Do you know it’s possible to be a worship leader and not really know God?
But you already know that. You know your own tendency to go through the motions. To fake it. To pretend your passion.
The sad truth is, we are more prone to have our iPod and Worship Magazine by our bed than we are our Bible.
We’re more likely to study the stage presence of Chris Martin than we are God’s Word. We’re content with a basic understanding of what Scripture teaches, but have lost our hunger to devour it.
Remember the last conversation you had with a new Christian? I’m fairly certain they mentioned how much they were reading God’s Word. Hours upon hours, devouring its content; memorizing its truth.
As time passes, what happens to our hunger for truth?
Theology is more important than you may realize.
It’s not only important for you to have a good understanding of the Bible, you need an ongoing study of its content. Not just devotional browsing. I’m talking deep, serious study.
It’s Not Intentional
I don’t believe this problem is an intentional on our part. The landscape of modern worship is groomed with more rockstar hype than seminary study.
“If you’ve got talent, come be our worship leader,” so to speak.
But I have a passion for worship leaders to know God’s Word more than they know the latest release from Matt Redman. Every day we have the privilege of an audience with the King of the Universe and reading from His book.
This is what’s important to Him. This is what He wants us to know. This is what He wants us to live. I suggest we listen.
3 Reasons Why Theology Is Important For Worship Leaders
Why? Glad you asked.
1. Your Knowledge Will Fuel Your Worship
Nothing sustains a lifetime of worship leading like an ongoing pursuit of the knowledge of God. If your only paradigm of God is felt board Jesus, you’ll get bored fast.
You’ll run out of things to say. Your times with Jesus will seem barren. You’ll hearken back to the ‘good ole days’ when the voice of the Holy Spirit was a little clearer.
But the more you see and experience God in His Word – even the difficult, hard-to-understand parts – the more you will love Him. The Word of God was designed to keep us fascinated for our lifetimes.
2. You Are Teaching Others
Bob Kauflin, in his fantastic book Worship Matters
You need to know theology because you are guiding people into an experience of worship – and that worship set needs to be well-rounded. It can’t be all about ME. There need to be songs about God’s glory, God’s victory, the cross, the resurrection, the second coming, repentance, faith, etc.
Don’t be content to just love music…love God’s truth.
3. It Pleases God
God desires to be known as He is. It honors Him, pleases Him, glorifies Him when we know and declare His truth. If we are entertaining wrong, or even low views of God in our worship, it is more of a dishonor.
Imagine that – our very act of honoring God has the potential to dishonor Him. Sobering.
A.W. Tozer said this, “What comes into your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.” Our lives stem from our knowledge of God. I want to know Him as He is and never stop pursuing Him.
Won’t Knowledge Puff Me Up?
Many people hesitate to talk of theological matters because of the danger of arrogance – the more we know, the more puffed up we become. There is certainly a danger here.
But that doesn’t mean we ignore a deeper knowledge. We need to press into the tension.
What would it look like if we knew all we could know about God, put it into practice, and maintained an attitude of humility? What if rather than puffing us up, we were constantly bowing down?
I’m up for the challenge. Will you join me?
Question: Do you think theology is important for worship leaders? Why or why not? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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David, I love your heart for pure worship.
Thanks Kathy!
I said this to Perkin’s guest post…
that i would want a worship leader that pick songs or wrote songs that were theologicly sound…
about 90 percent of the babtist hymnal were pretty much taken right out of the bible…almost word for word sometimes…
Do we?…
that is one of the things that I love about Shane and Shane…
they sing out the bible….so awesome!…
when i was putting together they lyrics and list of songs for our album we are currently recording…
I made sure to put the scripture reference next to the song title…
I think it is something we should do…maybe in a worship band bible study…
Pick the songs you are going to sing and play…
and seek out the bible to find it biblcally sound…
that is a great idea in my opinion and something that i’ve done before…
Thanks david…
That is a great idea, Arny. We’re planning to do a live recording at my church next year and I think I’ll do this as well!
Oooooh that is such a great idea! I think I will work that into our weekly worship team devotion! Thank you for the tip!
glad to be of service…
It sounds like you are a bit of a hybrid, David. I don’t like to paint broad strokes but there is some validity to “types”.
From what I’ve seen artistic people are more motivated by beauty than a teacher would be motivated by studying.
I could see how an artistic person could feel a weight of guilt because they aren’t a scholar and they don’t feel like they are built to be in a Greek/Hebrew concordance learning the names of God so they can write more theologically accurate songs.
There is a huge element of “knowing” God that comes from pure intimacy with Him. In those quiet times alone with your keyboard/guitar and just seeking Him. There is revelation there that goes so far beyond reading a great book or even the Word.
Don’t get me wrong, I AM the teacher type so the Word brings me joy unspeakable. But I’ve seen a lot of artists struggle with feeling that weight of expectation to be in the Word all the time and a lot of times they forsake it all together because of the “duty” they feel is attached.
If artists can be given permission to seek God in their own way, it would release a lot of that guilt and their worship would come from a more pure place.
If you worship God by taking a walk and observing nature, you should do it. I read a great book by Gary Thomas called “Sacred Pathways” that described the different ways to worship God in a way that I always thought about but could never really put into words.
Just my two cents here because I feel your tips work well for me and maybe even other hybrid artist/teachers like yourself but a 3 point checklist doesn’t always work for everyone.
I think there is some validity to what you’re saying here, Tony. Artists can and should worship God in whatever way the see fit.
I’m with you in that we can gain a profound theology of God with just our guitar and a pen or on a quiet walk.
BUT, reading the word needs to be part of our spiritual diet. There are truths written in that book that we can’t get anywhere else. There are stories that can encourage us and promises that can breathe life into us.
It doesn’t matter how much time we spend with God doing other things – If we’re neglecting to read the word, we won’t be spiritually wholesome or healthy.
To substitute artistic acts of worship for time spent in the Word can be a dangerous place, wouldn’t you agree?
I’m not saying that the Word shouldn’t be part of your spiritual diet. It’s all about motivation. If you replace your desire to write/worship like Mat Redman with studying the Bible for the sake of being a better songwriter, I would argue that the result is equally fruitless.
Even if the Bible is a greater good in this case, it’s ALWAYS about the heart motivation. (See Matthew 5:21-48)
My main point is that telling someone that they should/need to be in the Word more to be a better worshiper isn’t a good motivation. Even if it’s true.
When you learn to seek God in the way you understand Him best, you will have a desire to learn more about Him. You’ll naturally be drawn back to His word.
But if you get stuck reading a book because you know you “should,” even though you don’t want to…it’s going to come across in your worship.
I know where are you coming from Tony…and what you are saying…It makes sense…
I’m a songwriter and worship leader…So i know excatly what you are talking about….
but I just can’t shake that fact that…just in my “alone” time with God…i can write a biblically sound song…or pick songs in corporate worship…or even lead worship from a pure place…
it might be for me….
but not for someone else…or in corporate worship…
There has to be a healthy Balance…
leaning towards more reading of scripture…
we are not saying you have to go to seminary school to be a worship leader…
But you don’t have to know God…and you can’t know God without reading HIS word…it’s where he speaks to us…his Truth and Knowledge reveal Him…Then The Holy Spirit confirms it and helps us carry it out in confidence.
“If artists can be given permission to seek God in their own way”
This could very dangerous tony…I wouldn’t want a worship leader in my Church that seeks God in his own way because his own way…may not be the right way…how do I know?…Maybe he never reads his bible cause he doesn’t understand it and so that’s that…
I get that it’s hard to understand…
But I’ve never heard of the Psalms being hard to understand…
or even the Gospels…
I’m not expecting a full report of theology on the Trinity…
But…they have to spend time reading and getting to know HIS Words…getting to know the God he is singing to…
heaven and earth will pass away…but the WORD OF GOD WILL NEVER PASS AWAY!!!
Your preaching to the choir, Arny. I love God’s word!
But like I wrote the other day, it’s all about the WHY. Are you reading the Bible to become a more effective worship leader? Or are you reading the Bible because you love the God OF the Bible? The Word of God alone is just that…words in a book. If you don’t know the heart of the God who inspired the Words, they won’t have any power to change your life.
My point is that sometimes 3 points and a prayer just doesn’t work for everyone. We can’t create a formula to seeking God. My whole life all I’ve heard was:
– Wake up early
– Say your prayers
– Spend time reading the Bible
– Etc
When I didn’t do that dilligently, I would feel guilty.
Guilt is a terrible motivator.
I see what you’re saying, Tony, and I agree with you – guilt IS a terrible motivator. And you’re right in that checklists and how-to’s don’t always work, but they can help.
The conviction to spend time in God’s Word needs to come from God. Whether it’s in a sermon, blog post, or on a walk through nature 🙂 once that revelation takes place, it’s hard to get away from. And hopefully, it’s not guilt, but a desire to truly know Christ and be known by him that keeps you coming back for more.
I get it Tony…I guess I just ASSUME that if we are talking about a “Worship Leader”, spending time in scripture shouldn’t feel like a duty…and that “Motivation” should always be getting to know God more in all levels, bible and non-bible…check list or no check list…
You are trying to lead people into the presence of God…by being the lead worshipper…
so what does that life look like?…what should it look like?
and just a little of topic…there was no “Worship Leader” mentioned in the bible…or in the New Testiment…it was a position Paul, James, Or Timothy ever talked about…weird huh?…
Tony, I love how you challenge ideas. Thanks for that. I’m not sure I agree with your statement:
“There is a huge element of “knowing” God that comes from pure intimacy with Him. In those quiet times alone with your keyboard/guitar and just seeking Him. There is revelation there that goes so far beyond reading a great book or even the Word.”
I agree revelation can happen there, but I don’t think it can go “so far beyond” the Word of God. I think that gets us into dangerous territory. The Holy Spirit speaks according to His Word.
I agree that artists can seek God in their own way, but I believe they need to be challenged to spend more time in God’s Word than they do just with their own thoughts. My two cents 🙂
My point is in no way going “so far beyond” the Word of God. Revelation isn’t finding something new, it’s seeing an existing truth without a veil. It’s illumination of a truth.
I love to study the Word. I would exhort us all to be in the Word. But not to gain knowledge for the sake of knowledge or for the sake or being a better worship leader or teacher or anything else. It’s a subtle distinction but one many of us fall victim to. I study the Word because I’m in love with the author, not the truth. <~ That will offend some people right there! 🙂
A suggestion (not forumla) I would give to a worship leader is to take a single verse, then go be alone with God in your quiet time and meditate on that verse. Sing it over and over. Let it sink deep into your soul. Then let God reveal what He is saying to you.
Now that's a much different way than I do it because the only instrument I can play is the cowbell!
My point is that there isn't a formula to "knowing" God or worshiping God. Though I wish there was. I love formulas!
I love your list but my point is that it won't work for everyone. A lot of people have guilt heaped on them because they can't relate to a list like this. They may feel disqualified from worshiping God because they don't know Him "well enough" and then struggle because they aren't the studious type.
Again, I'm all about being in the Word but I don't discount ALL the other ways that God speaks to us either.
I hear ya. It’s definitely not about knowledge for the sake of knowledge, like I mentioned. A deeper knowledge, when approached properly should inspire worship.
And the whole “I’m not the studious type” is probably a separate argument that I have strong opinions about. I don’t think that’s a valid excuse. God chose to speak through a book. We need to become the studious type. Oh snap…
This is a fantastic post, David. As I read it, I was reminded of what Paul wrote in Galations 4:9. Paul says that we can know God, but we can also be known by God.
That’s a humbling thought. But to think of the contrary, to not be known by God, is much more sobering.
What good is it if I sing songs on Sunday and put on a great service if God’s real thoughts of me are “hmmmm…. Ryan Gordon…. doesn’t ring a bell.”
I want God know me. “Oh yeah, Ryan Gordon. I know him. He and I talk all the time!”
Reading the Word helps us know God, and in spending that time with him, it helps him know us.
Dang it!
So Good ryan! LOL…
Awesome perspective. Another thought is, “does hell tremble when we wake up in the morning? When we get on our knees does the devil have a heart attack?” Authority in Christ. Are we living in it?
Thanks Ryan!
A very challenging question, David. I’m sure we’d all love for the devil to feel that way about us when we wake up. But what would it take to live that kind of life?
Word
Love this post! Our hearts beat alike on this. I totally agree for worship leaders, but I can say as a Bible teacher, that the tendency is the same. Even teaching Scripture, we can get caught up in the mechanics and entertainment factors. We can spend more time watching and learning from other speakers/teachers than from the Master Himself.
Thanks for a powerful reminder to stay dynamically plugged in to The Source.
“dynamically plugged into the source” – love that, Lyn.
I appreciate your perspective as a Bible teacher. Why do we get caught up in the mechanics and entertainment factors so often?
Great post, great comments! This is such an important aspect to leading worship and yet one of the easiest to throw to the wayside. One of the first thing my pastor and I did when I came on staff at my church was go through a systematic theology together, and it was amazing! Not only did I learn a ridiculous amount but it allowed the two of us to understand each other’s theological standpoint in such a deeper way. Which lead to a much more fluid way of meshing for services. I understand the kinds of songs he is looking for to go with a certain topic and he understands why I pick the ones I do without having to discuss individual details on a weekly basis. Its so freeing!
On top of that I really feel that it my duty to preach a sermon with my set each week. And David, I love that Kauflin quote because it speaks so much to this idea. What are the purpose of your songs Sunday? Is it to get people amped up or draw the occasional tear from that one lady in the 4th row? Or is it to present a coherent message that is literally in harmony with the actual sermon?
Jay, I think that’s a great idea – sitting down with your senior pastor and studying theology together. It really does help the two of you work together better. Awesome.
so true…. what use is it for us to act, when our true self is so so so dry??? GOD’S word is the source of our strength… wish we can all read the Bible and be aware of the truth of God, then praise him… i got my passion to serve the Lord through music aka Praise and Worship, from the Bible, i just cant leave aside the source of my inspiration…. God will speak to us through his word in the Bible,,, this is my theology… this is my prayer….
Amen!
Here was my attempt to fit the mission of a worship songwriter in a tweet:
The worship muses’ calling is to be a student of men, a student of the Word, and to strive to illuminate God in men’s hearts through music.
I think that mission extends to worship leaders as well. When we study men, we will write or sing from our heart. When we study God, we will write and sing from a redeemed, changed heart. And theology, which gives us an underpinning for understanding God’s heart through His word. is absolutely vital to that change.
Mark, I love this. Study God & write from a redeemed, changed heart. Beautiful!
Mark, that was brilliant. I love how you contrasted how each of those affects our songwriting. Well said.
A Theology prof I had in seminary said, over and over: “If your Theology does not lead to Doxology, then your Theology is probably wrong.” (My paraphrase. He said it much better.)
My seminary professors were usually surprised when they found I was attending the school as a worship leader, as opposed to more of a teaching pastor or missionary. They had seen so few worship leaders make the effort, and were excited by the idea. I don’t say that to blow my own trumpet, but to describe the lack of focus on this important topic.
The payoff came when real trials hit our church over the last few years. Our new (at the time) pastor had to confront the Elder Board about issues happening within the body, and it really blew up. One led to church-discipline, which was painful enough. The other led to a split in the body, as one of our elders held a heretical view on the Trinity. Mistakes were made on both “sides’ of the issue, but ultimately, this elder had to step down from leadership. He left the church, and half of the body, and half our Elder Board left with him. Horrible pain, broken relationships, deep questions with difficult answers.
As the worship arts pastor, I had to look at where I stood, and more importantly, what God had said about Himself in his Word. My work in seminary and later study helped immensely, although it also led to lost friendships and many tears. Truth is truth, and I realized this was a hill I would die on.
In the process, I felt led to compose new music for our Body as we began to heal and grow. The things I felt led to say (and preach) in these songs came from this knowledge of God, and they were things I didn’t feel had been said much in our contemporary “canon” of worship music. Songs of grief, songs addressing the Trinity and our need for healing through the Gospel.
Not many go away from a service quoting the sermon from memory. But they’ll go away singing the songs. I have to ask, are the songs I’m choosing preaching and reinforcing the Gospel message of the sermon?
We are growing again, and our new focus has brought us together as Christ’s Body in a new and amazing way.
Thanks for posting this. Very encouraging.
Yours,
n
Neil, thanks for sharing your story. Wow. That’s intense. Glad to hear of the progress you are making. I love that quote, btw. Would you say that has been easy for you? Has your theological training always lead you to a deeper place of worship?
Thanks, David. The problem with attending seminary, or with any pursuit of knowledge potentially for it’s own sake, is that it’s very easy for arrogance to slip in and you find that my knowledge has become my god. This has happened to me. Knowing about my wife is not the same as knowing HER. Subtle difference, but vital. It takes intentional effort to bring this knowledge back to the heart and respond in true love and worship.
Where this has helped is in working closely with our teaching pastor, as well as in finding and choosing music that goes deeper than good feelings. I am blessed to finally work with a pastor that understands and respects my role as a worship leader and as a pastor. He sees that the arts are just as much of a vehicle for truth as his preaching, and has elevated it to the a similar level of importance in our corporate worship. We don’t have fancy lights, or even a very good sound system. But, for the first time in twenty years of doing this, I have a pastor that is willing to cut his teaching time to make sure we have enough time to worship in song and respond to the Word.
In songwriting, it has allowed me to go places that I feel are lacking or even missing in contemporary worship music. As we teach through Scripture, I have sometimes been led to write a new song that addresses the concepts being taught in the Word that week. There is an endless mine of ideas in Scripture, and I’ve found that I have the freedom to go there and not just rely on yet another song with the same lyrics we’ve song a hundred times before. This is new area for me, but has been fun and challenging so far.
We have a saying at our house….the bible ain’t all flowers and candy. We read a bit of old and new and psalms and proverbs together with our teens almost nightly. We used to give up and always read a bunch of Genesis and give up about 2 months in the year, now we don’t stress about catching up, just keep reading at the current days reading, so we have covered more. Some passages are really gruesome or feel out of how things are done today, like the bitter water stories. you really have to chew on those question marks sometimes. My life has a lot of those too. It has been a good education. Jer 9:23-24 “Let man not boast of his riches, strength, or wisdom, but that he understands and knows God. I am the Lord that exercises Kindness justice and righteousness on earth, for I love being that way.” The word kindness is very much the same as devotion in Jer 2:2 “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown.” Reading this after experiencing learning the hard ways how this is true about Him is a gift in our lives. I could have read it a child, and claimed it as a promise, but until you experience His work in life it is only a comforting story and hope, one not yet confirmed. We should not test Him, but He is seeking His own all the time and He is all that. So I try not to know it, claim it, I try to know Him. and that is more than enough for all the todays, tomorrows and yesterdays. He is the lamp.
I see in Scripture that theology is vital for the worship leader!–those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth and He is not pleased by those who “worship [Him] with their lips, but their hearts are far from” Him. In fact, with Job God answered by asking, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without wisdom”–meaning good counsel and a life that worships Him come out of knowledge of Him. Yes, wisdom can puff up (1 Cor. 8:1), but man is still told to love God with all the mind, set his mind on things above, and be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Theology’s super important, not just for the worship leader but for every believer! 🙂
David, thanks for drawing attention to the “Love God with all your mind”. I didn’t even think to include that, but it’s so true. We usually take that verse in one swoop – heart, soul, mind, and strength – but it’s helpful to isolate each one a figure out what it means.
“The word of God is the Lamp unto my feet and the Light unto my path”
The right path to worship lies in the truth behind the word of God. powerful is the prayer with the used of the Word of God, and more of the songs to lead on.
Awesome verse. Thanks for sharing.
Powerful blog. This has really spoken to me. It is so important that we show Jesus-the real Jesus and know Him more and more.
Thanks, Matt. That’s the passion of my life as well.
Wow, a great post about my favorite subject. Amazing conversation here!
I think theology of worship is important because it invigorates our spirits and expands our hearts. The more we see God as He really is – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, , the more in love with Him we become and the more fuel we have to share His love.
Thanks David! I needed to read this.
You are very welcome, Andrew. Thank you for reading!