1. If we, the congregation, can’t hear ourselves, it’s not worship.He also writes:
2. If we, the congregation, can’t sing along, it’s not worship.
3. If you, the praise band, are the center of attention, it’s not worship.
Please consider these points carefully and recognize what I am not saying. This isn’t just some plea for “traditional” worship and a critique of “contemporary” worship. Don’t mistake this as a defense of pipe organs and a critique of guitars and drums (or banjos and mandolins). My concern isn’t with style, but with form: What are we trying to do when we “lead worship?” If we are intentional about worship as a communal, congregational practice that brings us into a dialogical encounter with the living God–that worship is not merely expressive but also formative–then we can do that with cellos or steel guitars, pipe organs or African drums.Read the rest.
Personally, I would add some qualifiers to this article but in general I think it provides a very helpful means for discussion. Keep in mind that the three bullet points above will be answered differently by different people. There are no hard and fast rules for evaluation of those items in your local context. From church to church it will look different and we should be ok with that.
(HT: Denny Burk)
2 comments:
This reflects my own frustrations and sensitivities towards music in the church but it appeared to me that the author put quite a bit of emphasis on curtailing the virtuosity of the musicians.
While on one level I can agree with him that our time in worship is not the time to whip out the vocal histrionics that are so pervasive in the American Idol culture because no one can swing with you b/c there is no rhyme or reason to your vocal "improvisations" but, I am frustrated with running joke that everything played in church is played in G b/c those are the 4 chords everyone knows and everyone has a capo or a transpose button on the piano.
In addition, it is really sad to write a God-honoring and exalting song in a jazz style and know that it will never be sung in worship b/c no one else in the band/team can play an Ebm7#5 or even an AbM7 or play brushes or a walking bass line and further it is frustrating to be criticized for even reaching above the current accepted style of G C D Em (in your favorite key) to write something in that style.
As Robert Barrett Browning wrote in Andrea Del Sarto, the faultless painter, "Ah that a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?"
I always encourage the folks I play with to reach above the 4 on the floor beat pattern or the Americana feel of G C D to play ideas and motifs that are worthy of being played before the King of Heaven and His saints. And, praise God, many of my friends do reach and rise above the standard but it does break my heart to see worship musicians who would not survive in or pass an elementary age music room because they do not feel the need to improve or hone their craft and gifting.
i am completely distracted by an individuals who sings off key and is loud enough to be heard. especially if they don't care. i have found that if the worship is familiar (2nd point) it can be turned up a little more and still be comfortable enough to engage in. this eliminates the insecure individual who won't sing out loud because they suck at singing, and, conversely, will also drown out the individual who is off key and doesn't care that they are off key.
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