Excerpt From
The highly anticipated latest book release by John W. Stevenson
Worshiper By Design:
A Unique Look At Why We Were Created
Introduction
HELP! MY PASTOR IS NOT A WORSHIPER!
I can’t tell you how many times I have been teaching at a conference or have been invited to a church to teach a seminar on worship when some well-meaning attendee or member of the church comes up to me “in private” (kind of like Nicodemus coming to Jesus) and says, “I am so glad the Lord brought you here. We need this kind of teaching.” Then they will make this statement: “My pastor is not a worshiper!”
I first ask them, “How do you know he is not a worshiper? What gauge or standard are you using to come to that conclusion?” They usually respond by saying, “The pastor never raises his hands during the worship,” or “He never sings the songs,” or “He always cuts the worship time short.” At that point I usually ask them to tell me about their church and the pastor. I encourage them not to be so critical or judgmental of the pastor, and I urge them to talk with their pastor and to be open to his perspective. I walk away thinking how unfair they are to make that kind of judgment.
I believe that this kind of thinking stems from what has been traditionally taught about worship and the worship life of the believer! We only know what we have been taught. Unfortunately, some of what we have been taught is not accurate. It has led to misinformation, and misinformation will always lead to wrong interpretation and application. We have taught on worship in a way that has made it synonymous with music and the arts. For that very reason, many who have musical or artistic gifts feel that if others do not have a musical or artistic expression in their worship, they are not true worshipers. We have focused on the worship team, the praise dancers, the banners and flags, the choir and the musicians. We have focused on our music departments. All of these areas of ministry are good and provide us with wonderful vehicles for worship. Lamentably, because of the emphasis we have placed on music, dance and other artistic forms, we have deemed those who participate in these areas the worshipers, and everyone else can be made to feel as if they are mere “church members.” We have done a great disservice to the Body of Christ through some of the things we have taught concerning worship and what it means to be a true worshiper.
I absolutely believe that music is a gift from God to enhance the worship life of the church. I believe that music is a spiritual language that allows us to communicate thoughts and feelings in ways in which words often times fall woefully short. It has only been in recent years that I have felt a caution in my spirit as it relates to some of the things I, as well as others, have taught over the years about worship. Because of conversations like the one with the disgruntled “worshiper,” I began feeling that something was not quite right in our teachings. That led me to seek the Lord for answers. As a result, I have realized that much of what I have heard taught, and even much of what I myself have taught has led us down a path that has made the worshiper a member of an exclusive group of gifted singers, musicians, dancers and those artistically gifted. We have focused more on the use of the gifts than the lifestyle. We have taught a perspective that has unintentionally created a caste system, a tier system, an “us-and-them” system. It is a system that, if not addressed and changed, could leave many believers feeling like second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God, while others, because of their gifting, may feel as if they are the “chosen” ones.
I believe that God wants to level the playing field in His Church. In order for that to happen, we must re-examine what we have taught and we must be willing to make whatever adjustments necessary to bring balance to our message. We now must be willing to look at the models we have used for worship, to look at the vocabulary we have used, and find a different approach to our teaching on worship -- one that is more inclusive of all the members of the Body of Christ. It is my conviction that we must do all we can to help the Body of Christ return to a more biblically accurate perspective on what it means to be a worshiper. In order to accomplish this, it’s important for us to ask ourselves some questions:
• What was God’s original intention for man?
• What did God mean when He said “Let Us make man in Our own image?”
• Is it true that we were created to worship God?
• What does it really take to be a worshiper?
• Is there a biblical definition of a worshiper?
• If worship of God is really exemplified through singing, playing instruments, dancing and other expressions
associated with the arts, why doesn’t everyone have at least one of those gifts?
• Where did our focus and emphasis on music and the arts in worship come from?
• From where and from whom should we draw our worship model?
I believe as we explore these and other questions, you will see that there is more to consider about worship and the worship life of the believer.
It is my prayer that as you read this book, the Lord will give you eyes to see, ears to hear, and an open heart and mind to receive its contents. It is my prayer that as you read this book, your heart will be stirred with new passion to pursue Him in a fresh way! It is my prayer that by the completion of this book, you will have a new perspective, a new way of thinking about worship and the worship life of the church that you will carry for the rest of your life.
