I once wrote a post titled “What should Church Music Sound Like?” The natural sequel to such a discussion, to my mind, has to be concerned with what worship should look like…
This may seem like an odd question to some, but it’s pretty straightforward really. When we all sit or stand in our churches those of us blessed with eye-sight are unavoidably looking at something or someone. And the trend in latter times towards what is termed “contemporary worship” has been towards watching a performance up there on the stage: how cute the girls and guys are, what they’re wearing and how they have their hair; how impressive the guitar licks and drum rhythms are; how cool the light show is; how expensive the sound system is.
There are times when the worshipers are not heard-not necessarily because the band is too loud but because the congregation isn’t singing-they’re too busy watching the performance. In a really bad scenario you will get a dirty look from those around you if you do sing loudly.
Well excuse me, but I can’t help being one of the few voices to raise an alarm here. Who are we supposed to be worshiping: Jesus Christ, or the band? I’m not against the principle of guitars and drums etcetera. What I’m against is the idea that we-the congregation-have to be entertained and impressed. I know for a fact that some people go to church because the music has a “great beat”, or because the vocalist is “cute”. Eventually that “cute” guy leaves his wife and goes off with one of his admirers.
I’m sorry, but that just makes me gag. And on a more spiritual note, it makes me sad and frustrated because the entire point of church is being missed. It’s not about entertainment, it’s about loosing our life to become Christ-like, and so to gain it. It’s about giving all our worship to our Creator: the almighty, omnipotent God and His Son, who alone deserves it all and requires it all.
Alright, I can’t expect churches to do it my way, but let me give a little example of what I personally think church music should look like. For me the most moving and uplifting moments of corporate worship have been when the musicians-at floor level-were obscured by the believers all around me (and I say this as a musician myself-I don’t want to be noticed if I’m playing in church). There was no visual focus, and no sensual stimulation: it was just me, God, and my brothers and sisters in Christ, lifting up our voices far above the music, singing a song written by someone who had been moved to write from his or her own experience with, and view of God. The music was good, yes, and part of the worship, but it was the accompaniment to our worship-not the reason for our presence.
Fuel for Faith 