I recently read an article about how some of the traditional denominational churches in the US were struggling. Not only in controversies, but with expanding memberships.
The same article however mentioned that non-traditional praise and worship was on an upswing and that “mega” churches were becoming more of the norm.
I belong to a so called “Mega” church and last Sunday I took a closer look to see if I could figure out why we were growing. I grew up in a denominational church so I figured I was able to some what objectively look at it.
As I looked around the building I noticed a ton of people in shorts, wearing caps and drinking Starbucks (yes, this is always my token drink during of choice for Sunday service). But that is not why they were there….a lot of churches have this.
And then, the music fired up. Our band made up of amazing volunteer musicians many of which make their living with big name acts or have in the past.
Immediately, people were on their feet and the mood changed. During one particular song, you could feel the mood elevate in the room. I refer to this as having the hair on the back of your neck standing up.
From that point the sermon from one of our pastors which was amazing.
But here is what I wonder. Does the music set the mood for worship? Would our pastor’s message have been as amazing if we would have just sung from a hymnal before the message?
So let me know what you think…Do you think music is God’s way of getting us fired up for his message?
Do you think we are more engaged in the service when the music rocks the house prior?
Do you think music is a primary reason for a new format of churches drawing the increasing numbers they are or do you think it is something different?
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July 27, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Music is a very powerful force to be reckoned with. This stems all the way back to the Old Testament where an army brought the city walls (made of stone, not the cheep 5/8″ drywall we’re used to these days) crumbling down with a simple act of obedience, the sound of trumpets, and a shout of praise.
Music allows everyone to experience passion. Hard music exemplifies a certain emotion while classical exemplifies a quite different emotion. Regardless of the genre or style, all music breaks down the walls we build up around our lives, our hearts, and our minds allowing us to be vulnerable. You can’t tell me that a man standing with a lighter extended for 30 minutes singing “Free Bird” at the top of their lungs is not vulnerable.
The old hymns that have been played for hundreds of years simply do not speak to the masses these days. While the lyrics are powerful, possibly timeless, the bulk of society simply does not enjoy a 62 beat-per-minute, 4-stanza, ear-wrenching test of patience.
It has been proven in church after church, however, that a simple upgrade to these old hymns can breathe life back into the song. The older generations love it because they actually know the words, while the younger generations love it because it’s fresh and relevant. This proves to me that the message doesn’t have to change, just the method (or style) of delivery.
Praise and worship is not only a sacrifice of ourselves to God, it is a time for God to prepare our hearts and minds for His message. If a church is unwilling to go out of its musical comfort zone to be relevant to the un-churched, why would the un-churched go out of their comfort zone to sleep through six hymns and a boring message?