The Worship Lifestyle, Pt. 3

When I started writing about worship, I didn't intend for the topic to cover three posts, but as I've continued studying and learning myself, there have been a number of ideas and convictions that I still felt needed to be shared. So in this post, I want to address the issue of personal preference as it pertains to worship (and hopefully do so without any more alliteration).

The statement I'm about to make is going to ruffle a few feathers, but it's the driving motivation behind this post: the exercise of personal preference stands opposed to proper worship.  To those of you still reading, I'm of course speaking in an absolute sense, because preference is not always something that is necessarily wrong or inappropriate, but as it pertains to musical styles and worship songs, I have very rarely found someone who is able to share his or her preferences on worship in a humble and unassuming manner, and where his or her desire to see a particular style of worship every Sunday morning doesn't stem from a (sometimes unintentional) sense of entitlement.  What I'm saying is that when we insist on our preference in a worship service, verbalizing or internalizing, we are effectively determining that our mode of thinking is superior and completely forgoing Paul's exhortation to humility in regard to considering one another (Phil 2.3).  So while it's not wrong to have opinions on a worship service, the exercise of them is.

Again, I'm speaking in absolutes, because this is a problem with which all of us struggle.  By being pointedly narrow, I intend to leave no loopholes for those who may feel justified in their ideas on worship (more aptly called "opinions"), so that it is impossible for any of us to avoid evaluating where we fall concerning this issue.

Christians struggle with preference partially because of familial upbringing or cultural background, partially because of negative experiences, and partially because we're just very strong-headed.  Notice that I use the plural pronoun to include myself as well: I certainly have my ideas of the way things should be, and it can get under my skin if a church or individual fails to meet those expectations.  The truly disgusting thing about this issue, however, is not simply that we cling to our own notions, but that we go so far as to disparage the preferences of other individuals or congregations -- as though their practices are somehow inherently sinful.  We have reasons for why we like things to be a certain way, and if someone doesn't share our perspective, they are invariably thinking in a different manner, or upholding different priorities, than we do.  In our human condition, we can't help but be affronted.

Over the course of leading worship for almost a decade, I've heard from all schools of thought.  I've conversed with those who despise modern hymns, either because of their instrumentation or the quality of their lyrics.  I've heard form those who despise the ancient hymns because of their archaic vocabulary or presumed lack of cultural relevance.  I've heard from those who think that singing is a moot point and should be minimized or even excluded from worship services.  As a musician, I totally understand how difficult it is to engage in worship when you simply don't like the musical style.  However, many of the conversations I've had with people on the matter of worship preference have raised red flags in my heart concerning common conceptions (there I go again) of what worship truly is.

I've discussed worship as a definition much more deeply in two earlier posts (Pt. 1 and Pt. 2), but for the purpose of this discussion, I'll keep our working definition to two major points, specific to church or public worship (as opposed to private or individual worship).

First of all, church worship is a celebration of God.  It is the bringing of our firstfruits, or the best of what we have, to the One who already owns them all and recognizing Him for it.  It's an expression of dependence, love, and awe, coming from the hearts of people who see their need fulfilled only in Christ alone.  The verse I've heard quoted in a semi-joking manner to console those who aren't the best singers is "Give a joyful noise to the Lord" (Psa 100.1).  The idea is that it is the attitude of the noise, not the quality thereof, that truly matters.  It's amusing, but it's also true: God is not honored by our excellent display of musical prowess if our hearts are far from Him.  That becomes a mask which does not reflect our internal condition, something which Joel 2.13 encourages us not to exercise.  What honors God is the joyful noise which springs from the hearts of repentant sinners -- sinners who glorify God for His mercy, love, and other eternal, indefatigable qualities, and whose worship of Him doesn't end with the song.

Second, church worship is a corporate expression.  A worship service can be tailored to the tastes of a subset of its members, but it is not (or should not be) based on pleasing individuals.  In the same way that the early church in Jerusalem was built upon commonality, equality, and was devoid of even a mention of preference, so should our modern assemblies.  Everyone shared everything back then, and everyone was enriched by contributing to the needs of the body on a daily basis (Acts 2.47).  Sadly, we can't even have "everything in common" in our modern generation even one day of the week.  Church worship is about participation and contribution.  You don't come to get -- you come to give, and ultimately, you come to give glory to God.  When that is the primary focus of a body of believers, then their church prospers and arguments over petty differences of opinion are nonexistent.  People who simply "attend" a given church, however, don't understand what church is truly about.  People who go into a worship service but refuse to sing because they are appalled by the style of music likewise don't understand what worship is truly about.  When our focus is on God alone, suddenly everything we don't care for isn't a big deal, because our perspective has been focused on what truly matters.  This is what brings unity to the Body of Christ.  At this point, when we are in one accord, true worship can take place.

So that's what worship is in a nutshell.  Now we can understand why the exercise of personal preference can be incredibly damaging: if left unchecked, it is an exertion of my petty feelings over the very real needs of others.  It assumes the superiority of my thinking over that of brothers and sisters, and subjects the worship of a holy God (for which, by the way, He laid the necessary parameters) to the ideas we have about the way it should look, sound, and feel.  Instead of being a beautiful fragrance (2 Cor 2.15), our singing and feeble attempts at ministry become an expression of our internal selfishness, which will inevitably suck out the sacrificial and joyful nature of worship and render it empty lipservice.

As it pertains to singing, if you really don't care for old time gospel songs, you don't have to attend a gospel service, but you should be able to go and participate anyway.  Even though you don't like or know the songs, you should still have the ability to go into a gospel-led service and appreciate the truth within the lyrics.  Maybe you don't try to sing every song, but you celebrate the glory of God in your heart with everyone around you, and maybe you lift your hands and pray instead.  Participation doesn't mean you go in and mouth lyrics with a stony expression, or approach an extended musical interlude with a begrudging attitude, presuming that gospel music is beneath you because it is old-fashioned or somehow sinful.  The same is true for an individual who has difficulty engaging with contemporary hymns: just because you aren't moved by anything written by Chris Tomlin or Paul Baloche doesn't mean you should refuse to celebrate a holy and risen Savior through their music either.  Songs which tend to lean toward personal experience with Jesus are still worshipful, even if they don't use words like "Thee" and "forsakest," or because words like "heaven" with too many syllables aren't truncated with apostrophes.

All that being said, I will submit that we do have to be careful about the songs we choose for worship.    There are far too many which speak of Jesus as though He were a lover.  In fact, any song that could be played on the radio and sound like a love song is the kind I want to steer well away from.  Those kinds of songs reduce the divine love which God has for us to the truncated, misnomer "love" which society encourages today.  Speaking from the perspective of a worship leader, it is extremely important and also very challenging to find songs that are theologically accurate, because there are so many songs out there that just aren't.  Carefully putting together music which not only introduce the sermon material for the day but also accurately point the congregation to the person of Christ is a deep concern of mine -- and hopefully of the worship leaders of your church body as well.  If you find yourself struggling with the lyrics to a particular song -- not because you just don't like them, but because you are genuinely concerned that they aren't biblically based -- then I would encourage you to spend some serious time in prayer and then humbly approach your worship leader with your concerns.  But be careful that your motivation is truly out of a concern for your congregation to worship in spirit and truth, and not simply out of a deep-seated desire to get your own way.

So where are we with this discussion?

To those of you who dislike a particular style of music (and that means all of us), get off your high-horse and join in anyway.  The joy of the Lord should be infectious, not conditional.  To those of you who love all kinds of music but wrestle with lyrical content, take some time to read through those songs you aren't fond of singing and unpack exactly what unsettles you about them, and then do something about it -- out of a humble and loving spirit.  Don't just stew and allow frustration to suck the joy of worshiping out of your heart.  To those of you who simply struggle with wanting your own way, even in areas that have nothing to do with music, take some time to evaluate who sits on the throne of your heart -- your desires, or a Savior whose only desire is that you worship Him with all your heart, soul, and mind, and who commanded that we love others before we even think about loving ourselves.  For everyone, let us sing heartily to the Lord no matter what style of music is being played, because our Holy Father cares little for instrumentation, chords, or beats per minute.  He cares very much, however, about the conditions of our hearts - whenever, wherever, and with whomever we lift songs to give Him praise.

The Worship Lifestyle, Pt. 2

I've had the privilege of leading music at my church for the better part of eight years.  Ever since I was an awkward teenager in our youth group who dug his mothers' vintage Fender F-70 out of the attic and began learning chords so I could play U2 songs, I've had a passion for singing about the Lord and engaging with others in worshiping Him.  One of the most difficult things I've encountered in conversations with people about what the musical side of worship should encompass is the issue of emotions and what their appropriate role should be.  This topic is something I've written about before (hence the "Pt. 2" in this blog's title), but I'd like to dig into the matter once again, not only because it is a very pressing issue in how the church worships (both privately and corporately), but also because it's something that is dear to my heart as a worshiper of Jesus Christ.

I've encountered several extremes concerning emotion's role in worship.

One is this mindset: "I don't worship God when I don't feel like it, because it would be meaningless."

A second is this: "I'm going to worship God whether I feel like it or not, because it's the right thing to do."

Another is as follows: "I worship God when I feel close to Him."

As is usually the case, all of these perspectives possesses some very real shreds of truth.  On one hand, we absolutely want to worship God when we feel like it, because that is a genuine outpouring of our dependence upon and love for Him.  On the other hand, we want to worship God even when we don't feel like it, because our emotions are unstable and we can't base worship upon them.  Additionally, we want to celebrate God when we feel close to Him, because his nearness means joy and salvation (Psalm 73.28).  However, worshiping God is never a "fake it 'til you make it" type of learning process, nor does it allow for a "follow your heart" mentality.

After leading for so long and studying a number of excellent resources (most notably, Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin and Desiring God by John Piper) in addition to the Word of God itself, the conclusion at which I've arrived is as follows: worship is 1. built upon sound theology and 2. expressed through our emotions.  It is always a two-step progression, and it is essential that the process happens in that order: our response to God should be emotional, but the foundation of our worship should never be.  In fact, Bob Kauflin says it perfectly: "Magnifying God's greatness begins with the proclamation of objective, biblical truths about God, but it ends with the expression of deep and holy affections toward God."  This is rooted in the fact that worship is all about God's character.  It's all about Jesus.  That's why worship transcends musical style, be it through ancient or modern hymns.  That's why worship is a lifestyle, and not just an action.  Worship is a celebration of who God truly is, expressed through our desire to see His truth proclaimed - both to others and to our own hearts.

It's simply all about Jesus.  Therefore, we respond whole-heartedly, emotionally, to Him.

Another way to think about it is that we worship God through our emotions and in spite of them.  This is due to the fact that while our emotions are incredibly unstable, God's character constant forever.  When we are wrestling with sorrow, anxiety, and even anger, we must worship in spite of our emotions.  If I find myself walking into a worship service while in this frame of mind, then in order for me to worship God effectively, I need to mirror the heart of Job, captured in Matt Redman's "Blessed Be Your Name:" "My heart will choose to say, 'Lord, blessed be Your name!'"  In this vein, although I am singing out of a heart which needs divine comfort, I am also magnifying the Lord's sovereignty and compassion, effectively minimizing my suffering in the wake of His provision.  It may sound like a subtle difference, but it is all the difference that is necessary.  It's a matter of perspective: instead of weeping over my pain and begging the Lord to take it away, my worship is now built upon a sound understanding that God is sovereign (Deut 10.17) and that He cares about my pain (Psa 56.8), poured out in humble expression of my desperate need.  It doesn't mean that I'm all of a sudden carefree, it just means that in esteeming God to be greater than my circumstances, I experience the Joy of the Lord which transcends pain and heartache.  Inevitably, my worship then becomes about His character, not what I am feeling.

On the other side of the coin, when we are soaring on Cloud 9 with joy, or when we experience a peace that surpasses understanding, then we worship God because of our emotions.  If I find myself here, then I must channel my celebration into magnification of God's benevolent character and esteem Him the author of my good fortune, while at the same time acknowledging that my promotion or an answered prayer ultimately takes a back seat to the gift of His Son (Psalm 13.6; Titus 2.13).  Otherwise, I begin to stray dangerously close to arrogance, independence, and even self-worship.  Once again, by celebrating the Creator because of who He is rather than simply because of what I feel, I am subtly shifting my perspective so that my worship is dependent upon His character, not what I experience or achieve.

There is a third mindset toward worship, however, that I haven't mentioned yet.  That perspective is one of indifference.  If I find myself in this position, then I have to very honestly and very carefully consider my own heart.  It's been said that the opposite of love isn't hate, because both are driven by passion: therefore, the true opposite of love must be apathy.  If we simply don't care, if we could take or leave a worship service, then we certainly can't engage in worship that magnifies a holy and righteous Creator.  John Piper writes, "The engagement of the heart in worship is the coming alive of the feelings and emotions and affections of the heart.  Where feelings for God are dead, worship is dead."  However, the problem I need to address is not my lack of emotions, but the condition of my heart.  To try to change how I feel would be to treat the symptoms and not the disease.  Either something in my understanding of God needs to change, or a sin that is callousing my heart toward Him needs to be addressed.  Only when the heart has been cleansed can emotion follow that may be used to glorify God.

In sum, worship is expressed through emotion, but is not built upon it.  In this regard, the appropriate expression of our feelings in worship should always be in response to God's character, and we should use our emotions to magnify Him above what we feel and experience.  However, worship is also very much dependent upon our feelings, because love is empty and meaningless without passion.  It can't be 100% objective in the same way that it can't be 100% subjective.  The Bible makes it very clear that God desires worshipers who celebrate Him in spirit and truth - in other words, with all of their being and with their fullest understanding of His character (John 4.23; Matt 22.37).  Jesus also proclaimed that it is out of the "abundance of the heart" that the mouth speaks, a statement which clearly implies that the only lips worthy of offering praise are those which are connected to a heart full of passionate love for God (Matt 12.34).  As Bob Kauflin states it, "What we love most will determine what we genuinely worship."  If God truly sits on the throne of our heart, if He truly encompasses our being, then we will only desire to worship Him, no matter what circumstances beset us.  Encountering His greatness should always result in the outpouring of heartfelt emotion, because He is holy, wonderful, and eternally deserving of our praise.

I'd like to conclude with a passage from Kauflin's Worship Matters as a final encouragement: "Worship is accepted not on the basis of what we have done, but on the basis of what Christ has done.  It's not uncommon for us to 'feel' accepted and loved by God when we're engaged in worship.  But if that feeling isn't rooted in the gospel, it will be an elusive sensation.  It's not enough to sing songs about God's love that produce warm feelings in our hearts.  We need to glory in the reality of Jesus Christ, beaten and bruised for our transgressions, giving up his life in our place on the cross.  There will never be a greater proof or demonstration of God's love."

Successful worship is worship that celebrates Jesus Christ as our mediator.  Successful worship is worship which glorifies God as our Holy Father, who - out of unfathomable love for us - gave such grace that He poured out all of His just wrath against sin upon His only Son.  Therefore, successful worship is dependent upon the condition of our hearts, in response to that truth.  Whenever we enter into a time of singing, prayer, or Bible study, we should always preclude entry by pausing to evaluate ourselves.  No matter what stage of life, no matter what frame of mind, we need to constantly check where our hearts are in relation to God.  If there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I am a wicked human being and my heart is incredibly deceptive (Jer 17.9).  As believers, it is our responsibility to be certain that we are loving the Lord with all of our hearts, souls, and minds.  Frequent self-evaluation is necessary to ensure that we are not behaving as the Pharisees did, whose lips were quick to spout all the right answers but whose hearts were simultaneously distant from the Messiah's (Matt 15.8-9; 23:27).

So examine your heart, because if it is far from God, then worship is impossible.

Observations from the Studio, Post-Mortem

I'm apparently not much a blogger, because the guys in the band had to tell me to write this.  If I were truly a blogger, I would obviously have posted it before they had a chance to think of it.  The fact that I also haven't written anything since we left Nashville in October also says something...

But I digress.

For those of you hanging on tenterhooks, the Twenty Committee's album is finally 100% recorded, two full months after our trek to Nashville.  With the help of Stephen Wise, a friend and fellow musician who has appeared on albums by Stevie Wonder and The Roots, we were able to nail down the backing vocals and officially take a deep breath, knowing that the last stage of finalizing the album rests in the magical hands of Mr. Jerry Guidroz.  Back out west, the Nashville String Machine recorded string arrangements for tracks 3 and 6, songs entitled "Airtight" and "Tonight" (part III of The Knowledge Enterprise).  It's a testament, first, to the quality of Geoff's keyboard, because upon a first listen to the raw EP, the string parts which he recorded almost sound like they're being played by real cellos and violas.  It's also a testament, however, to the quality of real cellos and violas that they were able to add an organic element to those tracks which a synthesizer never could have managed.  The final mix, which none of us have heard yet, is sure to be absolutely stunning.

In other news, practices continue and Joe and I are now juggling instruments in order to keep the live performances of our material as close to the studio versions as possible.  Literally, juggling.  Also, a photoshoot is currently in the making, probably utilizing some rundown factory in Philadelphia or some similar overused rock album cliché.  We promise to make it really artsy and not at all cheesy.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the album drop in January.  Personally, we can't wait to get it into your hands!