Language in Worship Music: Modern, Traditional, Metaphor, and Literal

A recent popular worship song has caused great controversy among worship leaders and churches. Cory Asbury’s “Reckless Love” has sparked debate far and wide. Arguments made both for the use of the word, reckless, are: 1)     it is a metaphor; 2)     from a human perspective, God’s love is reckless because it does not make sense; 3)     the song does not speak of God himself but rather his love; 4)     and many more. I do not intend to delve into discussion of this song itself or the use of the word, reckless, but I would like to discuss the broader topic of language in worship music. I would like to examine the pros and cons of modern vs. traditional and metaphorical vs. literal language. I do not mean to sway one way or another but merely to have us think about these issues as it relates to the message of the gospel as well as the context we minister in, which is disparate across the spectrum. To sum, I will discuss how to approach language in worship music, which, by the way, is nothing to be taken lightly.