Worship Band or Band of Worshippers?
This is an email I sent to the band I play with each weekend here at Impact. Just some things I've been thinking about lately as it relates to this confusing things called worship. What is it? Who does it? Where is it happening? Why do we do it? When is it nothing more than hogwash? Things such as this using a comparison/contrast between a worship band and a band of worshippers. These are only my humble opinions of course...take them with a grain of salt and a laxative...
"A Worship Band:
A worship band seems to need music to worship. They don't feel attracted to any other facet of Jesus other than songs about him. They don't find the Bible all that exciting and stuggle to listen when the pastor is sharing God's Word. They want him to shut up so they can get up on stage again and sing. They get into music, but not God. They seem to change their personality when they get up in front and play their instrument. Sometimes they don't play their instruments or sing these songs outside of practices and church services. They get done "leading worship" and then go sit down until it's their time to shine again. They rarely enter into people's lives "in between" practices and worship sets. They don't care about people that much, in fact, it's easier to just get the music over with and get out of the building. They don't like it when they are rotated out and have to worship "with the congregation", sometimes they don't even come to weekend services until they are "needed" again. They often times don't see a problem with living in sin and still leading worship. Sinning and singing go hand in hand to these kinds of people. There is a disconnect between worship and witness. They don't see it as taking God's name in vain to say things to God they don't actually mean or practice. In a nut shell, they just need a gig to hone their skills and get some public attention. God doesn't like this, but they don't know that, because they don't read their Bibles.
A Band of Worshippers:
A band of worshippers bows without a band. They see worship as a lifestyle, not a music style. They don't try to take people to places they haven't been that week. Their deepest desire is to be see through when they are in front of people, not seen. They don't say things to God during worship that they don't say to him throughout the week. They don't go to church to worship, they go worshipping to church. They don't use God for personal gratification and then dump him when the music fades. They hunger for the Word, not just Worship. They know you can't lead people until you love people and so they don't enter into worship without entering into people's lives. They know the Bible says that you can't love God whom you can't see until you love the people all around you that you can. They are humble, thankful, joyful and hopeful. To them, you can't keep singing and keep sinning. They aren't sinless, but they are sinning less. The weekdays mean as much to them as the weekends. They are leading worship in conversations, blogsites, emails, and phone calls. Leading worship doesn't start and stop with music...it's a way of life. They don't care as much about their instrument as they do the whole band. They want to blend, not blare. They want to be seen as a fellowship of friends, not a talented musician. They want to bless, not recieve blessing. They want to praise, not recieve praise. In a nutshell, they could care less whether they get to play or not, their worship will go on. God likes this, and they know it, because they feel His pleasure.
I will continue to pray that God continues to reform us into a Band of Worshippers. The transformation is always in process, and we will never arrive, but I want to stay in hot pursuit of this vision along with all of you who have been called to this great ministry. I love serving with you all. Thanks for being on this adventure with me."
"A Worship Band:
A worship band seems to need music to worship. They don't feel attracted to any other facet of Jesus other than songs about him. They don't find the Bible all that exciting and stuggle to listen when the pastor is sharing God's Word. They want him to shut up so they can get up on stage again and sing. They get into music, but not God. They seem to change their personality when they get up in front and play their instrument. Sometimes they don't play their instruments or sing these songs outside of practices and church services. They get done "leading worship" and then go sit down until it's their time to shine again. They rarely enter into people's lives "in between" practices and worship sets. They don't care about people that much, in fact, it's easier to just get the music over with and get out of the building. They don't like it when they are rotated out and have to worship "with the congregation", sometimes they don't even come to weekend services until they are "needed" again. They often times don't see a problem with living in sin and still leading worship. Sinning and singing go hand in hand to these kinds of people. There is a disconnect between worship and witness. They don't see it as taking God's name in vain to say things to God they don't actually mean or practice. In a nut shell, they just need a gig to hone their skills and get some public attention. God doesn't like this, but they don't know that, because they don't read their Bibles.
A Band of Worshippers:
A band of worshippers bows without a band. They see worship as a lifestyle, not a music style. They don't try to take people to places they haven't been that week. Their deepest desire is to be see through when they are in front of people, not seen. They don't say things to God during worship that they don't say to him throughout the week. They don't go to church to worship, they go worshipping to church. They don't use God for personal gratification and then dump him when the music fades. They hunger for the Word, not just Worship. They know you can't lead people until you love people and so they don't enter into worship without entering into people's lives. They know the Bible says that you can't love God whom you can't see until you love the people all around you that you can. They are humble, thankful, joyful and hopeful. To them, you can't keep singing and keep sinning. They aren't sinless, but they are sinning less. The weekdays mean as much to them as the weekends. They are leading worship in conversations, blogsites, emails, and phone calls. Leading worship doesn't start and stop with music...it's a way of life. They don't care as much about their instrument as they do the whole band. They want to blend, not blare. They want to be seen as a fellowship of friends, not a talented musician. They want to bless, not recieve blessing. They want to praise, not recieve praise. In a nutshell, they could care less whether they get to play or not, their worship will go on. God likes this, and they know it, because they feel His pleasure.
I will continue to pray that God continues to reform us into a Band of Worshippers. The transformation is always in process, and we will never arrive, but I want to stay in hot pursuit of this vision along with all of you who have been called to this great ministry. I love serving with you all. Thanks for being on this adventure with me."
Comments
We at Orchard View are struggling over the music issue (still!) and your thoughts will be used in a discussion we will be having this evening (church leadership) at our home.
I really am enjoying your CD and we'll be buying more than a few to put in the hands of friends and family in hope that we can further enlist them into the "band of worshippers".
Yours In Him - Rick Cramblet