Paul Burkhart tells us that seminary students may have a hard time relaxing if hymns or praise songs are playing. Who knew listening to music could be such a workout? Apparently it can be for some students.

Words, words, words. If you're in seminary, then your world is based wholly on words. Deep words. Big words. In seminary you will hear many words, you will read many words, you will write many words, and you will speak many words. This being the case, I have a very simple suggestion I have found very helpful. When you need to relax and unwind, don't listen to music with words - or at least big, deep words. This seems sort of simple, I know, but I have found it enormously helpful. I'm not saying that one should never listen to "lyriced" songs, just not when you're really trying to clear your mind and relax.

Travis Penn says that there is a line between real worship and a show.

Welcome to the Worship Circus. We have the greatest show on earth, or at least a better one than the church down the road.

How does this make you feel?

The problem with this statement is that if you are part of a well programmed, highly visionary, talented church you take offense when someone criticizes all of the effort you have put into doing something well/excellent for your Lord.

And when you are a small church with a lousy praise team (if you have one at all), and Sunday after Sunday of slightly controlled chaos, you're offended by the shallowness of people who leave your congregation for what you call the greatest show in town. After all, you're doing the best you can with what you have. How will you ever get better if everyone keeps leaving for something else?

Isn't it good to do things well? And yet, isn't it superficial to leave one church and go to another because the music is better on Sunday morning?

Nick and Rosemary have a pet peeve... singing worship songs that include actions that no one is doing. I'm sure some pop to mind immediately ("We stand and lift up our hands...")

The lyric that is currently vexing them is Paul Baloche's "I Will Not Forget You.".

Anyone got a scripture reference for "a huge bell?"

Ben Davis says...

True worship is standing, kneeling, or being face down in front of God because He rocked your world.

When's the last time your worship flowed out of "world-rocking?"