Collideoscope

For some reason, the mentality of this song take some sort of defensive position, which seems to dominate our ranks, as though we have to prove what we believe every time we sing a song or preach a sermon. I believe the hungry folks out there only care if we can feed them the message of Jesus, often done in a quiet manner and not yelling out at the top of our voices about what we are, or are not. By taking our ever present defensive position to "show" what we're all about...we become offensive to the rest.

I agree. Every time I hear the song, it sounds like the choir is singing, "I'm a Pentecostal...and you're not!"

It seems unnecessary to alienate ourselves any further by taking what could definitely be interpreted as a snooty attitude and integrating it with our songs.

Well said, Stu. We are too busy proving that we are spiritual to notice that people are hungry for the peace of God, not necessarily the shouting and physical display of what so many today call "worship."

One answer to this defensive mindset is not just to criticize (the formal def being to analyze deeply a subject you care just as deeply about as the creation you’re criticizing), but to create alternatives (in whatever artistic medium – music, writing, painting, etc) that prove a higher path is attainable. That’s everyone’s challenge.