Random Thoughts on Musical Worship

(Do I have any thoughts that aren't random?)

In recent years it has really struck me as odd that in almost any worship service you'll ever go to the musicians will be standing/sitting on a raised platform or stage, facing the worshippers, front and center. This hardly seems to me to be the best arrangement for facilitating focus on God.

This had never occurred to me until a missions conference at Moody Bible Institute in 2005 or 2006. On the last night of the conference, prior to the evening speaker, they had three musicians lead all of us in worship. The lights in the auditorium were turned way down. The musicians were dressed in dark clothing and standing in the space between the front row of seats and the edge of the stage, facing the stage. They had music stands with small lamps craned over them so they could read the music and lyrics.

They never introduced themselves, they just invited us into worship and played. Song lyrics were shown on screens on either side of the stage, but the central focus was a large cross on the wall in the middle.

The fact that they were talented musicians and played excellent songs helped, but I think that the set-up was a major factor in that night being one of the best worship experiences of my life. Without being distracted by a charismatic front-man, observing the technical talent of the guitarist, trying to remember which famous actor the drummer reminded me of or keeping track of which singers had their hands raised and which didn't freed me up to focus wholly on God and to really imagine myself before his throne.

I've never seen a similar set-up since and I can't help but miss it. I suspect there are some worship leaders who struggle with enjoying the spotlight and who sometimes want to be the center of attention, but I think the vast majority of them follow the prescribed set-up because they've never thought of doing it any other way or because their venues won't allow for any other arrangement. And some may not have ever thought about what affect it has on whether the music is actual worship or just a concert.

Now, here are two lists of some of my favorite worship songs/hymns. No idea why I thought about putting it together except that I was thinking about some of these songs today and the worship team at my church has played two of them recently. (Yeah!)

Top Ten Modern Worship Songs (in no particular order):

1. Jesus Paid It All -- Kristian Stanfill
2. The Color Green/Calling Out Your Name -- Rich Mullins (I'm cheating and putting these two together)
3. Rescue Is Coming -- David Crowder Band
4. Oh Lord, Most High -- Atlanta Vineyard (Billy Somerville)
5. I Have Been Redeemed -- UK Vineyard (Wendy O'Connel)
6. Beautiful, Scandalous Night -- Leigh Nash and Bebo Norman
7. Be Unto Your Name -- Robin Mark
8. Oh, Happiness -- David Crowder Band
9. O Praise Him (All This For A King) -- David Crowder Band
10. From The Inside Out -- Hillsong

This list changes periodically (generally whenever a new DC*B album comes out).

Top Five Hymns (some of them with their more recent arrangements):
1. Before The Throne of God Above
2. Be Thou My Vision (Fernando Ortega's version is the best I've ever heard)
3. Come Thou Fount
4. O Love That Will Not Let Me Go (Indelible Grace version)
5. O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing (original arrangement)