As I prepare to start leading worship for "Immerse," a city-wide college Bible study, we're looking at common challenges within college ministry. I'd love to know what you think about these posts...what you've seen, learned, experienced through ministries like this.
Beware the Worship Junkie!
Challenge #3 in college ministry is all about Worship.
One common issue among city-wide college ministries is an unhealthy view of "worship." And I'm using in this context as most do...the songs, prayers, and stuff that happens in the first thirty minutes before the preaching. I don't think that's specific to college students - most folks default to the worship-as-music thing pretty easily.
In my experience, many college students don't feel like the worship at their home churches fits them. You hear phrases like I just can't connect with those songs or there's no life in our worship. I think there are a lot of reasons why college students think like this...and almost all of is pretty unhealthy...but it's still a reality. And because of that reality, ministries like Metro, Breakaway, Immerse, inject-your-trendy-service-name-here end up attracting all kinds of worship junkies.
These are kids who LOVE worship...they're passionate, they want to engage in music and creativity and they want worship to be something that's important...they want to know that their worship is "doing something." Those aren't bad things - those are good things. But what typically happens is that we've got a room filled with kids who've come to get goosebumps. And that's not healthy. For a lot of reasons.
So, how do we manage the worship junkies? What can worship leaders do to create a time that's reverent and right according to God's Word?
- GO SMALLER
"Going smaller" is the voluntary act of down-playing worship ad nauseam. Worship leaders can use a lot of practical tips to make this happen; in the large scheme we are trying to make it evident that our focus is on the words of God...and not ourselves. We've gathered to hear something that we know to be divinely inspired - not spending an hour singing songs that we think might be divinely inspired. Practically...
Shorten your set. I know a lot of songs. That doesn't mean we need to sing seven of them...or sing three of them for 52 minutes. Shortening the set makes it evident that this form of worship is prepatory - it's leading us to something. Something holy and true and spoken by the Father.
Change up the band. Put nine people on stage and your crowd is going to expect the All American Freedom Jam. If you think your crowd is prone to worship the worship, then use less instrumentation. Sit or stand closer to the crowd. Use less stage lighting. Make it clear that you're just a few folks who aren't rock stars who are doing this thing for the Father.
Don't do covers. There's a great new Sanctus Real song called "Black Coal." It's awesome and I'd LOVE to play it sometime with a great band behind me. But it's not built for worship...it's a great concert song, but adding covers or show-off performances into your set is going to cause folks to think and talk and remember more about you and the band that what was actually preached from scripture. - USE SCRIPTURE
Reading scripture in between songs is an obvious statement about why we gather together to worship in this way. And I'm not even talking about reading a scripture and then preaching on it for four minutes. (There's a time and place for that...but be wise about over-talking.) Hearing scripture in a set reminds folks that what we're doing is something that God tells us is important. It's important to Him and it's important for us.
This isn't hard and fast...but we just need to be on the lookout for opportunities to make God's Word heard! - LIVE IT OUT
The way we talk about our college ministries makes all the difference. If you lead worship one night and four people find you afterward to tell you how rockin' it was, be gracious...but also guard your heart. Praise like that can easily feed ego.
If you're able, find ways to talk about the overall ministry...what's happening with the small groups or how the sermon series is working. Pray that God will give you eyes and ears to appreciate the whole ministry effort and not just your 30 minutes.
A lot of you readers have played gigs like this one. How can we prevent "worshipping the worship?"
2 comments:
After leading worship at cleft for last 5 years or so, I have seen alot these issues you have brought up.
I think the most important thing for a worship leader is to connect with the people who come. When the first time you talk to someone is them telling you how good you sounded, you have a problem. Know the people who are there, engage them first(off the stage).
Also as Todd said, look at the whole ministry. Be involved! Dont be the one whose spirituality and ministry only consist of "doing music".
As for "covers", i have a different leaning. No doubt that this area needs to be situational. But I love seeing really talented people do things for God. I dont like that worship music is looked at as an arena for mediocre musicians. I think its okay to try things, and make people think. But there is a time and place. And it is dependent on the humbleness of the worship team. People can see if you are playing for yourself.
By and large you're so on target. I guess I'm overthinking your use of the term "covers." (If I lead a Tomlin song, it's still a cover, even if I add a verse and make it my own...) For now I'll ignore it and focus on the "performance or concert" songs vs. Worship songs, or even just focus on "Black Coal" for a minute.
I can see two instances where using a song like that can work in harmony with everything else you're talking about. One, as a preamble to the Worship time... even to the point of "Hey the music started we should get in there..." While it's not a song that specifically inviting participation, it can certainly be used to move towards the Worship time.
Secondly, if the song in question ties to the speaker's topic, then it's certainly appropriate. In both cases, the song becomes a transition. First case, a transition from general chatter to "Hey we're getting started, let's leave everything else behind for a bit." Second case, it becomes a lead-in to the speaker's topic, and even something he/she can point back at.
Finally, your heart still shows. There's a huge difference between "I really want to share this song with you," and "I really want you to hear how good I am on this song." You certainly know the difference, which is why I'm glad you've landed where you've landed (said in highest regard, please understand...)
What say ye?
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