Responses to "Cheerleader" Tuesday Column

From: "Wes Humble" <[email protected]>

Thanks for your continued writing. The key to today's changes in "song service" style really revolve around worship. There are a few church worship leaders that clearly understand what it means to lead the church to worship. They will use a mix of choruses and hymns, the goal being to find songs that allow us to sing directly to God our commitment, adoration and praise. I have found this change to be incredibly refreshing. I must tell you that the Sunday morning songs I grew up on in the typical holiness church did not lead to a credible worship experience. "I'll Fly Away" and other similar songs seem to posses a shallowness that I am glad to be free from. THE REAL PROBLEM, as I see it, is that most churches and song leaders are trying to imitate something that they do not understand. They use overheads, they've thrown out the hymnbooks, they've gone to all choruses, they have praise teams. If you were to ask them why, they would most likely say that the way other churches are doing it. I think the small handful of worship leaders who really understand worship are making it work and people are responding. For the majority of us we have to endure the ridiculous and awkward attempts at trying to keep up with the other churches that most of our churches our engaging in. I preach in over 30 different churches a year and I can assure you that in most of them worship is not a verb or a noun, it is depressing.

From: [email protected]

Good observation. Sometimes worship leaders border on being exhibitionists. I really get a kick out of a "worship song" that we sing - "The Heart of Worship" or some similar title - which is basically an appeal to the congregation AND worship leaders that the center of worship is not the songs (nor the leaders) but on God! How obvious! Thanks buddy for allowing me to say my penny's worth!

From: [email protected]

Music has the ability to brush up against human emotions in a way that nothing else can, and as such it gives wings to one's innermost personal thoughts and feelings. When we use music in worship we actually feel we are "saying" things to God we desperately want to say, and need to say, but can't seem to find any other way to say it. It is a unique human experience.

The job of yesteryear's "song leader" was a simple one. To give the congregation the push it needed to begin saying the things to God they wanted to say. It was not unusual during such a personal conversation with God for someone to erupt in an emotional outburst of joy. It seems to me that it was easier to concentrate on the words and music because there wasn't anything else demanding one's attention.

Today the emphasis has shifted no doubt, even if the purpose has remained somewhat the same. We have the full advantage of a wonderful new technology to enliven the whole process; the musicians really are better for the most part; and the "minister of music" frankly is more talented then most of the "song leaders" of years gone by. Today's younger generation seems to be quit at home with all this new innovation and I have to admit I have participated in some really enthusiastic worship services in today's setting. My problem with all this is, take away all the technology, and talented people, and today's