Some Points Of Reflection
written at Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Disclaimer: Raw entry.
I embarked on a little adventure today on the internet, I searched up the keywords "Idolize worship music artist" on Google, this was in the light of seeing all the various updates on Facebook and Twitter from afar from Fusion, from Desperation Band visiting the Youth Ministry over the weekend. Now mind you I'm 3000 miles away, but with the wonders of the internet and technology I have been able to observe from afar. You might think it's unfair that I make these observations without being "actually there", but nonetheless, for me, these are observations, and thus I make my observations from 3000 miles across the ocean. These observations had further catalysed further questions that ran through my mind, reflections if you will, once again about the heart of worship and where the focus really is.
We can phrase the questions as much as we want, we can clarify with definitions, we can think of a hundred different nuances in a sentence to make a logical question to ask on Facebook or Twitter and get a response accordingly, but the heart question still remains, what is the heart of worship? Cliché and seemingly overused are these three words, "Heart of worship". But it is a piercing statement if we were to all internalize it and apply it into our lives.
One by-product of this commercial system is the artist/worship leader. The songwriter/worship leader makes CDs that are distributed locally, regionally, nationally or internationally. Adulation of worship leaders is partly a by-product of our media/marketing-driven society. If your name is on a song or a CD, people are more likely to look up to you. Since we live in a highly commercial culture, we experience the strange intersection of worship music and marketing the intersection of sacred devotion and commercialism. God uses gifted worship leaders, but there's an inherent challenge in the system. To remain rooted in biblical values, we have to fight hard against the feeling that success is determined by having a good reputation among a wide audience.
Sadly, there is a tendency in human nature to idolize gifted leaders. We need worship leaders who are role models, but admiration can easily be distorted into hero worship. Then we find a whole crop of young worship leaders who think they've "made it" if they can emulate the sound of the worship leader who is the flavour of the year. At least since the time of King Saul, people have wanted human heroes. I've found that the idolization of worship leaders happens on both the small and large scale - in local churches, and in big conferences and conventions. Some people who see a gifted singer leading the church in worship get a distorted picture about the spirituality and stature of that person.
from "To Know You More - Cultivating the heart of the worship leader" by Andy Park
What is Adulation you might ask?
ad·u·late
[aj-uh-leyt]
–verb (used with object), -lat·ed, -lat·ing.
to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or admire servilely.
What Andy Park mentioned in the book echoed so deeply within me. I felt somewhat a deep frustration around the scenarios which he had described, because it is so true, but I also realise that I fall into the sin of idolizing song leaders/bands/artists as well, I am no exception. I make them out to be more than they really are. That's not to say that I discredit their ministry and their work, it is wrong to do so, in fact I am often encouraged, heartened and blessed by the songs they have written, the life that they share with us and the journey that they encourage all of us to join them in, "Come as we sing together and worship our Lord together!" It seems, however, that the "mood" (take note of the apostrophe) has been somewhat elevated every time more prominent figures in the worship "scene" (once again, take note of the apostrophe) comes up to pay a visit once a year or a few times a year, which later dies off as the "usual weekly band" comes up. Nothing wrong with encouraging people and being excited that our fellow brother and sister in Christ are up there doing the Lord's work, there's nothing wrong with loud music, loud singing and dancing. I think the more piercing word which is at the core of the issue is "Idolatry". Come on guys, they are fellow human beings like us, all in need of God, all in the same journey together with us, we are all broken people who need Jesus in our lives.
As I am writing this, there's a picture in my mind that just keeps playing again and again. Imagine this, in an old, broken building, the young man prepares his song sheets and chord sheets and practices on his guitar, he does not know much, it's an old broken guitar which can hardly hold adequate resonance in its housing, small church service with only 20-30 people attending, they come from the village nearby, he says a prayer and commits the entire service to the Lord, the people come and they worship together. What makes us think that this is any less of a sacrifice to God than having 10,000 people at a conference singing? These are uncomfortable thoughts, stirring thoughts, but I guess, better to be thinking about these and discussing and sharing them and encouraging one another to have the right perspective than stand around and do absolutely nothing about it. It's easier to make a point than it is to make a difference. May these things just resonate in all of us.
Oh a broken and contrite heart O God You will not despise...turn us all away from our blindness and the things we hold so dearly too and cultivate in us a heart of worship, a heart that longs for all that is true, a heart that does not ride on somebody else's passion, a heart that clearly sees what is of human construct and what is eternal, a heart that is Yours to mould.
Some Points Of Reflection
written at Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Disclaimer: Raw entry.
I embarked on a little adventure today on the internet, I searched up the keywords "Idolize worship music artist" on Google, this was in the light of seeing all the various updates on Facebook and Twitter from afar from Fusion, from Desperation Band visiting the Youth Ministry over the weekend. Now mind you I'm 3000 miles away, but with the wonders of the internet and technology I have been able to observe from afar. You might think it's unfair that I make these observations without being "actually there", but nonetheless, for me, these are observations, and thus I make my observations from 3000 miles across the ocean. These observations had further catalysed further questions that ran through my mind, reflections if you will, once again about the heart of worship and where the focus really is.
We can phrase the questions as much as we want, we can clarify with definitions, we can think of a hundred different nuances in a sentence to make a logical question to ask on Facebook or Twitter and get a response accordingly, but the heart question still remains, what is the heart of worship? Cliché and seemingly overused are these three words, "Heart of worship". But it is a piercing statement if we were to all internalize it and apply it into our lives.
One by-product of this commercial system is the artist/worship leader. The songwriter/worship leader makes CDs that are distributed locally, regionally, nationally or internationally. Adulation of worship leaders is partly a by-product of our media/marketing-driven society. If your name is on a song or a CD, people are more likely to look up to you. Since we live in a highly commercial culture, we experience the strange intersection of worship music and marketing the intersection of sacred devotion and commercialism. God uses gifted worship leaders, but there's an inherent challenge in the system. To remain rooted in biblical values, we have to fight hard against the feeling that success is determined by having a good reputation among a wide audience.
Sadly, there is a tendency in human nature to idolize gifted leaders. We need worship leaders who are role models, but admiration can easily be distorted into hero worship. Then we find a whole crop of young worship leaders who think they've "made it" if they can emulate the sound of the worship leader who is the flavour of the year. At least since the time of King Saul, people have wanted human heroes. I've found that the idolization of worship leaders happens on both the small and large scale - in local churches, and in big conferences and conventions. Some people who see a gifted singer leading the church in worship get a distorted picture about the spirituality and stature of that person.
from "To Know You More - Cultivating the heart of the worship leader" by Andy Park
What is Adulation you might ask?
ad·u·late
[aj-uh-leyt]
–verb (used with object), -lat·ed, -lat·ing.
to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or admire servilely.
What Andy Park mentioned in the book echoed so deeply within me. I felt somewhat a deep frustration around the scenarios which he had described, because it is so true, but I also realise that I fall into the sin of idolizing song leaders/bands/artists as well, I am no exception. I make them out to be more than they really are. That's not to say that I discredit their ministry and their work, it is wrong to do so, in fact I am often encouraged, heartened and blessed by the songs they have written, the life that they share with us and the journey that they encourage all of us to join them in, "Come as we sing together and worship our Lord together!" It seems, however, that the "mood" (take note of the apostrophe) has been somewhat elevated every time more prominent figures in the worship "scene" (once again, take note of the apostrophe) comes up to pay a visit once a year or a few times a year, which later dies off as the "usual weekly band" comes up. Nothing wrong with encouraging people and being excited that our fellow brother and sister in Christ are up there doing the Lord's work, there's nothing wrong with loud music, loud singing and dancing. I think the more piercing word which is at the core of the issue is "Idolatry". Come on guys, they are fellow human beings like us, all in need of God, all in the same journey together with us, we are all broken people who need Jesus in our lives.
As I am writing this, there's a picture in my mind that just keeps playing again and again. Imagine this, in an old, broken building, the young man prepares his song sheets and chord sheets and practices on his guitar, he does not know much, it's an old broken guitar which can hardly hold adequate resonance in its housing, small church service with only 20-30 people attending, they come from the village nearby, he says a prayer and commits the entire service to the Lord, the people come and they worship together. What makes us think that this is any less of a sacrifice to God than having 10,000 people at a conference singing? These are uncomfortable thoughts, stirring thoughts, but I guess, better to be thinking about these and discussing and sharing them and encouraging one another to have the right perspective than stand around and do absolutely nothing about it. It's easier to make a point than it is to make a difference. May these things just resonate in all of us.
Oh a broken and contrite heart O God You will not despise...turn us all away from our blindness and the things we hold so dearly too and cultivate in us a heart of worship, a heart that longs for all that is true, a heart that does not ride on somebody else's passion, a heart that clearly sees what is of human construct and what is eternal, a heart that is Yours to mould.
