One of my biggest hang-ups about worship is that it’s cheesy. I long for more depth and complexity in the songs. They’re often trite and predictable. I long for authenticity and not just the sing-songy melodies that always seem to accompany worship songs.
And yet, I’m finding that sometimes those songs fit perfectly.
A few months back, I went to a funeral for one of my residents. I shared recently that I work in a retirement facility, and one of the sad parts of the job is the unavoidable death. I sat in one of the back pews with a co-worker, and I realized too late that I had neglected to bring tissues. She fumbled through her purse and found two. I tried to ration it, knowing I only had one for the entire service. The thing was soggy within two minutes.
Family members stood up and shared stories, while a slide show set to music showed my resident in her earlier years. A nephew stood up, acoustic guitar in hand, and performed “I Can Only Imagine,” a song that I feel has been vastly overdone. Suddenly, it was no longer cheeseball. It fit perfectly.
A church employee stepped to the piano and performed a beautiful rendition of a Chris Tomlin song. Chris Tomlin, although a good musician and songwriter, is one of the most overplayed Christian artists, in my opinion. Therefore, I usually roll my eyes when his songs are done. Yet, once again, at this memorial service, it fit perfectly and even brought more tears to my eyes.
Christian and worship music is cheesy. I’m finding that sometimes it’s okay. Sometimes the simple, cheeseball songs bring comfort that is desperately needed.
Question: Has there ever been a time when a song you thought was cheesy or overrated was suddenly perfect?