never liked jazz music...

Los at Ragamuffin does it again with His “Dear Worship Dude”…

This “person” is exactly who is in my head and heart when creating worship elements. I keep trying to get others on our team to “see” this person.

It’s all I think about, all I talk about…

When I ask “what about the “skeptic” I get the same old response. But, what “I hear” in that response is “if we design for things we like (cause we are 80’s cool and hip) then God’s mighty power will transcend and touch the hearts of those skeptics that happen to be there…”

It so reminds me of the mentality of “we want new young people to come to our church, BUT we are not willing to change. They should learn to worship our way.”

I’m going to be really blunt here, When I hear someone say “at my old church”, I cringe. I know that whatever comes out next will be something antiquated like “we did James Taylor’s “Shower the People You Love”-esque…

I agree God is that great; but I contend that it’s doesn’t hurt to design elements that give Him and the Holy Spirit a fighting chance.

And I have to say (because someone always brings it up), it’s not about doing Christianity lite…Please, I am a Christ follower just like you. It’s still about worshipping and glorifying God, telling the greatest story ever told and preaching the Word.

It is such a fine line…

I say, as long as our first goal is to design everything to worship and glorify God; why not design for the skeptic and dechurched frame of mind.

For God’s power is mighty and He is able to transcend into the heart of the “lukewarm believer”.

If we design something that is cutting edge, culturally relevant it gives “that person” something that is familiar to connect to. Do that and then genuine hearts of worship will touch “that person”.

One of my very favorite quotes “I never liked jazz music, because jazz music doesn't resolve. But sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself...I used to not like God, because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened."-Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz)

So, as always I go back to: entice the skeptic, challenge the lukewarm, and thrill the believer to new levels of passion…