Leading Worship in Spirit and Truth, Part 2

THE WORSHIP LEADER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO POINT TO GOD (not “ME”)

Much discussion has been made over the distinction between church music that is sung to God (or about God) and songs about our relationship with God. Since its inception, modern praise and worship music has often been criticized for being overly abundant with lyrics that are relational in nature. Yet more and more worship leaders and composers in the last half-decade are speaking out regarding the need for more songs focusing on God and his attributes to be written and sung. Mike Pilavachi, pastor of the UK Soul Survivor movement, asks: “How many songs do we sing that are just about God and do not (emphasis added) bring us into the story? How often is God not only the object but also the center of our worship? I am sure we need to sing more songs that praise Him for who He is, irrespective of what He has done for us.”[1] Louie Giglio, leader of the Passion youth worship movement, echoes Pilavachi’s sentiments: “So if you want a quick glimpse into how small you are (in relation to the whole of creation) as a leader, take note of which pronouns consume you: ‘His,’ ‘He’ and ‘Yours"; or ‘I,’ ‘me’ and ‘mine.’”[2]

Sally Morgenthaler, author of Worship Evangelism, speaks of her own journey as a worship leader and planner, and how she has come to recognize the need to put primary focus during worship on vertical communion with God rather than horizontal reflection:

"As a young worship leader, I focused on creating worship experiences, on making sure people felt like they’d met God before they left. As a worship planner, I still ask myself the question, how are people going to encounter God in this time of worship? But increasingly, I’m focusing on the God of our experience, not the experience itself. The reason for this is that it’s entirely possible to feel close to God without really focusing on who He is. It’s entirely possible to work ourselves into a worship euphoria without distinguishing between god generic and God incarnate. And in this age of spiritual pluralism, that difference is pivotal."[3]

THE WORSHIP LEADER’S NEED FOR A SOLID BIBLICAL FOUNDATION

One of the key reasons I chose to attend seminary was because I believe that effective worship leading is greatly enhanced with solid biblical teaching at a level that can best be provided through seminary training. If worship leaders are truly taking a larger role in the life of the church and their position during the weekly service, a well-developed theological and biblical groundwork needs to be in place to guide their decisions in music selections as well as their leadership towards others. A casual understanding of biblical truths and/or an incomplete comprehension of theological issues (especially when facing a congregation that potentially brings with them a myriad of experiences, opinions and perspectives) can hinder a worship leader’s ability to best minister to their congregation. British recording artist and worship leader Vicky Beeching addresses this very issue when reflecting on her theological training:

"I chose to study Theology with the aim of going into full time worship ministry afterwards. I always hoped that it would have a good affect on my song writing and worship leading, and it did. My lyric writing improved as I got to know the Bible in more depth, and I could be sure that I wasn’t writing heresy! It also taught me a lot about church history, and biblical interpretation which has been useful in my teaching and seminars. Parts of the course were challenging, as some views taught at Oxford were more liberal than my own beliefs. But I learned to only take on board the things that sat right with me. Overall it was a great experience, and I came away with a rounded view of what people think of Christianity and an even stronger commitment to my own beliefs."[4]

ENDNOTES:
[1] Mike Pilavachi, “God Centered”; available from http://www.worshiptogether.com/features/article.aspx?iid=218176; Internet; accessed 17 November 2006.
[2] Louie Giglio, “Little Leaders”; available from http://www.worshiptogether.com/features/article.aspx?iid=218191; Internet; accessed 17 November 2006.
[3] Graham Kendrick, Mike Pilavachi, and Sally Morgenthaler, “The One Thing”; available from http://www.worshiptogether.com/features/article.aspx?iid=218192; Internet; accessed 17 November 2006.
[4] Interview with Vicki Beeching, “A New Voice From England”; available from http://www.worshiptogether.com/features/article.aspx?iid=260103; Internet; accessed 17 November 2006