I have not researched this topic but I know there is a lot of mention in the bible about praising God in a musical manner through voices and instruments. Praise that is a movement of the heart often more so than the head, but when the two are joined that can also be very special. Often our hearts are engaged before our heads.
I was at a service recently and the row directly in front of me contained mostly ladies who on average had at least 50-6o years of experience before I was even born. I found it ironic that one of the songs talked about shouts of praise, any type of shouting would seem very out of place in this context even if it was joyfully directed at God. But what took me by surprise was the comment she made after a hymned had been song and I have to admit the words were great. I was quite warmed by what she said actually. Slightly deaf she is used to speaking a bit loud and was also competing with the organ as she leaned over to speak to her slightly deaf friend. Just as the organ came to a halt her announcement came out in that brief pause of silence at the conclusion of the song, it was there for me to hear. "Wasn't that inspirational" coming from a lady who I would have thought would need a lot to inspire that was a beautiful moment.
It got me thinking about our evening service where the participants are on average about 60 years younger than this lady. As a member of the 'worship team' which leads and co-ordinates the congregational time of praise and worship I would love to think that our time together may be inspiring. A time of entering God's courts with Praise a time of intimacy with God, a time that touches the hearts of those who are present. This may seem like a lot to ask for but I think there is a lot of potential we don't always realize in our times of praise and worship. Think about the power of music, a harp in the right hands, think David playing to a king. Think celebrating of the birth of a child, think a host of angels. Think the dynamics of a band playing in unison, described by a theologian as one of the best images of the trinity, all playing the same song but all unique and different.
When it comes to a congregation we don't all have to be the same. We don't all have to be amazing singers. Actually I don't think we even need to sing, some people love listening to music, it helps them connect with God, but they struggle to multi-task (guys especially). Some people don't even feel like singing or clapping or whatever, but guess what? They are still part of a worshipping congregation and I think that is more the point. I found out that the bible talks to groups of people, it calls groups of people to praise and worship not individuals. Have you ever been swept up in praise and worship? Have you ever had an experience you wish the whole world could be a part of? It's a unifying experience not focused on one another but on God. I have an I have to say it was truly inspirational, the words may have been basic, the words may have been repetitive but my heart was engaged and I was ready to hear from God at the end of it.
So why should music be popular? By popular music I mean the type of music that is going to engage the most people at a heart level. For some, hymns do this quite well. For others however, that would put them off. Some sacrifices are going to need to be made by some members of the congregation because not everyone enjoys the same type of music. The type of music is not the point though, the point is getting a congregation to worship and praise our God, therefore the most logical kind of music would be the music that is most popular with the participants and using this music to engage our hearts with our God.
Finally I hope our praise and worship is inspiration through the lyrics we are using and through the team spirit. I hope it is energetic, heartfelt, consuming, spirit filled, joyful, and also unifying as we come together as a body to put God in the place he is meant to be or perhaps put ourselves in the place we are meant to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment