Evaluating Our Worship Services

WORSHIP EVALUATION

In previous posts i outlined how instruments are used to bring the divine presence of God. However in our churches we might have a sound praise and worship team, a skilled and solid band yet at times we might find ourselves doing our services in error and people’s lives not being transformed. We need to follow the biblical example in our services.

Let’s look at 1 Chronicles 13. David consulted with the leaders to bring the ark of God( which represents the presence of God) to Jerusalem. The only problem is they did not enquire from God. They carried the ark of God on a cart ( the ark was supposed to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites ) and played with all their might on various instruments. However  Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark when the oxen stumbled and the anger of the lord was kindled against Uzza.

This is exactly what happens when we do our services based on our knowledge and skill and not based on biblical principles. David consulted the leaders of Israel but forgot to consult God. Sometimes we sit in meetings to determine how our services should go and forget to consult the King of Kings on how he wants things to be done. Don’t get me wrong. People pray before these types of meetings but it’s just a religious formality. In shona (my native toungue ) we call it “kuzadzisa chirango” i.e just going through the motions

The ark was supposed to be carried on the shoulders of the levites. Its either David was not reading his word or something. There was something terribly wrong here. This was written as an example for us so that we don’t fall in the same trap. Unfortunately many churches are not doing their worship based on what the word says and it’s doing a lot of harm. I have been in services where we play before the Lord with all our might but his manifest presence will not be there and at times we remove people from the presence of God instead of drawing them closer to God. Let’s take a quick look at how this might happen:

• Lets quickly do praise and worship so we can get in the word!

This is a problem especially with pastors and leaders. Pastor you should know that your sermon does not benefit God, it benefits the congregation and it only benefits the congregation when you are preaching what he wants’ them to hear. Also if the congregation does not engage well enough in the praise and worship, the pastor will have a tough time preaching the word because the hearts of the people will not be prepared.

At times God might want to shift the services so that miracles will happen and prophetic words will be released but because the pastor is eager to preach his message, he cuts the flow of the Holy Spirit. We need to be sensitive to the leading of God and not just to have our way.

• The service has to start and end on time regardless of the circumstances.

Please understand me on this point. I am not saying that we should start our services anytime. We need to have a standard and people need to know the exact time that the service will start and the exact time that the service will end. However there is need for a proper sound check before the service and guitars need to be tuned before the service starts. It is very irritating for instrumentalists to be tuning their guitars while people are praying or worse still when the service has started. Also doing a sound check while people are praying and trying to connect with their maker is highly disruptive and disrespectful to a congregation!

This point especially applies for churches that do not have their own building and hence move their equipment from one point to another or churches who do not have their own equipment and hence wait for the company that hires out equipment to them.

• Worship leaders ask the band the songs they would like to play

I have always been and will always be against this. A worship leader does not consult the band on the songs to be sung, he/she should consult God. This is exactly what David did and it caused a lot of trouble. A better scenario would be for both the worship leader and the band to consult God on the songs to be done. The band will then just act to confirm what God has told the worship leader.

• We should sing our Denomination’s songs only!

This is just downright silly. We are all the body of Christ. I believe that if a song is biblical( that is its in line with the word of God ) no matter from what denomination it’s from, if it is the song in season- let it be sung. Would you rather sing your denominations song without the glory of God or sing what’s on the heart of God so the congregation can experience his manifest presence. I prefer the latter.

• We repeat the same songs every week.

You can’t keep on doing the same songs every week. They say variety is the spice to life and I must say it’s true. If you keep on repeating the same songs every week it ends up being boring for the congregation. In Isaiah 43:18-19 God says,” behold I do a new thing. Consider not the former things, neither consider the things of Old”. Psalms also talks of singing a new song unto the Lord.

• The pastor or his wife comes to sing when they cannot sing!

I f you can’t sing don’t hold the microphone. When the pastor and/or his wife comes to stage and starts singing and yet he/she is off key or making a discord there is no glory there. If a pastor comes on stage while people are singing and he/she cannot sing but they feel like singing it’s better to put the microphone aside and sing while letting the singers sing that song for them on the microphone. Just because you are a pastor’s wife it does not mean you have to be able to sing ( It seems these days the fashionable thing is for the Pastor to preach the word and then the wife and kids lead the Praise & Worship Team making it more of a family affair).

• Lead vocalists that are not vocally enabled!

I do not understand how some people choose their worship leaders/lead vocalists. At times in the church you find people chosen who don’t have an idea of what singing is or worse still who don’t have the gift holding the microphone and “supposedly” leading us in worship! The bible is clear about this ministry. Kenaniah was chosen because of his skill. Let not our choosing of lead vocalists be based on fleshly agenda’s like grudges, preferences or any such thing- it should be based solely on the Spirits leading and line up with scripture.