Bad worship songs - Another in the fire - Chris Davenport, Joel Houston

From time to to we examine the lyrics of worship songs. Our desire is not to mock or humiliate, but rather to honestly examine content with a view to calling forth a better worship expression.

With the great volume and variety of worship music available, none of us should have to settle for bad worship songs. We should be able to select hundreds or even thousands of top notch songs very easily.

What makes a song a good worship song? Is it enough to contain words like God or holy? How about vaguely spiritual sounding phrases? Should Jesus be mentioned? We think an excellent worship song should contain as many as possible of the following elements:

• A direct expression of adoration (God, you are...)
• A progression of ideas that culminates in a coherent story
• A focus on God, not us
• A certain amount of profundity
• A singable, interesting melody
• Scripture quotes or allusions to Scripture
• Doctrinal soundness

Further, a worship song should not:

1. contain lyrics that create uncertainty or cause confusion
2. be excessively metaphorical
3. be excessively repetitive
4. imply that Jesus is your boyfriend 

It's worth noting the most worship songs contain at least something good. That is, there might be a musical idea or a lyric that has merit. Such is the case with today's song "Another in the fire" (Youtube video). 

To be clear, the the song has a lot going for it. As is typical for Joel Houston songs, there is some depth and creative ways of expressing ideas. In fact, there are no egregiously offensive aspects at all. It's only the use of a single word that raises our ire: Reckoning. This word violates rule #1 above by creating uncertainty and confusion. It's not a commonly used word these days, and the colloquial use of the word is typically equated with guessing, or perhaps a educated estimation of a direction to take. The dictionary definition is

count; computation; calculation.

the settlement of accounts, as between two companies.

a statement of an amount due; bill.

an accounting, as for things received or done.

an appraisal or judgment.

Navigation. dead reckoning.

From these definitions it seems that an appraisal or judgment most closely fits what the songwriters were trying to say. From this would think that the intent is to convey a comparison between a former state as compared to evaluating the present status.

So, our point is that one should not be forced to consult a dictionary to try to discover what the songwriter was communicating. This is a congregational worship song, not a program piece. The former is an expression to God, the latter is a matter for contemplation.

Ok, Let's quote the lyrics:

VERSE 1

There’s a grace when the heart is under fire

Another way when the walls are closing in

And when I look at the space between

Where I used to be and this reckoning

I know I will never be alone

CHORUS 1

There was another in the fire standing next to me

There was another in the waters holding back the seas

And should I ever need reminding

Of how I’ve been set free

There is a cross that bears the burden

Where another died for me

There is another in the fire

VERSE 2

All my debt left for dead beneath the waters

I’m no longer a slave to my sin anymore

And should I fall in the space between

What remains of me and this reckoning

Either way I won’t bow to the things of this world

And I know I will never be alone

CHORUS 2

There is another in the fire standing next to me

There is another in the waters holding back the seas

And should I ever need reminding

What power set me free

There is a grave that holds no body

And now that power lives in me

There is another in the fire

Tag X3

There is another in the fire

BRIDGE

And I can see the light in the darkness

As the darkness bows to Him

I can hear the roar in the heavens

As the space between wears thin

I can feel the ground shake beneath us

As the prison walls cave in

Nothing stands between us

Nothing stands between us

Interlude

VERSE 3

There is no other name but the Name that is Jesus

He who was and still is and will be through it all

So come what may in the space between

All the things unseen and this reckoning

I know I will never be alone

I know I will never be alone

CHORUS 3

There’ll be another in the fire standing next to me

There’ll be another in the waters holding back the seas

And should I ever need reminding

How good You’ve been to me

I’ll count the joy come every battle

‘Cause I know that’s where You’ll be

BRIDGE

CHORUS 3

Tag X4

I’ll count the joy come every battle

‘Cause I know that’s where You’ll be