And the new number 1 is....

Yesterday, I came across a list proclaiming to be the "101 Greatest Christian Songs".  Now, I lost faith with music charts a long time ago, they stopped being a proper representation of taste fairly early on.  All the same, I do like looking at them, because very often they give me inspiration for the "next big thing" within whatever group or church I happen to be leading in.

I should have guessed before I clicked on the link I would run into trouble, exclamations of "Who?" and "What?" and "Never heard of it!" emitted from my lips.  Then I saw that this was one person's opinion, and I suspect he is less than 25 years old.   I don't think there was anything on there older than 10 years, maybe even 5 years.  In a homage to pastures old, it did have "How Great Thou Art", but I suspect that was only on there because of Chris Tomilin's "The Splendour of the King".  10,000 Reasons was on there, but way way behind One Thing Remains which was in the top 10.  Now, about the latter.  Great chorus.  Love singing it, despite some WL penchant of playing it too darn high.  But...think about it...in 10 years time will it still have the appeal, or will it have gone down the hole that Be Bold, Be Strong was consigned to 20 years ago?  Or will we be finding ten thousand reasons?

Call me fuddy duddy and completely outta touch but I believe I'm right that a lot of this guy's chart will have lost its "fashion" and...erm...one thing will remain.  He is young, but he will learn.  Church congregations love to learn new songs.  But moreso they love beautiful tunes, and simple words packed with power.  These are the greatest Christian songs of all time, no matter how much one particular chorus has meant to you.  I love newbies such as My Heart is Restless and God Only Wise.  I will not give them a kiss of death and say they will end up great.  They stir my soul.  They may not mass stir souls to greatness.

Why do you think In Christ Alone and Be Still are still the most played and sung in churches?  Neither of those were in his chart, but those two mean so much to so many people and have influenced Christian song writing.  In Christ Alone seems to be requested at hatches, matches and despatches everywhere as it is inter-denominational.

Great is what touches, and can change hearts.