Why do we worship the way that we do?

[murlough23]

I've been struggling a lot lately with the role that music plays in worship services. it's funny, because I actually lead worship in a small group setting every other week, and there are a great deal of "modern worship" songs that I enjoy/find useful for that purpose, or even just appreciate on a purely musical level. And I know that there are Biblical examples of music being used in worship services (we have a whole book of the Bible devoted to the lyrics of such songs), but lately, I've just felt kind of blah about the whole thing.

I've long since accepted the idea that worship is much more than just music - it's also the praying and the preaching and the whole service; it's our "lifestyle". Fine. But if music still plays a role - and I like music, so I think it should - then why are we using it the way that we do? The standard template seems to be, get folks together, sing some familiar songs that get people in a certain mood or mindframe, then proceed with the rest of the service. The lyrics are all about God, but in terms of what we're actually trying to accomplish, it seems lately like it's more about us and our sense of familiarity and feeling good. Music has a certain power over people, I guess, and I'm not against using that as a tool to focus our minds and hearts, but sometimes I wonder if we're just throwing out a lot of flowery phrases in vain. It's like, I'd rather hear/sing something that's gonna challenge me, rather than just piously croon some more phrases about how cool God is and how much I love Him.

Lots of times when I hear people comment on how powerful a worship service was, it's because there was a really rockin' band, or the worship team did some of their favorite songs and/or songs that they found really memorable and catchy, or the choir sounded really massive and technically accomplished, or some words were repeated that struck an emotional chord. And I think, those aren't bad things, but are we confusing the movement of the Holy Spirit with a simple emotional response to music that is memorable to us? It's almost as if we try to chase down and capture those responses so that we can reproduce those supposedly Spirit-soaked moments at will by using the same songs or methods.

Many of you have already had your issues with "modern worship" for quite some time, so I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but the problem I'm having is that I actually do like a lot of the Church's modern "staple songs", and I'm just finding their usage to become a bit weary. Maybe it's a phase that I'm growing out of? Maybe what started as a new wineskin is now coming of age, like our over-reliance on the hymns was after a time, and now it's time to rethink things again, revisit what worked and what didn't, etc.? I used to be bored with "traditional" worship; now when I hear most hymns sung in the midst of a contemporary service, I'm actually thankful for the variation, and for something to sink my teeth into. it was important for us to realize that we need not limit worship music to more traditional music styles and methods of songwriting, but maybe now we're limiting it to our modern sense of what makes a hit, or what makes a song easy for a congregation to pick up in no time? Isn't there a happy medium, or somewhere new we can go with this? Or am I just destined to become bored with worship services more and more as I get older?

NP: "We Give Thanks", Caedmon's Call

[Tom]

good topic Murlough. you know, i'm kind of where you are with this subject. my wife and i used to lead worship in a 'praise team' at our former church. when we first started doing the whole 'praise team' thing we felt like it was the fruition of a 'calling' of sorts. and to be sure, we feel like God did use us many times to lead people to reflect on God through song.
after a while though, things started to feel weird. we were in a supportive role (i played rhythm / lead guitar and my wife sang and played flute) so we didn't ever pick out the songs or anything. things just seemed to become gimmicky. for instance, the people seemed to think that the best 'worship times' were when the band was the tightest and rocking the loudest. or conversely, when we played the more reflective songs and got the goose bump factor going. it was fun playing music, but i began to feel like we were trying to rock more than we were trying to worship God. the amount of practice and preparation we put into each service in order to sound great became obsessive IMO. i think i could go the rest of my life without ever playing another Chris Tomlin song.
i've got nothing against rocking out, and i think God can use that style to bring people to Himself. but many of the songs we did had trite and banal lyrics. some services felt like a sanctified pep rally. it got weird.
Rich Mullins once remarked to a fan telling him that certain parts of his songs made them feel closer to God. he responded by saying, "That just because the bass and drums kicked in." or something of that nature.
we go to another church now, (we didn't leave because of the music. that was another thing entirely.) and their worship style is bare bones piano and vocals. they play new songs and old songs, but i seldom get the feeling that the praise team is 'performing.' i like that.
i've come to the conclusion that it isn't about the style that determines honest worship. it isn't really about music at all. i think it is all about focus. it is one thing to say, "we're going to praise God" and then throw a rock concert. but it is another to just play the songs effectively, but not show-off-ey, without regard to the 'audience' and just sing to God/meditate on God/submit to God etc. music is a way to express our love for God, but music isn't worship in and of itself.
past experiences with p&w music have really sent me reeling away from the genre as a whole.
i'm not really saying that there isn't a valid place for bands like David Crowder, Matt Redmann etc. on the whole i think they do what they do admirably. but so much of it seems to be a marketing demographic and a certain 'feeling' or 'buzz' than worship of God.
i too find it refreshing to sing old hymns sometimes. when a church goes to playing modern songs exclusively, they are basically giving the finger to the older parishoners. in effect they are saying, "your songs and styles of worship are no longer valid." and that is preposterous.
i don't think the answer is about 'finding what works.' i think the answer may lie in simplicity. but i also think praise bands would do well if they searched for songs with greater lyrical depth too.
God deserves better than our thrown together songs that fit "30 Days of Purpose" and other such worship trends. but He also deserves better than to have us throw a big show (drawing attention to ourselves) that is more about having a good time than it is about exalting Jesus.
i guess i'm kind of cynical about worship-tainment in general. and i used to be all about it before i realized it was often really self-gratification disguised as God-glorification.

[murlough23]

Good thoughts, Tom. This is definitely a thorny issue.

I definitely feel weird about it sometimes when it seems like a worship team is trying to "show off". At the same time, if they were talentless hacks who had nothing that one would ever "show off", that would be distracting, too. I think there's a way that talent - and even something seemingly gratuitous, such as a solo, can be used during worship. I think it depends on whether the sounds/talents being used serve the aspect of God that you're trying to lead people to meditate on. If it's just being loud for the sake of being loud, that's obnoxious. But worship is meant to be a joyful noise; there are times when loudness is called for (as is quietness, and all levels in between).

I figure if we have God-given creativity and we use that in music that seeks to express honor to God, than in and of itself is an act of worship, even if the music isn't "worship music" in the sense that you'd sing the songs in church. So certainly the worship leaders who do write and/or perform the types of songs that are sung in church are a subset of that. They should let God take the spotlight, of course, but they shouldn't have to dull the talent that they have.

I think our problem is that worship has become like marketing. Something seemed to provoke a response with people, and maybe that something was valid, but going back and doing that thing to the nth degree as a sort of magic formula to make God's presence "happen" is the fallacy. First, God's presence is always there, even on the driest days when you're not really feeling the music. Sometimes the intent is merely a corporate response, acknowledgement of who God is and what that means to us, even if we don't get the "anointing" or whatever buzzword we associate with the hairs on the backs of our necks standing up. We just need to acknowledge that when God appears to have spoken through something, He may not choose to speak through the same thing next time. All we can do is express what God's put on our hearts to express, and let Him choose the special "holy moments".

As for worship-tainment, I do agree that we've gone too far in confusing the two. At the same time, if we all are truly seeking to glorify God,  and we come up with music that does that and is also aesthetically pleasing to us, then it's natural that the combination of the two is generally going to be enjoyable for us. In that sense, we're also "entertained". So long as it's not mindless entertainment, I don't think we should aim to get rid of that by making worship music intentionally dull or anything. Is it possible for us to not overdo it while also not underdoing it?

[bloop]

i too find it refreshing to sing old hymns sometimes. when a church goes to playing modern songs exclusively, they are basically giving the finger to the older parishoners. in effect they are saying, "your songs and styles of worship are no longer valid." and that is preposterous.
i don't think the answer is about 'finding what works.' i think the answer may lie in simplicity. but i also think praise bands would do well if they searched for songs with greater lyrical depth too.

Shoot, I'm pretty young, but the older folks' form of worship is all I'm terribly interested in, as opposed than than repeating the same increasingly empty phrase 20 gazillion times.  I prefer the modern worship songs to be the exception, the little song that's thrown in there, rather than the other way around, and even then in a more restrained way than is typical in the churches in which I grew up.

[dgp11776]

Murlough, I think you feel this way because, by nature, music is repetitive.  No matter if it's a modern worship song or an old hymn, when you've sung it 1,000 times....you've sung it 1,000 times. 

Eh, my idea of corporate worship is probably completely different that anybody else's on here.  I'm just not entirely sure that music is the ideal form of worship...or if it is even, technically, worship at all.  I know it's semantical, but I think you normally find the idea of praise linked with music in the OT...and you don't really find much music at all in the NT, but it is there.  Praise calls attention to the glory of the Lord; worship is giving something to the Lord. 

So what can we give to the Lord that will bring Him maximum honor and glory?  There is definitely the financial aspect.  There is also the aspect of service to Him (witnessing, a godly life before unbelievers, unselfish acts in our helping other believers).  But I believe the greatest acts of worship are:

1.  "Giving" Christ to God.  Let me explain - OT worship consisted of the people giving a portion of God's blessings back to Him.  They gave their animals.  They gave their grain.  They were blessed by God, and showed their appreciation by giving back what He gave to them.  One of the greatest testimonies to the blessings of the Lord in the OT was the material wealth of a person/family.  The result of the offering?  A "sweet-smell" before the Lord, signifying his acceptance of their offering.  Of course, the attitude and the heart of the worshipper was obviously key.  So, what is the greatest thing that God the Father has given to us?  Without hesitation, it is God the Son.  He freely gave His Son to this sinful earth.  He freely gave His Son to the cross.  He punished His Son for my sin (Isaiah 53:10 gets me every time).  So, it is my desire to present Christ back to God.  How do I do that?  Well, I think prayer is pretty important.  Worshipping the Lord through prayer is something that draws me very close to God.  It is not necessarily public, but it can be (and often is at the church I attend...but there is also the silent, private worship).  Just as an example, I'll tell you the worship I gave in prayer this past Sunday:  I was enjoying the truth of the Lamentations 1:12, "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger."  This is prophetic passage pointing towards the Cross.  I was thinking how Jesus would feel after the cruel hand of man against Him.  The savage heart of man was something that was completely foreign to Him.  He said of His Father, and thus wouldn't it be true of Him, concerning a little sparrow:  "And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father."  People suffering from all sorts of illnesses came to Him...His response?  Check out the number of times that the Bible says He had compassion on them and healed them.  And then, I think of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.  A servant of the high priest is there to take Him away and kill Him!  Peter tries to cut off his head but only takes off his ear.  The response of Jesus is amazing...he restores the ear of a man who wants Him dead.  There was nothing savage about Him - the cruelty of man against Him was completely foreign to His heart.  It is almost as if, since He was to suffer for it, sin at its worst (though, I know that sin is sin) was let loose against Him.  But there would be changing of His mind, no departure from His doing the will of the Father.  He forgave those that sought to kill Him.  And, knowing that sinners (read - "I") left to themselves would face Hell forever, He willingly suffered at the hands of His Father to remove my sin.  And, now, my sin is removed as "far as the east is from the west."  Not as far as the north is from the south...you can't always go north.  If you do, you eventually start heading south.  But you can head east and west forever.  That's how far my sin has been removed.  Thank the Lord!         

2.  Giving ourselves completely to the Lord.  Romans 12:1 - our entire bodies, which entails our hearts and our lives.  I've always found it somewhat comical that the point Paul is trying to make in this verse is that this is just our reasonable offering to the Lord.  Almost like, "this is a given - it's no biggie."  Really???  Sounds pretty big to me!

I don't know if I have anything to sum that up, but there you have it.  My take on worship in a nutshell.   

[Tom]

[e-bloop]

[murlough23]

RESPONSE. That's a good keyword, guys. Thanks for bringing that one up.

I'll admit that I am the type of guy who gets bored easily with repetition. But honestly, I think we've got enough songs in our repertoire that we shouldn't have to repeat so often. Having said that, I think some songs were meant to persist, and some just aren't cut out for it. The hymns that we love now? Those are probably merely a handful of the songs that were actually written and sung back then. Granted, we have even more new stuff being thrown at us today, because we have the forms of media available to propagate new songs very quickly. But still, look through some old hymnals and ask yourself how many of those songs you know, and would still sing today. Some are very obscure and have probably been forgotten for a reason. (Others, perhaps, should not have been so easily forgotten.) What we have now is a smattering of popular hymns from different centuries. It stands to reason that 100 years from now, a few songs from the "modern worship" era will endure, because they were built to endure instead of just conforming to a trend. The rest will likely fall away, except in somebody's archive somewhere.

I like it best when our church's various worship teams choose songs that are very obviously a RESPONSE to what's being preached on, rather than because it's the trendy song that everybody knows. Ideally, they're always choosing songs with this in mind, but sometimes I just have to wonder. "We're singing this Chris Tomlin song again? Is this really the only song they could think of that even remotely applied to the topic at hand?" If I go for the rest of my life and never have to sing "Enough" or "Holy Is the Lord" in service again, I'll be happy. (Maybe occasionally would be OK.) We've just started to pick up "Indescribable", and I honestly and truly love that song, but I can tell we're gonna overkill it within the next few months, and it'll be to the point where I'm sick of it even though I still enjoy the recording - kind of like how I currently feel about "God of Wonders". I think our worship teams are top-notch without being overly show-offy, technically speaking, and stylistically we're fairly varied... but the song choice has really been lacking lately. I keep asking myself where the songs are that have some oomph to them.

NP: "God-Shaped Hole", Plumb

[bethany]

I visited a church in St. Louis this past weekend, and this was printed in the back of their bulletin:

Only the Lover Sings

Ideally we should sing most of the service. After all, why say it when you can sing it? James Hastings Nichols describes the typical Reformation service in the 16th century: "In classical Reformed worship the 'liturgy' in teh strict sense, the people's part, was all sung. It is not the psoken prayers, taken by the minister, but the sung liturgy of the people which must be studeied in the first instance to comprehend the meaning of early Reformed worship." That may come as a surprise to modern Protestants. We typically say everything but the hymns. Colossians 2:15-17, however, commends us to let the word of Christ dwell in us "richly" by singing "psalms, hymns, and Spiritual songs." The Word dwells in our midst richly or gloriously when it is sung. Singing glorifies and beautifies speech. When you love someone you use heightened, glorified poetic speech and you sing those words to your lover! Somewhere Augustine sloganizes this fact: Cantare amantis est ("only the lover sings"). Lovers don't merely talk, they sing. Love beautifies. We sing to those we love. We sing about that which we love. Just as poetry is glorified written communication, singing is appopriate whenever plain talk is not enough.

The Lord's Day service is the context where we express our gratitude and love for God. Here we are called to glorify God with our speech. Adoration is a state of the soul that only singing an appropriately express. Follow the progression. Poetry is glorified words. Glorified words are glorified still more when they are sung. The union of many voices makes singing even more glorious. Still again, complex harmonies glorify congregational singing. Finally, the sung word is made yet more glorious when accompanied by instrumental music.

Such a rich conception of congregational participation is true to the best in Reformation theology and practice. For example, a steady stream of men were trained in Calvin's Geneva and sent out as missionaries into all of Europe to establish the Gospel. The Reformation was not simply an intellectual, doctrinal movement--a mere attempt to propagate ideas or doctrines. The Reformation, whether led by Luther or Calvin, was a full-fledged liturgical reformation. You didn't just come to Geneva in the 1500's to learn doctrine; you came to learn how to worship God. You came to be formed into a worshipping community. You were trained to sing. To sing your faith! To sing the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. To sing the Word of God. To sing your prayers. To sing the Lord's Prayer. Especially, to sing the inspired hymnbook of the Church, the Psalter! You were trained in a new manner of living fitting for the Gospel. You were trained to be incorporated into a Christian army of Psalm-singing worshippers! This is what it means to be a Reformation Christian. You are a singing Christian, a participat in a congregation of singing, justified believers! The bottom line is that we should learn to sing more of the Divine Service!

[chariotoffire]

I too grow weary of worship in which we sing the same song recycled each week, introducing a new one every so often as major christian artist write them and such. It seems partially like lying as the worship leader plays and sings things that he never really felt or was inspired to write. And recently i've been a part of a different sort of worship, where we sing what we want as inspired by the Holy Spirit, its quite refreshing.

[murlough23]

I too grow weary of worship in which we sing the same song recycled each week, introducing a new one every so often as major christian artist write them and such. It seems partially like lying as the worship leader plays and sings things that he never really felt or was inspired to write. And recently i've been a part of a different sort of worship, where we sing what we want as inspired by the Holy Spirit, its quite refreshing.

I knew you'd eventually say something that I would agree with.

Though I don't know how well everybody singing whatever they want would work, but I believe the Spirit can guide these things. Just might be confusing and difficult for newcomers to get into. (I went to a Charismatic church for several years as a teenager, so I kind of know how this works.)

Personally, I'm fine with the idea of singing choruses, or even letting a worship leader/team perform something while we meditate on what's being said. I'd just rather know that the songs being sung are chosen for their appropriateness and are personal on the worship leader/team's part (even if they didn't write the songs), instead of being chosen because they're trendy (though not all trendy songs are automatically bad). On a CD, I want to hear stuff that the artist did write, or if it's covers, I want it to be performed and arranged in a way that communicates something personal that is important to the artist (like, say, Jars of Clay's Redemption Songs). I don't need another U2-lite rendition of "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" or whatever.

[chariotoffire]

I'm fine with them doing choruses , i just want it to be truthfully from what they are feeling at the time.

[murlough23]

I'm fine with them doing choruses , i just want it to be truthfully from what they are feeling at the time.

Yeah, I think we're on the same page there.

Though that must be a pain to plan. "Hey choir, remember that arrangement of 'Forever' that we spent weeks on? Yeah, I'm just not feeling it today."