I've written about my new conviction to 'mean what I sing and sing what I mean' in church and to encourage freedom for appropriate postures in worship. I was, yesterday, faced with an awkward dilemma.
I get quite exasperated by songs (and hymns) which talk about postures/gestures, which the congregation don't actually DO! For eg, 'we bow down', 'we kneel at your feet/at the cross', 'we fall prostrate', 'we lift up our hands' etc etc. Our team has often talked about how weird it seems to sing about doing something we aren't actually doing. Last Monday evening, at the Bible study on Worship which we led at church, we discussed how some postures, even though entirely Biblical, appropriate and relevant, aren't possible when you are playing an instrument. Which lets Jamie rather neatly off the hook! {g}
So, when we got to a point in a song which mentioned kneeling a lot, I went through the following thought process.
'Oh-oh, there's the kneeling thing. Shall we kneel down?' I looked around at the rest of the team, who were all looking at me, smiling.
I felt a bit of a twit as I'd chosen the songs and should have remembered this was coming up.
The piano player couldn't do it without looking stupid (decorum in worship and all that.) Jamie was leading the singing and playing guitar, so it seemed a bit unlikely he was going to be able to get down on his knees. The teenage bass player behind me was already struggling with the weight of the instrument; I could foresee disaster there.
So, if anyone was going to get on their knees during what was by now, the second chorus, it was going to be me, the Worship Singer. {sigh}
Next thought: 'But I'm almost 52 and I have sore knees and a dodgy hip. I could get down there and not be able to get up again without support. The mic stand looks a bit flimsy! And anyway, I'd have to detach the mic and take it with me, or no one would hear me still singing. They might think I'd collapsed or something. It would be terrible to be only singing on my knees but have the deacon, who's a consultant cardiologist, come rushing to the front, ready to give me CPR because I'd suddenly disappeared from view.' I must have had a wild-eyed look of terror at that thought.
The third chorus, and last opportunity to get on my knees, as per the words of the song, came and went as I decided that it was purely metaphorical and Jesus didn't *really* want me on my knees when I SANG that I was on my knees.{g}
But was I right?
I think my *embarrassment* about what others thought had prevented me from demonstrating whole-hearted worship.
And since I'm singing primarily for an 'audience of One', I should have just got on with it. Even if it had meant me painfully prising myself off the floor again later.
What do you think?
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14 comments:
I'm an old fashioned Catholic so movements during singing don't work for me. But we do kneel quite often during Mass.
I think all those things you mentioned have to factor in and that there is no right or wrong answer to this question! :) I think it's mostly about an attitude of worship instead of a physical position, although I don't think it's wrong to get into that physical position if 1) you're able and 2) it wouldn't create a scene that would end up distracting everyone else from worship. How's that for an ambiguous answer? :)
Dorothy,
I am on the worship team at our church and I've often struggled with the same thing. I came to realize it's a heart matter. When we sing, "We Bow Down", it's our heart that should be bowing. Now, that's not to say that if God leads you to actually BOW DOWN that you shouldn't!
Our church is very worshipful - raising hands, clapping, etc. It's a beautiful thing :) I think when you are singing (or even just listening) the Spirit rises up in you and you just can't help but have an outward expression of that.
I honestly worry at times about people who DON'T show their worship - at leaast with closed eyes and lifted head. But, it's not my place to judge, so I just continue with the worship God has called me to - and pray that it will soon take hold in another person's life.
Emily R. (SHS) emieloo@yahoo.com
In response to Emily's comment about people who don't show their worship - we are all SO influenced by the traditions in which we've grown up. Hubby and I were both Southern Baptists growing up and no one did anything more than say Amen to a point in the sermon. In fact, it wasn't until the past 10 years when we went to churches that did it any differently. I am the ONLY one in my family who does anything more than clap during worship.
Absolutely, Emily, it's not our place to judge and frankly, we can't judge people from their outward expressions. My purpose is simply to free those who wish to worship in a way which is natural to them, whatever that is, by example.
And also to encourage real conviction in what they are singing.
Dorothy, I struggle with that too, and I am not up front! In past churches, where any kind of movement was pretty much encouraged, it wasn't a problem. But, now in the Baptist church it is. There was a time when I was the only one raising my hand, now I am not alone. Our "new" worship leader and others even raise their hands, so I don't feel quite so out of place. But, I go through very similar thoughts as you on the kneeling and dancing and such. While I do move a lot more than the average person in the congregation, I would like to move more. But, the pews just aren't as convenient for kneeling and such as more charasmatic church set ups are. And I am still self conscious. Just to let you know you are not alone and it's nice to know I am not either! :-)
I can categorically state that if I knelt down with nothing more than a mic stand for support the chances of my getting up again in a dignified manner are zero. And I'm younger than you. I reckon singers are definitely exempt!
It has never occurred to me that movements mentioned in song are meant to accompany the music. But then, that is probably just my Catholic perspective - kneeling, bowing, genuflecting (bending the knee), and even prostrating are all part of Catholic worship anyway, so I would just take the lyrics as referring to those time when we do those actions. We bow down, but not we bow down now, this minute. Not sure if that makes sense?
Okay, I'm saying this without reading the other comments, so I'm not influenced in any way. It seems to *me* that by getting on your own knees, you would be drawing attention to yourself, when of course the focus should be on Jesus. You would be a distraction (regardless if people are to be paying attention to you or not, they would be).
On to read others' comments!
Kristine (not signed into google)
Dorothy,
Thanks for the discussion. I hate to post much about my specific thoughts in regard to our church because there are many things I don't agree with and this is a public forum (LOL), but I do want to say THANKS for opening up your blog to this discussion. I've actually been pondering a discussion for my blog based on a comment you made when I posted about our dd filling in on keyboard for me. I have diligently worked to train up the next generation and so I have a replacement when needed (LOL), but sadly, I think many churches aren't giving young people an opportunity to be trained up.. iow, they aren't being given many opportunities.... I'm trying to decide if there is a way I can address my concerns on my blog using your question as the reason to address it (LOL)!
Kathryn,
Yes that does make sense and it's how I've always taken it to mean. But, lately, I've just been wondering if, just occasionally, it could be that we need to do what we say/sing we're doing. Not all the time, just every now and then. Maybe it would force us to face up to what we're really singing/praying about?
Kristine,
I think I *would* have been a bit of a distraction last Sunday, especially if I had broken the mic stand! LOL!
But, I did see this once at our old church. Our worship leader stopped playing the keyboard, and got down on her knees for the last half of one song. Given that her 2 year old with Downs had just recently survived open heart surgery, we knew what her gesture symbolised. It was not a distraction and frankly, we should all have done it with her, because when she did it, we were all reminded of God's awesome power and compassion.
I hate it when worship leaders get in the way of my worship, by inserting themselves between me and Jesus. That would not be our aim. Our aim is to be what Matt Redman calls being the Lead Worshipper, modelling authentic, whole-hearted worship in order to enable the congregation to worship in a way which is natural to them. In this case, putting kneeling back on the list of possibilities?
Cynthia,
Oooooh, that would be an interesting discussion! Go for it!
Hysterical, Dorothy. I'm caught up in thinking what a decrepitated crash onto the stage might look like & how it would play into worshipfulness! {snort}
I get distracted thinking about this very thing while singing - though it seems more often it's "stand in awe" or something about raising hands. And I am SO not emotive, so it would freak me out (would TOTALLY freak my dh & kids out) to do such things.
Personally, it helps me to have permission since we're in sort of an uptight church. I don't want to be TOLD to do it, but I feel way free-er if I have permission. Last week when the elder got up to pray, it followed a worshipful song & he said we might feel like we needed to kneel in prayer & if so, we should go ahead.
That works for me, but I'm a bit screw-ball-y so I don't know that you'd want to base any doctrinal stance on my wobbly emotional responses!
Thanks Liz,
'Permission' is just the concept I'm talking about. But maybe, instead of implied permission being given by the worship team modelling such postures/gestures, it ought to be explicit permission given verbally before an appropriate song/response.
Don't worry, we're not going to be developing doctrine based on anyone's emotions.LOL! Although, by default, that is exactly what DOES happen in many British churches. "I'm way too embarrassed to show my gratitude for Jesus at church, even though I screamed and jumped for joy at a football match yesterday. So, I'll stand here not moving a muscle whilst I sing of the joy of my eternal soul being saved from damnation."
{wink!}
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