Last week, Pastor Steven shared with the staff some teachings on worship. It was super low key, with him just answering some common questions about biblical worship. One of the things that was brought up was the “worship button” – How there seem to be certain songs that no matter how dead the atmosphere is, or how unengaged the people are, once you hit that bridge or that chorus, hands get lifted in the air, people start shouting, and the Holy Spirit falls.
Although these times can be really powerful in worship, this isn’t the healthiest way for us to worship. It’s not healthy to stand in the presence of our Creator God, arms crossed, waiting for the worship leader to play our favorite song, then give everything we have. We are called to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise – ready to worship Him.
We need to mature. We can’t allow our worship to live in this infant stage, like a child waiting for his mother to feed him.
We have to find our own worship button – controlling it ourselves, not just allowing the atmosphere to control it for us. When you first come into worship, and there’s a song that you don’t particularly enjoy, spend that time speaking thanksgiving to God – remembering how good He is to you. Spend that time honoring Him and His grace in your life. Speak out loud the characteristics of God. We must make our worship a response to God, not a response to a song.
There is a “worship button” that can be pressed, but don’t allow the worship leader to be the only one to ever press it. Control it yourself.
-Mack
I was recently at a Saturday night service at Elevation and you guys played great songs like you always do that I love to worship too. As I was singing God spoke to my spirit and asked if I could really sing these words to Him, knowing that I needed to spend time praying about my past week and some heart issues that I was dealing with.
I believe it’s easy to get caught up with the energy in different worship experiences and sing because that’s what everyone else is doing.
Great post!
I LOVE this idea! I think while the advent of a ‘modern worship industry’ has given the church a massive resource in great songs, it also makes us into consumers of great songs instead of simply loving Jesus for who he is in any context. I want to teach my worship team and my congregation to mature as worshipers in this way.
Mack, well written and so true. Thank you for posting this.
Amen! I am sharing this with the people in my church. My husband and I lead worship and we know how true it is!
I was at a Mississippi leadership camp with high schoolers from all over the state. On every song over 90% of hands were raised. If your hands WEREN”T raised there was tension and awkward feelings. I’m not saying that they were doing this in vanity, but what life are they living outside of this comfortable room of leaders? Thanks so much for sharing this. It has been bugging me for quite some time.
I am just becoming familiar with the ministry you guys have going on in Charlotte and your mentality and honest love for worship is very inspiring. For me, even as a worship leader, it is easy to connect true worship with the emotions of a powerful chorus. Like you said, worship is a response to God not to a song. To go further, wouldn’t what we’re responding to really be what we’re worshiping? Thanks for the post. Great thought.
There is a lot of truth behind this teaching.
Interesting. I was thinking about this last night. Great post!
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This is a great post and great points. I’m gonna share it with my church.