If you’re a worship leader, you know the struggle.

It’s not a new struggle. As long as the church has been in existence, people have fought over music.

In the Reformation days, Martin Luther was accused of bringing secular tunes into the church.

In 1540 John Calvin stated that only the Old Testament Psalms sung in a metrical rhythm were appropriate for corporate worship. This caused quite a stir of controversy between Calvin’s followers and Luther’s.

Gregorian chants were criticized when vocal harmonies were introduced.

David & Dale Garrett were some of the first to use drums and guitars in worship back in the 1960s. You probably know the criticism that received.

Fast forward to the present day: If you lead worship in a multi generational church, you know the worship wars.

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We all want to see passionate worship in our churches.

No worship leader wakes up on Sunday and thinks, “I hope I receive thousands of blank stares in worship today. I pray that no one connects with the songs today.”

No pastor wants a lifeless, disengaged, bored congregation.

But as leaders, we need to ask the hard question: how do we know if our passionate worship is really genuine? How do we know that God is pleased and glorified?

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Worship Leaders, we have a responsibility.

Our planning matters. The songs we choose matter. The heart we bring matters. The more I feel this weight the more I become concerned for worship leaders and how we’re shaping the culture in our churches.

Are we trying to be too cool?

Are we trying to be too clever?

Are we getting in the way of God?

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