Bad worship songs - Speak the Name - by Koryn Hawthorne

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 coherent allusions to Scripture
• Doctrinal soundness

Further, a worship song should not:

• contain lyrics that create uncertainty or cause confusion
• be excessively metaphorical
• be excessively repetitive
• 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, "Speak The Name."

Video link.

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Lyrics:

[Verse 1] The atmosphere is changing

Nothing stays the same

Heaven is waiting

For the mention of the Name

The Spirit is moving

Burning like a flame

Healing the broken

By the One we proclaim

[Pre-Chorus]

Raise it up

Fill the sky

Chains will fall

Mountains move

We lift Him high

[Chorus]

Speak the Name

The Name above all other names

Speak the Name

The Name the wind and waves obey

All of heaven's coming down

Fill the earth with a sound

Of the Name

The Name of Jesus

[Verse 2] Gather all who wander

Hostages of shame
Miracles unfolding
At the mention of the name
Our darkness is fleeing
Mercy raining down
Healing waters flowing
As our lips make the sound

[Bridge] Strongholds are broken

I've been made free

I am forgiven 

Fear has to leave

Your name is healing

Your Name is power

Your Name is holy

My strong strong tower

Wonderful Name 

Glorious Name

Powerful Name of Jesus

Jesus

Regarding the music, the minor key in the verses is used brilliantly to convey intensity, with a repeating vi - IV - V - ii progression and a declarative rhythm to the melody. The chorus moves to the relative major in an almost triumphant mood, conveying the musical climax effectively. The bridge uses melody to ascend even farther, which sets up the return to the chorus very well.

The combination of the arrangement, chords, and melody all lend additional weight to the lyrics that might not have happened otherwise. This factor is what makes evaluating the lyrics apart from the music more important.

And this is the problem with the song: The lyrics. The first thing we always ask when evaluating the lyrics to a worship song: Is there a progression of ideas that create a coherent narrative culminating in the grand idea of the song? This song does not really do so. For the most part it seems more like a collection of semi-related snippets. Some of those snippets are biblical, while others appear to be quasi-biblical. Let's take a closer look at some of the lyrics:

Verse One:

The atmosphere is changing

Nothing stays the same

Heaven is waiting

For the mention of the Name

The Spirit is moving

Burning like a flame

Healing the broken

By the One we proclaim

These statements are not directed to God, they are descriptive of certain conditions. It's like the songwriters decided to explain the surroundings and the things that were happening at some event they attended.  

We shall distill this down to the basic meaning: 

The room feels different because things can't remain the same. Heaven won't do anything until we speak the name of Jesus. When we do this the Holy Spirit moves like a fire and heals people by the name of Jesus.

We did our best to interpret this verse, and the result is not a biblical concept. Four things: 

1. The first two stanzas are basically filler
2. God/heaven is not waiting upon Christians to invoke Jesus' name before doing something 
3. The Holy Spirit burning like fire is not connected to Him healing. Usually His fire is related to purity, passion, or even, judgment
4. The Holy Spirit does not heal people just because someone said "Jesus."

We are certainly commanded to pray in the name of Jesus, but His name is not some sort of magic incantation. When we pray it is not enough to simply speak the phrase "in Jesus' name." This is the sin of the seven sons of Sceva (Ac. 19:13-16). 

There are conditions to answered prayer:

• Pray according to His will: 1Jn. 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
• Pray with faith: Mt. 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
• Pray in reverent submission: He. 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
• Pray with thanksgiving: Ph. 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
• Pray in Christ: Jn. 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
• Pray in the name of Jesus: Jn. 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
• Pray in the Spirit: Ep. 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
• Live a life of obedience: Jn. 14:14-15 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 If you love me, you will obey what I command.

The name of Jesus is powerful, but not as an incantation. The position of the person is what is important. "In" the name of Jesus means identified with/ contained within/ a part of Jesus:

2Co. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation...

It is interesting that we more easily understand the "new creation" part of this verse, but often we really don't carefully consider the "in Christ" part. 

For those Christians whose life is given over to the pleasure of God and who can wield Holy Spirit power rightly, being "in Christ" means they can pray "in" the name of Jesus.

Pre-Chorus

Raise it up

Fill the sky

Chains will fall

Mountains move

We lift Him high

This part of the song is directed at the congregation as an exhortation. Again we will interpret: 

Raise up the name of Jesus, filling the heavens. This will set people free and move mountains as we exalt His name.

Is there a biblical reference that tells us the exaltation of the name of Jesus will do miraculous things? We were unable to think of such a verse. We will concede, however, that the lyrics at this point are not what we would call heretical.  

Chorus:

Speak the Name

The Name above all other names

Speak the Name

The Name the wind and waves obey

All of heaven's coming down

Fill the earth with a sound

Of the Name

The Name of Jesus

The chorus lyrics are the most thematically explicit, with plain statements that connect to each other. We also find the concepts articulated here to be generally biblical. But for some reason we must wait for the very last stanza to actually find out to which name the songwriters are referring. 

The chorus is also an exhortation directed to the congregation. In actual fact, only part of the bridge (discussed below) qualifies as worship. It is more accurate to say that it is a "call to worship." In that sense this song seems to somewhat align with this Scripture:

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

This song clearly qualifies as an admonishment. It is an exhortation to use the name of Jesus, to speak the name of Jesus, and to lift up the name of Jesus. We are not convinced, however, that the results of doing so are what the song tells us they will be.

In addition, the Bible does not tell us that the wind and waves obey the "name." They actually obeyed the command of Jesus. His Word (rhema) was the power demonstrated, His Word the sustains the universe (Hebrews 1:3).

Lastly, we find this verse:

Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

It seems we should be more interested in honoring, worshiping, and invoking the living Word of God Himself.

Verse Two

Gather all who wander

Hostages of shame

Miracles unfolding

At the mention of the name

Our darkness is fleeing

Mercy raining down

Healing waters flowing

As our lips make the sound

Are those who wander hostages of shame? Well, no. While certainly the Roman church was identified as being slaves to fear (Ro. 8:15), all humankind are or were slaves to sin. Shame is certainly a problem for many, but sin is a problem for all.

In addition, the first two stanzas are not related to the rest of the verse. Further, the rest of the verse two is simply restatements of parts of the first verse, that the name heals by speaking the name.

Bridge

 

Strongholds are broken

I've been made free

I am forgiven 

Fear has to leave

Your name is healing

Your Name is power

Your Name is holy

My strong strong tower

Wonderful Name 

Glorious Name

Powerful Name of Jesus

Jesus

As with many recent worship songs, this song singles out fear. While fear does affect many people, sin affects all people. The statement in the third stanza, I am forgiven leads to the conclusion of fourth stanza, where the lyrics should be sin has to leave. That is, forgiveness is for sin, not for fear.

And finally, towards the end of the song we find actual statements of worship and praise, sung directly to God (Your name...). This is a welcome turn, especially since it's not a short song. There has been ample opportunity to include worship lyrics. In fact, the song repeats concepts when it could have simply stated them once and then developed and amplified them into statements that directly glorify God.

Conclusion

The song implies that the simple articulation of the name of Jesus will do all sorts of wonderful things. This is not what the Bible teaches. Now certainly the Bible tells us about the powerful name of Jesus:

Ph. 2:10 ...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth... 

Jn. 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 

Ac. 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

 Ac. 3:6  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. 

Ac. 4:30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

But as we have noted, the name isn't simply a magical power.

Though the song on the whole is not obviously unbiblical, we cannot recommend it.