Townend, IMHO, is the finest writer of modern Christian and church music today. His song, "In Christ Alone," already is a classic. It is sung in all kinds of churches using all kinds of service formats. The reason is simple: "In Christ Alone" has a singular focus - the Lord Jesus Christ. The object of the song is clear: Christ crucified, risen, victorious.
In an interview, Townend said something which I think the church and especially those who plan worship must keep in mind: When all our songs are about how we feel and what we need, we're missing the point. There is a wonderful, omnipotent God who deserves our highest praise, and how we feel about it is in many ways irrelevant.
I want to encourage the expression of joy, passion and adoration, but I want these things to be the by-product of focusing on God - I don't want them to become the subject matter. I'm trying to write songs that refer to us as little as possible, and to Him as much as possible.
We Lutherans understand worship as something as God does for us and not about what we do for God. What joy that should bring to the heart of a believer! Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth, comes to meet us in our church to serve us. He comes and brings a Word of forgiveness and hope...He washes us with a washing that cleanses us so that we can stand before our Father...He invites us to His table to provide us a meal that draws us as close as we can be to Jesus this side of heaven.
Townend is right - the subject and object of our worship can only be the Lord. God alone can forgive sins. God alone can give us the miracle of the new birth and new life. God alone paves the way to eternity through the suffering, death and resurrection of our Savior. If the personal pronoun "I" dominates all the songs you sing in church, be concerned. As Townend says, if all the songs we sing are about how we feel and what we're going to do, we are missing the point. Worship the Lord!
