God Centered Worship

 A shift happened in the worship culture over the past few decades. It happened so subtly most people did not even notice. Now in many churches the praise and worship time is far more important than the preaching of the word of God. People choose churches over the worship rather than the preaching. 

When I was a teenage young Christian, I noticed the difference in the songs we sang at youth group, camp, and the ones we sang on Sunday morning at my home church. I also noticed the difference in the way we worshiped at a camp or youth event rather than what I saw on Sunday morning. Students clapped at youth events. They sang with unbridled enthusiasm. One of the things I heard back then was how students loved singing to God rather than about God. 

That was true for me. Many times I changed the words of hymns so that I was singing to God and not just about Him. I am not saying there is anything wrong with singing about God. For me, I worshiped more meaningfully when I sang to God. 

Then the lyrics in many contemporary songs changed. The focus shifted to the worshiper and how the worshiper felt, or what they needed, or how they struggled. The shift was subtle. Most never noticed it. The focus became man centered rather than God centered. Everything about worship is supposed to be God centered. He is the audience of one we sing to and praise. He is the subject matter. He is the object where our worship is to be directed. 

In the last 20 years, I have heard a lot about people's felt needs. This shaped the way sermons were crafted. It also profoundly permeated the worship music written by contemporary artists. 

I was curious today about the number one rated hymn of all time. It was not surprising to be listed as Amazing Grace by John Newton written in 1779. I researched what a top new worship song might be. I discovered a song by Brandon Lake called Hard Fought Hallelujah. I watched the music video. Brandon sang with passion, raw emotion, and all his soul. I printed the lyrics. That is when I discovered it. He sings I or my 26 times in that song. He refers to God 6 times. There is something wrong with that picture. 

So much of the center of worship has focused on people and what they need or want as opposed to focusing on the the nature and character of God. It is very subtle. I was considering playing the video of Hard Fought Hallelujah as an illustration for the Sunday morning sermon until I read the lyrics. Lyrics matter to me. I try and pay attention to what I'm being asked to sing. Does it line up with scripture? Does it please God? 

I absolutely agree that we have needs as human beings. Those needs can never be allowed to drive worship. If they do, God will no longer be center stage but relegated to a lesser role. When our songs and sermons become about what we need and want more than on what God wants we have lost our way. I'm saying masses of believers in churches of all sizes and shapes have lost their way. Most are not even aware of it because they are doing what they see other churches doing. May the Lord wake us up. May we awaken from our spiritual stupor to see how we are a drift. God must always be the center of worship.