Sorry the only pictures I could find were rare and blurry. Probably because these churches don’t have media departments.

Is there any doubt that the old lady playing the organ for church every Sunday, is serving?  She faithfully shows up every week and all anyone sees of her is her gray hair peeking over the top of the organ.  She hardly gets any recognition, yet she plays.

I don’t really think the same can be said of the modern ‘worship’ band.  I have been to many pop concerts by avowed non Christians. I have been to many ‘worship’ concerts.  Frankly I can’t tell the difference.  I could even make the argument that some of the secular concerts were more honoring to God because the notes and lyrics were more beautiful, more complex and more true.  The audiences respond to both about he same, except during one concert I went to, the the band had the audience singing three part harmony, which I don’t think happens in churches anymore.  What makes it worship?  Because the words ‘god’ and ‘Jesus’ show up from time to time? How is really good ‘worship’ different from a really good concert experience?

If it’s really all about serving God, why don’t we put the praise band off in the corner with the organ lady?

How about putting them in the back?

Behind a curtain?

In dimmer lighting(And speaking of lighting, couldn’t we take all the money we spend on stage craft and help orphans or the poor? I’m just saying.)?

I am guessing that any of these suggestions might lead to sparsely populated ‘worship’ bands.

We are so worried about admitting we have a liturgy because it might lead to dead religion(Interesting that the solution to our service becoming meaningless is to just make it meaningless from the start.), but we aren’t afraid in the least that people in the worship band are showing off?  I think that’s a much bigger problem in our culture.  Everyone wants to be famous, and they will do anything to be in the spotlight.  How many dorky guys pick up a guitar to get girls, and call it worship?  How many crave the recognition above all?  I don’t know, but American evangelicalism is the perfect place for those desires to run rampant.  How many pop divas started out singing in church and craved ever more and more recognition.  It was never enough.  Can you say Katy Perry?  Jessica Simpson?  Why are people posting every detail of their lives on Facebook?  We have an epidemic of fame craving.  Why feed it in the church?

What about the church choir? They are all wearing the same outfit, because it’s not about them. But how will anyone know how hip I am? How will I express myself?

I think we know it’s a performance, which is why we clap at the end.  This is how we in America like it.  We do our little specialized task nine to five  eight to four, monday through saturday friday thursday.  This is our work.  And the rest of the time we consume, and most of that time we consume media.  It’s on our phones in our cars, it’s what the professionals do and we want it for free, keep it coming.  And we even do it with religion.  Christianity is something for the professionals to do.  We pay our pastors and missionaries just like the people who make our food and mow our lawns. It frees us up so we can go on consuming, recreating,  Facebooking.  So the worship music makes us feel good for the week, and we come back for more.  Or it doesn’t and we take our business elsewhere.  It’s sad, it’s not worship.

Concert or worship? Yeah, I don’t know either.

Worship is when you lay aside all your wants.  Your music style (which is little more than the music you happen to be around.  Why don’t Americans ever spontaneously find themselves singing Hindu tribal music in Hindi?) your clothing style, your desire to be served.  And you serve other people.  You give everything you have, all your talents and skills to other people to bless them.  You lay down not only your sinful desires, but your other desires as well.  You focus on the word of God.  Not how they make you feel, or if the worship leader is fashionable enough, but on how your life does no look like his Word.  The music should be scripture sung, using the power of music, so that it stays in your head for the rest of the week.  So that his words are running through your head, not your own.  Share with one another the ways God has blessed you that week.  Come along side other brothers who may be falling into some sin, and give them advice or correction.   Share the words from scripture that have corrected you the past week. This is worship.  This is what the Organ Lady is doing.