This past week I met with a friend who is going to be joining our ministry efforts here at Kings Valley as a sound man. We discussed grand scale issues like vision and direction, and talked about the nitty gritty of sound and worship experiences. Near the end of our conversation my friend asked me “who are you modelling your worship experiences after?” “What bands and groups, do you think “Do it right.” I gave him a few examples of some of the churches/ bands and ministries that I pull ideas and direction from, and that was that. Later on I got reflecting on the bigger question here. What is it about these groups that makes their worship “good,” or more focused or impacting. Or, what are these ministries doing right? Or maybe the best way to phrase the question is; “What makes great worship?” I have been pondering this question for years now, but this conversation has forced me to be deliberate about nailing down an answer(s).
The simple answer of course is God. The bottom line is, if God chooses, He can unleash His presence on a group of people in spite of music/ sound/ atmosphere/ and even hearts. If God wants to, or chooses to make Himself known in a profound way, He can and will do so. There have been a few worship related instances in my life where the music was awful, the atmosphere was uncomfortable, and people weren’t even really all that amped on experiencing God, but for whatever reason, He chose to pour Himself on us for our benefit. THOSE are ALWAYS the best times, when God just decides to gift us with a “bit more” of Himself.
The problem (not sure problem is the best word here, maybe “reality”) however, is that, like any lover, God wants to be pursued, He wants us to come after Him. To approach Him; to in a sense, draw His presence to us. He wants a people who will first choose to “draw near to Him”, and THEN He will “draw near to us.” Which brings me to my first point on “what makes great worship?” One word. ”Culture”
The best worship experiences are usually with a group of people who have clearly identified what they are about, what they are seeking, what they are trying to accomplish when they gather. Some church communities just know how to worship God. It is like as soon as they gather the spirit is evidently present, because the culture established is one that is all about seeking and blessing God. There is little coaxing done from the worship leader, everyone knows why they are there. There is little complaining about genre or style, or even volume because the culture established has determined that those aren’t the main values of the worship gathering. Those things might be important, but they aren’t the main thing.
GREAT worship happens when a group of people have clearly defined the main thing, and they pursue it, or Him, with unified hearts. I have witnessed this over the years, leading worship in other places. Some places you go just don’t have a clue how to worship. So, as a worship leader you spend the entire time teaching, hoping to inspire, and pressing towards establishing a culture of worship. The problem is, it takes years to establish a culture of worship. On the other hand, some churches have their culture of worship so predominatly nailed down that the worship leader doesn’t even have to lead at all. The people know that we are together to seek the living God, and it just happens. No coaxing needed.
I am striving above all things with the worship at Kings valley, to create and establish a culture of worships. From the band members to the nursery workers, we are trying to create an atmosphere in our community that relentlessly pursues encounters with God above all else. I strongly believe that we have been heading in the right direction, and I am looking forward to seeing what the KVWC culture is going to look like a year or two from now.
Great worship will happen when we have established a culture in our church that is pursuing great worship of a great God.
Grace and peace,
B
