I got pretty upset a while ago. Not at a specific person, but at...okay I'm not quite sure and I'm really never quite sure. But anyway I heard someone talking about worship songs...they said something like this: "God told me last night when I couldn't sleep that I need to be bold and tell everybody that the hymns are where it's at. some of the worship songs people sing today, I just don't know what there about." For anyone reading this that also heard the person say this...I mean no disrespect. But as a worship leader at the church which a person stoood and said this... it really shook me. One reason was because I was all set to do this song for the next set, some of you may know it...'You know that I love you, you know that I want to know you so much more, more than I have before'. I was really excited about it, but not for any bad reasons. I was excited to do it because it's a very expressive song, a song that can be sung by an extremely excited person and let that person practically go crazy..and not have to hold back. Slow songs have there place too, every song has there place. Any song can be annointed if GOD wants it to be. I began to question whether we should be that expressive in worship, if it's maye a sin...wierd thoughts eh? Anyway I was thinking about it last night, and I felt like God said "Do you think that David was singing a slow hymn while he was jumping with such joy that he was flashing his people without even noticing?" Suddenyl it clicked! And I was totally set free from those thoughts. GOD DOES want us to be loud. HE sees no abomination in us jumping to our feet. HE's not offended by our joyful shouts.
Don't ask me if this person was wrong...because I don't know. I'll leave all that stuff up to Pastor Mike.
Slow songs have there place too, every song has there place. Any song can be annointed if God wants it to be. ANY song. Even 'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine'. If it's sung in the right context.
Of course I'm not going to get up there on Sunday and sing that...but you get the idea.
Hymns are beautiful....and very annointed, because God chose to annoint them, not because the song is in itself Holy. I think the mroe someone believes (or has faith) that a song is annointed, the more the presence of God with be likely to come.
Well...I guess that's all. I can't really think of anything else, it feels pretty finished up.
~Dannielle~
Comments (4)
hmm... you're always going to get this. people have their opinions and are quick to give them. unfortunately, a lot of times we don't notice until we're the one leading whatever it is their giving their opinion on and it affects us. =)
i've gotten all of it -- hymns are the way to go, no hymns are the way to go, only hillsongs united songs, only underground worship songs -- i've heard all of it. there's lots of room to get insecure when you're in the position of having to pick out a worship set-list and stand in front of a congregation and lead those songs. people like different kinds of styles, different songs -- people even like different leaders (i've definitely had people compare me to different worship leaders before to my face and haven't measured up in their minds) -- but the key to all of this is trusting that you're using a gifting that God has given you and pursue that gift with excellence.
continue to trust Him for guidance and trust Him to be able to use you to further the worship times at RCF. sometimes the people need a little push (get up and make some noise, people!) and as leader, you need to have the wisdom to know how to do that. ask Him and He'll give it to you!
ps -- another thought (not sure you wanted this much feedback from me on leading worship
): at CFC we try to have one hymn in the mix of songs at least once every two weeks. why? two reasons. 1. there are lots of different kinds of people and styles and tastes in a congregation. some people feel really comfortable with hymns and have a deep appreciation for them because of their background. we want to make them feel comfortable and want to serve them in this capacity. 2. as much as we love the "get everyone going songs" sometimes we need hymns because the words are usually so deep & profound and they are more theologically based. their is a depth to them that frankly, a lot of contemporary songs don't.
so i'd encourage you to get a few hymns in the mix as well. find an even balance. it doesn't need to be completely one or the other (and i don't think there is a right way and a wrong way), but i do think it's good to do both.
"Sing a NEW song to the Lord" - somewhere in the Bible... Don't even ask me where
But yeah... I don't understand people who think that old songs are like, the only songs that should be sung... What if we always thought that? No one would be singing hymns either.... At some point all the hymns were new...
"I will become, even more undignified than this... Some may say it's foolishness but I will become, even more undiginfied than this... I will dance, I will sing, nothing Lord is hindering this passion in my soul...."
- David Crowder Band, Undignified...
Gewd thoughts...
Personally I think different songs speak to different people.Sometimes its nice to just sing a relaxing slow "old" song. And other times its nice to get whipped into a dancing frenzy with a more modern worship song, but i just couldnt see my grandmother or father getting into something like that.So I think your right its not the song that matters its whats in your heart when your singing it. as long as its glorifying Him Im sure he"ll like it just fine.