WORSHIP OR WILLY WONKA?

http://worthilymagnify.com/2014/05/19/crash/

Are We Headed For A Crash? Reflections On The Current State of Evangelical Worship

Last week I spent a couple of days attending the National Worship Leader Conference, hosted by Worship Leader Magazine, featuring many well-known speakers and worship leaders. The conference was held about 15 minutes down the road from me, so it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I’m glad I went.

I met some new people, heard some thought-provoking teaching, enjoyed some good meals and conversations with worship leader friends, and experienced in-person some of the modern worship trends that are becoming the norm in evangelicalism. It was eye-opening in many ways.

Over the last few days I’ve been processing some of what I saw and heard.

Worship Leader Magazine does a fantastic job of putting on a worship conference that will expose the attendees to a wide variety of resources, techniques, workshops, songs, new artists, approaches, teachings, and perspectives. I thought of Mark Twain’s famous quote “If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait 5 minutes”. The same could be said of this conference. It’s an intentionally eclectic mix of different speakers, teachers, worship leaders, and performers from different traditions, theological convictions, and worship leading philosophies. You’ll hear and see some stuff you like and agree with, and then 5 minutes later you’ll hear and see some stuff you don’t agree with at all.

It’s good for worship leaders to experience this kind of wide-exposure from time to time, and the National Worship Leader Conference certainly provides it.

Yet throughout the conference, at different sessions, with different worship leaders, from different circles, using different approaches, and leading with different bands, I picked up on a common theme. It’s been growing over the last few decades. And to be honest, it’s a troubling theme. And if this current generation of worship leaders doesn’t change this theme, then corporate worship in evangelicalism really is headed for a major crash.

It’s the theme of performancism. The worship leader as the performer. The congregation as the audience. The sanctuary as the concert hall.

It really is a problem. It really is a thing. And we really can’t allow it to become the norm. Worship leaders, we must identify and kill performancism while we can.

It’s not rocket science.

Sing songs people know (or can learn easily). Sing them in congregational keys. Sing and celebrate the power, glory, and salvation of God. Serve your congregation. Saturate them with the word of God. Get your face off the big screen (here’s why). Use your original songs in extreme moderation (heres’s why). Err on the side of including as many people as possible in what’s going on. Keep the lights up. Stop talking so much. Don’t let loops/lights/visuals become your outlet for creativity at the expense of the centrality of the gospel. Point to Jesus. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Don’t sing songs with bad lyrics or weak theology. Tailor your worship leading, and the songs you pick, to include the largest cross-section of your congregation that you can. Lead pastorally.

I am a worship music nerd. I listen to a lot of it. I follow the recent developments. I know who’s out there (sort of). I try to keep up (it’s not easy). Even I didn’t know most of the songs that we were supposed to be singing along to at the conference. I tuned out. I sat down. I Tweeted. I texted my wife. I gave up.

You’re not reading the ramblings of a curmudgeony guy complaining about all the new-fangled things the kids are doing these days, with their drums and tom-toms and electric geetars. You’re reading the heart-cry of a normal guy who’s worried about what worship leaders are doing to themselves and their congregations. People are tuning out and giving up and just watching.

This is not a criticism of the National Worship Leader Conference, though I do think they could make some changes to more intentionally model an approach to worship leading that isn’t so weighted on the performance side. As I said, the conference exposes us to what’s out there in the (primarily) evangelical worship world.

It’s what’s out there that’s increasingly a problem.

Worship leaders: step back. Take a deep breath. Think about it. Do we really want to go down this road? It will result in a crash. Back-up. Recalibrate. Serve your congregations, point them to Jesus, help them sing along and sing with confidence. Get out the way, for God’s sake.

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GETTING TO KNOW AN INTROVERT

http://themindunleashed.org/2014/05/5-things-everyone-know-introverts.html#

5 Things Everyone Should Know About Introverts

I’m an introvert to the core, and there’s a good chance that either you or someone you know is, as well. As a child I was called shy, a common misconception about introverts. I remember many times when I would run upstairs and hide when people came to our door. I didn’t want to interact with someone who wasn’t in my immediate comfort zone.

If you happen to be my neighbor, I apologize. I still hide when someone knocks at the door. When I hear a knock and can’t see front door window I become quiet, shush the kids and hide near the window, peeking out. My kids laugh at me. It’s actually a very ridiculous situation.

As I write this, I realize I may have to re-evaluate my sanity and you may be questioning it too. That said, the following five traits are what I consider to be some commonly misunderstood characteristics of introverts, coming from a true introvert herself.

1. Introverts are not just shy.

Shy is a general term given to people who are quiet and don’t open up in crowds. In truth, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people. Being an introvert does not mean being fearful of others. It is more of an internal energy shift that happens when an introvert is surrounded by people not already admitted to her comfort zone.

2. Introverts are not snobs.

This is a challenge for the introverted. It is nearly impossible for an introvert to include herself in groups of people or to just start a random conversation. It’s much easier for introverts to keep to themselves. This does not mean introverts feel superior to others. It simply means they aren’t comfortable in these situations. Remember that energy thing above.

3. Introverts love to be social.

When in a comfortable situation among friends, who have already made the energy cut, introverts can be loud and be lots of fun. Socializing with the right group can actually offer lots of positive energy to an introvert. A word of caution: as soon as a stranger walks into one of these groups, an introvert will very likely fall back to protect her comfort zone.

4. Introverts do become envious at the ease in which others can socialize.

To introverts, just the thought of including themselves in a strange group of people can be almost painful. It can actually be impossible. That doesn’t mean that they don’t occasionally wish to be capable of including themselves in these situations.

5. Introverts are generally very introspective.

When you see introverts sitting quietly by themselves, deep thoughts are probably running through their minds. Sometimes, it’s all this thinking that adds to the difficulty of jumping into a group of people. An introvert’s mind is very powerful, and quite often an introvert thinks too hard about a situation. This makes it hard to relax and let the good energy flow.

The next time you come across someone, even a child, who you think is shy or a snob, think twice about this label. Introverts need understanding. We are all different and need understanding and support. Don’t challenge the introvert and don’t push yourself up on them. Being calm and friendly can work wonders for an introvert.

Introverts unite! It just may have to be in the quiet of our own homes.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Credits: MindBodyGreen, where this article was originally featured.

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SUCCESS AND WHERE IT BEGINS

The start of success is shaking off the thoughts of others and going after your heart.