Modern songs used in services (I prefer not to use the very overused phrase "Praise & Worship" -- which is basically reduced to mean "Fast & Slow"), I realised, don't really get me into the worshiping mood.
I'm probably talking about songs that paint a perfect picture of your spiritual life. Or rather songs that depict a lot about the worshipper's own emotions. Especially those that make you repeat the same phrase for 5 minutes.
In times when I attend a service with a broken spirit, it's hard, even insane, for me to merely follow the crowd and sing stuff like "You're the only one I live for", "I love you with all my heart" and so on, when clearly I haven't done so during the week.
I'm much more comfortable with singing the hymns of old during worship as they generally focus on "who God is" rather than "how I feel". Even hymns that come to the level of personal emotions usually go along the lines of a desire to live that ideal, instead of already living that ideal.
Yes, songs about the worshipper's emotions can enable worshippers express themselves, but only those who can sing out the words truthfully.
Songs about God's character not only speak for worshippers. They counsel, comfort and remind them of the universal truth. And most of all, they apply to everyone, for God's character does not change one bit.
