To begin, all that we learn, all the knowledge we have accumulated in our lives, has been by rote. When our parents were trying to teach us to talk as babies, they would repeat words and phrases over and over until we picked it up. When we were learning to read and write it was the same, repeating the letters and words hundreds of times over.
It's been proved scientifically that thid is the best way to make sure our brains retain information. Repetitious learning over a prolonged period of time, rather than just mindless cramming, will strengthen neural pathways, help build long-term memory, store basic facts and even develop muscle-memory.
It's the same with the God's word, but in this case the message needs to do so much more. You can memorise a thousand bible readings, but if it goes no further than your brain, it's all wasted. It needs to reach your heart, which will then pump it throughout your body via the blood, which is now the blood of the Holy Lamb. You need to know God's word in every fibre of your being and live and believe His truth so that you are so full of God's love, it pours out onto others. You can't achieve this instantly. It needs to be learned and relearned and constantly updated, refreshed, renewed until it sinks in and becomes not just memory or muscle-memory, but Spiritual understanding. It has to be drummed into you until every cell in your body just KNOWS! You are living God's word! It's in every breath you take!
Are Christian songs repetitive? Yes! Of course they are! For the sake of your immortal soul they need to be! But there's more to it than that. We are praising and worshipping our Father in Heaven, so we do it joyfully! With gusto!
I'm 69 now so I grew up with the old hymns that some say were so much better. I remember singing them at school throughout my childhood, but while I learned the lyrics, they never touched my heart back then. Were they good? Yes! I thought some were really beautiful, but you'd never catch me crying in assembly because the words suddenly struck me to my core! I can remember when that first happened to me. We were singing "Oceans" and suddenly I so wanted to be Peter climbing out of the boat and walking towards Jesus it made my heart ache! I was in my late fifties and feeling this for the very first time!
So... is Christian worship repetitive? Yes, but it's the most effective way to reach people, and bring them into a relationship with God that they've never dreamed possible! Believe me some people require a sledgehammer to knock God's truth into them. I know! I'm that stubborn! So keep drumming those messages into our noggins!
Thank you, worship groups everywhere!
