“‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:19-21).

Lord, I feel the draw each and every day to coast, relax and simply enjoy the pleasures of this world. Without your help, I will live only to make myself happy. Teach me what it means to be rich toward You. May all my goals bow down before this defining vision.

What place does cool music have in worshiping the King of kings? What place does excellent artistry have in worship? Does the utilization of drum loops and click tracks cause God to focus more on our worship? Is the Holy Spirit waiting to show Himself strong on behalf of those who have the hippest hair style? Newest Chuck Taylor’s (or most destroyed)? Will the glory fall on those who consistently sing Chris Tomlin’s top 5?

Not exactly.

I don’t believe God is drawn to any particular sound or quality of music. But I do believe God is the most creative being in the universe and He has created us to do the same. That is why I love complexity in worship.

I believe Christian musicians, hearts rooted in the glory of God, should make the coolest music this world has ever seen. ‘Worship music’, in the truest sense of the term, should be the best because of Who we worship.

We should strive to be complex and creative for the sole purpose of Christ’s glory. We need to carry our styles, our instruments, our artistic endeavors, ALL OUR PLANS, into the presence of God and create so as to reflect the glory of our Creator.

So I love the simplicity of worship…but I also love the complexity.

What are your thoughts?

ds

I am going to do a couple posts on why I love simplicity in worship and why I love complexity in worship (if you’re confused as to what that means, keep reading).

Tonight during our ‘Hour with God’ at Allison Park Church, we had a time of worship with just an acoustic guitar and a lot of voices. Why do I love this? Sometimes we can overproduce worship to the point that we lose the heart of it.

From a leader’s perspective, you’re so focused on the right sound, the coolest arrangement, and trying to please everyone. From a worshiper’s perspective, you’re just waiting for your favorite song so you can REALLY worship. We tend to be consumer’s of a product and not consumed by the beauty of God.

We all know this is NOT what it’s about. When you strip everything away it is easier to focus on the beauty of Christ and engage your heart, while not relying too heavily on external emotional supports.

I love simplicity. But I also love the complex, creative side for a number of reasons. That is coming soon.

DS