I've visited a number of congregations which use, shall we say, alternative worship styles. I pay careful attention to the words of the songs that are used. At first, quite a few of the songs seemed to have been inspired by psalms, especially those which praised God along first article lines. They spoke of the majesty of the creation, and like the psalms, employed metaphors of clapping mountains, roaring seas, etc. As I began to think about this phenomenon, something came to mind. Much of this was what the early church was like – they used the psalms for worship. But of course, something happened, didn't it? Very early on it became clear to the Christians that more clarity and specificity was needed. Christ-centered songs, such as that found in Philippians 2, were composed. For our redemption story is not that of Israel. The horse and rider thrown into the sea were, at best, metaphorical for the victory won at Calvary and sealed by the empty tomb. The earliest Christmas or Incarnation hymn we have, “Of the Father's love begotten,” is more evidence that the Church found the psalter in need of major supplementation.

“We have often said heretofore that the Gospel, properly speaking, is not something written in books, but an oral proclamation, which shall be heard in all the world and shall be cried out freely before all creatures, so that all would have to hear it if they had ears; that is to say, it shall be preached so publicly that to preach it more publicly would be impossible. For the Law, which was of old, and what the prophets preached, was not cried out in all the world before all creatures, but it was preached by the Jews in their synagogues. But the Gospel shall not be thus confined; it shall be preached freely unto all the world.”

                         - Martin Luther, Gospel Sermon, Ascension Day (Lenker Edition, Vol XII, #3)

Have you ever heard it said that the church needs to do no outreach here in the United States because all anyone needs to do to hear the Gospel is go to one of the thousands of neighborhood churches to hear it?