Anthony Coppedge and Greg Atkinson just released, in my opinion, one of the most informative and important podcasts that a church could ever hear.

It’s a podcast on the legal issues of using all sorts of types of media within the church framework (in the service, outside the service, on the internet) and you can find it here. I highly recommend listening.

*Also, I’ve been beginning to listen to the Geeks and God podcast, and it’s great.  They have a dynamic website as well.

We’ve all struggled with the thoughts about whether or not as worship leaders we’re “performing” or not. At least I have. Especially in a contemporary worship-driven culture where we use modern musical styles and try to have the most excellent music and services that we can, it’s hard not to think of ourselves as performers. Then, when people claim that the music has become a performance, we claim that we’re performing for our audience of One: God.

I’ve gone back and forth on this issue forever, and I’d love some feedback on this. Sally Morgenthaler wrote a book called, “Worship Evangelism,” which I notice that one of the worship leaders from a large, well-known church in the blogosphere has on his recommended reading list in an interview. Well, the problem is that Sally Morgenthaler has now rethought her teaching from this book and seems to be questioning the very thing that people are jumping on the bandwagon to accomplish. In regards to using worship services as a tool to reach the lost, a colleague said this to her:

“If a contemporary worship service is the best witnessing tool in the box, then why give a rip about what goes on outside the worship center? If unbelievers are coming through the doors to check us Christians out, and if they’ll fall at Jesus’ feet after they listen to us croon worship songs and watch us sway back and forth, well then, a whole lot of churches are just going to say, ‘Sign us up!'” (may/june REV! pg 48)

That is a very good point. Sally goes on to say in the article,

“Were these worship-driven churches really attracting the unchurched? Most of their pastors truly believed they were. And in a few cases, they were right. The worship in their congregations was inclusive, and their people were working hard to meet the needs of the neighborhood. Yet those churches whose emphasis was dual–celebrated worship inside, lived worship outside–were in the minority.” (may/june REV! pg 49)

It does indeed seem like we have poorly equated the word, ‘worship’ with the time that we spend in church on Sunday morning (or evening, or Saturday evening). What did happen to Paul’s words when he mandated us to “present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Do we sacrifice ourselves daily for the needs of others, especially for those of the unchurched; people who don’t know Jesus? If we were in the very physical presence of God Himself, would we want to “perform” for an audience of one? Or would we be terrified because of His holiness and because His blood allows us to be in His presence without death?

So, my struggle is this. Is using modern styles and the latest technology being “conformed to this world?” I don’t think so, but I do wonder.

Hopefully, if we do believe that modern “worship” is acceptable, we will never lose sight of the need to die to self and to love others greater than ourselves. We will never lose sight of sharing our faith with the lost, even when it’s terrifying or discouraging. We will be able to worship God with our entire lives and each be able to say, “I am an offering. I put aside my desires and desire to see You, Jesus, known above all.”

What do you think?