Fictional Christian Music

The other day I was singing a song, actually it was probably several weeks. You know, how a song just sticks in your brain and you sing it over and over and over throughout the day. You just cannot get it out of your head. Sometimes, I cannot remember all the words so I make them up as I need to so I can keep going. At age 76 my voice is still strong. I just don’t have any other place to sing but at home. My dogs love for me to sing. They wag their tails and must think that I am singing to them. It makes them happy and sometimes I think I am just going to the dogs in my life (old metaphor)

Anyway, I had this song rattling around in my head and while I was singing it (pretending that I was in Carnegie Hall) and I had an “oops moment.” It hit me like a lightening strike. Wait a minute, I said to myself, is it alright to sing about a fictionalized moment that seemed to be joyful but it was a made up story.

Let me explain. Here are some of the words: “I was guilty with nothing to say. They were coming to take me away. But then a voice from Heaven was heard that said, ‘Let him go and take Me instead’. I should have been crucified. I should have suffered and died. I should have hung on that cross in disgrace, but Jesus, God’s Son took my place.”

I love that song. I’ve sung it many times in churches, but all of a sudden, it hit me, that is not a true account of my life. I understand the essence of the story, but it is untrue. So, my question to myself was, is it wrong to sing fictional music. Music with fictional words. Even though they are a picture of something that demonstrated all that my Savior did for me, dying in my place, still it was a false picture.

So there I was. Stuck with a dilemma. What’s the answer?

I do not know if I have the right answer but I have a good idea of what our music as a follower of Christ ought to be. All music should glorify God and praise Him for what He has done for us. That’s simple enough. Words from Scripture passages make for a great musical presentation. Music ought to be, for the most part, praise and adoration for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, in the Old Testament there are many songs. The Book of Psalms is the largest collection but there are many others. So we can get a glimpse of what they should be. Songs can be written about a battle we’ve gone through, or a wonderful experience we had which glorifies God, but I think they ought to be true stories, not pulp fiction.

Does that make sense or not? Let me know what you think. Email: KenLewisThD@gmail.com

God bless,

Ken