Jesus Christ For Worship Leader

Adapted and inspired by Chapter 7 of Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna.

In the New Testament church, singing and leading songs is a corporate affair, not a professional event led by specialists (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16).  In church history, this changed with the rise of the clergy class and the advent of the Christian choir, which is modeled after Roman custom that began its imperial ceremonies with processional music.  Once this occurred, singing was no longer led by all of God’s people together, but by clerical staff composed of trained singers. 

This was one of many areas that clergy felt like they needed to control in order to make sure heresy didn’t spread.  This separation of people into professional/unprofessional, audience/performer (much like public speaking); all reflected the cultural mind-set of the Greeks and not the vision of the New Testament body of Christ.  Regrettably, the spirit of Greek spectatorship still lives in the contemporary church.  

So, what’s wrong with a worship leader or worship team leading the singing?  After all, weren’t there “worship leaders” in the Old Testament?  Actually, yes there were.  This was because under the Old Covenant there was a selective priesthood, a religious special class.  In the New Covenant, the class distinctions have been done away with for we are all priests in Christ.  Now, when we establish special classes in music ministry, it robs God’s people of experiencing Jesus Christ directing the singing of His church.  It is led by a human facilitator rather than a divine one, whereas the latter is clearly how worship time is envisioned in the New Testament.  

When worship songs can only be announced, initiated, and led by the talented, this element of corporate experience becomes more like entertainment than worship.  There is nothing wrong with performances by talented individuals to entertain, instruct, encourage or inspire.  But, regular corporate church worship should be a function of the whole church together.  The whole church should even write and share their own songs together out of their experience with the Lord.  

If you have never seen this, I know it is difficult to imagine what it would look like, but it is amazing.

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Comments

[Jamie146]

The worship leader ought to be thought of as a pastor (shepherd) who desires and is able to lead the flock in spiritual worship. A true worship leader facilitates corporate worship. It really isn't about musical talent or skill, it's about spiritual leadership. Depending on the spiritual maturity of the would-be worshipers, a worship leader may be of great help in encouraging people to focus their worship on the proper object, God alone.

[2nd man united]

Jamie-

Thanks for your input! I totally understand where you are coming from and the job description of a worship leader. I would be interested to get your perspective on a couple "food-for-thought" questions:

If a worship leader is so important, why don't we hear of any in the New Testament story? And if there were, where is it mentioned?

Do you think Jesus and the apostles taught and established worship leaders in churches when they planted them or was this something the church adopted from somewhere else?

Viola's book is pretty thorough in its explanation and sources, but I would like to hear more from another perspective.

Thanks!

[Kristin]

I love the daily posts!! Keep up the good work. Interesting and fun to read.

[Jamie146]

I make a distinction between "important" and "valuable" when it comes to worship leading. If it was important enough for God to teach us about it, then He would have. But that doesn't preclude its value. Important implies that every church, small or large, should have a worship leader. Valuable simply asserts that a church may well benefit from a pastor devoted to encouraging and teaching the flock about spiritual worship.

I'm not of the opinion that worship leaders are necessary, merely valuable. I don't have any reason to believe that the apostles trained and established worship leaders. The early church probably did not need someone specifically devoted to the job of training its body about worship. But the churches of today do not resemble the early churches very closely in either its size or devotion.

As for the last part of the question, I don't know when, where, or how the office of worship leader began, but again, that doesn't mean it's not valuable. It can be abused, and likely has been often, but it can be a very good thing as well. I strive for the latter, myself.

[2nd man united]

Viola says on page 166 of Pagan Christianity? -

"A worship leader robs God's people of a vital function: to select and lead their own singing in the meetings - to have divine worship in their own hands - to allow Jesus Christ to direct the singing of His church rather than have it led by a human facilitator."

If having a worship leader does this, is it really a valuable thing to do? Why not just train people how to allow Jesus Christ to be the worship leader?

[Jamie146]

We're not talking about the same thing, I think. I believe you're stuck on the thought that a worship leader is an intermediary, not a leader. Just because a large group of people is being led in worship by a single person, largely for the sake of maintaining order and direction, doesn't mean that person is coming between the worshiper and God. There is nothing wrong with having a trained musician facilitate in group worship. Why does it have to follow that the leader is doing something that the worshiper can't do on their own.

Does Viola define what he means by worship leader? Because his comments don't describe at all what I call a worship leader. I have never once perceived that people were trying to worship God through me. I'm not a surrogate worshiper and I don't think any of my congregation would think so either.

Finally, you said "Why not just train people how to allow Jesus Christ to be the worship leader?" I believe I already addressed that previously when I said a worship leader is "a pastor devoted to encouraging and teaching the flock about spiritual worship."

[2nd man united]

Good discussion, thanks.

OK, let's look at Viola's definition of a worship leader in the practical sense-

"A worship leader selects the songs that are to be sung. They begin those songs. They decide how those songs are to be sung. They decide when those songs are over. They are often a part of the clerical staff." -Pagan Christianity? page 158

We're not looking for wrong or right, we're looking for the functioning Headship of Christ. Is there anything wrong with worship leaders? No, they are not bad people. They are not hurting anyone in any way. In fact, they are quite talented at creating great aesthetic experiences for the audience. But that's is not what we are after. We're after the experience of Christ as Head of the Church living his life in and through us together. Not mental and emotional goosebumps.

So, when we get together and have a worship time, we want to experience Christ's Headship. The only explanation offered by the New Testament that shows us what Christ's Headship is like is the body metaphor, "many operating as one." Contrast this with the singular leader model that is "many being directed by one."

Here are some questions to help:

-Does every member of the gathering have the freedom to spontaeously pick songs to be sung? And do they do it?
-Does every member of the gathering have the freedom to start those songs spontaneously? And do they do it?
-Does every member of the gathering have the freedom to end those songs spontaneously? And do they do it?
-Do the members write their own songs together out of their experience of the Lord together?
-Is the worship time constricted by a mechanically planned schedule or does the congregation as a whole decide when to end?

This is not an exhaustive list, but gives a good idea of what Christ's Headship in worship would look like. Train people to do this and you will start to experience Jesus Christ as your worship leader.

Of course, if one has never seen it, it is hard to imagine that a group of people could actually operate like this, but they do and that's the mystery of Christ.