Sojourn worship leader/ songwriter Jeremy Quillo has been leading worship and writing songs at Sojourn and elsewhere for well over a decade. Here as part of Guest Blogger Week at sojournmusic.com, Jeremy challenges us to boast only in Christ and to worship in humility, wisdom and passion:
We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are… That phrase, which comes from a little-known Rich Mullins tune, is one that every worship leader would do well to think seriously about. I remember going to one of those huge worship leader conferences several years ago, along with thousands of others seeking to learn more about doing this thing called “worship.”
Basically what happens at these events is that some of the most famous worship leaders and bands from across the world put on a seminar-style weekend during which they teach people who play music in their own churches how to craft songs and arrangements, how to blend harmonies, how to create certain aesthetic atmospheres, among other tips and techniques. I must add here that none of these things are inherently bad. A lot of good can, in fact, come from such events, especially for people who are passionate about worshiping God and who long to grow in their pursuit of leading others in worship.
However, I have often found myself at those types of events thinking “Who are these people to say what type of worship is the right type? What makes their techniques the right ones? Why is this style best for worshipping our Creator? Who votes these particular songs to the top of the worship charts?”
My thoughts toward other worship leaders should never be judgmental, so that’s not what I’m getting at here. The issue, rather, is that we have a tendency to think we know so much more than we really know; we think we have so much more talent than we actually have; we think we have figured out so much more about how to worship God than we have actually figured out.
That is not to say we have no guidelines (the Bible does give us many standards we must uphold in our worship, and is clear about what our worship must be rooted in). I am only trying to remind worship leaders (including myself) that God is not impressed with or surprised by our talents. Our failure to remember that fact can result in worship that lacks the humility that we are called to as followers of Christ.
I hear so many new worship songs that, regardless of style, seem to be saying “Lord, I have this huge thing called worship to give to You as a gift. Look how awesome it is.” Can you see where the focus has shifted a little there? It may be subtle, but I think it’s something we need to pay attention to as worship leaders and songwriters; that is, we need to approach our worship with the humility that is modeled after Jesus Christ.
Yes, He is pleased when we worship Him as we should. Yes, He does inhabit the praises of His people. Yes, He promises to meet us when we seek Him with all our hearts. But we have to remember that God wants so much more than our stylized arrangements, our new guitar picking technique, our perfect vibrato, our unique drum-loops, our melodies, our words, our songs, and even our voices. He wants our hearts and He wants us to open our eyes to see that we have nothing but what He has given us. We cannot come up with a set of words or sounds that captures the fullness of who He is.
In the song “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Stuart Townend there is a line that speaks to all of this very effectively:
I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom; but I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.
May we never forget these truths when we take the “stage” to lead a congregation in worship songs, when we sit down to record our new ideas, when we talk to others about our preferences, when we teach others how to lead worship. Let’s keep reminding ourselves and each other that as soon as we think we are stronger or more gifted than we really are, our focus is already in the wrong place.
The joy of the Lord is our strength —Â not our gifts, power or wisdom. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, Who is our strength, our reason for living and breathing, our Savior who rescues us from our pride and brings us back to that place at His feet where our worship is true and most meaningful.
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“God is not impressed with or surprised by our talents”
“God wants so much more than our stylized arrangements, our new guitar picking technique, our perfect vibrato, our unique drum-loops, our melodies, our words, our songs, and even our voices.”
Thank you for the encouragement and reminder
Amen. Great post.
In addition to being faithful to Biblical teachings about worship, one must also understand that context is huge. We all can praise God with what we have. My very small group of singers and band members is not professionally trained, not able to do everything that those with more expertise or what can be done in a megachurch, but they have hearts for God. That’s critical. My job is to give them some training, to make sure that what we offer is our best, but to give it all to Him who gave it to us in the first place. Thanks for the reminder to give it our all and that whatever that “all” is, with the right heart, it is pleasing to our Father.
Great thoughts, Judy. Thanks for stopping by!