Repetition In Song

[Ryan&Amber2013]

So the other night, I was looking at some worship videos, and I ended up clicking on a video of a church that basically sang a verse and a chorus on repeat for 28 minutes. I've never really heard justification for that practice until seeing that video. How would you respond to this:

The lady said that if we are thinking eternally, we won't be quick to move on to something else. That eternally, like we see the worship in Revelation on repeat saying "holy holy holy", we as a church need to practice taking time to dwell on something, and not be quick to move on to something else. I'm trying to figure out where she may be right, or where her errors are in this perspective. Thank you!

 

[Jake]

I think the simplest answer is to look to the Psalms and other Scriptural songs for what worship song should be. Irrespective of whether you are an exclusive Psalmist, it seems looking to the inspired songs God has given us to worship should help to answer what should our songs look like. You can't say choruses or repeating a certain line is necessarily a problem if it is done in Psalm 136. However, there are not a lot of other similar Psalms, and even in Psalm 136 that repeats "His love endures forever" so many times we of course also find a lot of other content. It also has time to tell a story of redemption.

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

I think the simplest answer is to look to the Psalms and other Scriptural songs for what worship song should be. Irrespective of whether you are an exclusive Psalmist, it seems looking to the inspired songs God has given us to worship should help to answer what should our songs look like. You can't say choruses or repeating a certain line is necessarily a problem if it is done in Psalm 136. However, there are not a lot of other similar Psalms, and even in Psalm 136 that repeats "His love endures forever" so many times we of course also find a lot of other content. It also has time to tell a story of redemption.

This is a really good thought, and I totally agree with this. So would you say it would be unwise to continuously repeat something to God in worship? Are the elders and the living creatures examples setting a pattern for us? Or is this something completely different not involving the way we should or will worship? Thanks!

 

[Ben Zartman]

This is a really good thought, and I totally agree with this. So would you say it would be unwise to continuously repeat something to God in worship? Are the elders and the living creatures examples setting a pattern for us? Or is this something completely different not involving the way we should or will worship? Thanks!

Not sure if it would be unwise, but it would weary my soul to just sing a line over and over for 28 minutes. We are creatures of flesh and blood in unglorified bodies: the singers in Heaven are not, and time no doubt passes differently for them, and their needs are different from ours. Perhaps I have too little attention span, or too much, but over-repetitive songs just gall, and I find myself disengaging rather than attending to the words.

 

[Eyedoc84]

If the question is why? and the answer is “because we…” then that’s the wrong answer. What has God prescribed? is where we start.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

In effect, singing words, or a line of a song, over and over is unintelligible, and we are supposed to convey doctrinal truths in song. We’re speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, ie conveying truths and praying these songs together, etc. We sing praises to God in real sentences with nouns and verbs, actually saying things to him and to each other about him. It’s a false view of worship that would have us chanting words or a thought over and over and over- there is nothing in the Bible of the sort.

 

[Wonderkins]

In my experience the only churches that do that are pentecostal and ultra charismatic. And being 28 minutes makes me wonder if it was from bethel redding. Possibly with the lights down and maybe smoke. Am I anywhere close?

Most of my life was in pentecostal churches. And these extended music sessions only lead to ridiculous unbiblical actions (glory clouds, screaming, trance like behaviors). Some of the most shameful things I experienced were during those times. I have yet to see this sort of thing since we left the pentecostal church.

I don't have a problem focusing on a certain subject. But I think there is a "too far" if the leader isn't careful. Our church has been singing through Psalm 119 using the 1650 split leaf, 8 verses a week. We just did our 9th set this morning. It's been fantastic.

Maybe I just jumped to a conclusion, but I get suspicious when I hear things like a 28 minute worship song. Any chance you could mention the song source?

 

[JH]

Repetition has the potential to be vain, but divinely appointed repetition is never vain.

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

In effect, singing words, or a line of a song, over and over is unintelligible, and we are supposed to convey doctrinal truths in song. We’re speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, ie conveying truths and praying these songs together, etc. We sing praises to God in real sentences with nouns and verbs, actually saying things to him and to each other about him. It’s a false view of worship that would have us chanting words or a thought over and over and over- there is nothing in the Bible of the sort.

Thank you. I definitely agree. So how would you respond to how that passage in Revelation is used, with repetition? Thanks!

 

[Wonderkins]

This is the video. 60 million views.

Yeah that's pretty much exactly what I thought it would be. The crowd is hanging on every word the lead singer said. So much that he was able to work them into a frenzy by raising his voice really loud along with the intensifying music.

The lady in red and white is, or was a staple at bethel redding for a long time. Searching her name will get you lots of this stuff.

This is hypnosis.

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

Image of Christ in username logo of the video. Please remove.

Good catch. Thanks!

 

[Joshua]

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[C4MERON]

Thank you. I definitely agree. So how would you respond to how that passage in Revelation is used, with repetition? Thanks!

The four living creatures in Revelation 4 repeated ‘Holy’ thrice. Indeed, the only attribute of God to be repeated three times in the entire bible. They were elevating His chief attribute to the superlative degree.

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

The four living creatures in Revelation 4 repeated ‘Holy’ thrice. Indeed, the only attribute of God to be repeated three times in the entire bible. They were elevating His chief attribute to the superlative degree.

Good stuff. So what about how they said the same thing constantly? Or is that only figurative and not literal?

 

[Taylor]

The four living creatures in Revelation 4 repeated ‘Holy’ thrice.

The Majority Text has it nine times.

 

[arapahoepark]

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Reminds me of techno or a Talking Heads song...

 

[Alan D. Strange]

To augment Trent's observations...

Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams, and other minimalists phone home!

Peace,
Alan

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Thank you. I definitely agree. So how would you respond to how that passage in Revelation is used, with repetition? Thanks!

I’m not sure how to answer further but I guess to clarify, my response to what the lady said would be that contrary to her argument, we have to look to what God has said in the Scripture for guidance on what we’re to “take time to dwell on” in public worship. If she were advocating private meditation on the passage, that would be fine, but she’s promoting a practice for public (and maybe private and family) practice in worship. *Edited because my wording was poor; better to say that it wouldn't be fine to promote any kind of chanting over and over of a word or phrase, including in private; that's nonsensical. But to meditate on the holiness of God is very good.

 

[C4MERON]

Good stuff. So what about how they said the same thing constantly? Or is that only figurative and not literal?

I’ll let you decide that brother

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

Thank you all for your replies! I'm grateful for you all. I hope you never grow tired of sharing your thoughts. They are valuable.