Singing is not a particularly macho activity. Most (not all) guys don’t like to put their emotions on display, and singing is an inherently emotional thing. We want people to see that we’re tough son of a guns who aren’t afraid of nobody. We watch manly sports like football (the American kind!) and Ultimate Fighting. We hunt, we fish, we shoot guns, we play sports. Singing doesn’t rank real high on the “don’t be jealous of my toughness” list. And then you throw Justin Bieber into the mix and…well, that throws everything off.
But I want to issue a challenge to my fellow brothers (including myself): when we gather together on a Sunday morning to worship through song, let’s worship like we really mean it. If you’re in a church where there is hand raising, get your hands out of your pockets and lift them up to God. Sing your lungs out. Sing with unrestrained joy and a big smile on your face. Show your kids that real, macho men, don’t give a rip what people think when it comes to worshiping God. Real men don’t stand there impassively, arms crossed, barely mouthing the lyrics. Real men let it all hang out when it comes to worshiping God.
Why am I so lathered up about this? It’s pretty simple. Because God is worthy.
When Ben Roethlisberger ducks under a tackle, steps up into the pocket, side steps a defender, shrugs off a tackle, then launches a forty yard bomb to Mike Wallace, I throw my fist into the air and let out a loud, semi-crazed sounding shout of joy. Why? Because that is a worthy play. It’s a play worthy of admiration and praise.
Giving more emotion and enthusiasm to athletes than to God is wrong. And I’m just as guilty as the rest. God is infinitely worthy of our shouts, smiles, cheers, lifted hands, applause, and delight. He is worthy because of who he is. He is God. The infinite, almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent, good, gracious, glorious, holy, just, righteous, full of mercy God. There is no one like him. He outshines a million suns and makes the angels tremble. Real men worship God because of who he is.
Real men also worship God because of what he has done. He has saved us, forgiven us, redeemed us, adopted us, empowered us, lifted us from the pit, seated us with Christ, and is storing up an inheritance for us. No one has done more for us. No one has been kinder to us. No one is more worthy of our thanks and gratitude.
To stand in stoic silence before our God is an atrocity of gigantic proportions. Men, we need to man up. Who cares what people think about you? We need to worship like real men. We need to drop our macho charade and give God the praise he is worthy. Our kids are watching. Our wives are watching. Unbelievers are watching. Let’s show them how real men worship.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the admonition Stephen, just not the application. Firstly, worship as you've defined it here is more narrow than the scriptures define it. You've equated worship solely with singing (and what appears to be only corporate worship singing at that). Agreed, the church needs men to be men but our worship is more than singing. Secondly, when I'm led to sing lyrics like this "We are His portion and He is our prize, Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes, If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking. So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss, And the heart turns violently inside of my chest, I don't have time to maintain these regrets, When I think about, the way He Loves Us" its hard to be manly. Perhaps the problem isn't so much the way that men are singing, but the way that modern "worship" has evolved to be overtly feminine and man-centered.
Hey Kevin,
Good response. I did define worship narrowly on purpose. I wanted to address the singing part of worship. I believe that all of life is worship.
And yeah, the song you're referencing is particularly unmanly. But there are good and excellent songs that should be sung with all our hearts.
I went to school for music and singing was my performance area. Singing is what I do! I never had a problem with it in a worship setting. In fact, I’ve been told to tone it down, cause I’m distracting. However, I too am guilty of lackluster praise to the Almighty. I somehow manipulate my singing for God’s glory to singing so people can see how good and loud I am. Any facet of God is worthy of worship for eternity, let alone that he sent His son to die for us.
I love to worship the Lord. However, I have a hard time getting amped up about it when the worship songs are breathy, Jesus is my boyfriend type of songs. We need more songs like " a mighty fortress". We need more worship songs that are more about Him and His infinite worth, rather than sappy 3 verses over and over and over (repeat 7x) songs. John MacArthur calls them 7-11 songs. We need more modern Hymns. You are correct, we should be singing loudly to our Lord, He is worthy!
I most definitely agree with you on this. I am a girl and a musician and im 33 not an old lady and I am not moved near as much by today’s worship music as I am to the old great hymns. There is so much reverence holiness and awe in songs like how great thou art, and crown him with many crowns, and on and on. I think people have their own way of worshiping depending on their personalities and preferences(traditional contemporary liturgical etc.)I would just ask, am I worshiping in spirit and in truth?
Hey Stephen,
Great thoughts! And yeah, I don't like the "jesus is my boyfriend type songs either". I want to sing songs of substance!
Sometimes true worship is "the upward glancing of the eye, when none but God is near!!!" I still like your idea Stephen!!
You're right Judy. Worship always starts in the heart. I just want to encourage men in particular to be expressive.
great, mark! i think of King David who is about as manly as they come, right? Singing praises, plucking his lyre one minute – choppin' a giant's head off the next! i think we (men) can learn a few things from this singing warrior for God – not advocating the decapitation part.
(Not to mention a singing Jesus with his disciples at the last supper! and a singing Moses, a singing Paul and Silas in prison…i guess i did mention it…that's a weird expression.)
Thanks for your article and stirring us men up to love and good works – like Biblical singing!
jason french
Pastor for Worship & Music – South
Bethlehem Baptist Church | Mpls, MN
i meant, stephen!!! SORRY!!! Bet that's never happened before…
No problem Jason! Great comments…
One thing I have found helpful is singing in the shower , in the woods,when I walk. Singing and listening to songs all about God's amazing care for me and how Jesus paid for my debts and how all of creation reflects a Holy and Mighty God. It creates such an indebtedness towards Our Father.
For example one day at church we sang this song and it was so refreshing :
"Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
power and majesty, praise to the King;
mountains bow down and the seas will roar
at the sound of Your name." (Shout to the Lord – Darlene Zschech)
The words today of another song got me thinking about how our debt was paid and washed away.
Glory to the one who
Who overcame in death
Glory to the one
Who paid for my offenses
Glory to the one
Once from the dust
Once from the grave
Daughters and sons
From the ashes you’ve raised
And hidden our faults
Even from your own face
And scattered our debt upon the waves
And scattered our debt upon the waves
Mirdered Son by John Mark McMillan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFZpBqZju3g
© 2011 Integrity's Alleluia! Music/SESAC
And then you read a scripture that undoes you concerning our littleness to God's majesty- makes you fear and worship.
"His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.
Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
He moves mountains without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth from its place
and makes its pillars tremble." (Job 9:4-6 NIV)
So worship the same in private and in public and there shouldn't be much difference and it is natural and God is honored.
Singing all the time – that is such a great practice Joe.
Is it worshiping decently and in order if someone is to the point of clowning in front of you? Like jumping up and down, or screaming, or waving his arms, or whistling, or stomping, or running about?
I know it's sort of subjective. But I find that sort of behavior distracting and intimidating. Also, at least sometimes, phony. Although God knows the heart.
I am not sure it is right for you to say that someone who sits quietly, stands peacefully, or sings at a lower volume is not enthusiastic enough. We do all differ. Also, I'd like to see a marked difference between a football game and a worship service. Should they be similar?
Football games don't call for reverence, awe, or worship.
I am not arguing for bitter withdrawal, just an understanding that not all of us express ourselves in the same way. And, if we do, we may not feel worship services and football games should be similar in decorum.
Good thoughts Marie. I think I would say that clowning around and worshiping enthusiastically are two very different things. I think there could be a place for jumping up and down in worship. Many of the psalms, particularly toward the end of the book, are very loud Psalms. So I think there is a place for reverence and an equal place for passion and enthusiasm.
When you read of the worship taking place in heaven (Rev 4 & 5), it is explosive and loud. I think men in our culture can be more stoic, and that's what I wanted to challenge.
As a man I find that far too many of our "Worship songs" are emotional first hoping to illicit an intellectual response. For me the intellectual understanding of God's Great Mercy and grace will lead me to an emotional response, but the process does not work in reverse. By emotional songs I mean loud and repetitious.
Great article — we need much more manly worship, especially in our singing.
“Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.”
William Temple