Month: August 2022

Contributed by A. Merril Smoak, Jr., Dean of the Jubilee School

If you Google the adjective “abandoned” you will find two definitions:

1. having been deserted or cast off – “an abandoned car”
2. unrestrained; uninhibited – “a wild, abandoned dance”

This article will reflect on the second definition as it relates to the Old Testament story of King David recorded in 2 Samuel, chapter 6.

The phrase “a wild, abandoned dance” immediately reminds us of the story of King David dancing before the Lord as the Ark of the Covenant is brought into the ancient city of Jerusalem. His dancing before the Lord can certainly be described as “unrestrained” and “uninhibited.” This celebration event is recorded in chapter 6 of 2 Samuel. Here are the key verses:

5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, …

14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

21 David said to Michal, “… I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.”

This was a joyous event that demanded a huge celebration. The Ark of God, the box overlaid with gold that contained the original Ten Commandment stone tablets, was being brought into David’s city Jerusalem. King David led the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the celebration by dancing before the Lord “with all his might.” This phrase “with all his might” suggests that the King was “unrestrained” and “uninhibited” in his dance before the Lord. It was a “wild, abandoned dance.”

That David was not intimidated or worried about what others thought of his dancing is reflected in his response to the criticism by Saul’s daughter Michal. Notice his twofold response to Michal’s criticism:

1. “It was before the Lord” and “I will celebrate before the Lord”
2. “I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.”

His dancing was worship directed to God during this time of celebration. He was not concerned with what others thought about his worship actions. Reflecting on this story worship leader Matt Redman shares these thoughts:

Going back to that day in Jerusalem, the dancing King David was totally consumed with God and unaware of himself. He didn’t care who was watching or what they might think. He was an adoring heart, worshipping with all his might.

That’s what King David’s frenzied dancing was all about. It wasn’t a show; nor was it just adrenaline or hype. It was an overflow of the abundance of love for God that was in his heart.^[1]

Amen!

But we must also remember that King David was leading in worship. His wild abandoned dance before the Lord was an example for others to follow. Are you a worship leader? Do you lead a group of people in singing praises to God? Please remember that people are watching and hopefully following your worship actions.

Will our worship this coming Sunday be an overflow of the abundance of love for God that is in our hearts?[2] Maybe we should follow David’s example and think about these adjectives as we prepare for worship this coming Sunday:

unrestrained & uninhibited – “a wild, abandoned dance”

May all of our worship be like this “with all our might.”

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• ^{[1] Redman, Matt, The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming Back to the Heart of Worship (Ventura: Regal Books, 2001), 47.?}
• ^{[2] Ibid.?}

Contributed by A. Merril Smoak, Jr., Dean of the Jubilee School

If you Google the adjective “abandoned” you will find two definitions:

1. having been deserted or cast off – “an abandoned car”
2. unrestrained; uninhibited – “a wild, abandoned dance”

This article will examine the first definition of “abandoned” as it relates to hymns, praise choruses, and contemporary praise & worship music. Abandoned: Part 2 will examine the second definition of “abandoned” as it relates to the Old Testament story of King David found in 2 Samuel, chapter 6.

In thinking about the word “abandoned” in relation to our Christian hymns I wrote these words back in 1988:

Growing numbers of our congregations are abandoning the hymnal and singing only praise choruses; others use a combination of both. Are these praise choruses merely a passing fad, or are some of them destined to become a part of our hymnic repertoire?^[1]

Yes, during the 1970’s and 1980’s there was a growing trend in worship music to “abandon” and “cast off” the use of traditional hymns and replace them with praise choruses and the emerging contemporary praise & worship songs. This trend was both good and unfortunate. In a good way praise choruses such as “Seek Ye First” (1972), “Jesus, Name Above All Names” (1974), “Glorify Thy Name” (1976), and “In My Life, Lord, Be Glorified” (1978) ushered in a refreshing musical change for the youth and young adults that were becoming Christians. Accompanied by acoustic guitars these simple praise choruses were often based upon scripture and were easy to learn. In the 1980’s the praise & worship movement got its start with familiar worship songs such as “Majesty” (1981), “How Majestic Is Your Name” (1981), and culminated in 1989 with “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High.” These new praise & worship songs were also a refreshing musical change that helped us re-focus our attention on the importance of worship. This change continued into the 1990’s with popular contemporary praise & worship songs such as “Shout to the Lord” (1994). Unfortunately, in many places of worship, our rich treasury of traditional hymns and gospel hymns were abandoned for the new praise choruses and contemporary worship music. It was even suggested in some locations that your church would not grow if you did not replace hymn singing with these new worship songs.

In reality, hymns were never totally abandoned. Some churches in the 1980’s and 1990’s continued to sing only hymns while some churches blended together the singing of hymns, praise choruses, and contemporary praise & worship songs. But a change was coming that would breathe new life into abandoned hymns. Contemporary worship leaders such as David Crowder and Chris Tomlin began to arrange and record hymns in the new contemporary praise & worship musical style. Here are some examples:

• “Come Thou Fount”
• David Crower, “All I Can Say” album (1999)
• “The Wonderful Cross (When I survey the wondrous cross)”

Chris Tomlin, “The Noise We Make” album (2001)

• “All Creatures of Our God and King”

David Crowder, “Can You Hear Us? album (2002)

• “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”

Chris Tomlin, “See the Morning” album (2006)

These hymns were revived with new chords, musical refrains (bridges), and worship band accompaniment. Today one of the most popular and often sung revived hymns is Edward Mote’s (1797-1874) early 19th century hymn “My hope is built on nothing less” also known by the title “The Solid Rock”:

• “Cornerstone (My hope is built on nothing less)”
• Hillsong Worship, “Cornerstone” album (2012)

Unfortunately, the praise choruses of the 1970’s and the early praise & worship songs of the 1980’s have largely passed from common use in today’s worship services. Although, these worship songs are very much remembered and cherished by the Baby Boomer generation. There is one praise & worship song from the 1980’s that is still being sung today by Christians around the world: “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High”^[2] published by Maranatha Music in 1989 has not been abandoned. I believe that this worship song has not been cast off because the lyrics clearly state the Gospel story of Jesus, our Lord and Savior:

You came from heaven to earth to show the way,
From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay,
From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky,
Lord I lift Your name on high.^[3]
Amen!

Here is another reality. There is no need to “abandon” or “cast off” traditional hymns, praise choruses, or contemporary praise & worship songs for new types and styles of worship songs that will be written in the future. As worship leaders today we have the joy and opportunity to choose the best of these worship song genres and lead our people in lifting the Lord’s name on high. May we sing with “unrestrained” and “uninhibited” abandonment to our Lord!

Lord I lift Your name on high,
Lord I love to sing Your praises,
I’m so glad You’re in my life,
I’m so glad You came to save us.^[4]

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• ^{[1] Smoak, Jr., A. Merril, “From the Gospel hymn to the Praise Chorus: Considerations for the New Baptist Hymnal,” Southern Baptist Music Journal, Volume, 5, 1988.?}
• ^{[2] Founds, Rick, Lord, I Lift Your Name on High, Maranatha Music, 1989.?}
• ^{[3] Ibid.?}
• ^{[4] Ibid.?}