"Check one, check two." The lead vocalist is warming up and testing the sound. Then you hear the back up vocalists checking in. Everybody does their warm ups and the instruments kick in with sound checks and warm up solos. Then, at the precise time the house lights go down and the stage lights come up. An array of colored lights, dizzying lighting shows and effects with fog. It's time to start worship at church.
At first one would not know that was a worship band. In most churches you can't even tell that's what's happening - worship. Everything is so coordinated and timed. "Sorry, Holy Spirit, no time for you to intervene today." The performers even coordinate lifting their hands in sync, so that becomes an act and not reaching to the Lord.
What has happened to worship?
Is that really what we are doing on Sunday's and mid week services? Worshiping? Or is more blindly singing lyrics to songs so our neighbors don't question us. We raise our hands at the right moments and sway with the music. Is that worshiping? Is that what God has in mind? Is that what he asking?
Too many times worship music turns into a performance and an act. Egos get in the way and spot lights get hogged.
Spot lights? Shouldn't the spot light be on God?
Don't get me wrong... Lighting and sound equipment has it's place in church. There are times, such as special events, when they are appropriate. But let's not kid ourselves when we have a synchronized light show with our music and call that worship.
Worship is an experience that we share with God. That is something that we participate in to show our love and show our appreciation for what He has done. What does it look like to a new believer or a visitor when we have "worship leaders" acting like egotistical performers and wanting to be the center of attention? What do visitors think? What does that say about how we worship? Or who we worship?
Let's make a change. Let's take out the egos, the light shows, the preforming and let's start worshiping.
No comments:
Post a Comment