I have identified five trends that have come to life this year that might be damaging to our expression of Christian worship. Some of these are connected to a tool’s application. The wonderful tools we have around us and the choices for leaders are greater than ever. Our ingenuity and cleverness has reached new heights. But, with all creativity there are two sides. Creativity as innovation solves a problem. Creativity as art tells a story. When we forget the story—basically who we are—in our desire to solve a presenting issue, we lose ourselves.
These trends are based on what I have read, observation and interaction with hundreds of leaders of worship over this past year. I have connected five trends that we need to discuss as we enter a new year of opportunity.
Marketing the church through music
What brings in the crowds, or even the cash, is often what is measured these days. Being “attractional” is not an evil. But is the goal of our weekend worship services to simply fill the seats, or is it more than that? The drive of many leaders to market a ministry may come from an evangelistic heart. However, music and art is something that tells a story. Madison Avenue has known this for decades. Do we tell our story, the story of the Gospel, and connect to the people we are trying to reach? Or, do we pander to the lowest common denominator? What draws a crowd? What keeps a crowd? Maybe there are deeper questions we should ask. Is our music a tool for marketing or a tool for worship? If it is both, what comes first?
Pressing play or the band in a box
Ever since MIDI in the 1990s was sold as a tool for budding churches, we have had a push to make things predictable and as excellent as possible. Today, you can have the best worship artists play along with your church through loops and tracks. Many of these are from the actual released recordings. Personally, I have nothing against the technology, using it myself when I see fit. What is frightening is that some have lost all faith in developing musicianship and rely solely on this technology for their band. Like any tool, how you use it is what is important. In some cases, musicians have little-to-no input in being creative. You potentially silence the people most gifted to create. Is control and predictability more important than developing people? Is investment in gear a better spent dollar? Perhaps we should think about all the ramifications of how we use these loops. For some, these are a God-send! But for others they might be strangling creative potential for the expedient.
