On May 20th 2021, the Wretched YouTube Channel posted a video entitled "John MacArthur: Self indulgent expressions of worship blaspheme God’s name | WRETCHED". The video, which is a mere clip* from episode 2719, Todd begins by comparing contemporary music to smooshing God's cheeks while babbling unintelligibly and grinning like a goon. He argues that when we communicate with God, we should do so at His level, whereas he considers repetitions in worship music to be "low" worship, which offends God.
The official view of Bible Brain is that appropriate worship music is a "doubtful disputation". That is, this is an area in which Christians are free to hold different, even polar opposite opinions, and both please God. This concept is best described in Romans 14, which, although it specifically addresses food, drink, and seasons, quite obviously covers other disputable issues.
Romans 14 divides the Church into two camps: Stronger brethren, and weaker brethren. The stronger brethren are those who are confident in what they approve, being so confident in their indulgences that they actually thank God for providing them. By contrast, the weaker brethren are those who, for one reason or another, are offended by things which are otherwise permissible. It could be that they are tempted by an indulgence (for example, an ex-alcoholic may be tempted to condemn all alcoholic beverages, lest they return to drunkenness). It could be that they have been raised with an aversion to such things (e.g. one might believe cows are special animals, much like we view dogs, and thus would be offended by a cheeseburger). It may even be that the permissible item was used sinfully in their pre-Christian religion. For whatever reason, weaker brethren condemn what stronger brethren approve.
God's message to both weaker and stronger brethren is that these issues are not worth arguing about. They are called "doubtful disputations" because they are effectively non-issues. If the man of God is not to be quarrelsome (1 Timothy 3:3), then quarrels over food, drink, seasons, and, in this case, music, should not be cause for dispute. Thus, while the burden the Lord lays on the stronger brethren is to forego their liberties in the presence of weaker brethren, the burden He lays upon weaker brethren is to not condemn the stronger brethren. This would obviously include bashing one's fellow believers' music as being "low worship", and comparing it to treating God like a toddler.
Needless to say, with regard to music, I am a "stronger" brother. I use that term not to brag, but to simply use the Biblical term. Not only am I fully convinced that contemporary music is a permissible form of worship for which we can thank God, but I have personally been blessed by it. Because I am a stronger brother, I can say with complete confidence that the music which Wretched disapproves of is communicating with God "on His level". Obviously, God being so much higher than we are, I don't believe it is really possible to communicate with Him on His level. Scripture tells us that this isn't really possible. For example, Romans 8:26 tells us that when we pray, the Spirit intercedes for us with "groanings which cannot be uttered". So, if you think we must communicate with God at His level, you are setting yourself a very lofty goal, and you are being extremely arrogant if you think our traditional hymns actually achieve it.
It is my firm contention that just as the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with unutterable groanings when we pray, so also does He do this when we sing. Whether a hymn or a more modern worship song, I believe our worship is best expressed without the traditions of man. True worship comes not from man's imaginary rules, but from the heart. Just as it was wrong for the Pharisees to impose their traditions on man, so also is it wrong for us to impose our religious traditions upon our fellow believers, especially when those traditions seem to run counter to the Bible itself.
With regard to the video, Todd singled out repetition. Repetition is a common complaint about modern Christian music. Now, the first thing we could point out is that not all contemporary worship songs use much repetition, and there are even hymns that do repeat. But worse than this, there are actually divinely inspired Psalms that employ the use of repetition. Psalm 136, for example, repeats the phrase "His mercy endures forever". Every one of the Psalm's 26 verses contains that phrase.
Now, I fully believe that Todd Friel is a faithful believer. Aside from the fruit his ministry displays, I have personally encountered his caring nature, as in a separate dialogue, he discovered I was sick, and asked if there was anything he could do to help me. Todd Friel, both on the show, and in private, exhibits the fruit of the Spirit, indicating to me that He is a true follower of the Lord he tries to imitate. Because of this, I have the highest doubt that Todd Friel would dare sit down with this Psalmist and say "you know, that Psalm you wrote is offensive to God. It's a low form of worship, because it contains too much repetition. It's as bad as if I smooshed your cheeks and spoke to you like a baby." This scenario just wouldn't happen. The Psalmist wrote from his heart, and we know as Christians that the Lord Himself is actually the one who laid it upon his heart. How, then, can we justify using repetition to bash other heartfelt worship songs?
There is a single condemnation in scripture, from the mouth of Jesus, no less, regarding "vain repetitions". It's in Matthew 6:7, which reads "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words." It should be noted, however, that not only does this pertain to prayer, not music, but also, it is not a blanket condemnation of repetition full stop. Otherwise, again, Psalms like Psalm 136 would themselves be condemned by the very God who inspired them. No, the issue here is vain repetitions. That is, when you use these repetitions to try to be heard.
All worship, whether prayer or music, depends on the heart. What are your motives when you do charitable deeds? (Matthew 6:1-4). What are your motives when you pray? (Matthew 6:5-7). What are your motives when you sing? If you do anything religious, your motives matter. If you're doing it to gain God's favor, or to bribe Him, or to look good in front of people, or any number of self-serving motives, you are doing it wrong. It doesn't even matter if it's a genuine good deed. If your motive is wrong, your worship is wrong. By contrast, if your motives are right when you worship, your worship is fully acceptable to God, because He is able to make it acceptable.
Now, I cannot speak to the hearts of everyone who listens to the music I like, nor can I even really speak to the hearts of those who make such music. However, I can express my own heart when I use it in my own worship. Personally, I take as much comfort in modern music as Saul took in David's harp (1 Samuel 16:23). I have been greatly blessed by contemporary songs, as they have helped me learn scripture, comforted me, helped me understand the majesty of God, and even helped me resist temptation. In fact, the irony is that the night before Wretched released the clip, I had used one of my favorite songs to resist sexual temptation. Consider the following lyrics from Wolves at the Gate - Majesty in Misery:
"He was distressed until it finished. The pain endured was not diminished. Until the vict'ry's sound and was won. "Not My will but Yours be done." He drank it all, the cup of God's wrath. He drank it down to the end. He drank it all, the cup of God's wrath. He drank it down to the bitter end. You laid our wickedness on His head. For all we've done and all that we've said. He was crushed for our transgressions. He was pierced for all our sins. How could Your death mean that I live? When it's my life that brought You death? Oh God I truly give My beating heart and living breath."
This particular song has two strikes from the anti-contemporary camp. First, you see the repetition of it. But second, it is of the rock/metal genre, which is claimed to be inseparable from sexual immorality. How ironic, then, that in a time of sexual temptation, I used it to re-focus on God, and it succeeded! I choke up whenever I hear these lyrics, because it focuses me on the sacrifice of the cross. How positively awe inspiring that Jesus, being in the form of God, left His glory behind to suffer the agony of the cross, all so that this wretch could have fellowship with God? And yet, this is the song I used to align my heart with this Gospel.
And this is far from the only example. I make a habit of using the heavy music, to which I am accustomed, to focus on God. And it succeeds in ways that hymns never could. In other scenarios, hymns may actually have an adverse effect. If I am angry, for example, no hymn will calm me. It will only add to the temptation to sin, ironically for the same reason Todd's face smooshing demonstration would do so. You can understand, then, why I might find it offensive to call these things "low worship".
So what is the conclusion of this matter? Simple: God didn't make us all the same way. As much as I may love my older brethren, such as Todd Friel and John MacArthur, the Lord has made us very different, which has resulted in us having different musical preferences. He has given us neither command, nor even permission, to bicker over this issue, and to bash each other for it is not conducive to worship. Let Todd Friel be Todd Friel, and leave him free to worship in his own way, for if it comes from the heart, the Lord is well pleased. And let John MacArthur be John MacArthur, and do not seek to change how he worships God, for if his motives are Godly, God will not be offended. But in the same way, let Brian be Brian, refraining from calling his worship "low", for who are you to judge another servant? Before his own Master he stands or falls, and indeed, Brian will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Whatever your musical preferences, keep them, and keep them to yourself, because in the end, we are all one Church, that is, one body, and yet we are not all hands, nor are we all feet. We are all made unique, and we all have our part to play. Play your own.
*Out of fairness to Wretched, I must disclose that I have not seen the entire episode, and have only seen the clip uploaded to YouTube. Because of this, it is possible that I am missing some context. However, as I did reach out to Wretched via email, with these exact same arguments, and received no corrections, I believe I have fairly represented the view held, and arguments used, by Wretched. I am fully open to correction if so. Furthermore, should such correction be needed, it must be noted that Wretched is merely a sample used to springboard this article. The arguments being responded to have been made both by individuals and ministries in the modern world, and the information used in the article is, to the best of my abilities, Biblically accurate.