The Noise of Obligation:
What is the matter with praise and worship?
An open appeal by Darnell Ishmel
"For if the trumpet (war-horn) gives an uncertain sound (note), who shall prepare himself to the battle (war, engagement)?" – 1 Cor. 14:8
"…earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" – Jude 1:3
First, please forgive me for having taking so long in writing this email. It is long overdue.
Second, please forgive me for what I am about to say and understand that this is more of a contention than a complaint.
My Contention
I have found it increasingly difficult to enjoy, endure, or even attend the praise and worship period at my local church.
Too often in Christendom, we have misappropriated the scriptural reference of "make a joyful noise" and have used it as a biblical tool for excusing mediocrity in praise and worship.
Too often, that which is put forth during a worship service is NOT a "joyful noise" but is in actuality the noise of ritual, tradition, obligation, and duty.
This is especially true of the Black Pentecostal church where the vast majority of the participation by its congregants is first initiated by emotion rather than intellect. Simply put, many of our congregants have little idea about WHY "we do what we do" or as to what the Bible actually prescribes in regards to praise and worship.
Before Praise and Worship
Back in the 1980's when everyone was still doing decalogues, devotion and testimonial service…(before praise and worship hit the Black Pentecostal churches)…some of our church leaders started bringing "those other folks" songs into our hearing. These songs were different than our chant songs and simple refrains, having different melodies, different words, and different chord structures.
As a budding church musician growing up in the Midwest , I was not at all interested in this "new music" but my pastor mandated its teaching to the "devotional leaders saying "This is the new wave…the future. This is where God is. And this is where we're going."
For he had been to Tulsa, (or some place like it) and had seen and experienced people standing for 1-2 hours with lifted hands and weeping faces praising and worshiping without any sense of weariness, coercion, or rebellion.
Hindsight
Looking back, I can only imagine that my pastor, with the best of intention, concluded that it was the songs that made the difference in the service. For yes…the words were rich with heartfelt poetry, the melodies where full of musical life and the band of musicians were all skillful in artistry and exacting in their showmanship.
I would argue, however, that it wasn't at all about the words, melodies, or the musicians but rather the fact that somewhere along the lines someone got a revelation on how and why we praise and worship God.
Today, an attendee will stand (or be made to stand) for the better part of an hour a at typical "praise and worship service". Most praise teams could very well be dubbed the Haze Team for all of the antics, atrocities, chastisements we endure at their….dare I say….leadership. Management is probably a more precise term for it.
Why have we succumbed to ritualistic formulas, emotion-driven religion, and culture pattern?
In most Pentecostal circles, praise and worship and has only supplanted what was once called devotion and testimonial service. The form is different but the function is the same. And unfortunately, so are the results.
Gone are the freshness of the "new song" and the gladness of service. Many of the singers and musicians are simply untrained, frustrated, and overtaxed in service, often singing for extraordinarily long periods of time and often repeating a single refrain for 10 or more minutes. Many appear to be in great need of a season of rest and refreshing.
"This is the new wave…the future. This is where God is…and this is where we are going," my former pastor used to say. Well, if that was the "new wave"….then fine…but as of right now…. in 2008 it is all washed out. That may very well have been where God was, but I believe God has long-since moved because I don't sense the overwhelmingly Divine presence of God's tabernacle in most services today.
Can someone please tell me where God is?
Yes….I've been on my knees…on my face…and in my closet on this issue for some time now. I am asking in all practicality….where on earth is the "Tulsa " of today? I need to go there immediately because my local church (and perhaps the entire church Body) needs fresh oil and new wine.
"…and this is where we are going," he would say. And look how far we've gone? With each worship service we seem to wander more and more adrift in the waters of ritual and a malaise of uncertain sounds, while our spiritual Levites (the praise team) bicker over song leadership, rehearsal schedules, and wardrobe coordination and then commence to haze a grossly unlearned and sheepish congregation for the better part of an hour.
There is a certain sound I hear….that these days I only dream about. It is a sound so rich…so faint and clear. I wonder does anyone else even hear it? Where are the people who hear this sound and how do we get to it?
"For if the trumpet (war-horn) gives an uncertain sound (note), who shall prepare himself to the battle (war, engagement)?" – 1 Cor. 14:8
Tags: Praise Worship Songs Israel Hammond Music Musicians Church Devotion
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