A new post is up at Worship.com. There is so much I dissagree with in this article that I don't even know where to begin. I spent several minutes writing my thoughts out, but I just can't make them flow in a practical, positive way, so I figured a discussion (not a debate or bashing) would work better. Take a few minutes to read the artical (link posted below) and tell me if you also see anything wrong or if you agree.
"How Much Music Is Enough In a Worship Service?" (by Dwayne Moore)
Nate
(Join in the discussion)
6 comments:
I think the biggest issue I saw with it is doing things on the fly. If your band is good and your medai team is good, then it can be done. But then again. If you prayed about what songs you were doing for the service, then the Spirit should have directed you to the appropriate amount of songs as well.
I think amazing worship gatherings are...well...amazing, but we should also be considerate of people's time. I've heard of some churches that have 2.5 hr services and 30 minute jam sessions and I'm just not sure that it is neccesary or fruitful.
I'm not able to judge people's ministry by any means, but I think keeping tabs on time no matter how loud the congregation is singing should also be a factor. And I'm of the mindset that you shouldn't add songs to your set, but cut them if and when you end up going to long.
OK so we have another case of "when the music ends so does the praise or worship". WRONG!!
We may not get it all right, but this we do, the whole service, or gathering as we would call it, is worship. Greeting, music, prayer, offering, teaching, even coffee and donuts. All of it.
The right amount of music? However much the leaders determine is right for the order and topic, and schedule of the day. Same goes for song choice.
I will go out on a limb and say that the worship time is ours to use for worshiping God sincerely, as we will, not a time for us to try to make sure we play enough and the right music to suit God.
We will have the occasional all music gathering, and those can be powerful. but so can any one song on any Sunday. Powerful worship and praise can't be contrived, it happens.
I'm sure there's more but I have to go to practice....
and people always say drummers are dumb. Good posts.
Hey, I got an A in 501! I learned some stuff. And I'm an NHCU Grad!
I agree with cjolly...its all part of the worship service. If we prepare prayerfully and properly for the spirit to lead us, we will know how much is right. During the music portion of worship, we need to understand the leading and calling of the spirit...if its truly spirit led, the pastor will be feeling it as well (hopefully). I dont have issue with the "checklist" its what we should be reviewing in our heads all the time.
Three big issues I have with the article.
One: why in the world do we have to make this worship leading thing so complicated? If I followed all of Moore's suggestions every week, I'd pull my hair out. I'm not saying I don't spend a lot of time thinking and praying and planning, but seriously... Just do it, and don't second guess yourself unless it really turned out crappy on all acounts.
Two: by implying that there is this ideal goal for every worship service, Moore is setting himself up for some serious problems. If perfection is the goal, then anything less should be unacceptable, which I find unacceptable. I'm not going to look back every Sunday afternoon and try to grade everything that took place, wondering if we got it Just right" and hoping that it was good enough so that people were emotionally/spiritually lifted and God was pleased.
Three: as Chris said above, the goal isn't getting the ammount and intensity of the songs just right...the goal is worshipping God. We believe that everything we do can and should be an act of worship, on Sunday mornings and throughout the rest of our week. To say that there is a "just right" ammount of music/song for a service is to creat this unjust division of worship. Worship is just as much prayer and giving and hanging out and taking notes during a sermon as it is singing. Yes, singing is a special part of our worship, but it's not the most special. It's not an either or thing, a sermon vs. music thing. It's a becautiul, harmonious thing. Who cares how many songs we sing, how long the sermon is, how much time we spend in silent prayer as long as the end result is the freedom for people to make the choice to join in and worship with us.
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