Worship and Mission
I've never really considered myself much of a "worship leader". At least not in the traditional "music leader" sense of the word. I like to play guitar and sing songs of praise, but I never considered that proper qualification. Pastoring in the Nashville, TN area, you realize quite soon, the old song that says "There's 1352 guitar-pickers in Nashville"** is not entirely true. There's actually a lot more than that. Most of them go to church and take some part on the "Worship Team". Nashville has exported itself around the world. This kind of thinking has definitely arrived in the "Land of Blue Sky". Now there's 1352 guitar pickers in UB - and most of them go to church and participate on a worship team.
It's true. I'm not saying they're all believers. But they will play in church.
Now, before I dive into this ... I do want to say this. Christian worship music has had a profound effect on the popular music of Mongolia. Our work at the Grain of Wheat Center has connected us to many popular Mongolian musicians and bands, and it's interesting to see how many find their roots in Western worship music, as it entered the country with the Gospel in the 90's. A few of these musicians will even still profess faith in Christ. Mongolian music prior to the 1990's was pretty much rooted in traditional Mongolian folk music. Many of the young people I talk to "don't like" Mongolian folk music. This is why many (but not all) of the efforts of missioanaries and even a few ethnomusicologists to integrate Mongolian folk-music for the sake of "context" with the church has not seen total success across the country. Most of the young people (especially in the city) like modern western music. But this is not the main point I want to make here...
My concern is more about what I believe to be a universal confusion about the true nature of worship. I completely believe and embrace John Piper's very pertinent word about mission and worship that comes from the opening paragraph of Let the Nations Be Glad!
(A book you must read if you have not already):
Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't.
Worship being the "fuel and goal" of missions is an incedibly important principle. However, I think there's confusion in the ranks about the real nature of worship. Worship is not a service. Worship is not a music team. Worship is not a form. Worship is not a litergy (ancient or modern). Worship is not any style of music ... or even music at all. Now, my self-imposed word alottment will not allow me to get into all of the ways that these things interact with and play into true worship. But we must not confuse the form with the substance.
Worship is about a life increasingly submitted to God because of an increasing awe of God. A person listening to good music can fake worship. A person who is in awe of a beautiful, almighty, allpowerful, all-wise, all-loving Creator and Redeemer ... well ... that can't be faked. That's the kind of worship that I think Pastor John was talking about.
But we get confused. In Nashville and in UB. Very confused.
I'm amazed at church planters who begin with spending their credit limit on music, sound boards, and light shows. I don't want to be a hypocrite. I love music. I love sound and light. I love technology (as my writing on this blog would indicate) There's beauty in it. But please, let's never confuse music with the substance of worship. Any kind of music. It's a form and tool, and a potential idol, and nothing more. I'm afraid the fallout from the "worship wars" of the 80's and 90's is utter confusion about the reality of worship. That confusion is in the context where I work in a big way.
There are churches here that feel they are inadequately equipped if they do not have "technics" (what they say when refering to soundboards and amplifiers). If a church just has an unamplified acoustic guitar, they don't feel they can truely "worship". Anytime any of us come to that conlusion, I say there is a misunderstanding of real worship. Nashville and her guitar pickers become more important than worship's Object. Music has become the substance and we miss the point.
Matt Redmond's song "The Heart of Worship" is very popular in churches here. I wish so very much that the message of that song would be heard.
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
I don't think we need more guitar pickers. 1352 is more than enough. I think we need more people who are in awe of Jesus.
And ... as I say all of that ... I must now close and begin choosing music for International Church next week, as I will be guitar-picking while "leading worship" this Sunday.
Like I said ... hypocrisy abounds. May Jesus be larger than the music this Sunday. And today.
**For those who are too young to know (or you you did not have an audiophile Father like I do), this is a line from a song called "Nashville Cats". It was originally sung by "The Lovin' Spoonful", and covered by several others through years.
How would you define real Biblical worship? How does Worship relate and interact with Mission?
Love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Bernie Anderson
Cliff brought it. Great night of covers and original music
"Open Mic" continues to draw in lot's of kids every week;)