Worship (in the sense of the singing thing…)
Lets try a little experiment to see how inter-web aware Wells people are.
We’re at the beginning of a new year of Big joints at well’s and I have my own ideas of where I want the singing times to go and how I imagine they can look. But I’d love to know what other people’s expectations are, and what they want to happen…
So lets use the comments area below to have a little discussion on it…
October 6th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
I used to be a huge fan of the singing thing - I have gone off it in recent years. Lately I have been trying to work out why.
Apart from despising the whole celeb culture that seems to reign supreme in our world and has undoubtedly affected leadership and music in God’s church; apart from that I have begun to realise that the problem lies with me (and maybe you as well).
“Worship” has been abused by me.
I used to think that if we did it right, people would be drawn from their sinful resistance to God into a place of repentance and submission.
I used to think that if we worshipped properly we could defeat satan and all his demons - this was usually based on things like Paul and Silas singing hymns in prison (nothing to do with Satan and demons).
Then I thought if the congregation could worship properly they would automatically transform into holy saints of God who would extend the kingdom and bring the gospel to friends and family naturally and with power - like that was ever going to happen!!!!!!! Sin and laziness are as prevalent among the best worshippers as among the worst.
So worship needs to be reborn in my life! But it must be gebuine and nota measn to an end. I am open to suggestions.
October 6th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Since doing some work in two inner city churches where the worship/service style is very traditional and perhaps even boring (I am putting words in your mouth before you say them) I have met some genuine followers opf Jesus Christ who could really show us a thing or two. The amazing thing is they have never been to a worship conference or even seen a data projector or lap top. Some of them truly love god and seek his face, live sacrificial lives and incarnate his presence in our world.
They seem to have managed it without a band - but their services seem dull and lifeless to me. Makes me think that what we do when we meet to worship together is more about what goes on inside than style and even content.
October 6th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
If I can reply in a purely selfish fashion. At Tinys’ Well we haven’t had the opportunity to worship corporately that much in the singing mode. I feel refreshed after i have been able to worship corporately- either at Tinys or any other event - and so i would like to continue to be able to as often as i would feel appropriate.
When i say appropriate i mean to say that i don’t think worship is all about singing, I think it is bigger and more than just that. Sometimes/most times it is about offering my whole life to my Lord because he has given it to me twice over already. Occasionally i think we can slip into navel gazing if we only sing to God and stop there.
I truly believe that God has gifted Ryan to be - amongst other things- (sickening i know) a worship leader…… as in someone who can lead a group of people into the presence of God for the purpose of Worshiping Him.
I also believe we have many other worship leaders in the Wells family and I am delighted when i get the chance to worship with any of them.
At Tinys we have been lucky enough to start a season of feeding and refreshing those who often give out. So we are getting into a rhythm of Prayer, Worship, Socializing and action, one of the best things Rebecca has been able to get us to do in ages. Where I am going with this is that i would be just as happy to have people along to join with us at worship or prayer as i would be to come along to a ‘Big Joint’, some of younger folk are really uncomfortable in the larger setting.
Basically I’m a people person and I like keep in touch with people from lots of Wells and further afield, it keeps the matrix real and rich.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Here here Paul! I too love to sing (my family can testify to this…) I find singing takes the focus off myself and places it on greater things. I find something unifying about singing corporately and am sue that when we join our voices in singing truths about our God we can make quite a dent in the empire of the enemy. In saying that it is important to note that worship through singing is of course not the only way we can make such an impact or the only time God can draw near - isn’t that great though! Just some thoughts….
October 7th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Good comments people - keep it coming.
I too love the feeling of specialness that comes with the Big joints - it feels like a moment to be savoured and enjoyed; I guess the ‘ordinariness’ of worship has gone because its now not a weekly occurrence for me - which is brilliant.
But in the practicalities of it all - what should and shouldn’t happen during worship? How should people be encouraged and challenged? Is there a direction it should be moving?
And Paul - I too feel that God has gifted me with leading worship, the challenge for me continues to be how that looks in a un-centred expression of church life; how do I encourage the community to worship as a community…
October 18th, 2009 at 2:51 am
Just a couple of ideas practically speaking, and i don’t really know what I’m talking about here so feel free anyone to say ‘poppycock’. How about so sort of of resource or even set of resources, for use in our own smaller Wells/Journey groups/cells whatever. Like a CD with some stuff on it like a lyrics doc’ and some sort of instrument only backing music. But i mean by that just filter out the voice track at a Big Joint because i have had a bit of experience with the purchased type of CDs for worship and they are very stale.
If there are other people amongst us who are creative then maybe they could give us somethings to aide worship along a different route (it would need to be easy because i am lazy, sorry).
I also think that if what ever it is can be done in groups of say 15mins then we can all string as many 15 mins together as we want.
How about we facilitate an afternoon to help those who feel gifted or those we feel ought to go, to do a short ‘How to lead worship’ thing so that some of the practical things can be sorted out this maybe would be a once or twice a year thing.
I love that at Big Joints anyone can share but possibly someone has something to say but dies a little every time they think of speaking out loud. Is there something we could do like leave pencil and paper on the seat for everyone in case God speaks to someone who is as taciturn as I they could give a written note to someone to give to read out.
Right that’s it for now I need to go and pretend to work.
Grace and Peace all