Comments on: Worship Mythbusters: The Myth of A Painless Offering of Worship

By: Randy

Randy — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:02:32 +0000

Yes it should cost us. There will be distractions, technical problems etc. But, if we can minimize distractions / technical foulups, we should. Those may be attacks we can avoid. It seems in leading our worship team, I can rehearse, counsel, pray etc and at least attempt to control the variables and pitfalls. In my case the inconsistency at the sound console seems to be the one variable that trips me up.

I’ve concluded I’m better off with no sound tech most of the time. Volunteers attempting to “fix” a mix already set at rehearsal cause me more train wrecks and grief than anything lacking in the band.

By: Worship Mythbusters posts for this week: The myth of a painless offering of worship | Tehilla Music

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:15:38 +0000

[...] Part 1 [...]

By: Rich Kirkpatrick

Rich Kirkpatrick — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:47:37 +0000

Sonja…indeed! The musical part (which is my expertise and life for many years now) has been what we call “worship” when we forget to call the sermon, the offering, the commitments we make about how we live during a service as something else. Really, I am not saying enjoyment should not exist or even be valued to some extent. It is just that the goal is people giving an offering.

Christy…being broken before God is a beautiful thing and some people do indeed cry in our services.

By: sonja

sonja — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:42:33 +0000

I’m just now catching up on this conversation. I find it interesting that Biblical examples of worship involved giving the first fruits of one’s seasonal labor (i.e. from the land, or from the herd). But for us it’s become more of a participatory musical concert. In many cases (and I’m talking about the congregation, not leadership) it’s about what we get out of it, not what we bring to it. You hear this language in the way people talk about how they choose churches. And why they stay. It’s really sort of sad.

By: christy

christy — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:41:18 +0000

when i go to worship,i cry.everytime i try and sing,i weep.i’m not sure about all your opinions or post,i just breifly read one,since i’m not very computer literate.for me,worshiping God is very painful in many different aspects.standing before God weak,vunerable and then praising Him,in my everymoment voyage till i reach home,into His merciful arms finally keeping to the race and goal.how could that not be painful.why does noone else cry?am i a wimp?
of course i don’t attend your church,but….does anyone else you know,cry at His feet,litarally????

By: con

con — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:11:00 +0000

yes, for those of us “in the kitchen” there is certainly a cost…….but once the food is on the table what cost is there for those who “just partake”. i think the acts 2 worship participants came together communally everyone bringing something….but we seldom “allow” that participation anymore. hmmmmmmmmmm

By: Rich Kirkpatrick

Rich Kirkpatrick — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:30:19 +0000

There is another worship mythbuster coming about “order” and “structure” in worship. For the sake of our discussion about cost, I believe our planning is part of the pain/cost we have to endure. The heat of the kitchen makes for a good meal. Why would our efforts be anything but painless in anything we prepare, make, plan or create?

By: con

con — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:16:50 +0000

how can worship be something (where even if we actively participate) that costs us anything if our service is so streamlined, timed, choreographed, practiced and otherwise put together ? do i think we (worship leaders, etc) should present to God each week our best effort of the gifts He gave us? yes. do i think that sometimes we box ourselves in especially when it comes to time? yes balance? ahhhh there’s the rub

By: Marcus Goodyear

Marcus Goodyear — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:01:19 +0000

I saw a video with Bono quoting some philanthropist, business success (who is famous, so I should remember). His take on business and philanthropy was, “Don’t make it too easy for people. Because, really, they don’t want it to be easy.”

From that standpoint, people engage better when they are asked to do more. That’s not necessarily the same thing as pain, so I look forward to your next posts.

By: Rich Kirkpatrick

Rich Kirkpatrick — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:29:56 +0000

Ah… good point Jeremy. In the next couple of posts, even you might change your mind. Think of pain not being a negative in this case. as is our culture. The widow giving her mite paid a high price–perhaps painful. Think of the fact that cost=pain. Dieting? Exercise? Study?

The question is this: does the cost in worship have to be painful? If not, why? If so, why? I really would like to challenge how we think of that.