Whoa on the Whoas

Until I gave my life to the Lord in 1991, I didn’t have much appreciation for contemporary Christian music. During the 1980s I worked at roller rinks that had a Christian Skate Night. Most of the songs I heard then sounded lame and outdated compared to the secular stuff I loved so much. 

Although there’s now a greater variety of quality Christian music to listen to, I’ve noticed an increasing number of songs with the repeated syllables "oh" and “whoa.” Two Sundays ago I watched a worship service online. During which many “whoas” were sung. They were even added to the Delirious classic “Majesty (Here I Am)”, which doesn’t have “whoas” in the original recording. 

I don’t want to be critical of brethren who put their hearts into worshipping the Lord. Still, I’m turned off by the excessive usage of these filler syllables. Can you imagine praying with a bunch of “whoas”? (“Father God…Whoa Whoa”)

The word whoa is also a command to make a horse stop or slow down. May I suggest Christian singers and songwriters put a whoa on the “whoas” for a while? It’s become a cliché causing otherwise anointed songs to sound too much alike. How about singing in the Spirit more or coming up with additional Bible-based lyrics? I believe those things would be a greater blessing to the Lord…and to His people.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” - Colossians 3:16

Sing to the Lord…a Secular Song

One of the biggest reasons I resisted Christianity during my youth was because of preachers crusading against secular rock music. I remember hearing one minister in particular who recommended listening exclusively to Christian rock and gospel music. This led me to believe God only approved of songs that made reference to Him. Later I learned there are two books in the Bible (Esther and Song of Solomon) that don’t mention God’s name at all.

Certainly we must be cautious of the words we allow to go into our ears. Jesus said in Mark 4:24, “Take heed what you hear.” Nowadays I avoid listening to most of today’s hits because of the increasing amount of profanity in the lyrics. There are currently two songs in Billboard’s Top 20 that have the F-word in its title. Shockingly, one of them (by rapper Cee-Lo Green) is up for two major Grammy awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year!

Nevertheless, secular songs can be used by the Lord to minister to people. I attended services at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship where the worship band played classic rock hits like “Love Is All Around” and “All Right Now” but sang them to the Lord. The same thing was done at a conference in Atlanta, Georgia with the Black Eyed Peas’ smash “I Gotta Feeling.” Another church I visited in Pensacola, Florida modified the second verse of the James Brown classic “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by singing, “I feel nice...because of Christ.” Liverpool, England native John Scotland often sings Beatles songs while ministering when the lyrics fit in with a topic he’s talking about.

Yesterday I met a couple that has a house church in Texas. The wife started talking about the old Eagles song “Desperado” and how the lyrics could describe someone running away from the Lord. That prompted me to find the song on YouTube and play it on my laptop computer. This woman started weeping and interceding as the presence of God came upon her.

Don’t let religious people sell you the idea that all secular music is of the devil. God is the true author of artistic works and can put His anointing on anything used for His glory.

“The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” - Psalm 24:1