Apologetics is the discipline of answering objections and providing reasons to believe.
As many people note, it is not the most helpful word in our Christian dictionary. It implies being apologetic or sorry for what we believe. Far from apologising, we are confidently defending our faith. For this reason, apologetics really helps inform the way we preach, debate and evangelise. But what about when we come together to sing songs of praise and worship? Is apologetics relevant to our worship songs?
Teaching in songs
The simple answer is that it must be. Paul tells us that when we come together and sing we are ‘teaching’ one another through those songs (Colossians 3.16). Our songs help us understand God better, shape the attitudes of heart and mind, and teach others about what we believe. We think carefully about the case we make when preaching. Should we not also think carefully about the case we make in our praise?
Comedy, free speech and warnings from the past
Hannah Arendt was a Jewish philosopher who grew up in Nazi Germany. Eventually she had to flee to France and, …