Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God

by Bob Kauflin

Some Christians repress their emotions as they sing. They fear feeling anything too strongly and think maturity means holding back. But the problem is emotionalism, not emotions. Emotionalism pursues feelings as an end in themselves. It's wanting to feel something with no regard for how that feeling is produced or its ultimate purpose. Emotionalism can also view heightened emotions as the infallible sign that God is present. In contrast, the emotions that singing is meant to evoke are a response to who God is and what he's done. Vibrant singing enables us to combine truth about God seamlessly with passion for God. Doctrine and devotion. Mind and heart.

God himself used music as a means to help people remember his Word. As the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, God told Moses to teach them a song so that "when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring)" (Deuteronomy 31:21). We remember what we sing, and nothing is more important to remember than God's Word. Music-produced feelings will fade, but God's living and active Word will continue working in our hearts, renewing our minds, and strengthening our faith.

Churches can potentially undermine this unity by offering different Sunday meetings based on musical preferences and styles. While it may mean numerical growth for the church in the short run, it also can separate families and tends to cultivate a consumer mind-set in the long run.

There are other options. Diverse music teams can take turns leading on a Sunday morning. Different styles of music can be brought together in one meeting. More importantly, the church can be taught that setting aside their musical preferences for the sake of others is obeying Philippians 2:4: "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Taking this path will probably require patient instruction, but over time the congregation will begin to see that the determining factor in our unity is not musical styles-it's the gospel.

Some of the questions Scripture doesn't address include: How much music is too much? Should songs be passed down through the years, or should each generation write its own? Should our music be universal or more culturally localized? Should songs be liturgical or free-form? Should the singing be spread throughout our time together or happen all at once?

Music Should Serve the Lyrics This e-mail came from a gentleman who had visited our church a few times: I'm one of those musician types who doesn't sing. . . . Being a musician type I tend to hear the music and most often miss the lyrics. That has not been my experience at Covenant Life. I would describe my experience at your church like this. I feel the music washing over me almost like a flood even while my mind is captivated in meditation on the lyrics. I'm not only hearing, but also meditating on the lyrics. This is not like me. I see it as a good thing. My only question is, "How do you do this?"

How can WE do this? Have we been doing this?

If your church doesn't use hymnals or songbooks, the person handling the projection of lyrics plays a crucial role in enabling people to engage with truth about God. If they're frequently late in putting up lyrics, show the wrong verse, leave a blank screen, or project misspelled words, that can counteract whatever good leadership you might be exercising. That's why I want that person to be humble, trained, and faithful. It also helps when they attend rehearsals.

When I play piano softly behind a speaker, I'm listening carefully to what's being prayed, shared, or read. I seek to support, not distract from, the content. I rarely play a song that everyone can identify because that could easily draw their attention away from the speaker. I play sparsely and at times nothing at all. We don't need to play music constantly or seek to manipulate people's emotions. Spoken words don't always have to be accompanied by a musical background. But in the right ways and at the right time, instrumental music can be an effective complement and support to the spoken word.

Musical diversity reflects the varying aspects of God's nature. He is transcendent and immanent. He splits mountains and clothes the lilies. We worship him as our Creator and Redeemer, King and Father. How can anyone think that a single kind of music could adequately express the fullness of God's glory?

Musical variety enables us to hear the same words with different effect. "Amazing Grace" has a different emotional impact when it's accompanied by a black gospel choir, a large orchestra, a sustained synthesizer chord, or a lone acoustic guitar. Hymns are especially suited for innovative treatments that help us hear the words from a new perspective. Moving beyond traditional tunes and arrangements shouldn't bother us too much since most hymns were written without music, and a favorite tune only emerged over time.

Musical variety communicates God's heart for all generations, cultures, and races. We don't use different music because we want to keep everyone happy or because we're aiming for a "blended" service. It's the gospel that blends us together, not music.

To demonstrate this point one year we used a different style of music every Sunday for an entire month. We called it, "It's Not About the Music." The first Sunday felt very much like a traditional Presbyterian service. I gave a message on the role of music in congregational worship, followed by the Lord's Supper and a benediction. The next Sunday focused on world music, using songs from a variety of cultures. We followed that with Hispanic Sunday, then Bluegrass/Country Sunday with banjo, fiddle, and harmonica. We finished up with a black gospel/R&B/rap Sunday, led by a choir. Although purists might quibble with the authenticity of each style, no one missed the message. Each musical style brought a different emphasis to the praise that God so richly deserves.

Didn't he write against that earlier?

the best music enables people to genuinely and consistently magnify the greatness of the Savior in their hearts, minds, and wills. That's a standard that will never change from culture to culture, generation to generation, church to church.

To flesh out this standard of excellence in your church, you'll probably have a musical center that effectively communicates to most people in the congregation. The songs sung in churches in rural Idaho, downtown Manhattan, Nottingham, England, and Bharuch, India are going to sound different. They should.

What does Northwest Indiana sound like?

And as a practical matter, edifying the church means using songs that everyone can sing. What's on my iPod isn't always the best place to start when I'm picking songs for congregational worship. I need to think through the musical level of the people I'm leading. I generally look for songs with melodies between a low A to a high D that are easy to learn and hard to forget. I also try to avoid complicated rhythms.

As you start to sweat, thoughts like these begin to influence your choices: - This is my favorite new song from my favorite CD by my favorite worship artist. It's hot. And no one I know is doing it yet. - No one got upset when I taught this song last month. - I really like the way my voice sounds on this one. - I can't do this one because it has three verses, and I'm into simple right now. - I think I know all the chords on these three.1

Certainly touching a nerve here!

First, we don't want to demand that people worship God. "I want every one of you to raise your hands now. Come on, people! Sing louder. I can't heeeeaaaar you!" These kinds of unwise, theologically uninformed comments don't inspire anyone. God never commands us to praise him without including reasons for doing so.

Second, we don't want to motivate people to worship God through manipulation.

Third, we don't want to project false guilt onto the church, as I did with those teenagers years ago.

My Example

The issue of example also applies to other musicians on the team. When they appear uninvolved or concerned only with the music, they miss an opportunity to encourage the congregation. That's why I ask instrumentalists to sing as often as possible. It helps them remember who we're focusing on.

Which describes you? Are you simply mouthing lyrics? Do you only pretend to be engaged, moving your hands and bowing your head at the right moments to look "worshipful"? Or are you seeking to be a transparent worshiper-naturally, genuinely, and obviously demonstrating a desire to exalt Jesus Christ? If we want the church to be inspired by our leadership, we have to begin with an authentic example.

Exhortations

The first is a more extended comment between two songs, as I described in the last chapter. The other is briefer and comes while we're singing a song, usually in between lines.

Have you ever noticed how easily your mind can drift when you sing? I can be belting out amazing, God-centered lyrics while thinking about what's for lunch, the movie I saw Friday night, or absolutely nothing at all. On the outside I appear to be fully committed to worshiping God. On the inside I'm doing anything but.

At the very least, I have to be thinking about them myself as I sing. So I ask myself questions like these: Why is this true? What difference does it make? What if this wasn't true? What's not being said here? What does this word mean? Why does this line follow the last one?

For instance, Tim Hughes's song "Here I Am to Worship" opens with these lines: "Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness, opened my eyes, let me see." Then there's a pause. The words go on to explain what we now see: "Beauty that made this heart adore you." During that break I have some options. I may want to connect the lines by saying or singing, "You're so beautiful." I might be reminded of where I was before Jesus saved me and sing, "I was so blind." Or I could draw attention to how God opened my eyes and sing out, "Through the gospel" or "By your Spirit." In making these comments, I'm seeking to direct people's thoughts to the meaning of what we're singing by expanding on it.

Encouragement

If the people I'm leading are Christians, born again by the Spirit of God, I can be confident that somewhere in their hearts is a desire to proclaim and cherish the glories of God in Jesus Christ. If I don't believe that, I'll be tempted to think I have to convince or coerce them into worshiping in spirit and truth. I'll be leading out of unbelief, not faith. My comments will lack grace. I'll be easily discouraged. Or if things go well, I'll be proud.

If I trust the Spirit's activity, I don't have to be defensive, angry, or frustrated when people seem disinterested. Rather than focusing on their apparent lack of response, I can draw attention to what God is already doing.

"Some of us this morning are going through significant trials. You're hurting, discouraged, or depressed. And the truth is, it's difficult for you to sing these songs with any joy or meaning. "But this is exactly where God wants you to be. He's arranged the circumstances of your life to make you aware of how much you need him and how eager he is to be your strength. He is so kind! He gave his Son to pay for your sins and bring you back to himself. He has shown you mercy instead of the wrath you deserved, and you've been adopted into his family. Now he's using everything you're going through to make you more like Jesus. He's a faithful Father who will never leave you or forsake you. Let's remember his mercy as we sing this next song . . ."

Scripture tells us that the church is "God's building," God's "temple," the "body" of Christ, "the household of God." We are "living stones . . . being built as a spiritual house" (1 Corinthians 3:9b; Ephesians 2:21-22; 1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:19; 1 Peter 2:5). All those metaphors certainly apply to the worldwide church. But their most immediate and practical application is to the local church-the Christians I'm joined with day by day, week by week, year by year. And gathering together with them should be one of the highlights, if not the highlight, of my week.

Vitality and meaning will not be restored to Christian gatherings until those who lead and those who participate can recover a biblical perspective on their meetings, seeing them in relation to God's total plan and purpose for his people.2

Do you have a biblical perspective on your meetings? Are you helping people see how they relate to God's total plan and purpose for his people? In other words, are you attracting an audience, or are you building a worshiping community?

Proclamation-declaring what's true about God-is often underrated. Why proclaim scriptural truths we've previously heard and already know? Because we forget. We lose track of who God is and what he's done. Proclamation helps set our minds and hearts right. It reminds us of the convictions and realities that should guide and govern our daily lives.