Bible Teacher. Pastor.Educator.

Fors Clavigera: An Open Letter to Praise Bands

So let me offer just a few brief axioms with the hope of encouraging new reflection on the practice of "leading worship":

1. If we, the congregation, can't hear ourselves, it's not worship. Christian worship is not a concert. In a concert (a particular "form of performance"), we often expect to be overwhelmed by sound, particularly in certain styles of music. In a concert, we come to expect that weird sort of sensory deprivation that happens from sensory overload, when the pounding of the bass on our chest and the wash of music over the crowd leaves us with the rush of a certain aural vertigo. And there's nothing wrong with concerts! It's just that Christian worship is not a concert. Christian worship is a collective, communal, congregational practice--and the gathered sound and harmony of a congregation singing as one is integral to the practice of worship. It is a way of "performing" the reality that, in Christ, we are one body. But that requires that we actually be able to hear ourselves, and hear our sisters and brothers singing alongside us. When the amped sound of the praise band overwhelms congregational voices, we can't hear ourselves sing--so we lose that communal aspect of the congregation and are encouraged to effectively become "private," passive worshipers.

2. If we, the congregation, can't sing along, it's not worship. In other forms of musical performance, musicians and bands will want to improvise and "be creative," offering new renditions and exhibiting their virtuosity with all sorts of different trills and pauses and improvisations on the received tune. Again, that can be a delightful aspect of a concert, but in Christian worship it just means that we, the congregation, can't sing along. And so your virtuosity gives rise to our passivity; your creativity simply encourages our silence. And while you may be worshiping with your creativity, the same creativity actually shuts down congregational song.

3. If you, the praise band, are the center of attention, it's not worship. I know it's generally not your fault that we've put you at the front of the church. And I know you want to model worship for us to imitate. But because we've encouraged you to basically import forms of performance from the concert venue into the sanctuary, we might not realize that we've also unwittingly encouraged a sense that you are the center of attention. And when your performance becomes a display of your virtuosity--even with the best of intentions--it's difficult to counter the temptation to make the praise band the focus of our attention. When the praise band goes into long riffs that you might intend as "offerings to God," we the congregation become utterly passive, and because we've adopted habits of relating to music from the Grammys and the concert venue, we unwittingly make you the center of attention. I wonder if there might be some intentional reflection on placement (to the side? leading from behind?) and performance that might help us counter these habits we bring with us to worship.

Please consider these points carefully and recognize what I am not saying. This isn't just some plea for "traditional" worship and a critique of "contemporary" worship. Don't mistake this as a defense of pipe organs and a critique of guitars and drums (or banjos and mandolins). My concern isn't with style, but with form: What are we trying to do when we "lead worship?" If we are intentional about worship as a communal, congregational practice that brings us into a dialogical encounter with the living God--that worship is not merely expressive but also formative--then we can do that with cellos or steel guitars, pipe organs or African dr

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Do Something Now | Catalyst ...But we are convinced that worship is about more than songs; worship is love in motion. It's clear that the kind of worship God desires requires more than words, calling us to love the

We love music at Passion and have been privileged to bring many new songs to the Church around the globe. But we are convinced that worship is about more than songs; worship is love in motion. It's clear that the kind of worship God desires requires more than words, calling us to love the world with the love of Jesus.

Earlier this month, beautiful worship happened in both song and deed as 42,000 18-25 year olds filled the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Students gathered from every state, 31 countries, and more than 1,700 campuses for the four day gathering. During the main sessions Passion Visionary Architect, Louie Giglio led the way along with Francis Chan, John Piper, Beth Moore, and Christine Caine. Yet, beyond the sessions, worship continued as students rallied a battle cry around the Do Something Now cause of FREEDOM.

In years past, Passion's Do Something Now campaign has highlighted multiple causes from clean water to funding underground churches to life-saving operations. But this year, the Spirit led the team at Passion to narrow the focus to the central theme of freedom for the world's 27 million slaves. Eyes were opened, hearts broken and lives awakened. Indifference was no longer an option as the stories and reality of slavery unfolded before the students and attendees of Passion 2012.

Those of us watching God break open the hearts of the students to the cause of freedom, were moved by their genuine response. There is a tendency in all of us to want to curl up in a corner and not put up a fight when a Goliath size problem stands before us. There is something in us that says, "What's the point? There is nothing I can do. I'm just one person". However, the students of Passion 2012 don't seem to believe that lie. They believe together they can change the world and be a force for good. They believe they are unstoppable. And we have to agree as we've watched this collegiate generation over the last 6 years lead the way in giving toward hope and opportunity for the least of these. T

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I loved this Song.....He wants it all!!!!

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