I've always disliked the modern worship song "Jesus, Lover of My Soul." Just rubs me the wrong way.

I know that every word in the song is absolutely true. However, you have to consider the cultural context in which a song is introduced. And I just can't get past the Jesus-as-my-lover thing.

Apparently I'm not the only one.

A great column was published at CT this week called "Dating Jesus: When 'lover of my soul' language goes too far" by Agnieszka Tennant.

Tennant provides many more troubling examples in today's evangelical world of the Romantic Jesus. Here's one from a popular book:

The author of this book calls women to "prayer, praise, and pampering" retreats: "Although God certainly loves us even with unshaven legs, no makeup, and a bed-head hairdo, he also deserves to occasionally have his princess sit at his feet while she is looking and feeling her best." She casts these retreats as exciting dates. "You are running away with your Lover, not confining yourself to a convent."

Yikes.

Tennant ties up our uneasiness with this view very well:

I don't question the devotion of anyone who says she loves Christ intensely, whatever language she uses to express it.

But I have little patience for taking biblical metaphors too far and giving one's relationship with God an air of irreverent chumminess. Somehow, the scenario in which "his princess" shaves her legs for a date with Jesus seems to leave little room for fear of God.

The Bible is replete with breathtaking metaphors that hint at God's love for us. Thank God, we don't always take them to illogical ends: I've never heard a preacher take the Good Shepherd image to mean that God raises his children to ultimately kill and eat them.

Talk about taking it too far…I know this example is extreme, but a few years ago a female friend of mine was describing her exercising one of the more outward spiritual gifts as "having intercourse with God." Now I know she was attempting to characterize the deep intimacy she felt, but this adoption of the language of eros is a tad bit discomforting.

The article is a good, short read. So do it, and post your reactions or experiences with this viewpoint.

An interesting aside: As I was searching for the lyrics to the modern worship song "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," I came across a hymn with the exact same name written by none other than Charles Wesley in 1740 (with this footnote: "Some have called this the fin­est hymn in the Eng­lish lang­uage."). I wonder what the cultural context was in that day?