Even with contemporary praise choruses that versify or paraphrase a psalm, the response section of the text is often separated out from the indicative section, which proclaims who God is and what he as done. Thus, the focus of worship these days seems to be on what we are doing, how we are feeling, and how we intend to respond: "I just want to praise you"; "We will lift you up"; "Let's just praise the Lord"; "I am joyful," etc. But this is to separate the law from the gospel, the imperative (what we are to do) from the indicative (what God has already done, is doing, and will complete for us in Christ). Vagueness about the object of our praise inevitably leads to making our own praise the object. Praise therefore becomes and end in itself, and we are caught up in our own "worship experience" rather than in the God whose character and acts are the only proper focus.
(p. 26)
While I would consider myself in favour of contemporary Christian music as a concept, there are certain criticisms of it with which I can agree.
BTW, what do you think of the idea of posting short quotes, rather than phrasing a response myself to the arguments being made by whatever I'm currently reading?
