Let’s Talk About The Club, I Mean Church Worship Music

We must never rest until everything in us worships God. A.W. Tozer

Picture this. A new and upcoming artist was playing his new album at a small club in Atlanta. This club was old, very old. The walls probably would make a black light explode, the bathroom, wow, it belonged in a science experiment. When you danced, the floors felt wobbly, the room was so dark that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. The bass was thumping so loud that it wracked your entire body and the multicolored lights flashed like crazy. It was a production. After my husband and I left, we could still feel the music pulsing through our veins. At the time it was absolutely amazing. In hindsight, I started to remember the drugs, so much pot, I am sure there were more harder substances consumed but the smell was unmistakable. I remembered the really drunk patrons raising their hands and dancing with abandon to the hard driving beat. There were people there seeking to hook up for a one night stand, others were desperate for money or a place to stay for the night. It was as if it was the church of desperation. 

What songs permeate your life?

The lyrics to the songs were in praise of drunkenness, sex with no consequences and escaping the cold hard beat of everyday life. If there is no reason to find joy then yes, the celebration becomes increasingly dark as the days go by. Isn’t it funny how you remember things differently when you look back with a little time to reflect? What seemed fun was actually quite tiring. Why do I mention this particular memory? Worship has been on my mind. I’ve mentioned many times in my articles about my childhood in the Baptist church. I cut my teeth on hymns, the sanctuary was full of natural light and the mood seemed a bit more airy than the worship experiences of today. There were no fancy lights that strobed much like a club, and darkness did not surround the stage. Simplicity was present in order to bring the focus to God Almighty. 

Where is the heart of worship?

As my time as a church musician progressed, the heart of worship seemed to morph into a performance that mimicked the world. More and more instruments, easier choruses that were so repetitive it bordered on ridiculous and to top it off, emptiness at the end of worship. I’ve served in many churches over the years as a worship leader, pianist, flutist and other various instruments. As each year passed, it seemed as if attendance dwindled more and more. What was a church to do? A lot of them tried to become more worldly in their approach to bring in potential members into the fold. The lights grew darker  and the production became more sophisticated. The music was just about as useless and airy as cotton candy and the people who were searching for meaning saw no real difference between the church and the world. 

A funny thing happened on the way to church

On one particular Sunday my family accompanied me to a church where I was subbing during the 11 am service. On the outside the church looked like any other traditional church that had been around for some time. It was like a hug from the Lord, the steeple with the cross, the brick building that looked like there were some amazing Sunday dinners served and in the sanctuary, it was full of natural light. There were no aspects of the room that drew too much attention except for the cross that adorned the baptistry. This was going to be a good Sunday. As I prepared to play for the service,  I was told that the actual service was downstairs in the fellowship hall. We were currently in the “old sanctuary”. As we made our way downstairs the lights became less bright.

We were surrounded by complete darkness

When we entered the new sanctuary, we were greeted with complete darkness. The stage was dark, the area where we were to be seated was dark, it was like a cloak of the world had settled in the room. As the service progressed, the music became like the club that I mentioned above. The strobe lights pulsed, the bass thumped through your entire body and the lyrics were as light and airy as pop rock. After the service I couldn’t help but think the church had become the club. The only things missing? The bar, the drugs and the licentious acts all around. We had taken the words of Jesus and switched them around. We were no longer in the world but not of it, we were in the world, of the world, and rapidly moving towards the emptiness that comes with a life without God. 

In our desire to be on trend we’ve lost the heart of worship

As we have become what we perceive as more “sophisticated” in our worship, the once pure and undefiled act of worship has become a show. A type of club or worshiptainment, full of me, myself and I. It’s exhausting and gives no real spiritual fulfillment. In the darkness that has captured the church the words of I John come to mind: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin. The word darkness is skotia, it means: physical darkness, secrecy, spiritual or moral darkness emblematic of sin as a condition of spiritual depravity. We’ve let the darkness in the church. That is why in many ways it is hard to tell the church from the world. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.  It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.  But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

It is time for us to put on the true garments of praise

Church, it is time for us to let the light back into the church. Illuminate our doctrines, our music and our walk with God. Too much of the world has seeped in, the bitter water has muddied the message. Are we to love? Absolutely. That love must be in pursuit of Jesus Christ, who knew no sin. We can’t just stop and sit in love, we must ask God to mold us into His love. What does His love entail? Stepping away from our sin and modeling our lives like those of Jesus, a reflection of God’s holiness. For sometime now the church has preached love which is wonderful. But that love must be accompanied with a longing and understanding that our lives must be in pursuit of God’s commands to walk each day striving to be more like Jesus. Where is the best place to start? Our worship. Let the light back in. 

God is worthy of our worship

Worship is something we were made to give God. Much like in the days of old, worship was the path forward into battle, both physically and spiritually. If you come into a difficult situation in life that needs prayer and spiritual battle, worship lowers our walls that we have erected ourselves. Walls of hurt, hate, anger, disbelief, discouragement and fear. We lay it bare at the feet of Jesus and open the doors of our hearts to Him and His comforting ministry that is available to us when we ask. You may say, “I’ve tried, I’ve asked, I can’t feel God near me.” To which I would remind you of the words of Jesus: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” In that effectual fervent prayer, God will align you with His will for your life. Keep worshiping, keep praying dear readers. 

Worship was created long ago for God

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering: the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold; the workmanship of thy taborets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. In the book of Ezekiel we are given a glimpse into the King of Tyre, who dwelled in the Garden of Eden. He was the epitome of beauty, his timbrels were glorious, probably more beautiful than any piece of music we have ever heard. Yet in all of his glory that was given by God on high he chose pride which led to his fall. He was cast from the glory of Heaven to dwell on the earth. In that time he persuaded ⅓ of the angels to come with him from the halls of Heaven. He had been gifted with the pipes of heaven and squandered it. In that fall he began to be the musical antithesis of God. He didn’t come and make horrible music that wasn’t appealing, rather he influenced others to make music that mimicked heaven with lyrics that are sultry and seductive. He desired worship and there were willing souls to give it to him with the promise of notoriety, wealth and endless earthly praise. 

Satan always counterfeits what God creates

Throughout history we read of musicians who lived lives that were fast and hard. They were gifted with great ability that often sounded like the voices of heaven. In their desire to find meaning, they gave their souls to praise themselves. What they didn’t bargain for was the emptiness that seeped in day after day. You see, we were created to glorify God in our lives and through our gifts. That is why Satan offers another option. Soulless lyrics that talk about passionate love, sex, drugs, narcissism and finding a place in the world only to find we are meant for heaven. Everything that God has made, Lucifer tries to duplicate. His duplication leads to self. God’s creations lead to Him. 

How can we return back to the true worship?

• Come back to the heart of worship

There is no place in scripture that says: ”You must become a little like the world to bring in members and money.” Nowhere 3:16. Worship can start with you and God in your quiet place. Your home, your car, in the moments between waking and sleeping. Put on the garments of praise each day for the spirit of heaviness. 

• Seek the Lord through prayer and scripture

We often hear that a wealth of knowledge is right at our fingertips. That is very true, scripture is also right at our fingertips. Find a daily prayer or scripture to start your day in a mindset of worship. Verse of the day, Crosswalk, there are a wealth of sites dedicated to verses of the day. Prayer is the door that leads to worship.

• Be mindful of the lyrics that permeate and feed your spirit

As we discussed earlier, what God creates, Satan makes a counterfeit. If you feed yourself a diet of junk what will be the outcome? Unhealthiness, sluggishness, diabetes, you name it. You can’t live on junk. Music is the same way. You are feeding your spirit. If you spend all day at the pink pony club does that really bring you closer to God? Before you say, “It’s just a song.” Yes, it is but those songs are a reflection of the zeitgeist of the world at the moment, are they not? Your musical diet will produce spiritual fruit much like junk food produces physical fruit. It’s in no way filling or healthy. 

• Find a place of worship that desires to worship God not the world

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, the world is a bit chaotic at the moment. Spiritually there is a sense of anticipation of what is to come next. There is a lot of fear, anger and uncertainty that is knocking at our heart’s door at the moment. We must put on those garments of praise to combat the spirit of heaviness that the world is wearing. 

• Pray for the pastors, music ministers and those in authority to seek God’s wisdom in worship

Our pastors and musicians are charged with feeding us what the Spirit wills for us to learn day by day. Pray that the eyes of their heart will be opened to God’s will. 

• Find God’s peace and purity in worship

Worshiping God sets your heart to face the trials and tribulations of the world. Find your song that ministers to your heart and sing it to Him. He will wrap His arms around your and help you to look to Him for peace. As your worship continues, it will become a lifestyle that permeates each and every of your life. Here are some songs that I have arranged and playlists, in the coming weeks I will add more that will hopefully minister to your spirit. Let us worship God, let our lives become filled with the cloud of His glory. 

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness. Psalm 29:2