A praise song (also commonly called a worship song) is a loosely defined style of music used in a variety of Christian churches. As it is commonly understood today, the style is rooted in the Jesus Movement and similar Christian youth movements of the 1960s and 1970s. It was initially popularized in charismatic churches (both denominational and non-denominational) in the early 1970s. Because of the influence of charismatics within some denominations, by the 1980s praise songs were published in some denominationally-supported hymnals and incorporated in worship services otherwise following a more traditional or liturgical structure. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ, believing him to be the Son of God and the savior of human souls from sin and death. ... The Christian component of the Hippie Movement, composed of the Jesus People or Jesus Freaks arose spontaneously on the American West Coast in the 1960s and 1970s and spread throughout North America and Europe. ... The charismatic movement began with the adoption of certain beliefs typical of those held by Pentecostal Christians —specifically what are known as the biblical charisms of Christianity: speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. ... A denomination, in the Christian sense of the word, is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... A non-denominational church (usually Christian) is a religious organization which does not necessarily align its mission and teachings to an established denomination. ... From the Greek word λειτουργία, which can be transliterated as leitourgia, meaning a public work, a liturgy comprises a prescribed religious ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular religion; it may refer to, or include, an elaborate formal ritual (such as the Catholic Mass), or a daily activity such as...

As the modern praise song was developing, it was common to distinguish between the praise song and the hymn. Within the context of this discussion, the distinction was based upon the style and lyrics, as well as the method of delivery. Praise songs tended to use simple, repetitive lyrics (and as a result were often called a "praise chorus" or "worship chorus") and were often guitar-based and led by a small group of musicians. Hymns were normally led by a piano or organ and often accompanied by a choir. The language and metrical structure of hymns reflected the eras of their composition. A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ...

Amongst Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants especially, these distinctions have been blurred by the use of a wider variety of musical instruments. In some other Protestant groups, the hymn is still used in its traditional context. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The term evangelical has several distinct meanings: In its original sense, it means belonging or related to the Gospel (Greek: euangelion - good news) of the New Testament. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

Critics often focus on simple or repetitive lyrical structure and the perception of simplistic theology in some songs in this genre. Others have criticized the repetitive 4/4 rhythm of certain up-tempo examples.

Some of those who favor this genre enjoy its frequent simplicity, which they perceive as allowing the congregation and musicians the flexibility to improvise. This improvisation is often equated with an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to exhibit spontaneous control over the worship service. Others favor the contemporary language of the lyrics, which make the songs more accessible to those unfamiliar with the vocabulary common to many hymns. In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost; in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh) is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. ...

See also

• Worship music
• Worship leader
• Worship band
• Maranatha! Music
• Contemporary Christian music
• Worship presentation program

Worship music is a style of Christian music that is commonly used to denote songs that are used to worship God and set in a choral music style, usually with repeating, short, easily sung chorus parts. ... In some Christian churches, a worship leader (sometimes lead worshiper) is a musician or singer who leads the congregation in musical worship, typically in the style of contemporary praise choruses. ... A worship band (sometimes referred to as a praise band) is a band that leads singing in Christian worship. ... Maranatha! Music began as an outreach of Calvary Chapel in 1971. ... The Beautiful Letdown, a 2003 CCM album by Switchfoot. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

External links

• pwarchive.com - an archive of praise and worship music