“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” — Paul from Colossians 3:23
I think growing up in relatively small church settings with worship music that typically accompanied them has led me to appreciate and enjoy megachurch music. What I mean by megachurch worship music is this: a large stage with multiple musicians with instruments cranked to eleven, coupled with lights, cameras, and action. Whether the music is energetically fast or contemplatively slow paced, the audience is enthusiastically engaged and sometimes there is standing room only. It’s like a concert in many regards except everyone involved is worshiping Christ and not the people performing. And make no doubt: it is a performance. From the camera crew, sound technicians, and projection specialists to the band members, it all takes talent, hard work, practice, and perhaps even a degree of showmanship to pull off a successful time of worship. In total I see all those involved on and off the stage as doing their very best and doing it heartily as to the Lord and not to men.
Yet many of my friends who have grown up in similar church settings as I have seem quite dismissive of megachurch music. Whenever I inquire as to their reasons, I inevitably get the same response: It’s too much of a show, it’s all about the performance, it’s too loud, the lights and smoke are over the top, blah, blah, blah.
While I understand that megachurch music is not for everyone when it comes to personal taste in music style and atmosphere, I’ve noticed that nearly all the people critical of it are so mainly because they assume to not only know the motives of those performing but judge them to be ungodly. I fear small church culture has led many to naturally and cynically believe that any well-produced worship team performing on a large stage under bright lights and fog machines are somehow performing for the praise of men and not God. But this is a horrible, self-righteous, and likely untrue prejudice. Since when have Christians been able to judge the motives of other Christians - or of anyone else for that matter?
We all must understand that the old woman with a less than stellar voice, struggling to play her out-of-tune guitar, singing for a congregation of a dozen geriatrics in a small rural church might have just as much or more ulterior motives and vein pride than those members of a megachurch band. For those Christians critical of megachurch music, it’s almost like unprofessional musicians appearing at smaller venues somehow have purer motives than other worship leaders on larger ones — as if performance didn’t really matter. But even the most cynical against professional style worship music must concede that they themselves can’t honestly participate (sing, worship, meditate) in church music where the instruments are out of tune and voices off key. One might like to be so spiritual that those trifles don’t matter, but reality disagrees.
Don’t misunderstand me. I am not against small church music or any other style of worship, as I have my own personal preferences. But I am against judging other’s motives based upon the size of the church and performance of the band.
As I survey the landscape of the few megachurch services that I have attended over the years, I have been encouraged for two reasons. First, what I see and enjoy in megachurch music are people doing their very best for the Lord, as we are admonished to do in Colossians 3:23. Second, I can’t help but think of how heavenly worship might look similar. In Revelation 7:9-11 we see a worship service. In this vision of heavenly worship we see a very enthusiastic crowd of people of various tongues and nations with their hands lifted in the air. It’s crowded too. The words in Revelation are “great multitudes” that are “countless." Furthermore, the overall volume is loud. The worshipers in Heaven are not merely singing, but they are “crying out” with a “loud voice”! I also recall fire, smoke, and lightening, being a part of God’s heavenly throne as well.
I hope that will not be "too much” for some there. But what do you think?
Micah Coate, President and Host of Salvation and Stuff
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