“In an age increasingly suspicious of (linear) thought, there is much more respect for the ‘feeling’ of things — whether a film or a church service. It is disturbingly easy to plot surveys of people, especially young people, drifting from a church of excellent preaching and teaching to one with excellent music because, it is alleged, there is “better worship” there. But we need to think carefully about this matter.”
– D.A. Carson, Worship By The Book, c. 2002
Shortly before I started coming to Sojourn, I was told (by someone who had visited the church but was not a member or regular attender) that it would be “right up my alley” because of the music. This piqued my interest but I also recognized the danger: I did not want to pick a church on the basis of who had the coolest band or which church might give a songwriter like myself an opportunity to contribute songs of worship, regardless of the church’s teaching and doctrinal beliefs.
I also recognized how easily I could be swayed by great music, and how much I would want to color everything else favorably if the worship team sounded good and I agreed with the song choices. And this is a big part of why I read everything I could about Sojourn and by Sojourn’s elders, and listened to mp3s of five sermons by Teaching Pastor Daniel Montgomery before I ever stepped in the door. I had to know that the teaching was sound before I heard the band.
It is such a human tendency to “major on the minors” as well as to make an idol of things that, in themselves, might be good things, as well as to “worship worship” rather than worship God. We want a good show, we want to be served, and we want to know that we can be of service. But we must remember that the cornerstone of a good church is Christ, and Him crucified. The preaching of the gospel, in sermon, songs, deeds, scripture readings and community living, is the important thing.
Like Pastor Daniel has often said, “The (Sojourn) visual arts people are all about the gospel. The mercy ministries are all about the gospel. The songwriters are all about the gospel. The women’s ministry is all about the gospel.”Â
Making music to the best of our ability is a wonderful thing if we are doing it because of the gratitude in our hearts due to Christ’s cleansing, atoning sacrifice of Himself for us on the cross. If it is excellence for the sake of excellence, or art for the sake of art, then our priorities are misplaced.
