Praise and worship...
As previously stated, Candice and I went to the Jennifer Nettles concert last night. If you've looked over the set list, you may have noticed that she started off with the Doxology. When she finished the "amen" at the end, she bowed her head and said, "Welcome to church." And everyone laughed and cheered. She then explained that she wasn't trying to offend or confuse anyone. She went to church as a child and still loves the old hymns. She said a lot of her music incorporates spiritual themes whether it's old-time religion or paganism. And she's right, a LOT of it does! So, for the rest of the night, she would introduce the songs, pointing out the spiritual references.
I don't know if it was all the talk about spirituality or just the fact that she really does have one of the most amazing voices ever bestowed upon a human, but there were times I felt like closing my eyes and raising my hands, as if I were in a praise and worship service! That got me thinking...okay, if I have this feeling now, when I'm at a bar listening to completely secular music, what does that say about the similar feeling I have during praise and worship? Is it just that the music is propelling me to an emotional high? Am I connecting on a purely human level, person to person, and just responding to whomever is performing at that time?
I love music. I love all kinds of music, and it has a tendency to affect me strongly. And I know that there are people out there who do praise and worship (as a type of music, not as a lifestyle) and choose specific melodies or chord progressions for their songs because they know they are more pleasing to the human ear. Is that being smart or manipulative? Are we too often just responding to the music we hear and that warm, fuzzy feeling we get around our heart, rather than the true presence of God? And then, that begs the question, when we "feel the presence of God" are we really just a group of people, responding to music, and creating a pleasant atmosphere?
I think maybe we do a little bit of both, honestly. I try really hard during the music section of a service (or at a Christian concert) to separate my praise of the musicians from my praise of God. Certainly, God's presence can be felt during a time of true praise, particularly in a corporate setting. But I think we need to be really careful that we're being true to that praise and that presence, and not just worshipping the music or the musicians.
I don't know if it was all the talk about spirituality or just the fact that she really does have one of the most amazing voices ever bestowed upon a human, but there were times I felt like closing my eyes and raising my hands, as if I were in a praise and worship service! That got me thinking...okay, if I have this feeling now, when I'm at a bar listening to completely secular music, what does that say about the similar feeling I have during praise and worship? Is it just that the music is propelling me to an emotional high? Am I connecting on a purely human level, person to person, and just responding to whomever is performing at that time?
I love music. I love all kinds of music, and it has a tendency to affect me strongly. And I know that there are people out there who do praise and worship (as a type of music, not as a lifestyle) and choose specific melodies or chord progressions for their songs because they know they are more pleasing to the human ear. Is that being smart or manipulative? Are we too often just responding to the music we hear and that warm, fuzzy feeling we get around our heart, rather than the true presence of God? And then, that begs the question, when we "feel the presence of God" are we really just a group of people, responding to music, and creating a pleasant atmosphere?
I think maybe we do a little bit of both, honestly. I try really hard during the music section of a service (or at a Christian concert) to separate my praise of the musicians from my praise of God. Certainly, God's presence can be felt during a time of true praise, particularly in a corporate setting. But I think we need to be really careful that we're being true to that praise and that presence, and not just worshipping the music or the musicians.
posted by Michelle at 11:22 AM
7 Comments:
Amen!!!
Good point, Michelle. I have often felt like I was being manipulated in services when the praise and worship was a certain way, and the worship leaders knew that people would respond in a more frenetic manner to a particular chord progression. Although our relationship with God is one that involves everything within us, including our emotions, sometimes we get carried away in the emotion and don't involve the rest of ourselves in worship. That is very dangerous as Christians, I think, when we only worship God with certain parts of us and not the rest...
i have done a lot of thinking about this topic.
our p&w here is just practice for what we will do in Heaven. we have all heard this before. but remember, that Satan, before he fell, was the leader of p&w to God. he was the most beautiful of all of God's creations. but he perverted himself and created sin and rebellion.
In music, humans have the power of creation. we are able to make music that has never been heard before. this is a very powerful tool/weapon. i believe that this gift, this freedom that we can use as an expression of our submission to the Lord, can easily be lost to our own desires.
We, as worshippers of God, need to be aware of the devil's 'wiles.' Not to say that we should "only listen to Christian music" or any such nonsense, but i would say, if there is a feeling of intamacy when experiencing music, what exactly are we being intimate with?
Satan loves to counterfeit the good and perfect things of God. He uses those things that are pure and poisons them with his deception. If we are followers of Christ, and lovers of God, we need to maintain a pure desire to only worship him.
I could go on, but maybe i will just post more on my own blog. check out what i have to say if you want.
Thanks, everyone, for your comments. Leah, thank you especially for giving us another perspective. Please don't think that I was trying to say that all p/w leaders are manipulative, I know they're not. And I do think part of the gift of song-writing is know what people will respond to. My experience Tuesday night really just got me thinking about what my personal focus and response needs to be during p/w.
We are definitely emotional creatures, and because our relationship with God IS a relationship, of course our emotions will get involved. My point was just that we need to make sure our emotional response is because of our focus on God in that moment...not because the musicians are of a certain caliber or because we like that particular song. Conversely, we also need to make sure, as Bird was saying, that when the musicians suck and we don't like the song selection, we still find it within us to praise God.
Last night at Chapel, the band played the song "Heart of Worship." I have not been a big fan of that song, but because of this whole conversation, it really meant something to me last night. It's just a reminder that our worship really should be "all about Jesus" and nothing else.
That's interesting that you brought that song up Michelle (Heart of Worship) among all these posts. That song was actually written when a praise leader was about to lose his position within a very large, prominent church. He had, for some time, been employing music that was not for the Lord, not for praise and worship but because it the "hype" at the time. He turned the p/w into something it was not meant to be, probably not knowingly though. He had gotten so caught up in making a "popular" atmosphere and focusing on making the praise and worship music that he thought was great with all kinds of instruments strumming and voices going, that he completely forgot why p/w even existed. He lost focus on God and the simple fact that God doesn't care if we come with a marching band, a 6 piece quartet, or a can and a stick to bang on it with. He cares about the heart we bring. When this became such a big issue, the church leaders approached him and, basically, asked him to step down. Not realizing the extreme he had gone to and the distance he had put between p/w music and God. He asked for time to pray about what had happened. During this time of reflection was when he wrote the song. He finally saw that he wasn't focusing on the "heart of worship" but on the antics of an ever changing musicland. He wasn't fostering an environment pleasing to God but to what he thought was best. Reminds me of Ephesians 5. Wow, I'm out of breath.
oooh, nifty...I was in the band on Wednesday night and you're right-the song means more to me because of the discussion we've been having with respect to p&w music...it's cool that you're such a part of the things that go on here at ec even though you don't technically have to.
Thanks, all, for the comments.
I was talking to Jonathan last night and he said something really cool. He said we need to remember that all gifts come from God, whether the person with the gift chooses to acknowledge Him with it or not. So, if a gift is used (like musical talent), God's presence can often still be felt in the gift. The gift always glorifies God, even if the person doesn't.
Very cool.
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