How Modern Church Worship Is Becoming An Idol

[mattfivefour]

The Idolatry of Worship Service Flow​

by
Chris Smith
Assistant Professor of Worship Leadership at East Texas Baptist University and the associate worship pastor at Oakland Heights Baptist Church in Longview, Texas.

It appears the flow in worship is becoming the end goal, the measuring tool to gauge how successful a worship service was.

I was recently discussing worship planning with a fellow worship pastor. I told him I was interested in viewing one of his church’s services. He was flattered and then proceeded to tell me how he and a worship leader friend in another state exchange videos of their services for critique and improvement. As he continued to share, he told me various things they had pointed out to each other, mainly revolving around transitions and the flow of the service.
This conversation bothered my spirit. Although it was encouraging to see fellow worship leaders pushing each other to further excellence, it was discouraging to hear they did not base the criteria on which they judged each other on biblical principles of worship.

Creating idols in our worship gatherings​

A quick Google search on flow during worship will provide a number of articles on the topic. Each article is designed to help your church have better “flow” in its services. I’m not opposed to this in any way. We have all seen a service derailed by poor planning. But it appears flow in worship is becoming the end goal, the measuring tool to gauge how successful a worship service was.
The first two of the Ten Commandments God gave were to have no other gods and not make any idols. When we prioritize the flow of a worship service, we are on the path of violating these two commandments.
“Our priority when planning worship services is on allowing the message of Christ to be first and foremost, not on making smooth transitions and avoiding awkward silences.” — Chris SmithCLICK TO TWEET
But Colossians 3:16 clearly states the purpose of the gathered body in worship: “Let the message of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (CSB). Our priority when planning worship services is on allowing the message of Christ to be first and foremost, not on making smooth transitions and avoiding awkward silences. When the main goal of our worship is anything but this, we are creating an idol that takes the place of God’s purpose for our gathering.

Explaining the subtle shift​

It appears this shift happened subtly over time. Worship leaders didn’t purposefully set out to make the flow of our services the object of our worship. Some of the reasons are simple. Evaluating the flow of the service is a tangible way to evaluate the gathering. It’s easy to point to what went well or needs work, and there’s usually a prescribed fix for improvement. A second reason is the growing reliance on technology in worship. As worship bands frequently play with support tracks and there are many automated elements of the service, flow is essential to making this work.
But perhaps the main reason we’re more aware of flow is that song transitions have changed in modern worship music. The music minister used to lead three hymns in a row. As the minister directed congregants to stand, the pianist and possibly an organist played the intro. At the conclusion of each hymn, the transition was simple: The music minister said, “Now turn to hymn number X. We’ll sing verses 1, 2, and 4.” While this was happening, the pianist (who already had the next hymn bookmarked) began the intro to the next hymn, and the congregational entrance was obvious.
In current worship music, the song intros are much longer, and frequently have no melodic material. Instruments and pads create beautiful soundscapes, but these often do not tell the congregation when to sing or what song they will be singing. This creates a time of congregational silence (and often uncertainty) that the worship leader must now properly navigate. When we do this well, it can lead to powerful moments of expression. But when it fails, we hear about it during the upcoming staff meeting (or worse, see it on YouTube).

Understanding the negative consequences​

There are some negative consequences that have come with this subtle shift. First, it puts undue pressure on those leading worship. Churches may have one or two paid staff in music and worship, but they are working mostly with volunteers. Yet we try to pull off professional-level tasks. Touring worship groups are led by industry experts and have spent months in practice and preparation for these events. Expecting the same quality from the local church is unfair. And when judged to this standard, many worship leaders will become discouraged or depressed. Most worship leaders I know have the correct heart posture but feel a constant pressure for everything to “go right” during services. This slowly shifts the focus of worship to the measurable and practical, instead of the biblical.
“When the focus of the service becomes about everyone on the platform doing the right thing at the right time, worship begins to look more like a performance than a gathering of believers.” — Chris SmithCLICK TO TWEET
An overemphasis on flow also teaches the church the wrong things about worship. Worship is about believers speaking the message of Christ to one another. But when the focus of the service becomes about everyone on the platform doing the right thing at the right time, worship begins to look more like a performance than a gathering of believers. We lose the “one another” aspect when many are looking to one or a few. There should certainly still be order, but we must ensure we proclaim the message clearly (1 Corinthians 14:26-40). While I believe order for the sake of clearly communicating the gospel was the original intent behind our collective emphasis on the flow of a service, I fear order has now become a goal unto itself.

Combating the idolatry of flow​

Rather than evaluating worship as if it were a production, we need more biblical criteria. In any church gathering, the content of the service should be more important than the methods in which it was delivered. An over-focus on flow shifts this around.
Way before we judge a particular transition or light cue, we need to first ask if the message of Christ was present in all we did. We should certainly strive for musical excellence. But this should not come at the expense of singing to one another in worship as Paul commands in Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18-19. Before worship leaders are concerned with how they and their team sounded, we should first ask questions like “How well did the people sing?” or “What could we have done to improve the congregation’s participation?”
The Bible is clear on certain features of worship. And we need to ensure man-made aspects of a service do not replace or overshadow the mandated elements such as Scripture reading, prayer, baptism, and communion. If our service is flawless in flow but missing these elements, we may have succeeded in pleasing our fellow man, but not our Savior.
“If our service is flawless in flow but missing biblical elements, we may have succeeded in pleasing our fellow man, but not our Savior.” — Chris SmithCLICK TO TWEET
Another suggestion is to monitor our reliance on technology. The recent revivals at Asbury and other college campuses have shown us that the latest and greatest innovations are not a prerequisite for the movement of the Holy Spirit. I am pro-technology, and it’s amazing what you can do using multimedia in a worship service. But these same production elements can often bind us to a rigorous schedule in our worship, or worse, derail a service completely when they malfunction. Technology is a wonderful tool used to assist in delivering the gospel message. But an overreliance on it may create more hindrances in worship than it solves.

Refocusing on worship​

A worship service should be well-organized, for Scripture states “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (CSB). However, much like the Pharisees before us, we often take a principle farther than God intended. In our pursuit for flawless services, are we in danger of losing sight of the God these services are meant to glorify? Let’s refocus our emphasis on flow, making sure it is our servant, not our master.

__________
This article is reprinted by permission from Lifeway Research, a highly respected source of research and insights for the Christian Church.

 

[Umbrella Girl]

I think the musical instruments is what causes this problem. Especially electric guitars and drum kits.

Back in the day, a piano or an acoustic guitar were the only instruments accompanying singing at a church gathering. And it was enough.

“Keep it Simple” is a great motto to apply everywhere, including worship music at a church gathering.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

An old-fashioned, liturgical service, led by the Pastor and accompanied by an organ (and/or another instrument(s)), transitions quite nicely, especially when the selected hymns are derived from the Bible readings and current part of the church year (and the Pastor prepares his sermon properly using the Bible readings). The service has been around for centuries and there are many guides and reference books (including the hymnal, itself) to help select Bible passages, hymns, Psalms, etc. to make sure it fits together and presents Law and Gospel multiple times, in varying ways, during the service. The church organist(s) (and/or other musician(s)) practice the liturgy and get good at it, and only need to learn a few hymns per week or practice hymns that they previously learned, so the service can be musically very good, even without professional musicians. Why mess with success [sigh]

The order of service is the same every week (or alternates with and without Holy Communion), so no confusion or fumbling with hymnals, and no having to stop to tell the Congregation what's next. All without a song or worship leader usurping the Pastor's authority and responsibility, or a band (or choir, etc.) up-front becoming the focus of the service instead of God. Bands, orchestras, instrumentalists, the organ, piano, choir, etc. belong off to the side, at the rear, or in the balcony. NOT up-front where the altar, Bible, Holy Communion, and cross should be.

Oh, how I despise modern, informal, ever-changing worship services, especially those that are more like entertainment/concert than worship! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

 

[Umbrella Girl]

There is a huge difference between worship music and a concert.

Add electrified instruments and drums, all of which drown out the singing by taking center stage (literally), and it’s very easy for worship music to morph into a concert.

 

[Greg]

I think humans tend to turn things into idols across the board. Sports, entertainment, work, modern worship, even traditional worship -- I've seen plenty of idolatry there. I don't think the problem is necessarily the type of activity, but instead something more intrinsic to us.

 

[Tall Timbers]

The music ministry part of our church varies from Sunday to Sunday. Sometimes it's one person with a guitar. Other times there are a few different types of guitars, a drummer, a keyboard. But the sound isn't turned way up and it works nicely in the service.

I have been to a Calvary Church or two that has loud music from a seemingly professional band with light shows and all... But that's not the case at my Calvary Chapel.

I once made a church my home because there was a gal that played the fiddle. When she was playing I'd just close my eyes and pray instead of singing. I was sad when she moved away.

 

[Growing in Grace]

I think humans tend to turn things into idols across the board. Sports, entertainment, work, modern worship, even traditional worship -- I've seen plenty of idolatry there. I don't think the problem is necessarily the type of activity, but instead something more intrinsic to us.

As a person who wasn't raised going to church, when I got saved (in my 50s) words like idolatry and sin were not part of my worldview.

I'm still learning, and the other day I was listening to an audio book by DL Moody, The Ten Commandments. His explanation of idolatry really struck a deep chord. His audio book was describing what we are doing when we idolize anything. (I wish I'd made notes, but without quoting him I'll try to make the point!) From Isaiah 41 v.14 He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow. v15 It serves as fuel for man. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he kindles a fire and bakes his bread; he even fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. v.16 He burns half of it in the fire, and he roasts meat on that half. He eats the roast and is satisfied. Indeed, he warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”…

What I am beginning to understand is what this chunk of wood means to the person worshiping it. All people are created to worship. Replacing God with the wood gives the person control. It allows the person to selfishly close out God and everyone else as they make the wooden idol in their own image, projecting their own desires onto it. They often try and gather in a group to bow down to an object, but that group is merely expressing the same selfish independence, not humility resulting in a growing spiritual family.

There's so much to learn, but once I saw how selfish it is to idolize, then I could see ways that my sin nature still does that

 

[Greg]

Yep, that's pretty much where I think I'm coming from on it. Any time we/I elevate a person, place, or thing to an importance above what it should have, especially when it's at the expense of God or other people, I'd call that idolatry. And it can apply to just about anything -- even Christian websites that are otherwise very sound and do good work. I've been thinking about that last one a lot lately Apparently I'm running through the gamut of emotions on it, lol. Maybe that indicates a problem on my part, too.

 

[Margery]

LOVED that article.

Awkward silences. I wonder if sometimes it's those silences that allow people to think on what they are hearing. Pauses and blank space are necessary.

The problem with "flow" is that it fills the gaps. It's smooth, polished and doesn't leave gaps of time to pause and reflect.

Awkward silence invites the listener to respond in some way.

A smooth flow is a concert, a musical performance. There may be audience participation (singing along) but the choreography keeps it going.

Awkward silence like white space around words or blank walls around a painting focus attention on the important message the Holy Spirit is speaking to the individual.

 

[mattfivefour]

LOVED that article.

Awkward silences. I wonder if sometimes it's those silences that allow people to think on what they are hearing. Pauses and blank space are necessary.

The problem with "flow" is that it fills the gaps. It's smooth, polished and doesn't leave gaps of time to pause and reflect.

Awkward silence invites the listener to respond in some way.

A smooth flow is a concert, a musical performance. There may be audience participation (singing along) but the choreography keeps it going.

Awkward silence like white space around words or blank walls around a painting focus attention on the important message the Holy Spirit is speaking to the individual.

That's why Andrea and I love the services at Brooklyn Tabernacle. Pastor Jim Cymbala and the worship team don't just allow pauses, the pauses are an essential part of what happens in each service. They wait for the Holy Spirit to lead them. There is no rush to fill gaps, no smoothly planned segues, no slickness. Just a genuine desire to truly worship God and hear from Him in return.

 

[LydiaJoy]

I used to serve as a youth group leader and remember once meeting in the main church where an electric guitar band was starting the service off, lights and sound effects etc... One of the guitarists was yelling/ordering everyone to stand, raise their hands, clap, move around etc… He was upset to see some people just sitting there listening, but I really felt like he just wanted to feel like he was being worshiped like a rockstar. I watched him afterwards and he was still saying stuff along the lines of us being a bad inactive audience, shaking his head in disappointment that we weren’t reacting the way he wanted to his perform. I no longer attend church services anymore, I’m only interested in Bible study meetings now.

 

[Andiamo]

Right now, my church has an issue with clapping between every single song. Even though the pastor stated from up front about a month ago that he would prefer we not clap past the first or second song, there are still a few folks who start applauding after every song…which leads many in the congregation to applaud. Past the first song or two, I find it so jarring. It does interrupt my “flow” of worship, because I am trying to stay focused on Him. And then there is the question, for whom are they applauding? And why? Now I realize they are trying to fill in that uncomfortable pause, and the intimacy of silence before God.

 

[mattfivefour]

Right now, my church has an issue with clapping between every single song. Even though the pastor stated from up front about a month ago that he would prefer we not clap past the first or second song, there are still a few folks who start applauding after every song…which leads many in the congregation to applaud. Past the first song or two, I find it so jarring. It does interrupt my “flow” of worship, because I am trying to stay focused on Him. And then there is the question, for whom are they applauding? And why? Now I realize they are trying to fill in that uncomfortable pause, and the intimacy of silence before God.

I understand what you are saying. And if people are applauding a worship team, they are in the wrong frame of mind. They are there being entertained, not expressing worship to God.

Of course, clapping in the Bible isan appropriate means of worshiping God. It expresses joy. Psalm 47:1 says, "O clap your hands, all you people; Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy." Isaiah 55:12 says, "For ye shall go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

When I clap my hands after --or even during a worship song-- it has absolutely nothing to do with the worship team. It has everything to do with the joy I feel in the presence of the Lord God Almighty Who is with us in our midst and to Whom I am singing with all of my heart.

When visiting a new assembly I cannot know for certain why others clap, nor can I know the motives of new people in my usual place of worship, but I know the motives of those with whom I normally worship. And I know my own. They are --exclusively-- to express praise to God...which prayer flows naturally (or SHOULD flow naturally) from the hearts of those who have just been expressing the glories of God in the words they sing and the music that helps lift our spirits to carry those words Heavenward.

 

[Andiamo]

I understand what you are saying. And if people are applauding a worship team, they are in the wrong frame of mind. They are there being entertained, not expressing worship to God.

Of course, clapping in the Bible isan appropriate means of worshiping God. It expresses joy. Psalm 47:1 says, "O clap your hands, all you people; Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy." Isaiah 55:12 says, "For ye shall go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

When I clap my hands after --or even during a worship song-- it has absolutely nothing to do with the worship team. It has everything to do with the joy I feel in the presence of the Lord God Almighty Who is with us in our midst and to Whom I am singing with all of my heart.

When visiting a new assembly I cannot know for certain why others clap, nor can I know the motives of new people in my usual place of worship, but I know the motives of those with whom I normally worship. And I know my own. They are --exclusively-- to express praise to God...which prayer flows naturally (or SHOULD flow naturally) from the hearts of those who have just been expressing the glories of God in the words they sing and the music that helps lift our spirits to carry those words Heavenward.

I agree 100% and I enjoy clapping for the Lord too. It does seem habitual when we have just finished a very worshipful song of praise and a hush comes over the room as peoples hands continue to be lifted, and then…clapping. It’s true we don’t know motives so I have let it go and I think the pastor has also.

 

[Batman]

Lots of great YT videos out there to show the new age mystery Babylon occult angles in music and worship services in general. The world has deeply encroached into the church and they brought the occult with them. Services and music tend to look like Vegas or Broadway shows or Ted Talks and Tony Robbins presentations. Even the clothing on stage (and in the seats) is immodest and way too flashy. And let's not forget the divorce rate and constant push to accept LGBTQ+ that gets pushed deeper and deeper into services, dogma, charters, and guiding beliefs.

 

[Bethlehem57]

The music ministry part of our church varies from Sunday to Sunday. Sometimes it's one person with a guitar. Other times there are a few different types of guitars, a drummer, a keyboard. But the sound isn't turned way up and it works nicely in the service.

I have been to a Calvary Church or two that has loud music from a seemingly professional band with light shows and all... But that's not the case at my Calvary Chapel.

I once made a church my home because there was a gal that played the fiddle. When she was playing I'd just close my eyes and pray instead of singing. I was sad when she moved away.

I miss the praise and worship at the Calvary Chapel we were attending, but, when we were told that there really wasn’t any ministry we could help with because of how far away we lived (45 minutes one way) - we started looking for a Pre-tribulation preaching/teaching church closer to our home. It’s crazy where we “landed” because our previous pastor, a Baptist church that has an amillennial view, recommended the same church! We didn’t try it because we thought it would be like the one he was preaching at, but it wasn’t.

What’s frustrating is that we attended this Calvary Chapel for almost 3 years. They have no membership, and while occasionally they had a Prophecy Update, the teaching went a little downhill when the pastor had written a book and the sermons after the book, dealt with the subject of the book…his personal testimony. And I will tell you that he has a significant testimony. Needless to say, that was getting in the way of the message.

Our current church is Pretrib teaching, which means that when Scripture touches on a subject dealing with this viewpoint, it will be discussed, i.e., we will soon get to 2 Thessalonians and the rapture won’t be sidestepped or made to mean something else. The things that we don’t really like, for instance Prophecy Updates, wouldn’t be the main focus of the sermon, nor would there be regular prophecy updates. That’s okay, because we can discuss here or watch Jack Hibbs and a host of others. The main consideration is that this church preaches verse by verse through God’s Word. The music is okay and not rock starfish or off the top. As with any large church, if you don’t get plugged into small groups or what they call life groups, you will never get to know anyone. Thankfully, there are many opportunities to do this!

 

[Ronnie]

One thing that I can say about Jimmy Swaggart, he was savvy where it comes to how music can effect an audience, that’s why he kept a lid on the tempo so that it wouldn’t work the crowd into a frenzy.

 

[lismore]

Interesting article. I remember reading an old Library book which noted that Napoleon understood the value of music, it's pschyosomatic qualities, loud martial music could stir soldiers up to do things they wouldn't otherwise do, or to accept things that made no sense, like undertaking near suicidal attacks in a wedge formation etc.

I think some churches understand the potential pschyosomatic and even psychedelic qualities of music. Extremely loud, sometimes repetitive music, designed to have those effects, often with other sensory manipulative techniques like lowering the lighting. Getting people fired up to lower their inhibitions and mental thought processes, then comes the questionable and even false teaching. I think the cranking up of the volume in music is related to the dumbing down of the biblical content in sermons. Some of the more controversial televangelists cum faith healers use techniques like musical manipulation to stir people up into a mental state where they believe they have been healed, a pschyosomatic high, which of course when reality sets in they're away from the auditorium and the spotlight.

I know one local Charismatic church that has to take volume readings, monitoring the decibels after people in neighbouring homes complained of the noise and former members complained of ringing in their ears and hearing damage after attending services.

I saw this other article online talking about the loudness of contemporary worship services:

When Worship Music is Too Loud, What Do Worshippers Do?

If you've become more and more frustrated by the ever-increasing volume of worship music during contemporary church services, you're not alone.

www.patrickkphillips.com

God Bless All

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Traditional Resurrection Sunday services can get really loud, too.
Pipe organ with all the stops wide open, brass, church bells in the bell tower, choirs and congregation raising the roof, etc.
However, never had my ears ring any additional due to said church services, even when singing multiple services in the choir loft.
Maybe it was the wine or incense
More likely, God watching over His children

 

[Ronnie]

I went to a church once where the music hurt my ears.