Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast

How Do You Handle Entertainment?

It has been on my heart recently to discuss the matter of entertainment. Do you ever think about how much movie, music, TV, video game items you indulge in? Do you ever think about why you indulge? Do you blindly accept all Christian media simply because it has a Christian stamp on it? Do you accept any and all secular media without giving it a critical thought?

Due to the increasing amount of media in our day, it is crucial for followers of Jesus to think critically about what we consume. First John warns us not to love the world, and I fear we flirt with this quite a bit as Christians. If you listen to Christian and/or secular music, you need to think about it. Saying, “This is Christian..it’s OK”, will not suffice. Also, saying, “I just love the music”, referring to secular music, is a lazy answer. If you are letting anything in, have a biblical reason for it.

I listen to both Christian and secular music, but not all. I watch both Christian and secular movies, but not all. I am by no means a perfect example to follow, but I have thought about this and long to glorify Christ in all areas of my life.

Here are some random thoughts that help guide my choices:

  • You are a Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit. Evaluate your entertainment based on what the Spirit is saying to you, not on what Hollywood says is OK (Yes, the ‘Passion of the Christ’ is rated R).
  • Just because music is Christian doesn’t mean it is true theology and good art. Some of it is. A lot of it isn’t.
  • Evaluate all secular music/movies/TV through the lens of your faith – if you think something is harmful, don’t be lazy and say you ‘just listen to the music’ or ‘close your eyes on the bad parts’. It most likely will affect your spirit and weaken your passion for holiness. On the other hand, some secular artists make beautiful art and present a true picture of the world and even faith, sometimes. Enjoy it and praise God through it.

All in all, fight to spend as much time in the Word as you can. Let your favorite entertainment be reading the Word and listening to the Holy Spirit. In my opinion, those are the best times.

Do you agree? I would love to hear your feedback on this one.

DS

Response in Worship

Why is it that sometimes people respond more in worship than other times? What is the key to unlocking genuine response in worship and not simply emotional hype?

I realized something at our service last night: When the heart and mind are presented with God’s glorious Truth, the response comes naturally.

Last night we took time to contemplate the vastness of God’s power in creation. We saw that He is bigger than our wildest imaginations. We took less time applying the Bible to our individual problems and instead we gazed upon His glory. The response of worship was beautiful. We probably could have sung “Count Your Blessings” and the place would have erupted.

I think this is the best problem-solving technique we can employ – be confronted with God’s majesty and simply worship. Problems seem to shrink. Worry and fear are driven away. We are comforted and astounded by the truth that God is mindful of us (Psalm 8:4).

I think this is what makes Sunday morning difficult at times. People are entering the building having spilled their coffee, argued with their spouse, and scoffed at the weird shirt their son or daughter is wearing. As a worship leader, pray and pick your setlist so that the revelation of God will bear upon the hearts of your congregation. Notice I said pray. It is not simply the perfect setlist that solves the problem.

When people see God, they will worship.