On a recent Sunday at a Southern Baptist Church, I was exposed to the song Gratitude by Brandon Lake. I was unfamiliar with both the song and the artist but the lyrics betrayed Lake’s Pentecostal background in short time. Gratitude is a song about the singer’s inability to adequately express his appreciation to God. That’s an entirely relatable feeling for Christians. God sent His only son to die for our sins while we were yet his enemies. Understanding that, Christians should be overwhelmed with gratitude. There’s just so much God has done for his people. However, Lake’s vapid lyrics don’t mention any of them.
God created us in His image. God gave mankind dominion over His creation. God gave mankind food, water, animals, spouses, and children. God provided a way for His people to be forgiven for their sins. God planned out good works for His people to carry out. God causes all things to work together for the good those who love Him. The lyrics to Lake’s song don’t mention any of them. There is not a word about forgiveness of sin or the gospel. They lyrics are as follows.
All my words fall short
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I got nothing new
How could I express
All my gratitude? I could sing these songs
As I often do
But every song must end
And You never do So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
Hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah I’ve got one response
I’ve got just one move
With my arm stretched wide
I will worship You So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
Hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah So come on, my soul
Oh, don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song
‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord Oh come on, my soul
Oh, don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song
‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord Come on, my soul
Oh, don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song
‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord, hey Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord Praise the Lord So I throw up my hands
Praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
Hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah
Is this song appropriate for corporate worship? Look around the next time a church praise team presents a song like this. How many people are actually raising their hands? This song is literally about raising your hands. That’s it. That’s the song. “I can’t figure out the words to say how thankful I am so I’m going to raise my hands in worship.”
I’m an accountant. I count things. So, when a garbage song like this emanates from a church stage, I take a look around the room while I choose not to sing it. What do I count? Other people, at least ninety percent of a room full of Christians, choosing not to sing while not raising their hands. They are just as disengaged from this pentecostal exercise as I am.
What do I mean by Pentecostal excercise? If you go to a Pentecostal or NAR church, you won’t see bored Baptists standing around waiting for the worship team to finish so they can hear a sermon from the Bible. You’ll see wild charismatics raising up their hands as they are whipped into an emotional frenzy. One such church is Bethel Church Redding in Redding, California. The hallmarks of Bethel Church are fake healings, false teachings, and popular music produced by it’s music label, Bethel Music. Bethel Music is the very label with which Brandon Lake first signed. His debut album was entitled “House of Miracles”. Yet Bethel is a House of Lies. Lake has since moved on from Bethel to join Maverick City Music. With Maverick he has partnered with more arch heretics, namely Elevation Music.
Do you really think this man knows what worship is? He makes a living out of faking it. For goodness sake look at this man:
Would your Baptist church hire a tatted up music minsiter with leopard print pants a Harley shirt to come lead God’s people in worship? No? Then why are you singing his doctrinally bereft Pentecostal jam songs? Why are you hiring music ministers who look to this man for worship material?
If the four stripe adidas poor man’s Stevie Nicks praise team ladies who talk through the sermon in the church “green room” want to listen to K-LOVE and belt out Gratitude in their cars on the way to work in the morning with one hand on the wheel and another raised to the car’s ceiling then so be it…but get Brandon Lake and his crap out of your churches.
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
