I believe that the heart of worship is sacrifice. God’s glory demands personal humbling and the exaltation of Him above all else. Yet, we often subliminally assume that this sacrifice does not involve risk. We stand in our pews on Sunday and sing tentatively, hands down to our sides, trying not to stick out or do anything embarrassing, and assume that we have fulfilled our responsibility in worship. Just exactly what is it about sacrifice that doesn’t sound risky (sarcasm implied)? Surely Abraham was taking an incredible risk as he climbed a mountain to sacrifice his firstborn to God.
We worship leaders often fall into the same trap while we point fingers at the tentative congregation we work with. How many of us strive to make our bands and vocalists sound exactly like what we’ve heard on the radio? We have gotten really good at simply copy-catting Tomlin and Hall; our bands sound great, but what have we risked? Why do we assume that an infinitely creative God would want us to simply find something beautiful and creative in our worship culture and vomit it back up with no growth Sunday after Sunday?
So, as you think about band practice this week, perhaps you’ll reconsider your desire to emulate the pack. Why not take the structures in the songs that you know like the back of your hand, and make them into something new and fresh? Let the musicians in your band be creators, because one of the best ways that we can praise our creator is by imitation. Write a new guitar accompaniment, a new vocal line, a new piano solo, something that distinguishes your band’s voice from everyone elses. Although feeble in comparison, when each of us create on an artistic scale, we are being thoroughly worshipful to the One from whom all creativity comes from.
Your thoughts?
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Article by Jeremy Killian, revised for TheWorshipCommunity.Com, originally published @ MilestoneWorship.Com
