Saturday, August 16, 2008

You Spin Me Round - Rick Pino

Some of my more conservative blogger friends are all up in arms over this.

This is a video of a song at the end of a summer youth camp program called Summer Ramp ’07.

The song leader, Rick Pino, has the kids spin their socks and jump around while singing “You spin me right round, Jesus, right around” over and over.

The problem some have with this is twofold:

They say this is not worship. The song is vapid, meaningless emotional hype.

Furthermore, the song was actually made popular in the 80’s (without the name of Jesus) by transvestite performer Pete Burns.

The argument continues that, while we have freedom in Christ from sin, we are not free to worship God any ol’ way we want (can I get an “amen” from Uzzah and King Saul?). Also, the blood of Christ allows us to enter boldly into the presence of God (something the OT saints knew nothing of), but not flippantly.

Now, those who know me and have heard me preach know that I’m very sensitive to preserving the truth of the holiness of God. I think one of the main problems with the church today – and this is true of our culture at large – is that we have lost our grip on the meaning of the fear of the Lord. I’m especially concerned about teaching this next generation to frivolously “rush in where angels fear to tread”.

That having been said, I’m also concerned about judging another person’s worship. Yes the song is vapid, maybe even a little silly, but we don’t know what kind of teaching has been going on at this camp (I don’t know anything about Rick Pino beyond this video). It may be that they have been immersed in deep, Biblical, theological teaching all week long and this is just an innocuous “let loose” time.

Are all the kids in that crowd truly worshipping? I doubt it, but I would think many are. Look in on a liturgical church this Sunday, and listen to the organ playing classical hymns. Are all the people in that congregation truly worshipping? Again, I doubt it, but I would think many are. The point is, we don’t know and it’s dangerous to speculate. This is ultimately between them and God.

What about the pagan roots behind the song? I have to admit, this does bother me somewhat. Can we worship God with a song that was originally used to appeal to the flesh? And was recorded by the perverted? Maybe . . .

Do we celebrate Christmas? Doesn’t Christmas have pagan roots? Yet we justify ourselves by saying that we can turn the celebration over to God, let Him redeem that time, and use it for His glory. In fact, that’s what we do with ourselves. Many of us have pagan origins, but we’ve been redeemed and now can be used by God.
Can’t the same be done with a song?

Your thoughts . . .

4 comments:

pastor m.k. bufford said...

Pastor Kip,

I visited your blog after reading your post on Out of Ur. The August 15th post “Spin around” caught my eye as I am always interested in what the some in the Church call worship or what passes as worship in some Churches theses days.

The Scripture reveals that worship is first and foremost about God, not about entertainment. Worship as revealed in Scripture has three purposes or maybe two. 1. To publicly and privately proclaim who God is. 2. To publicly and privately proclaim what God has done. 3. How do we as God’s people response to who is He, and what He has done?

After listening 9 minutes of “you spin me around” I find this song not fitting into the Biblical paradigm of worship.

As to your thought about people in liturgical churches singing hymns and the people not truly worshipping I refer you to the words of Our Lord Jesus “God is spirit and those who worship must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

I was at a Christmas program at my Daughter’s preschool a couple of years back she attended a Lutheran preschool. As I sat waiting for the program to start I picked up the Hymnal and began to read the responsive reading in the back, as I read I began to worship growing more excited as I read. Becoming aware of my excitement I quickly closed the Hymnal and regained my composure. Our Lord showed me something that day I didn’t need a worship team with instruments to worship; I needed the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

Pastor M.K. Bufford
followingjesusministries@earthlink.net

pastor m.k. bufford said...

Pastor Kip,

I visited your blog after reading your post on Out of Ur. The August 15th post “Spin around” caught my eye as I am always interested in what the some in the Church call worship or what passes as worship in some Churches theses days.

The Scripture reveals that worship is first and foremost about God, not about entertainment. Worship as revealed in Scripture has three purposes or maybe two. 1. To publicly and privately proclaim who God is. 2. To publicly and privately proclaim what God has done. 3. How do we as God’s people response to who is He, and what He has done?

After listening 9 minutes of “you spin me around” I find this song not fitting into the Biblical paradigm of worship.

As to your thought about people in liturgical churches singing hymns and the people not truly worshipping I refer you to the words of Our Lord Jesus “God is spirit and those who worship must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

I was at a Christmas program at my Daughter’s preschool a couple of years back she attended a Lutheran preschool. As I sat waiting for the program to start I picked up the Hymnal and began to read the responsive reading in the back, as I read I began to worship growing more excited as I read. Becoming aware of my excitement I quickly closed the Hymnal and regained my composure. Our Lord showed me something that day I didn’t need a worship team with instruments to worship; I needed the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

Pastor M.K. Bufford
followingjesusministries@earthlink.net

Anonymous said...

Lets not forget that lots of the hymns we sing in church were first
bar tunes. Also, before we judge
anothers worship, read what happened to Davud's wife when she
judge his worship as he danced (yes
danced!) through the streets half naked. God caused her to be barren.

aschukin said...

And I'm sure the Lord was pleased with the fragrant aroma of teenagers socks lifted in the air, as they mindlessly repeated lyrics from a song about sex. Oh, but as long as it's for Jesus and Rick Pino is leading the "worship", right?