One of the Hebrew words for praise is hallal. Hallal means to be clamorously foolish before the Lord. In 2 Samuel 6:21-22 we read about David's worship before the Lord as the ark was entering Jerusalem. Speaking to his wife David said, "I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." As far as David was concerned, there was no such thing as "foolish" worship.
As my kids were preparing for school this morning, the TV was on Teen Nick. The rule in our house is that the TV doesn't come on unless the kids are fully prepared to walk out the door. In other words, breakfast has to be eaten, backpacks have to be ready, kids are fully dressed, and teeth are brushed. While I don't mind some of the early morning shows on Teen Nick, there are some videos that are played in between shows that normally cause me to turn the channel. Today we had one of those mornings. I don't know the song or the artist that was being played but the lyrics upset me. Teen programming...playing a song that says something about "going all the way tonight" with "no regrets." Is this what we want our teens singing?
Maybe you are facing the same dilemma that I face in the home. I'm raising a 10 yr. old boy and a 12 (almost 13) yr. old girl. While they normally listen to Christian music - much of it their choice - there are times we have to decide if certain secular musicians or songs are acceptable. Because my children are young, there may even be a struggle over listening to the right kind of music. We didn't struggle in our decision this morning. We just turned the channel. Period! No discussion. But what has dominated my thinking is the idea of capturing the hearts of our children for the Lord.
Modern secular music has the sound our kids want to hear, the style that our kids want to have, and all the publicity. I understand this because I am a huge fan of music. There was a time in my life when I could tell you everything you wanted to know about the most popular bands and songs. My kids have this same appreciation and thankfully they have a much stronger moral filter than I had in those days. However, even with a solid foundation and good convictions my children can still be drawn away in this area of music. How can we possibly compete?
Music is often associated with events in our life. There are certain songs that cause memories to flood my mind. What if our children learn to associate Christian music with true and genuine worship? I love the idea that when my kids hear certain songs that they see their mom or dad worshiping God with all their heart. During praise and worship at PBC, we sing a song that says "The whole is filled with your glory..." Our bass player has told me that she cannot play that song without hearing me shout. There is just something about the song and the thought that is conveyed that causes me to "hallal" - be clamorously foolish. When we sing "Days of Elijah" I find myself (at times) jumping up and down singing to the top of my lungs "There's no god like Jehovah!" Some people may think that is foolish or undignified but I'm willing to become even more undignified than this.
I want every parent in the room to pay attention to what I am saying. If we cannot allow ourselves to truly worship God through praise and worship - our kids will follow. But if we don't mind becoming clamorously foolish for the glory of God then our kids won't mind either. We need to understand that worship not only captures the heart of God but it captures the hearts of our children as well. The only way we can hope to see them drawn to music that is edifying is when they see that this music is more than music.
This is actually the problem we face in many churches. Worship becomes more about the style of music rather than the Source of life. Our kids will face the same problem. Is it going to be a choice about style or substance? Are they going to listen to what simply appeals to their ears or something that reminds them of a time that they (or their parents) were swept away by the glory of God?
I'm ready to be clamorously foolish before God!
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