Brandon Lake is one of the biggest names in contemporary Christian worship music today, and his recent sweep at the 12th annual K-LOVE Fan Awards is a testament to his popularity.
But in a viral podcast clip that resurfaced this week, Lake made comments about worship that were not only disappointing to hear, they were deeply troubling.
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In an interview on the Bryce Crawford Podcast, Lake warned that certain worship songs, especially those with biblical language, might alienate unbelievers. Specifically, he raised concern about lyrics like “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,” which appear in Revelation 4:8, the very words sung by the four living creatures before the throne of heaven. He said such lyrics might confuse someone unfamiliar with church, joking that they might associate “holy” only with profanity.
“I love when your first song is like, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty,’” Lake said. “I think [Bubba]’s going like, ‘What does ‘holy’ mean? Like, holy ____? What?’ I don’t know.”
There is something profoundly disheartening about hearing a worship leader diminish the power of the very words spoken in heaven, words so sacred that angels repeat them without end and written down multiple times in the Word of God.
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As reported by The Christian Post, Lake shared his vision of designing worship sets with “Bubba”—a fictional man dragged to church by his wife—in mind. “And I just don’t know if, when your opening song or the most of your songs have so much Christianese language, I think he has a hard time going, like, ‘Can I sing that? Like, I’m not there yet,’” he said.
With all due respect, worship was never intended to cater to unbelievers. Worship is not a seeker-sensitive strategy, it is the outpouring of the heart to God alone. It is for His glory, not our comfort. The throne room of heaven is not shaped by what “Bubba” can comprehend, and neither should the worship by the church be diluted for the sake of cultural relevance. “Holy, holy, holy” is not just a lyric; it is a divine declaration that echoes from Isaiah to Revelation, reverent, eternal and beyond human critique.
Lake defended his approach by suggesting his song Hard Fought Hallelujah could help bridge the theological gap.
“Hopefully that’s what some of my music can continue to do,” he said, referring to helping people “find themselves” in the song. But the goal of worship isn’t for us to find ourselves, it’s for us to find God, to adore Him, to fix our eyes on Jesus.
Keith Getty, in a 2019 interview with The Christian Post, warned that modern worship music too often prioritizes cultural relevance over spiritual truth.
“I believe that the modern worship movement is a movement for cultural relevance. It’s a de-Christianizing of God’s people. It’s utterly dangerous,” he said.
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Getty’s words now echo with even greater clarity.
Brandon Lake is a gifted artist with immense influence in the church. That’s precisely why it is so painful to hear him speak as though the language of Scripture, the same language sung before the throne of God, is a problem to be fixed. Pray that he is surrounded by mature, biblically grounded believers who will lovingly help him see the danger in this line of thinking. Because in the end, if the words of heaven aren’t good enough for our praise, then we are singing to someone other than God.
Let us never forget: Worship is not about us. It is not about “Bubba.” It is about the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is and is to come. May our songs reflect that eternal truth boldly, unapologetically and forever.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
I really think you’re taking his comments out of context. If you’ve ever watched the documentary, the one that he does with Phil Wickham, you would have no doubt in your mind that he is all about the Lord Jesus is the one and reaching the lost one. That said there’s nothing more beautiful or holy then singing, Holy Holy Holy Lord God, Almighty…
James Lasher I agree 100%
Brandon Lake has a heart for the lost and is reaching people like the artist Jelly Roll by carrying the heart of the love of Jesus for those who are lost and even hurt by religion. Jelly Roll shared this testimony in an interview about what a difference Brandon Lake made in his life. The time is short until Jesus returns and I think it’s important to look at the whole picture of what has transpired. Let’s pray diligently for those who are being given favor and opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus with so many who don’t know Him yet.
Taken completely the wrong way. Lake is making the word accessible to a new audience and to people who need it. To break down the walls of doubt and unbelief you sometimes have to understand where your audience exists and consider that in your approach. When you bring a friend to Christ, do you start by quoting Revelation? No, you don’t and you know that. Be smarter.
It was an odd thing to say. I think he needs some gentle direction on this point. Deep down, he is concerned with souls, which is a good thing—but the church is for the believer, and worship is for God alone. That said, we should always give an invitation to those being called to the Body. We should never compromise the truth of God’s Word in the hope that manipulating the facts of His nature will draw people to the cross. We preach Christ and Him crucified, and that absolutely demands we see Him as holy.