Dr. Duncan recently posed the question on his blog: “can we use just anything in worship?” In this article, as well as others, he addresses secular, and even further, completely inappropriate songs being used in a worship service.
At this moment I would like to dig a little deeper into this initial question and at the same time, look at the broader scope of how a worship leader plans a musical worship set. This stems from my 3 years in experience of worship leading, two years of doing it wrong and learning from it, observations of scriptural worship, and my conversations with other worship leaders. So, for what it’s worth, here’s the very little wisdom I have to offer, and much more that I am restating that I have learned from others.
First and foremost: every song must communicate the gospel well.
This is such an important point and many… probably most worship leaders miss and I myself just recently learned. The function of worship is to bring glory to God. The best way to do this is to look to scripture to see how it’s done. All of the psalms model this. Depravity, brokenness, salvation in Christ Jesus resulting in hope and joy from the Lord.
This of course, immediately rules out all secular music. The excuse that it is making a point for the service is not only an inadequate excuse, but is really just downright ignorant of the Word, oblivious of the calling of worship, and shows severe lack in the faith that the Gospel can communicate in its own merit.
Beyond just secular songs, this also rules out a large number of worship songs and even hymns. It started in the 90s when Contemporary Christian Music (CCM, it’s an organization actually, not just a title) realized that worship was a big hit. Ever since, mediocre artists have been substituting Jesus’ name into bland love songs, overproducing them, and selling the sheet music for loads of money. The result is an influx of shallow, theologically incorrect, trite songs void of any substance. Somewhere in the mix we have Michael W. Smith and a dozen others focusing worship on the worshiper, singing Jesus
“took the fall and thought of me above all”
which does not at all hold up to scripture!
“For my name’s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off.” - Isaiah 48:9
Communicate the gospel. That is the worship pastor’s (just like any other pastor’s) first and foremost goal. That requires a sound judgement, theological discernment, and sound doctrine.
Micah, I’m not one to favor Micheal W. Smith’s music but I think you misread it.
The entire song is talking about Christ’s supremacy above everything. I believe it is Smith’s amazement that He died so Smith could possibly have life and to call their music “trite songs void of any substance” is unnecessary.
Yes, Christ came here to obey the father but what was the glory and name sake that God spoke of? It would be restoring a broken world back to Him, God had our salvation in mind when sending Christ for His glory.
Another thing, to have the gospel clearly communicated is ideal, but darn near impossible man. Look at modern praise and worship, we could say that Glorious One by Fee is suitable but it never mentions the cross or our depravity. But the song is full of truth, God’s glory and we are singing because we love Him.
Mystery doesn’t mention any of our depravity, yet it responds to Christ’s act of love.
Divine Romance doesn’t talk about the gospel at all, it talks about the result of it.
So what’s your point Micah?
May 18, 2009 @ 12:58 pm