Why Every Worship Team Must Balance Creativity And Accessibility

There’s a tension in worship that is discussed over and over. It’s something that faces us all.

It’s the relationship between creativity and accessibility. Is the goal of Sunday’s music to be fresh and new or to be accessible to the gathered church?

It’s obviously a tension we must live with, rather than a problem to solve.

Every worship leader and creative arts pastor was inspired by the Super Bowl halftime show with Katy Perry. It fueled our imagination for making bigger and better art in our gatherings (plus, who wouldn’t want to come riding in on Voltron this Sunday morning?)

But when does creativity become the focus instead of God and His glory? Or when do we know we’re not being creative enough?

There are drawbacks to choosing sides:

If we focus all our attention on creativity and making great art:

• We risk entertaining the church rather than involving them.
• We risk not relating to the average worshiper, who doesn’t come to church for musical reasons.
• We grow a congregation of consumers over worshipers.

If we focus all our attention on accessibility:

• We risk making music that doesn’t connect with our congregation.
• We fail to engage people’s imagination in the mystery and wonder of God.
• We fail to engage the artists in our midst, and miss out on beautiful creative expression.

So what’s the answer?

Healthy Rhythms

I’m an advocate for a solid plan made up of healthy rhythms.

There should be an ebb and flow of deeper expressions of creativity – creativity that highlights a new facet of God’s character – and also simple, less flashy expressions that remind us how simple, yet profound corporate worship is.

Our creative pursuit should help us see the glories of God clearer.

And our disciplined pursuit of less should help us see the glories of God clearer.

Keep the Wonder Alive

We humans are creatures of habit. Routines are wonderful for accomplishing goals but they can also cause us to approach the supernatural with a bored heart.

While it’s the Holy Spirit who makes dead hearts come to life, we as leaders have a responsibility to keep the wonder of worship fresh in people’s minds.

I’m afraid that the relentless pursuit of better production gives off the vibe that worship is about big, entertaining performances. Everything always needs to be anthemic, huge, and grandiose. It becomes a focus rather than a means.

I’m also afraid that the relentless pursuit of “dialing back” is a sad use of the creativity God has graced us with to reveal His glories.

We need both…continually…throughout the year.

Worship Team…Do This

We need you to dial back the production. Oftentimes production serves the focused pursuit of Jesus. Most of the time, it becomes an end in itself in the minds of the church. Dial back with intentionality.

Teach your people about the simplicity of worship. Teach them how to lift their voice and cry out to God in their own words.

Teach them how to sing simple songs in easy keys with basic instrumentation.

Worship leader, we need you to cry. We need you to be real, to feel, to pour out your heart. We don’t just need you to cheerlead and pump us up. Pump us up through your desperate, broken-hearted cry for His presence.”

Don’t just command people to worship. Command your own soul to bless the Lord and we will be more inclined to follow such real, honest leadership.

Don’t just be a musician who plays worship music because it’s all there is to do. Be a worshiper who happens to make music for the glory of God and the good of His people.

And yet…

Worship Team…Also Do This

We need you to go deep with God – go deep in His Word, wrestle with difficult texts, live a daily faith in Jesus. Then make your music as a reflection of what you see.

What have you seen of God and His goodness lately? A great question to ask because it forces us into a today faith, rather than living off the past or someone else’s experience.

When you see something new of God, create sounds no one has heard before. Write songs that stir our affections for greater realities. Bring your creative pursuit into the context of helping us see Jesus clearer.”

I worry that we church musicians are playing music for selfish reasons. But we are called to a higher standard in the church. Our music isn’t self serving. Our music isn’t meant to draw awe and attention to itself.

It’s meant to spotlight Jesus – the One name that people need to hear, see, feel, remember more than anything in all the world.

While we pursue a greater creativity we can’t leave our congregations behind. We can create the most intricate music for the glory of God, but if our churches can’t sing it, we’re not doing our job. We need to keep our hands in both tensions.

Pursue deeper creativity…but make it engaging for people. Involve the church. Create with them in mind.

Would love to hear from you.

How do you manage this tension? Come say hello in the comments.

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