SONGWRITING
A GATEWAY TO WONDER | Kevin MacDougall
Let ’ s imagine a songwriting prompt that goes something like this : Write a song for congregational worship , and imbue it with your current doubts , the things you don ’ t understand , and the things you wonder . Then , invite a congregation to sing it with you .
It ’ s a tough ask , I know .
These are subjects that , though common to ancient worship , are fairly nonexistent in the mainstream worship of today . Bearing that in mind , and with the ongoing aim of “ singing a new song ,” I am committed to looking in some new directions for inspiration and movement in 2021 , and I invite you to join me in that pursuit .
THE NAKED TRUTH What we are normalized to - especially in a congregational setting - is thinking that we need to present God with our certainty . That , in our singing , we must primarily provide space for all of the ultimate answers , and that we must always sing from the perspective of
a correct destination . And yet the Bible itself stands in contrast to this narrow , constrained approach to artistry and dialog with God . The Bible , it turns out , is full of questions , longing , even doubts and disbelief . And that includes its “ worship songs .” From David ’ s uncertainty , and his cries for justice and relief , to the prophetic laments of “ How long , oh Lord ?” None of these things are kept from the pages of scripture . Rather , they are celebrated .
Which leads me to genuinely wonder : Could we today ever earnestly write about our doubts ? Could we utilize the language of song to air our current struggles and uncertainties in an environment of loving fellowship ? What if we gave space to the things we ’ re in the middle of without instantly having to pivot to the ease of what comes next ? What if we allowed that deeper part of who we are to be known without immediately retreating to the safety of platitudes and certainty ? What if we let go of the pressure to present only the shiny exterior , and allowed our songs to show more of our humanity ?
That would take courage .
It is understandable that we might fear the naked truth . We ’ re concerned that we would be viewed as dangerous . To be exposed would be like getting caught not being polished and presentable , and as worship songwriters , it is understood that we must be polished and presentable . If people were to hear the art we would create apart from this fear , we would feel cornered .
But we have many friends who have walked this path before us .
SITTING WITH LAUGHTER Not all doubt or uncertainty is of the brooding , solemn variety . There is a favorite story of mine in Genesis 18 that illustrates this perfectly . In the passage , Abraham and Sarah are visited by the LORD , who says to Abraham that he will return in a year , and that Sarah will have a son .
Hearing this , Sarah laughs , since both she