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“Christ's command to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth should inform and shape our theology of musical worship. It's unwise and unbiblical to think that churches in Bolivia, Indonesia, Uganda, and elsewhere must conform to an American definition of 'appropriate worship music'. When someone insists that we should only use 'the best music' to worship God, I scratch my head. Is the best music simple or complex, written or spontaneous, short or long? Do they mean the best aesthetically, pragmatically, emotionally, or historically? We usually already have in mind what we mean by 'best' and it often says more about our preferences than our theology. As I understand it, the 'best music' enables people to genuinely and consistently magnify the greatness of the Savior in their hearts, minds, and wills. (ch. 12)”

“Some Christians have been taught to suppress their emotions as they sing. They've been told to fear feeling anything too strongly, and that maturity means holding back. But what we want to avoid is 'emotionalism', not 'emotions'. Emotionalism pursues feelings as an end in themselves. It's wanting to feel something with no regard to how that feeling is produced or its ultimate purpose. In contrast, the emotions that singing is meant to express are a response to who God is and what he's done. Vibrant singing allows us to combine truth 'about' God seamlessly with passion 'for' God. Doctrine and devotion. Mind and heart. Suppressing or ignoring your feelings when you sing contradicts what singing is designed to do. Passionless singing is an oxymoron.”