Theological Song Review: Rejoice by Keith and Kristyn Getty and Rend Collective - by David Morrill

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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Having previously examined a couple of Mr. Morrill's writings, we now understand the perspective from which he comes. He's against charismatics and the NAR, so his song analyses are biased in favor of conservative, reformist, cessationist music. As a result, he has an evaluative process where just one of the steps ("Association") can disqualify a song simply because of some connection with a charismatic church or a previous history with a NAR group. This of course a handy tool for someone like the author.

Today he examines a song that he approves of. This will be the first time for this, so we were curious as to how his approval would be determined. 

We happen to like the song, so our main intent is not to critique it, it is to critique the author.

In addition, we should note that the author quotes no Scripture, and references only a couple.

Let's quote the lyrics first, because his analysis will make little sense otherwise:

[Verse 1: Kristyn Getty]
Rejoice in the Lord now and always
Sing it again, we rejoice
Delight in the love He has shown us
Gratefully lift up your voice
His gentleness among us
Will join our hearts with praise
We gather in His goodness
A family of grace

[Chorus: Kristyn Getty & Chris Llewellyn]
With each breath He has given
Praise the Lord
In these times we live in
We will praise the Lord
Throughout every season
I am sure
We have evеry reason
To praise the Lord

[Verse 2: Chris Llewellyn & Kristyn Getty]
Rеjoice and be anxious for nothing
Prayin' for all that you need
Come with a song of thanksgiving
Lay your requests at His feet
His peace will fall upon us
To guard our hearts and minds
In Christ who reigns eternal
The Shepherd of our lives

This tune and its album (Christ Our Hope In Life And Death) was released very recently, and the song is at the top of praisecharts.com’s “Top New Praise and Worship Songs.”

Note: For a full explanation of the rubric and a primer on our scoring methodology, click here.

Doctrinal Fidelity and Clarity: Taking its cue from Philippians 4:4, (Let's quote it, since the author seems reluctant:

Ph. 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

The song lyrics:

Rejoice in the Lord now and always; Sing it again, we rejoice 

In a previous analysis the author objected to the modification of Scripture. Apparently it is now not a problem.)

every phrase in this song can be directly traced back to the Bible. (Would it trouble the author to actually do so? After all, it is the central claim of this evaluative section. 

But in fact, we think he's incorrect. For example, where in the Bible does it tell us about His gentleness among us? Or how about Lay your requests at His feet? Since the author previously quibbled with the Scriptural content of songs he didn't like, we think we can challenge him on this standard he inconsistently applies.

Further, what if on a certain Sunday His gentleness is not among us so much as His majesty is among us? What if His conviction is among us? The song is almost completely about the gooey aspects of God [with the sole exception of In Christ who reigns eternal]. However, we are commanded to

...worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. [Ps. 29:2]

This song therefore is largely about a non-threatening, approachable God.)

While the overall song is a general expression of praise, (No. This song contains no expressions of praise. 

First, the song addresses the audience with instruction on what to do, but does not address God. This is certainly permissible, for we find this technique used often in the Psalms, for example Ps. 30:4, Ps. 81:1, and Ps. 134:1. Addressing God is required to praise Him.

Second, the song contains phrases like "His peace," which describe Him to others. But if we were to change the lyric to "Your peace," that would transform it into an expression of praise and worship because it no longer describes Him, it speaks to Him. 

Third, since the lyrics never speak directly to God, the song ends up being self-referential, using "we" and "us" seven times. So this means much of the song is telling others about what "we" and "us" are doing or should do, and the rest of the song in essence describing God to others. 

Without directly addressing God, such expressions cannot be considered praise. )

phrases (sic. "Stanzas.") like “We gather in His goodness, a family of grace” and “His peace will fall upon us to guard our hearts and minds, in Christ who reigns eternal the Shepherd of our lives” make reference to specific doctrinal teaching on the nature of the church as the Body of Christ and Jesus as a protecting Shepherd who provides true peace for his flock. (Please tell us. Where are these things found in the Bible, sir? Would it trouble you too much to document your statements?)

While references to fire and spiritual benefits “falling” on believers are common phraseology in charismatic circles and lyrics “His peace will fall upon us” and “The hope that burns within us” could possibly be winking at charismatics, (Wow. He'll knock 5 points off solely because of what "could possibly be.")

in the context of a plain reading of Philippians 4:7 (Let's quote it:

Ph. 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

And the lyrics:

His peace will fall upon us; To guard our hearts and minds 

Yes, the concept is certainly there, but again the songwriter modifies the verse, in this case to omit things. As we mentioned, the author previously rejected a song because of this.)

the lyrics are generally sound. 20/25.

Doctrinal Specificity: The song is a general proclamation of praise, (It is not.)

but does contain specific references to Christ reigning, God as the giver of life, and references our call to proclaim the works of the Lord. The lyrics are not as descriptive and poetic as many older hymns, nor are they generalized and emotionalized like so many recently-composed worship songs. The particulars of salvation are not referenced, but specifying Christ and New Testament teachings positively identifies the object of worship to be the God of the Bible. 17/20. (We can play the author's game too. There is no mention of God's holiness or glory, of sin or repentance. Yes, we know that there is no requirement to mention certain doctrines or cover every "mandatory" topic in every song. But we can set up our own standards just as easily, and just as arbitrarily.)

Focus: God is certainly the focus of the song, (No, the audience is.)

and in no way is validated by the personal experience or feelings of the worshipper. The only first-person reference in the entire song is “I am sure we have every reason to praise the Lord,” which is an expression of assurance in God rather than validation of Him by the worshipper. 20/20. (The author excuses this stanza, which stands out like a sore thumb, being the only stanza containing the word "I." The songwriter is "sure" he has every reason to praise. This sure sounds like the worshiper's personal feelings to us.)

Association: The Gettys generally associate with orthodox churches and pastors, and have a reputation for writing songs that are good alternatives to the vast array of garbage that passes for worship music these days. As with most musical artists, they are relatively tolerant and non-confrontational in their public interactions but are not known to partner with obviously heretical churches or movements. Rend Collective has partnered with artists and movements that have known theological errors like Kari Jobe and IHOP, and Rend’s lead singer Chris Llewellyn recently deleted a post where he said that “calling a trans woman a man is hateful,” which demonstrates problems with Llewellyn’s understanding of both God’s created order and the biblical command to not bear false witness. His error does not manifest in the song, however. 10/20. (The author very nearly knocks the song out of contention, but because he wants it to be approved he does not go the whole way in this category.)

Musical Value: “Rejoice” is an upbeat waltz, (No, it's in 12/8.)

typical for Irish songwriters. The melody is accessible (Though a bit awkward.)

and the chord structure is standard. (He has knocked other songs for their harmonic simplicity...)

The arrangement tastefully drops a measure at the end of the chorus into the interlude which provides a nice variation. Interludes have shout-style “oh” melodies, but these are not overused. There are no mindlessly repeating phrases or breakdown-buildup sections for the purpose of manufacturing an emotional response. Great arrangement for corporate worship. 15/15.

Total score: 82/100. If you like it, sing it.