First, re: Mr. Annonymous’ question… I challenge you (and others) to actually go to the original text and do a word study on that often mis-used word, “skill.” What you will find may surprise you - but here’s a hint - it’s not actually referring to ABILITY, as we tend to think - - that one small fact alone has opened my eyes to what TRUE excellence is all about.

In answer to the question of “WHEN” the church/our worship became “a show.” I don’t think Willow is to blame (and I know you didn’t say that, but it was implied a little bit…) I am a few years older than you and was on the tail end of the apex of The Jesus Movement. And, honestly, “in the beginning…” of that movement, things were not even close to what we see today - there was a purity, an honesty, a beckoning, if you will, to ONLY encounter God - nothing more, nothing less. This was the masses coming together, primarily from the teen/young adult demographics, to encounter the powerful and life-changing presence of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit - - BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT GETTING THIS IN THEIR “TYPICAL” CHURCHES. In those days, most churches were quite “high church” and the music that was presented was far more polished and performed - ie: choral cantatas, well-performed choral anthems, etc. And this actually turned youth OFF. They wanted more - because they KNEW deep down that worship was INTENDED to BE MORE…

And, thus, Love Song and others like them hit the altars of churches and an entire generation of young believers encounter Jesus - many for the first time.

I would say that things began to go sour when this pure desire for encountering Christ began churning out “Chrisitian Pop Stars.” I am not against Christian pop stars - I think we need them - I really do! I think it is important to have men and women who are gifted “artists” to use their talents to help encourage others in their walk with Jesus.

However…

Those concerts are not always “worship” - and that is the problem. The line that separates “true worship” from “worship performance” has blurred since the mid-70’s to now… so much so that many of today’s “worship bands” in churches view themselves as the next “Casting Crowns” or “Third Day” when, in reality, this may not be their calling!

The CCM industry has not helped matters either…

I know this is long - sorry. I wrote about this over at my blog site: http://www.commonsaints.blogspot.com. The series is called “Missing The Boat.”

Thanks for these thoughts…

Blesisngs,
Dan McGowan

I lead a praise team in a small church youth group, and am not blessed with Rock stars. Excellence for us is making sure that we have practiced, tuned, and prepared to lead people to sing the praises of God without being a distraction. I don’t find the ugly hidden message in that.

Is the problem a desire for excellence or a misunderstanding that we as the church cannot play the role of the Holy Spirit in wooing people to God with our giftedness and talents. No matter how great (by great I mean a worldly understanding of entertaining) a churches music, preaching, and drama might be, they’ll find better on TV, or the Radio. Perhaps we have bowed down at the altar of entertainment?

Did I misunderstand the brunt of your article?