In the worship leader training I do as well as articles I write on this blog, I stress the importance of being sure the lyrics of the songs we sing in worship are theologically sound and align with the doctrine of your church. Unfortunately, there are many popular worship songs that are not very strong in their biblical foundations. As worship leaders, we have the responsibility to filter the songs we place in the hearts of the congregation to ensure that the song is a solid foundation in our people’s discipleship journey.
A resource that I have been sharing with others and using myself that does a deep dive into lyrics of most popular worship songs is TheBereanTest.com. Vince Wright evaluates the song lyrics line by line and connects them with scripture when there is a connection. He then gives a grade on a ten scale for the following areas:
- What message does the song communicate?
- How much of the lyrics line up with scripture?
- How would an outsider interpret the song?
- What does this song glorify?
Finally, he provides closing comments with a final grade score.
His treatment of each song is thorough and very insightful.
Wright says this about his site:
The Berean Test is about applying critical thinking skills to compare lyrical content from popular Christian artists against the Bible for accuracy. The name “Berean Test” comes from the book of Acts, describing the care in which the Bereans handled the Gospel message preached by the Apostle Paul.
“Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11, NASB, emphasis mine)
With the Bible as my reliable source of objective truth, I intend to thoroughly analyze every jot and tittle, read things in context, and become a student of each song I review. Through this rigorous process, and using my evaluation criteria, I will analyze the Biblical accuracy of Christian music or secular music that might have Christian significance.
I strongly recommend you make TheBereanTest.com an important part of your evaluation to determine if a song is worthy for your congregation.
Thank you, Vince Wright, for your diligent work to help our churches in this area!
