At mom & dad's house over the break, sis got her latest edition of her college magazine (from Baylor - go Bears!), and she pointed out this super-great quote regarding worship from Baylor grad David Crowder (obviously of the David Crowder Band):
But yet, Crowder is ever suspicious of musical moments. He sees worship as much more than music and instead gravitates towards Paul's description in Romans of offering ourselves as living sacrifices.
"Paul's words help put music in its place. It minimizes music's role. These moments in music to me are not completely trustworthy, just because there's so much emotion-you can go to a concert or be in a musical environment that is not intended to be a corporate worship experience. You hear people say, ‘Wow, that was a spiritual experience. Man, that was otherworldly,' very transcendent language.
"I trust musical experiences less than I do moments stuck in traffic and moments when you're encountering someone you might not like to be around all that much. I think that's when we're able to see our true intentions and motives and what's inside us perhaps better than when we're all together singing. I think Paul might've had something there."
The entire article is here if you're interested in seeing the rest of it... I was just really challenged by the thought that my attitude, as I'm sitting in traffic, or around some of my not-so-favorite people, is an accurate reflection of "worship," much more so than when I'm singing with the community on Sunday mornings...
2 comments:
yo. that's so true. yikes. i'm not very spiritual in traffic. good news, though, is that God gives me plenty of opportunity to practice grace and forgiveness on the road to work every single day.
but still, music IS a spiritual environment. it was the announcement of victory at the front line of battle. we're supposed to speak to each other in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. it's *okay!* that music's one of the expressions of worship. the problem is that music has become synonymous with the word "worship." Good for Crowder for separating and expanding the terms.
Oh, Shannon, I could write a book about this.
I agree with previous poster, "music has become synonymous with the word, 'worship,' which imho is one of the reasons for the "Worship Wars" in our churches. Not to mention, 'we' think we have a right to our own preferences (i.e. 'only worshipping with the music we are comfortable with. This is directed to all generataions).
Worship is NOT music. Worship is a verb, an action. We need more worship education in our churches, from every area, to every age group, implemented in every aspect of our lives. Not just allowing people to think it is something we do during the music portion of the service (ironically, called the "Worship Service"), or for an hour on Sunday.
I think of Brother Lawrence's book, "Practice the Presence of God" when I get to thinking/writing/brewing about this topic.
We trust our feelings to much, when in reality, we need to be examining our heart daily, in all we do, in all we say, think, etc.
Music has a place in worship, that is for sure. However, it is not the end-all-be-all expression. We need to live it out in the mundane areas of our lives, too, not just the Sunday-go-to-church-moments.
Okay, I really need to go and pack some more! We only have 27 days until we move!!!YIPPEE!!
Take care, girl!
Post a Comment