Music is one of the easiest ways to envoke emotions, both good and bad. Think of movies…Music is what sets the scene. Sure there are other factors that play into it, like the lighting and things like that, but a scary scene in a horror movie wouldn’t be near as scary without the creepy music in the background. We set the scene on Sunday mornings to cause certain emotions to stir up in the congregation. We have the low lighting, the cool powerpoint backgrounds, the stage design, etc. and of course the music. All those factors working together stir those emotions in us. The bad part is when we, or the congregation as a whole, is more focused on those things than the whole reason for those things…to come together and love God as a body.

I think sometimes when we feel certain songs are “annointed” it’s because the song causes us to have these intense emotions. That’s not to say those emotions aren’t good and holy, but we often confuse emotion with annointing…I love hearing a song that puts the way my heart feels already into new words that I can sing to God as a prayer/heartcry. That’s when I feel a song is annointed…when it allows us to express our hearts in words that we may not have thought of without the help of a song-writer that God blessed with those words.

It’s like Rich pointed out…it’s the Truth that is annointed. I feel like when there are songs that point out Truth in Scripture, even if it’s not a direct quote, it moves us. I guess what I’m trying to say is music is an emotional tool for worship. Worship, itself, is loving on God.

I’ve heard it suggested time and time again to sing, rather than just read, the Psalms out loud to God. Because they were written as songs, the words take on a new face when they are sung. Music envokes emotions…singing is one of many ways we can express our hearts to God, as are prayer, dancing, painting a picture, and so much more. Worship is truly a lifestyle. That doesn’t give us an excuse to miss out on the corporate worship…expression with other people…on Sunday mornings.

We’ve just gotta love Him in everything that we do. God has given us the beautiful tool of music to love Him with, but worship is not limited to music.

Thoughts?

In my post, I mentioned that we MUST stop assuming that leaders are righteous based upon the impact of their ministry. The 2 are often not related.

On the lighter side, I remember a Gospel song a few years back called “I Anoint Myself”. Yikes!

“[God] anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

- 2 Corinthians 1:21

but that anointing deals with God owning us – not really with how famous our song is.

You heal all of my disease. ????

NorthWood is a hodgepodge of charismatics, mainliners, reformed, etc. We pray for people but as Bob says, “We have a 35% temporary success rate, but our ultimate failure rate in this life is 100% as all of them have died ultimately.” Then we tend to emphasize that our truest bodily healing is seen in our resurrection…that healing is the one that “sticks.” Wondering if people are getting any of that when we sing that lyric??? Or are people who’s wife died last week after we prayed for them thinking, “That isn’t true, that word ‘all’, not true?” Or “Why couldn’t I muster up enough faith to make that true?” (bad theology)

That was my main qualm when Brent shared the song with me but we did it with the caveat that we expressed that we are all really healed fully only in the resurrection to come.

It is very possible that this song was genuinely inspired by the Spirit and the words and melodies invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit in a way that was GREATLY effective. So effective this song was “Attacked” through it’s creator…

Compare this to the Lakeland Outpouring and Todd Bentley… Was the Lakeland Outpouring and all the positive effects nullified because Todd succumbed to drinking and womanizing? Not at all! In fact it suggest that it was closer to the heart of God than many revivals in that Satan was quick to attempt to extinguish it!

Don’t get me wrong, I never was a big Todd Bentley fan, but I do recognize the Anointing and presanse of the holy Spirit of earthen vessels of clay.

Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it and was not allowed to enter the promised land while living and the it held back the entire nation of Israel 40 years in the desert!

“The gifts and calling of God are without repentance!” And apparently we haven’t learned from the past when they wanted to erect monuments to men of God… Men will fail us, God will not!

I don’t know anything about this controversy, but I do know the Living God that promises He inhabits the praises of His people! And the faith of those trusting in the God of the Bible will not return to Him in vain!

Despite whatever fraud may have occurred the experiences with God, the lessons learned, the intimacy with the Holy Spirit, the souls saved, are all no less real!

Our God can make the rocks serve Him!!!

At the moment, for me personally, the song is spoiled because of the deception behind it. This kind of betrayal has a deep impact on me because about a year ago a really close friend and colleague in the church confessed to a mammoth deception, and this brings back all the painful memories.

I was part of the team involved in helping my friend to face up to what he had done, understand the impact on the whole church, come to repentance (a gradual process that is still ongoing) and start to make restitution. God has ultimately been glorified in our church’s situation, but it was one of the most awful things I have ever been through.

As worship leaders, in one sense we are all arch-manipulators of emotions. We put together certain songs in a certain order to create a certain mood. We arrange songs in a particular way to create tension and then resolve it. Certain keys will provoke certain emotional responses. Add in the lighting, add in the visuals, add in the powerful sound systems, add in the crowd dynamics, and you have a potent mix for manipulation of people’s emotions. We have to understand the potential for harm and the power we wield, and in our planning times, bring it before the Lord to say, God, how do you want me to plan this so that the Holy Spirit can be in control?