worship songs

My answers to a questionnaire on Fernando’s blog (http://www.fernandogros.com/):

1. One worship song that has changed your life. Without a doubt, this is ‘And Can It be’ by Charles Wesley. Memories of my early Christian life are dominated by versions of this song with six-part harmony (at least) and the sound of the organ rattling the fixtures. Verse four, in particular, still raises the hairs on the back of my neck and a lump in my throat: ‘My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose went forth and followed Thee.’ Awesome!

2. One worship song that you rarely get tired of playing. ‘Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise’ by Steve McEwan is a ‘modern’ worship song that I think has stood the test of time. I love the words and the music (and it’s one of very few Christian songs that manage to rhyme ‘love’ and ‘above’ without sounding really naff).

3. One worship song you wish had never been written. Can’t remember exactly what it’s called or who it’s by, but I think it went something like: ‘I get so excited, Lord, every time I realise … I’m a gibbon.’ Awful, awful song.

4. Best worship experience you’ve ever had. This summer, on sabbatical at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Geneva, worshipping with 42 others from 20 different nationalities, singing simple English children’s choruses (‘cos they were pretty much the only things we all knew) and saying the Lord’s Prayer in a myriad of voices and laguages. Amazing!

5. Worship songs you wish there were more of. I always struggle to find appropriate music for my services, generally ‘cos my sermons don’t fit into the neat categories listed in the index of the worship book. I’d love to see some songs that are more narrative in nature than ‘I love you, Jesus, oooh yeah’, and more too that address contemporary issues without reverting to biblical jargon.

6. Pass it on. Your turn!