In May I posted the blog Whom Am I To Stumble Another and in it I mentioned praise and worship at church. I had said, “There are some beautiful Christian songs by some very talented artists, that doesn’t mean they are meant to be praise and worship songs in church.” I said it and I meant it.

The word praise in the dictionary when taken in this context means, “the offering of grateful homage in words or song, as an act of worship” and worship means, “adoring reverence or regard”, but something is lost when the song choice is more for those on stage than those in the congregation. For instance when the bridge of the song is simply the word, “woah”, no not woe as the Bible used it, but woah kind of like what you want a horse to do. It tends to take the wind out of the worship sails when you can no longer participate in the act of praise and worship because it’s more about the harmonies of the band or how well the leader can imitate a well known singer. I can’t imagine the 80-year-old grandma singing, “woah” or the tone-deaf father either for that matter. 

Praise and worship should be musical prayers to God, not an attempt to become the next Hillsong United, Jesus Culture or even Chris Tomlin (who is great in concert by the way). Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of worship leaders that are extremely talented, but it’s the ones who sing devotion to Jesus instead of singing for accolades for themselves are the ones who are using the gifts that God gave them to bring glory to His kingdom and bring joy to the congregation.

I love singing songs to Jesus because, for me, prayer comes hard. I stumble over words and I don’t seem to be able to fit what needs to come out my mouth with the needs of my heart. Yet worship songs seem to be able to accomplish that. Then in church, what I can’t always articulate in public or private, a good praise and worship leader can help me do before I settle in to hear the Word of God.

So if you are a praise and worship leader maybe thinking about the 80-year-old grandma or the tone-deaf dad when planning your worship set would be a good idea, because I don’t know anyone except a horse person who wants to sing the word woah over and over again.