I know right from the beginning this post will create 2 attitudes before anyone gets beyond the title. The first is, "Here's just another post from an 'artsy' guy that's going to try to tell me that we need to use all sorts of bells and whistles to enhance our worship experience." The second is, "Alright, bring on the lights, the lasers, the pyro, etc. and let's blow the roof off of the church." I hope that by the end of reading this post, both sides would be at least provoked to explore the middle ground....so here goes.
Last night I had the opportunity to see Rascal Flatts and The Band Perry in concert. If you're opposed to secular music, I know that I've just turned you off, but bear with me. The point here isn't about secular vs. sacred music. It's about technology and it's effect on our experience in worship. From a sheer production standpoint, this show was incredible. Lighting, video images, staging, and sound all came together to create an experience for those in the audience and it was pretty cool to watch it unfold.
I have heard it said that technology is 'distracting' in worship and that people can't worship with all the technological bells and whistles going off. This secular concert proved to me that this statement is simply wrong. Worship (although not of God) happened in this event and all the technology in place only enhanced that 'worship' experience. Part of me was saddened by the fact that of the 8,000 or so in attendance, most were not even aware that 'worship' was happening. Whether the idol was the self-gratification of a good time or the hero worship of a group of human beings that happen to be very good at what they do, worship was in the house.
Here is where the more traditionally minded person would say something like, "That's why we don't need any of that stuff in our worship service. It puts all of the focus on the people performing." Those on the other side would argue, "The atmosphere that technology helped to create in the room, allowed people to forget about the other 7,999 people in the room and engage in the experience." I could honestly say to both sides that in principle, they are correct. Now let's explore the middle for just a minute.
God asks us to give all that we have to Him, right? Some are gifted to play instruments and sing, some are gifted public speakers, others are gifted craftsman. We always hear it said that you don't have to be on the staff of a church to use your gifting for God's glory, yet many, for fear of 'replicating the world' would not want someone who is a gifted lighting designer, or set designer, or sound engineer to use their gifts because maybe we aren't quite sure what to do with them.
I am of the belief that if someone is gifted to do lighting design that it is more than possible for them to design lighting for our worship service that doesn't put the emphasis on those on stage, but rather helps to turn our hearts and minds to God simply by allowing us to forget about the others in the room. I know I seem to have my most enjoyable moments in worship when I can concentrate on the vertical aspect of worship and make it all about me giving glory to God w/out even thinking about those around me.
I am a worship leader. I lead by worshiping, not cheer-leading or giving commands like a drill sergeant. It is my responsibility to lead people into God's presence. Here's the thing: I can't make anyone worship. I can however use all the tools in place at my church to create an atmosphere that allows people to focus on God and simply worship. Are you using all the tools that God has given you to enhance your own worship experience both personally and corporately?
Friday, February 15, 2013
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Worship: It's Not About You
Before I get to the subject at hand, let me say that I am ironically scared to do a follow-up to my blog on fear from early October. Shortly after posting that blog, Hannah spent 4 days in ICU (3 of which she was on a ventilator), so while to date that is certainly the scariest situation I've ever been in, I'm not going to pretend to have this fear thing licked because I'm not sure I can handle another situation like that.
This morning I got a message from a good friend of ours who is also a worship pastor in the local church. What I heard broke my heart. Their rehearsal hit a major speed bump last night when one of the band members didn't like the arrangement of a song, and really tried to stir up trouble within the group right there in the middle of rehearsal.
This grieves me as a worship leader, because I think to some extent this kind of attitude permeates the congregations of so many churches. We want to sing the songs that we want to sing, the way we want to sing them, and don't change it or I might get mad and leave. Notice all of the 1st person pronouns in the previous sentence? Something's missing in that train of thought.....GOD!!
While I will be the first to acknowledge that we all have our own personal preferences in worship styles, I will also acknowledge that often time we allow our preference to become our 'mandate' or 'expectation' on our local church. When will we wake up to the fact that worship is NOT ABOUT US! It's about bringing honor to the God of the Universe and celebrating how awesome He is. If we can remember that simple truth, our worship experiences will take on a whole new life.
P.S. - As a worship leader, allow me to let you in on a 'trade secret' if you will. Much prayer and thought goes into worship planning. I can feel pretty safe in saying that your worship pastor doesn't try to make you unhappy with their selections for corporate worship. In fact, it is with a good amount of certainty that I can say it is probably just the opposite. We want you to enjoy your corporate worship experience and we want you to be able to participate joyfully as we worship together.
Do me a favor - the next time your worship leader takes you out of your comfort zone, go along for the journey. You may open the door to a whole new worship experience in your private worship life.
This morning I got a message from a good friend of ours who is also a worship pastor in the local church. What I heard broke my heart. Their rehearsal hit a major speed bump last night when one of the band members didn't like the arrangement of a song, and really tried to stir up trouble within the group right there in the middle of rehearsal.
This grieves me as a worship leader, because I think to some extent this kind of attitude permeates the congregations of so many churches. We want to sing the songs that we want to sing, the way we want to sing them, and don't change it or I might get mad and leave. Notice all of the 1st person pronouns in the previous sentence? Something's missing in that train of thought.....GOD!!
While I will be the first to acknowledge that we all have our own personal preferences in worship styles, I will also acknowledge that often time we allow our preference to become our 'mandate' or 'expectation' on our local church. When will we wake up to the fact that worship is NOT ABOUT US! It's about bringing honor to the God of the Universe and celebrating how awesome He is. If we can remember that simple truth, our worship experiences will take on a whole new life.
P.S. - As a worship leader, allow me to let you in on a 'trade secret' if you will. Much prayer and thought goes into worship planning. I can feel pretty safe in saying that your worship pastor doesn't try to make you unhappy with their selections for corporate worship. In fact, it is with a good amount of certainty that I can say it is probably just the opposite. We want you to enjoy your corporate worship experience and we want you to be able to participate joyfully as we worship together.
Do me a favor - the next time your worship leader takes you out of your comfort zone, go along for the journey. You may open the door to a whole new worship experience in your private worship life.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Bullying - My Thoughts
OK, I know this post is probably going to generate some heat, but I need to get this out there. Whether you agree or disagree, comments are welcome - just please keep it clean and do not revert to attacks on myself, other readers, or anyone else.
Over the past several years bullying has become a hot button topic. Let me begin by saying that bullying is a real problem and I wish it didn't happen. Unfortunately it is a reality that many people have to deal with on a very regular basis and that is tragic.
Here's where some are probably going to get mad at me, and that's fine. Disagreeing with someone is NOT bullying. I believe that bullying to an extent has taken on the same tone as tolerance. That is it is only bullying if it happens to YOU. Allow me to give an example.
Dan Savage has for years been considered by the mainstream an anti-bullying advocate. Dan lives a lifestyle that I do not endorse whatsoever, but that doesn't disqualify him from talking about bullying. Here's what does disqualify him in my book. He himself IS a bully.
He focuses his anti-bullying talks around the bullying of the LGBT community by the Christian community. Problem - he equates not condoning a lifestyle as bullying. Am I naive enough to think that there aren't those who bully the LGBT community in the name of Christianity? Absolutely not. It's sad when it happens and it should never happen. Now watch the following video (WARNING - LANGUAGE), and tell me if Dan Savage is not a bully to the kids in this high school assembly who respectfully walked out when Dan Savage attacked Christianity.
I applaud those students who walked out without making a scene.
If you are going to talk about bullying, it's probably a good idea to not bully while doing it.
Over the past several years bullying has become a hot button topic. Let me begin by saying that bullying is a real problem and I wish it didn't happen. Unfortunately it is a reality that many people have to deal with on a very regular basis and that is tragic.
Here's where some are probably going to get mad at me, and that's fine. Disagreeing with someone is NOT bullying. I believe that bullying to an extent has taken on the same tone as tolerance. That is it is only bullying if it happens to YOU. Allow me to give an example.
Dan Savage has for years been considered by the mainstream an anti-bullying advocate. Dan lives a lifestyle that I do not endorse whatsoever, but that doesn't disqualify him from talking about bullying. Here's what does disqualify him in my book. He himself IS a bully.
He focuses his anti-bullying talks around the bullying of the LGBT community by the Christian community. Problem - he equates not condoning a lifestyle as bullying. Am I naive enough to think that there aren't those who bully the LGBT community in the name of Christianity? Absolutely not. It's sad when it happens and it should never happen. Now watch the following video (WARNING - LANGUAGE), and tell me if Dan Savage is not a bully to the kids in this high school assembly who respectfully walked out when Dan Savage attacked Christianity.
I applaud those students who walked out without making a scene.
If you are going to talk about bullying, it's probably a good idea to not bully while doing it.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
How Do We Treat Worship
I came across the following quote on a friend's Facebook status today. "We worship our work, we work at our play, and we play at our worship." As I think about it, I fear that this quote is sadly true, but let's examine ourselves alongside of this statement.
We Worship our Work
Is your job the most important thing to you? Do you stress out to make sure that your tasks are accomplished and that your boss is pleased with your performance? Does your family take a back seat to your job? Does God take a back seat to your job?
We Work At Our Play
What's your favorite pastime? Do you find yourself spending a significant amount of your free time trying to get better at it? Do you invest your money in tools to make it more enjoyable?
We Play At Our Worship
How do you approach worship? Is it entertainment for you? Do you only enjoy it when your favorite song is played or your favorite passage is preached on? Do we look for the social benefits of church attendance more than we look for the spiritual benefits? Do we actually participate in worship or are we just spectating like we're at a sporting event? (It could probably be argued that many of us participate more when at a sporting event than we do when we come together for worship.)
As I re-read the statement, I am forced to ask myself the difficult questions that I have asked in this blog post. The evaluation of this isn't always pleasant. I don't always have the right answers when I answer these questions honestly. It's in those moments that I need to find myself on my knees asking for forgiveness and for the strength to make the necessary course corrections so the next evaluation is less painful.
We Worship our Work
Is your job the most important thing to you? Do you stress out to make sure that your tasks are accomplished and that your boss is pleased with your performance? Does your family take a back seat to your job? Does God take a back seat to your job?
We Work At Our Play
What's your favorite pastime? Do you find yourself spending a significant amount of your free time trying to get better at it? Do you invest your money in tools to make it more enjoyable?
We Play At Our Worship
How do you approach worship? Is it entertainment for you? Do you only enjoy it when your favorite song is played or your favorite passage is preached on? Do we look for the social benefits of church attendance more than we look for the spiritual benefits? Do we actually participate in worship or are we just spectating like we're at a sporting event? (It could probably be argued that many of us participate more when at a sporting event than we do when we come together for worship.)
As I re-read the statement, I am forced to ask myself the difficult questions that I have asked in this blog post. The evaluation of this isn't always pleasant. I don't always have the right answers when I answer these questions honestly. It's in those moments that I need to find myself on my knees asking for forgiveness and for the strength to make the necessary course corrections so the next evaluation is less painful.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Fear
Good morning, friends.
It has been an incredibly eventful past few days and as I find myself in my office preparing for our worship team rehearsal tonight, I realize how absolutely exhausted I am.
Saturday night I was genuinely terrified. Hannah, our youngest daughter, had the worst asthma attack that I've ever seen her have. It was so bad that we initially suspected a bad allergic reaction and administered her epipen. (Parents, if you've never had to do that to your child, I pray that you never do.) She was struggling to breathe and in that moment I found myself almost paralyzed with fear.
The good news is that she was treated swiftly in the ER and after a 2 day stint in the hospital she is home and back in school today.
Fear is a dynamic emotion that can cripple you like nothing I've ever experienced. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on how Satan can use our own fears to cripple our effectiveness for Christ. Whether we want to admit it or not, we're all afraid of something (rejection, pain, failure, meeting new people, etc.); the list could be endless. The good news is that God has not called us to live in fear. (2 Tim. 1:7) God has called us to live in love, power, and in sound mind.
We as Christians have no reason to be afraid. In our weakness Christ's strength is perfected. Through His power, fear can have no grip on us.
The next time that you find yourself gripped by the crippling grasp of fear, remind yourself that God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. He can set you free from those paralyzing effects and enable you to live a powerful life for him.
It has been an incredibly eventful past few days and as I find myself in my office preparing for our worship team rehearsal tonight, I realize how absolutely exhausted I am.
Saturday night I was genuinely terrified. Hannah, our youngest daughter, had the worst asthma attack that I've ever seen her have. It was so bad that we initially suspected a bad allergic reaction and administered her epipen. (Parents, if you've never had to do that to your child, I pray that you never do.) She was struggling to breathe and in that moment I found myself almost paralyzed with fear.
The good news is that she was treated swiftly in the ER and after a 2 day stint in the hospital she is home and back in school today.
Fear is a dynamic emotion that can cripple you like nothing I've ever experienced. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on how Satan can use our own fears to cripple our effectiveness for Christ. Whether we want to admit it or not, we're all afraid of something (rejection, pain, failure, meeting new people, etc.); the list could be endless. The good news is that God has not called us to live in fear. (2 Tim. 1:7) God has called us to live in love, power, and in sound mind.
We as Christians have no reason to be afraid. In our weakness Christ's strength is perfected. Through His power, fear can have no grip on us.
The next time that you find yourself gripped by the crippling grasp of fear, remind yourself that God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. He can set you free from those paralyzing effects and enable you to live a powerful life for him.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
For Good
"Who can say if I've been changed for the better? Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."
This is a line from the song 'For Good' from the popular Broadway musical Wicked. It's definitely one of those lines that the first time you hear it, can leave you scratching your head about it's meaning. Then again, maybe, I'm just slow.
There is so much truth to this statement. We leave permanent marks on the people that come in and out of our lives. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. The problem is, we rarely if ever think about relationships in this light.
I'm sure that we can all list people who are no longer in our lives that have had impact on our lives in one way or the other. Now realize that your name is on a lot of people's lists too. Be careful not to use that information to automatically say, 'Wow, I've impacted a lot of people.' While it's true, the question still remains did you change them for the better.
Now let's go a step further and apply this to our Christian testimony. We don't know how many of the people in our lives may get their only example of Christ from us. That is a thought that sobers me. How many times have I blown it by not showing people the love of Jesus as I live my life. How many times have I completely turned someone off to Christ by my own selfish, sinful actions? If I weigh that against how many people have I led to Christ, would I be found wanting?
Earlier this week I posted that relationships matter....and they do. This is why.
I do know this: Because I know Jesus I have been changed for the better. I want to introduce Him to as many people as possible. Won't you join me?
This is a line from the song 'For Good' from the popular Broadway musical Wicked. It's definitely one of those lines that the first time you hear it, can leave you scratching your head about it's meaning. Then again, maybe, I'm just slow.
There is so much truth to this statement. We leave permanent marks on the people that come in and out of our lives. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. The problem is, we rarely if ever think about relationships in this light.
I'm sure that we can all list people who are no longer in our lives that have had impact on our lives in one way or the other. Now realize that your name is on a lot of people's lists too. Be careful not to use that information to automatically say, 'Wow, I've impacted a lot of people.' While it's true, the question still remains did you change them for the better.
Now let's go a step further and apply this to our Christian testimony. We don't know how many of the people in our lives may get their only example of Christ from us. That is a thought that sobers me. How many times have I blown it by not showing people the love of Jesus as I live my life. How many times have I completely turned someone off to Christ by my own selfish, sinful actions? If I weigh that against how many people have I led to Christ, would I be found wanting?
Earlier this week I posted that relationships matter....and they do. This is why.
I do know this: Because I know Jesus I have been changed for the better. I want to introduce Him to as many people as possible. Won't you join me?
Monday, October 1, 2012
Relationships Matter
Can't believe I haven't done anything on this site since Easter of this year. I do want to try to post here more often, so hopefully the few of you that read this will hold me accountable and shoot me a line if a week or two go by with nothing popping up on this site.
Having said that, I have a feeling this particular blog entry will probably strike a chord with those of you in ministry more than others, but I think it's still something we all can benefit from.
I believe with all of my heart that the worship team I have the honor of leading each week at Crossroads is the most amazing group that I could have imagined working with. I've said that for a long time largely due to their musical ability, their flexibility in ambiguous situations, their willingness to try something different, and a whole laundry list of things that make my job as a worship pastor easier.
More recently, I say that about my team because they are simply an AMAZING group of individuals who love God and want to bring Him honor as we lead in worship each week. Here's the kicker, I could always have assumed the previous statement was true, but until I dug in and started building real relationships with these folks, I would have never really known that. This brings me to my point.
YOU CAN'T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIP
We live in a society that prefers to communicate via text, social networking, email, or blogging (ironic that I post this on a blog). These are great ways to get information to the masses quickly, but let's be real....you can not build a relationship electronically. You must spend time talking with people and doing life with people if you really want to know them. For many of us this is not easy because we may be naturally introverted, or maybe someone that we let in close turned and wounded us deeply. Whatever the reason, we MUST ask God for the strength to move past those barriers and build relationships with people.
How can we expect to win people to Christ if we aren't willing to invest time in getting to know them first? Look at Jesus' life. He invested time in people, and He continues to change lives across the globe. There's a valid point behind the 'Christianese' line "It's not religion it's relationship." The point is....RELATIONSHIPS MATTER.
Having said that, I have a feeling this particular blog entry will probably strike a chord with those of you in ministry more than others, but I think it's still something we all can benefit from.
I believe with all of my heart that the worship team I have the honor of leading each week at Crossroads is the most amazing group that I could have imagined working with. I've said that for a long time largely due to their musical ability, their flexibility in ambiguous situations, their willingness to try something different, and a whole laundry list of things that make my job as a worship pastor easier.
More recently, I say that about my team because they are simply an AMAZING group of individuals who love God and want to bring Him honor as we lead in worship each week. Here's the kicker, I could always have assumed the previous statement was true, but until I dug in and started building real relationships with these folks, I would have never really known that. This brings me to my point.
YOU CAN'T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIP
We live in a society that prefers to communicate via text, social networking, email, or blogging (ironic that I post this on a blog). These are great ways to get information to the masses quickly, but let's be real....you can not build a relationship electronically. You must spend time talking with people and doing life with people if you really want to know them. For many of us this is not easy because we may be naturally introverted, or maybe someone that we let in close turned and wounded us deeply. Whatever the reason, we MUST ask God for the strength to move past those barriers and build relationships with people.
How can we expect to win people to Christ if we aren't willing to invest time in getting to know them first? Look at Jesus' life. He invested time in people, and He continues to change lives across the globe. There's a valid point behind the 'Christianese' line "It's not religion it's relationship." The point is....RELATIONSHIPS MATTER.
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