Have you ever heard Martina McBride’s Independence Day at a patriotic event? Or Bruno Mars’ Marry You at a wedding?
Words matter and so do song lyrics. Independence Day is actually about getting out of a bad relationship (nothing patriotic), and Marry You is about getting drunk, heading to Vegas, and divorcing in the morning (definitely nothing romantic!). But the vibes are there. So, what about worship vibes?
If people are lifting their hands and singing out, is it worship? Do they know what the song is about? Do they know if it’s even theologically accurate? Or is the amazing band manipulating the room (intentionally or unintentionally)? People get goose bumps, maybe cry. Does that mean it is worship?
Of course, it’s possible to worship without understanding the words because of what’s in your heart, but wouldn’t it be better to understand? I think people just don’t pay attention to lyrics anymore. Whether it was hymns that we sang often and had the hymnal with lyrics in front of us or we were unfolding the lyrics and liner notes from our newest cassette tape, it seems like we used to pay more attention to the words.
Now, there’s new music every week at church and we download or stream music without lyrics and we lose that opportunity to soak in the words. The worship team has been living with the songs, so they express the feelings, but I think we owe it to ourselves and to God to pay attention.
Little JAM Sessions is working toward creating a shift, starting with the littles. By writing songs for preschool-ages kidmin choirs and providing curriculum surrounding it, we are helping littles know and understand what they are singing about. With Little JAM Sessions kidmin choir curriculum, you have Bible lessons and crafts and take-home activities that help littles understand the lyrics and their relevance to life with Jesus.
For information on the importance of understanding the words in music, check out Now, I Know My ABCs
Music and literacy go hand-in-hand. Littles learn a lot about literacy through music. For information on the benefits of music on developing literacy, check out these:
- Impact of Music on Literacy Development
- How Music Grows Reading Skills
- The Magic of Music in Early Literacy
- How Music and Reading Work Together
- Music Training Can Be a Literacy Superpower
Let’s keep littles learning. Let’s teach them about words and meaning. And let’s teach them about worship!
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