mgpcpastor's blog

A comprehensive set of notes from a seminar led by Stuart Townend, writer of How Deep The Father’s Love, In Christ Alone and other songs for worship.
Full notes available here at Loving Church.
Short notes available here at 9Marks blog.
They’re interesting as an insight into the thought and intent behind Townend’s songs, as well as helpful in thinking about the place of song in corporate worship.
Townend uses the acronym A.R.T., Adoration, Revelation and Transformation to give structure to his teaching on the subject.
Here’s one section on truth in songs:

Truth in songs
a. Teaches us theology
i. More people learn their theology through songs than through sermons
ii. More likely you leave church humming a song than reciting the sermon!
iii.So we must ask the question: what sort of picture do our songs teach us about God?
iv.Full range of the characteristics of God: not just his love, but also his justice, his holiness etc.
v. Look at 3 months worth of your songs sung in church: are you choosing songs that reflect the breadth of the character of God

b. Gives a solid foundation for living
i. Do your songs reflect the reality of the world in which we live?
ii. Look at the life of Paul… the truth speaks into the troubles of life.
1. For I know that these present sufferings..
2. Consider yourself dead to sin but alive to righteousness
iii. Songs must put the reality of the different experiences of life in the perspective of the reality of the character and promises of God.
iv. Cf Psalm 22. The struggle between the present circumstances and the knowledge of God. “Am I going to believe God’s promises or give way to the difficulties of circumstances?”
v. Jesus’ instruction sending out the 72… Luke 10:20… they are hugely excited about the experience that they have: Jesus says their joy should be grounded in the reality of the gospel not experience.

c.Tells the story
i. Faith is not rooted in dislocated ideas, but in history. We have a story to tell, and so there must be songs that tell the story.
ii. Too few songs tell the story.
iii. Story telling songs are great in evangelistic circumstances: non-Christians can sing “From the squalor of a borrowed stable” but cannot sing “I love you Lord” without lying.
Read the whole post here.