I came across a video of a successful podcaster (and former pastor) who was wondering out loud if congregants now require advanced degrees in Hebrew to be able to participate in corporate worship. Referencing a handful of songs listing the Hebrew names for God, he posited that, unfamiliar language creates unnecessary blockers for non-Christians in our midst, and increasingly Christians as well. From what I can tell, this leader - who I respect and have learned from his ministry, writing, and podcast - has a very different philosophy of ministry from me. If the goal of a church service is primarily to provide an outlet for seeker-sensitive worship, then Hebrew names of God may very well be too significant of a hurdle to overcome. This is partly why understanding your philosophy of worship is important - the why shapes the what.
Songs for corporate worship are needles of truth thread with beauty. There is a difference between corporate worship songs and songs of personal devotion. But just because a song uses words we do not use in everyday life does not mean it should not be included in a setlist. I would encourage worship leaders to choose songs that allow opportunities to stretch the minds, hearts, and language of the people we lead. Choose songs that grow with your people. Choose songs that help to shepherd your people - and even use your lyrics projection to shape the people. But be aware of songs that require an explanation to appreciate or enjoy.
While I do not currently lead any of the songs our podcaster friend referenced, if your master song list has songs with the words Emmanuel, or Hallelujah - you do have songs that include Hebrew words.
Songs matter, language matters, but let’s not get rid of opportunities to train the people we lead.