Worship Leaders Network | Worship Leader Forum | Worship Leader Resources & Jobs
Worship Idol - Are Worship Leaders Becoming Like Contestants of American Idol?
Someone posted this link to a good article from a Christian magazine here in the UK over on He Must Increase:
http://www.christianitymagazine.co.uk/features/worshipidol.aspx?ext...
It's quite long, but well worth a read.
I'd be particularly interested to read comments from our American friends on Worship The Rock, especially as there are quite a few remarks about worship and worship leaders in the States.
For example:
“I’ve just come back from the States and over there you can see the natural progression of where we are heading, and believe me, we don’t want to go there,” he says. “The first question I was asked in American churches was not ‘What is God doing?’ but ‘Whose stuff do you do?’ Churches compete to be the most professional in the town, attracting people to the ‘best’ experience. The amount of money spent on PA systems and instruments when there are people living in poverty just up the road was painful.”
I think it's a good article and it has given me lot's to think about. I do think there is a danger of becoming very celebrity minded about worship leaders. Just driving home today I was listening to a worship CD by a well known church and when certain famous worship leaders come on stage there is loads of cheering and whistling. It got me wondering if people were more focussed on the worship leader who had stepped on stage or on God Himself. It's so easy to get distracted but we must do everything we can to be like John and say (and truly mean it):
"He must increase, I must decrease". (John 3:30)
http://www.christianitymagazine.co.uk/features/worshipidol.aspx?ext...
It's quite long, but well worth a read.
I'd be particularly interested to read comments from our American friends on Worship The Rock, especially as there are quite a few remarks about worship and worship leaders in the States.
For example:
“I’ve just come back from the States and over there you can see the natural progression of where we are heading, and believe me, we don’t want to go there,” he says. “The first question I was asked in American churches was not ‘What is God doing?’ but ‘Whose stuff do you do?’ Churches compete to be the most professional in the town, attracting people to the ‘best’ experience. The amount of money spent on PA systems and instruments when there are people living in poverty just up the road was painful.”
I think it's a good article and it has given me lot's to think about. I do think there is a danger of becoming very celebrity minded about worship leaders. Just driving home today I was listening to a worship CD by a well known church and when certain famous worship leaders come on stage there is loads of cheering and whistling. It got me wondering if people were more focussed on the worship leader who had stepped on stage or on God Himself. It's so easy to get distracted but we must do everything we can to be like John and say (and truly mean it):
"He must increase, I must decrease". (John 3:30)
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Daniel Lyle on -
This article is so sadly true.
-
Permalink Reply by Mary M. Redondo on -
John 3:30 is one of my FAVORITE verses!
Many years ago I went to a Winds of Worship conference and I heard the following statements from a worship leader, "If you have to be on the stage in order to worship, then get OFF the stage...you don't belong there!" And also this statement: "There is such a thing as "worshipping the worship/worship leader rather than worshipping God...check your hearts--motive is everything!"
Our church, where I have been the main worship leader for over 20 years, has great worship. We are small in numbers but GREAT in worship. My thought has always been that WE ALL are the worshp team, following our one worship leader, the Holy Spirit. It just so happens that God has given me the gift of playing a keyboard and singing. This gifting is no different than the gift of mercy, hospitality, preaching, cleaning the church, teaching Sunday school, etc. It's all about obedience and using what God has given us individually to further His kingdom, not our own personal kingdom.
In my church, we don't have alot of electronics to help "fancy up" our worship. But that's fine...God created Adam and Eve with just their hearts for worship...the guitars, drums, screens that go up and down by remote control, slide shows, etc., etc., are just "toys." We can have all the toys in the world and not be worshipping...for our God is a jealous God...worship Him and Him alone...not the toys.
Mary Redondo, Fresno, CAlifornia.
-
Permalink Reply by Joey Colson on -
K.I.M.,
I think this is a great point. My road to salvation started at a youth conference that I attended to be near a girl I thought was cute. What does it matter as long as Christ was preached? The author of this article quotes Leonard Sweet as saying that it's not about performance, but participation. I recently had the chance to speak with him and he is a very strong believer in this concept as am I. However, Dr. Sweet also holds very strongly that the modern church is too caught up in a "one or the other" mentality. We need to make a move towards harmony.
For example, not spiritual content or modern musical excellence, but musical excellence with spiritual content. Not old or new, but a harmonious connection of both. Not discipleship or evangelism as a goal for a church, but both. The bible is full of these kinds of statements. He who knew no sin became sin. Jesus was fully God, but fully man. I do believe that successful worship leaders have a God given ability to perform. Ever tried to sing along with a dead pan, off-key, (fill in any other boring adjective) leader? God-centered, Spirit-led performance and the ability to adjust to the response of a room of people encourages and facilitates participation. It's not about performance or worship, but finding a Godly balance of both.
Isn't God-centered participation ultimately what we want? Some people don't have the spiritual maturity to get there or to understand how to focus on God. If they are not developing a life of worship and relying on the worship leader for a second hand experience, isn't this an inadequacy in the discipleship ministry of the church and not the worship leader's fault? As K.I.M. stated, the Bible tells us that God will judge us individually. That's where the heart will come out. If we are leading worship with the proper heart and trying to create an atmosphere of participation and God-centered worship via music, lights, and any other means, then I think the worlds opinion is nothing for us to fear. We know our motives and God's calling for our life and ministry.
Peace & hope,
Joey
-
Permalink Reply by John C Smith on -
This is the attitude that the performer must have( John 3:30), if they want to glorify and lift up the Lord. I agree with Sam Hornedo's comments below.
-
Permalink Reply by zamlalmalsawmlien gangte on -
10 years ago... I knew a lot of worship but in around 95% of the cases I had no idea idea who sang them. To me it didn't matter who composed or sang those songs because I believed that those who worship leaders sang not fo their glroy but for the glory of God. but nowadays I am beginning to think that a lot of people are more interested in the singers than the songs. Our God is a jealous God and doesn't share glory... those who made the mistake of taking the glory from Him will hear from Him sooner or later. Sounds scary right? Let us not make the same mistake like Moses did in the wilderness.
-
Permalink Reply by Stevo on -
I've noticed the same thing, but in many cases for legitimate reasons. For instance, "thanks for introducing XX singer's songs" means, "thanks for bringing his songs in, he's a solid believer and writes excellent music that I'm glad to sing."
-
Permalink Reply by Steve Perez on -
My thought is this: How does the worship leader handle the "praise' given to him or her? Does he/she accept the cheers and praise for themselves or do they stop the audience in their tracks to make sure that the cheers and praise go to our God. I've been to many conferences and concerts where the worship leaders and bands give glory to God right away when the audience is cheering. I see them as humble. I get excited during these conferences and concerts myself, but I am not glorifying these servants of God. I get excited because these are people that God has anointed with the ability to write songs that help me to understand the greatness of my God.
-
Permalink Reply by Stevo on
-
It's not wrong to say, "thanks" and follow up with "we strive for excellence". When an audience claps at a Celine concert, are they worshiping Celine? In a way, but I hope not as God. I think they are ascribing praise where it's due, she can really sing and entertain and certainly deserves some praise! When an audience claps at a CCM concert, does the band have to "deflect all the glory to God"? I'm not sure since the songs are generally about God. Why are the people clapping and cheering? It is a concert after all.
But in Church, on Sunday, the band isn't there to receive glory during the service. So when I'm approached afterword with things like "the music was so good this morning" or "you guys are doing a great job" - I love to hear that from the right people. In the least, it tells me that we didn't sound bad. But it may only go that far and that's as far as I'm willing to assume. It's up to me to make sure my heart is in the right place and that I don't let myself get intoxicated with the situation.
S
-
Permalink Reply by Junjie on -
I personally have long believed that something had gone wrong, horribly wrong somewhere down the way. And a lot of what people do to try fix it is as effective as a Band-Aid over a gunshot wound... not at all.
This is bound to stir up some controversy, but I believe the root of it all is this: people don't get that worship music IS a separate music genre by itself, with it's own rules and guidelines. And if we follow those rules and guidelines a lot of the problems described in that article just would not turn up at all.
For example: if we have all intros done with the objective of giving the congregation a very clear cue of when to start singing, in what key and at what tempo, (one of the rules of the worship music genre) a lot of intros will start sounding very much the same (except to us musicians, of course). That makes the music a lot less entertaining but much more effective, so it appeals to worshippers who want to sing their hearts out to God, not consumers who just want holier entertainment.
Nothing wrong with holier entertainment, but don't confuse that with what works for worship.
Anyway, I could go on and on about how simple it would be to remove a lot of the disturbing problems described in that article, but I better stop before people get tired of hearing my voice! :)
-
Permalink Reply by Stevo on
-
The article is relevant, but the thoughts are nothing new. As far back as 1985, there were debates about "heart worship" vs. "art worship". Of course we don't want to have pitiful musicianship, but music is a tool that helps us express our joy and thanks in song. God enjoys good music.
And the idea of professional, paid music director has been around for quite some time. But the idea that we would pay a whole band to lead music in our worship service, now that's a little newer. And wow, they even have electric guitars. And as a result, the potential for treating them like superstars is akin to our current culture of rock stardom. What is has been already. Still the same battle, still the same solution.
So we have to perform well and use techniques to draw the congregation. I liken it to this - I watched a Bruce Springsteen concert on Paladia recently and there was the part where Bruce had the audience join in. He was having a blast and so was everyone else. He infected them with his joy and they responded. I can learn from that.
And the expectations are a bit ambitious, showing an overly high view of ourselves as worship leaders. The preaching of the word gets top billing in my congregation and that's fine by me.
Just my thoughts,
S
-
Permalink Reply by Junjie on
-
"And the expectations are a bit ambitious, showing an overly high view of ourselves as worship leaders. The preaching of the word gets top billing in my congregation and that's fine by me."
When I read these words, I just wonder how much of the sppiritual pressure given to worship leaders ("hey, you are just taking over an archangel's previous job, no pressure...") is justified and how much is making more of worship leaders than is warranted. Just musing aloud...
Welcome to
Worship The Rock - Worship Leader Forum & Social Network
Artist Spotlight Albums
Providing worship leaders with a worship leader social networking community of worship pastors, worship leaders and team members. Worship leader resources on WTR include worship set lists, worship leader forum, worship groups, worship leader jobs, popular worship songs, worship blogs from worship pastors, worship events, festivals and conference listings, a place to chat about all things worship related, videos and photos. WTR aims to resource worship leaders in the best possible way - by providing free worship leader tips and training resources.
© 2013 Created by Phil Williams.
