EB week one post

For:The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University,Essentials Blue online course with Dan Wilt,

I was struck by Brenton Brown’s comments on the importance of Theology in worship.  He said that he’d been hearing that worship songs are better remembered than sermons – that people would hang onto the words in the song as true about God, versus whatever is said in any sermon. [1]

And his observation is true to my own experience.  I’ve found that I quote songs (as though they were scripture) in moments of prayer or speaking. I’ve heard trained ministers do the same, even when the song wasn’t quite a quote from scripture.

It’s simply that songs are memorable – the music package they come in makes it easy to hear, and the fact that we repeat them often (especially if we’re leading them) is a perfect set-up for memorization!

So, since it seems we remember songs better than sermons, Brown stresses the importance of good theology in worship song-writing.

But he continues by saying that the song writer (and by extension, the person picking the worship set/repertoire) has to have ‘heart’ in the expression – it’s a song/art-expression, not a dissertation, after all. It seems good to be holding both.

Dr Peter Davids says that worship leaders come in all varieties – some with substantive scripture background and others with less – and that those with less must “have sufficient biblical depth” in order to do their jobs well, especially when writing songs. [2]

So a dilemma arises when a capable musician comes along with a heart for God and the moral qualities to be a worship leader, but whose scriptural background is weak (and so, presumably is their theology). The demands on that person in the role of worship leader (on a high pressure Sunday morning setting) might be greater than they could bear without proper guidance. The question for those putting this leader in this particular position seems to be, “Can this person get sufficient scriptural background to be in the role they’re in, and can this local church live in the tension in the mean time?”

My take is that worship leaders always need to learn more scripture (no kidding! and who doesn’t?) and always strive to work and write from their hearts. And it’s appropriate to always strive to be in this tension: expressing from our hearts while allowing good theology (thoughts about God) to inform our hearts. If we’re not feeling the pull, I’d guess that something’s amiss.

But then, how do I move forward? Can I trust that this song I’ve wrote or chosen is accurate? What about the things I say or pray? How can I honestly say anything?

David says in Psalm 24:3-4: Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, who do not put their trust in an idol or swear by a false god. [3]

I’ve got to do the best I can to think rightly about God and still move forward trusting in Him and leaning on Jesus’ forgiveness, always seeking to receive correction well – to ‘have clean hands and a pure heart.’

1. Brenton Brown, Theology and the Worship Leader (St Stephen’s University, Posted June 13, 2008 )

2. Dr Peter Davids, The Importance of Scripture Study for Modern Worship Leaders (Inside Worship Magazine, Issue 48, Oct. 2002) 8

3. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version TNIV. (International Bible Society, 2001, 2005)