The Message in the Music: Studying Contemporary Praise and Worship - Edited by Robert Woods and Brian Walrath

This book consists of a collection of essays that evaluate, analyze, and critique the 77 songs that appear most frequently on the Top 25 praise and worship song lists as reported by Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) between 1989 and 2005. Since these songs, by virtue of their popularity, have such a profound influence on our spiritual formation, it is well worth the time and effort to consider what these songs have to say about the great themes of the Christian faith.

The current weaknesses in CWM include: the relative absence of Trinitarian language in regard to our understanding and experience of God, the loss of recounting God's story, a low regard for the church, an over-reliance on romantic ideals in our language of intimacy in worship, the lack of a social justice vision, and relatively few songs about human pain and suffering - these are all problematic in the large scope of Christian faith and practice. For my extended summary and reflections, click HERE.