Before you read this post, let me warn you, I’m 31. Not that old, but older than some. In my life, I remember a time before computers were really popular. I remember the computers I learned to type on in high school. They were the kind with only orange letters on the screen. No other colors. I remember how cool it to see a screen that was like a TV. I’ve always been intrigued by computers, and their ability to process information. But I remember a time, when they weren’t used for everything. This post is not about wishing that things would go back to a “Simpler” time. Please read on.
I also remember a time when music in church was much different than it is today, at least at most churches. We sang mostly old songs, we called them hymns, although I came to learn later that they weren’t all hymns. The songs we sang, are songs we had sung hundreds of times, my parents – thousands. They had been adopted as worthy by some church or churches somewhere along the line, and were added to they hymnal.
I also remember a time, when we would sing “choruses.” Once in a while in our Sunday evening service, Dad would pull out the over-head projector and we would sing “Choruses” like: “Behold what manner of love the father…” and “Jesus, Name above all names” among a few others.
I remember being at a church that was using a video projector to project the lyrics using powerpoint, white words on a blue background. And I remember one of the older pastors talking about a time before when we sang out of the hymnal instead of reading words off the wall.
I remember lots of changes for worship. In one way, the change is a testament to me. It shows that our worship is truly about Jesus Christ, and not about a form.
In other ways I worry. I’m sure my worries will all be proven wrong. But, maybe by drawing attention to my worries, I can help a few of us keep the focus in the right place.
We have a worship ministry, because we want to worship Jesus Christ, because we want to help others with gifts similar to ours – be able to use their gifts for something greater than self-glorification. We have a worship ministry because we want to be used by God to lead the Body of Christ each and every week to worship our Savior – Jesus Christ. We want to Lift High the Cross of Christ, and proclaim His love. And we have a worship ministry because we want the world to know how we feel about our Savior, and we want them to see how we worship at His feet so that they too can experience the redemption we have experienced.
We don’t have a worship ministry to do the latest & coolest things. Our job is not to find the most popular songs, that every other church is doing and implant them to ours. Sure, most of the songs we do are probably being done by other churches. But that isn’t a good enough reason to use a song.
We don’t have a worship ministry to make ourselves rock stars. We aren’t there to draw attention to ourselves, we are there to point people’s attention to God.
We don’t have a worship ministry to use the coolest and newest technology. There are many ways we have benefited from technology, Lyric projection, Mini-movies, loops, keyboards and keytars… We use technology as a means to an end. Technology is never the end. The use of video, in and of itself, is pointless unless it points somewhere significant.
We don’t have a worship ministry to Evangelize. (Gasp! You might want to listen to the latest podcast if you want to hear more about this.) Worship can be a catalyst for drawing people to Christ, but ultimately, that is not the point. The point is to worship the ever-living God. We humble ourselves, bow at his feet, surrender, give everything over to him as a sacrifice. That’s worship. Every single Believer is responsible to share the Gospel with the people God has put in their life. I’m not saying evangelism can’t happen, or even that it shouldn’t happen during our corporate worship. I’m just saying, that we don’t do worship to reach people. We do worship to worship.
We don’t have a worship ministry to keep traditions or to kill traditions. We don’t have a worship ministry because we want to keep something going. Likewise we don’t have a worship ministry to kill something that we think should have died. Again, those aren’t the point. They are not right or wrong. Worship is the point. If we’re not worshipping, that is wrong. If we are not leading in worship, that is wrong. If the point is to keep/kill a tradition, we’ve gotten off track.
We have a worship ministry because we have been set free, and our only response is to worship. We know we can’t earn the grace that’s been given to us, but we can worship the giver. That’s why. Whatever comes or goes, We worship because the chains of sin and death have been undone, So shall our song of triumph ever be: Praise to the Crucified for victory.
That’s why we have a worship ministry.
Broken people call His name
Helpless children praise the King
Nothing brings Him greater fame
When broken people call His nameLift high, your chains undone
All rise, exalt the Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
We lift our eyes to YouSinners all exalt the Son
Your ransom paid and freedom won
We will see His Kingdom Come
When sinners all exalt the Son
Steve Fee “Lift High”
Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.Each newborn servant of the Crucified
Bears on the brow the seal of Him Who died.Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw the world to Thee.Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory.Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.
Words: George W. Kitchin; modified by Michael R. Newbolt in 1916.
Music: Crucifer, Sydney H. Nicholson, 1916
(Photo by Marian Trinidad courtesy www.creationswap.com)
