"Let us become like Christ, since Christ also became like us; let us become gods because of him, since he also became human. He assumed what is worse that he might give that which is better. He became poor that we through his poverty might become rich. He took the form of a slave, that we might regain freedom. He descended that we might be lifted up, he was tempted that we might be victorious, he was dishonored to glorify us, he died to save us, he ascended to draw to himself us who lay below in the Fall of sin. Let us give everything, offer everything, to the one who gave himself as a ransom and an exchange for us. But one can give nothing comparable to oneself, understanding the mystery and becoming because of him everything that he became because of us." (Oration 1.5: On Pascha and on His Slowness)
Compare this.
Perhaps it just makes me old. I'm good with that.
I find it fascinating that what I lived through in the 90s with electronic music bubbling up from the underground is now totally and completely mainstream and it has made its inroads into the church. For folks in church this is a "new" feeling; for those of us that have been there it is old school. Retro, brings a smile of times past, but is not something that I care to relive in the context of church, somehow 'sanctifying' it and giving it a Christian stamp.
This isn't to say these are bad or somehow inherently "wrong" as quite often the songs are quite enjoyable. They've got a good beat, a catchy hook and feel good lyrics. However, these songs come and go as time rolls on. I've got good memories of church songs that were popular five even ten years ago and they have no current relevance, a time capsule and snapshot of where I was at that point in my journey.
I am moving deeper in my walk and prefer something with more substance, something that speaks deeper into the nature of this walk and something that resonates in the very core of my being rather than tickling my emotions and giving me a slight buzz.
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