So I've seen a few folks post about Elevation and Maverick City's new collaborative single, "Old Church Basement," and I went and listened to it the other day. It's sparked a lot of thoughts for me, so... A THREAD!!!

First off, you can't mistake the fact that it's great ear candy. Really listenable, amazing production (the mandolin! the organ!), etc. The bridge of contemporary worship and Gospel stylings (the drums, organ, and bass) really works. But the most interesting thing is the text.

The heart of the song is nostalgia, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing in itself. Lots of Psalms have "I remember when" moments reflecting on past seasons of worship. Many who grew up in the church (like me) will find a deep resonance with this aspect of the song.

I couldn't help but think of the early days of @Sojourn, packed into the basement of Deer Park Baptist Church singing some of the very songs that get shout-outs in OCB's bridge. That nostalgia is powerful stuff, and thank you God for it.

"Old Hallelujah with a new melody" is also a really faithful concept. But here's what strikes me. While Great is Thy Faithfulness and Amazing Grace still have a prominent place in many churches, I Could Sing of Your Love Forever and Shout to the Lord *generally* don't.

It's worth asking why. I can't help but think of some of Hannah Arendt's concepts in "Between Past and Future" where she talks about the problems of mass culture and entertainment culture. Mass culture is part of the broader ecosystem of consumerism.

And all consumer products – including cultural artifacts like music – have something about them that gets consumed or used up. We see this in pop music all the time. The first time you heard Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," your jaw probably dropped. Now, you might groan.

Same goes for worship music. Look at the CCLI charts from as little as five years ago. Most are in disuse. It's even more clear ten years ago, or twenty – when the two songs OCB mentions were hits. Hymns live outside that ecosystem and have a way of enduring.

And while I'm not suggesting we go "all hymn all the time," this demonstrates their value – enduring, singable theology that will stay "relevant" throughout people's lifetime. In the same way, it's worth investing some curiosity in what it is that gets "used up" in modern hits.

I think you could also interrogate the subject of the song – who's it really about. But there again, I think the Psalms walk some similar lines. And I do like the song. It just raises some questions that those of us interested in worship-as-catechism should investigate.