEYARD MUSIC USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
© The United Methodist Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
INTRODUCTION - Robert Woods and Brian Walrath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1. HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD: The Trinity in Contemporary
Christian Worship Music - Lester Ruth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2. I COULD SING OF YOUR LOVE FOREVER: American
Romance in Contemporary Worship Music - Jenell Williams Paris . . . . . . . . 43
3. I’M DESPERATE FOR YOU: Male Perception of Romantic
Lyrics in Contemporary Worship Music - Keith Drury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4. LET THE WEAK SAY I AM STRONG: Contemporary Worship Music
and God’s Concern for Righteousness and Social Justice - Jay Howard . . . . 65
5. TRADING MY SORROWS: Worshiping God in the Darkness
—The Expression of Pain and Suffering in Contemporary Worship
Music - Wendy J. Porter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
6. WE HAVE COME INTO HIS HOUSE: Kerygma, Koinonia, Leitourgia—
Contemporary Worship Music That Models the Purpose of the Church Robert Woods, Brian Walrath, and Diane Badzinski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
7. THE HEART OF WORSHIP: The Leitourgic Mode and Christian
Sanctification in Contemporary Worship Music - David Pass . . . . . . . . . . . 106
8. PRAISE THE NAME OF JESUS: Are All Praise and Worship
Songs for the Congregation? - Bert Polman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
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9. WHEN THE MUSIC FADES: The Artistic Worth of Worship Song
Melodies - Guy Jansen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
10. WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS: The Musical Styles of
the Top 77 Songs—A Historical-critical Analysis - Margaret Brady . . . . . 152
CONCLUSION: Discipleship and the Future of Contemporary
Worship Music: Possible Directions for Scholarship, Songwriting,
and Public Worship - John D. Witvliet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
SONG INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
KEY WORD AND SUBJECT INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
© The United Methodist Publishing House. All rights reserved.