I'm Desperate For You: Male Perception of Romantic Lyrics in Contemporary Worship Music Keith Drury

Increasingly Human Jesus “Jesus is both divine and human, fully 100% God and 100% man at the same time.” (55) Need balance of emphasis Romantic-leaning lyrics are not new. “Almost 300 years ago Charles Wesley penned ‘Jesus lover of my soul/ let me to thy bosom fly.’” (56)

“Christians today seem to picture Jesus as more human (and more male) than in the past. The human mind works visually. When we sing a song to Jesus, what visual symbol pops up in the mind, if any at all? Could it be that a song directed to Jesus in 1941 prompted a different imagination than one sung today?” (55)

The Survey POSITIVE RESPONSE 1/3 of males interviewed said nothing about romantic overtones. One response: “I feel like Jesus is my comforter and friend and the one I seek when I’m going through a rough time.” (59) “More than half the young adult males switched Persons of the Trinity in their responses.” (59)

“Is it possible that males feel more comfortable using romantic language when applied to their relationship with God the Father than Jesus Christ?” (60)

The Survey NEGATIVE RESPONSE unrelated to Romantic Overtones Condemned shallowness and subjectivity of lyrics One Response: “Honestly, it seems very emotional and lacking in content.” (60) “Several remarked that such phrases are ‘too me-focused’ or ‘all about I, me, and my.’” (60)

The Survey NEGATIVE RESPONSE related to Romantic Overtones 1/4 of male students mentioned this concern Responses:“Some of these songs make me sound like I want to make out with Jesus and that thought is revolting to me.” (61) “It’s almost more of a conversation between two lovers than between a sinner and their Savior… I feel awkward singing these kinds of things though I usually go along when we do.” (61) “Sometimes when we sing those songs my mind wanders to thinking about my girlfriend and I start applying the words to our relationship instead of a spiritual one with God.” (61)

“To what extent do romantic-erotic lyrics in worship trigger interpersonal human feelings that are romantic or erotic?” (61)

The Survey AUTHENTICITY RESPONSE 5 students interviewed “…felt like hypocrites singing these lyrics.” (62) One Response: “God is not my whole heart’s desire- I have many competing desires, and when I sing phrases like these I feel like I’m being a hypocrite and not telling the truth.” (62)

CONCLUSION Perhaps There Is No Problem “…using romantic motifs as expressions of our relationship with God is legitimate and biblical.” (62) “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready.” -Revelation 19:7 (Matthew 22:1-14; Ephesians 5:1-2, 22-33; John 14:1-3)

CONCLUSION Select Songs That Include the Father “At least some males seem to respond more positively to devotional-romantic phrases when they are applied to the Father as divinity.” (63)

CONCLUSION Develop More Corporate Love Lyrics “It is a sound biblical idea in the following way: the church is the bride of Christ, our lover, and we are all headed for a marriage supper of the Lamb. But it is the group that is betrothed to Jesus, not each of us as individuals.” (63)

CONCLUSION De-emphasize Songs with Explicitly Erotic Nuances “Our culture is so sexualized, with much of our media humor riding on sexual double entendre, that we cannot ignore lyrics loaded with these meanings.” (64)

“In what ways do non-Christian secularists see such lyrics differently than Christians?” (64)

“How might the Jesus-as-the-ideal-man affect women in their human relationships with other men?” (64)

“We always have people who are bothered by some of our music or lyrics “We always have people who are bothered by some of our music or lyrics. The question for us is how many it takes to make a problem.” (64)