This article is part of our State of Christian Music series—what’s happening, how things are going, and what we can do about it.
When people in evangelical circles talk about “worship wars,” they’re usually referring to the disagreements, often between different generations, about styles and formats of worship music and liturgy in the church. Particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, as the Jesus music revival gave way to contemporary Christian music, or CCM (see “What Is Christian Music For?” and “Is Christian Music Still Segregated?”), controversy arose about the use of electric guitars and drum sets in the sanctuary, especially when they replaced the more traditional pianos and pipe organs.
The Issue
Thankfully, most of those arguments are well in the rearview mirror, because many—maybe even most—evangelical churches now worship using contemporary instruments, either exclusively or as part of a blended experience. But the assumptions behind those arguments are still with us, and they’re leading to new sets of questions regarding music and technology—like whether or not it’s good to use in-ear monitors or play along with backing tracks, and how much effort worship teams should put into trying to make their renditions of popular worship songs sound like the recordings. These questions are important, but they can’t be properly addressed without getting to the root of the issue.
Regardless of the specific topic, when people have disagreements about worship music in church, the implied assumption is that the quality of the music determines how well the church is fulfilling its mission. But what is more true is this: The quality of your church culture, not the quality of the music alone, determines how well your church fulfills its mission.
In my experience, when a church is ailing, people often try to fix it by switching up the music style or format. Sometimes they hire a new worship leader to try to jump-start church growth. That puts undue pressure on musicians to execute their vision as perfectly as possible, because they feel like the future of the church is at stake.
Dimensions of Worship Music
This is especially true because no single worship leader excels in every facet of the job, and that’s assuming they have a detailed job description or are even getting paid to lead worship at all. Church worship music ministries tend to be evaluated across what I call the five dimensions of worship, where each dimension has a set of questions to be answered:
- Aesthetic appeal and performance. Does the music sound good? Do the musicians have a look that seems appropriate for the setting?
- Theological orthodoxy and moral integrity. Do the words express biblical truth? Are they being professed by someone who is seeking to live them out ?
- Authentic sincerity and relatability. Do the singers sound like they mean what they’re singing about? Does their demeanor make it easy for congregants to connect with them, the music, and enter into God’s presence?
- Thematic coherence and missional relevance. Do the songs reinforce the themes for that particular Sunday, the liturgical season, and the overall mission of that particular church?
- Community involvement and representational participation. Does the musical expression provide a vehicle for all kinds of people to participate, especially in a way that reinforces the cultural identity of the church overall?
A couple of caveats.
That list is not in order of importance. Also, various church stakeholders might attach varying levels of importance to these items. So what the pastor thinks is important might be different from what the leadership team or the church board thinks, which might differ from the prayer team, the deacons, the Sunday school teachers, etc.
You can see how each dimension of worship can have a positive impact on the church culture. When the music sounds and looks good (dimension 1), people can focus on the meaning of the songs without being distracted. (Oh good, they know what they’re doing up there.) When songs are vetted for theological clarity and biblical fidelity (dimension 2), then people can trust what they are singing. When the people up front seem authentic and relatable (dimension 3), the congregation is more inclined to engage their whole selves in worship, not just mentally but also physically and emotionally. When the songs communicate the same messages as the sermons, the announcements, the Sunday school teachers, and other volunteers (dimension 4), those messages are more likely to sink in and be deeply received. And when there is diversity across generational, language, ethnic, cultural, or geographical barriers (dimension 5), more congregants will be able to say, “Hey, this church is for me too!”
On the other hand, sometimes these dimensions can exist in tension with one another. For example, involving people from a diversity of backgrounds, ages, and skill levels (dimension 5) might make it more difficult to achieve a tight, polished sound (dimension 1), which might be why your versions of popular songs don’t sound like the original recording. Singing lyrics or making statements from the stage that seem warm and authentic (dimension 3) might transition into oversharing, and leaders might accidentally include statements that aren’t completely aligned with the discerned theological position of the pastor, the church, or the denomination (this connects to both dimensions 2 and 4).
No one person, ministry, or worship leader completely excels in all of these areas. Every musician is gifted in different ways with different personalities and backgrounds.
Release the Pressure
So it’s healthier to think of these dimensions as opportunities for the worship ministry to contribute one aspect of the well-being of the church. This can help relieve the pressure that many worship leaders feel to be all things to all people, all the time.
In healthy churches, these dimensions may be expressed in other areas. Maybe dimension 1 is represented in the artwork on the wall, or the website design, or your signage in your worship space. Maybe the preaching and teaching are so theologically rich (dimension 2) that it’s okay to sing simpler songs without as much lyrical depth. Maybe the director of worship at your church isn’t super warm or engaging (dimension 3), but they’re organized and they can run a rehearsal really well, which makes it easier to involve greater numbers of people (dimension 5).
Under no circumstances do I think church musicians should coast on their ability and give less than their best. On the contrary, it’s precisely because of the urgency with which I believe we need to change our techniques and modalities in worship music that I’m offering what I believe is a sustainable path forward.
As a creative person, I wrestle with a sense of perfectionism. At times I feel like if I can’t do something really, really well, then I don’t want to do it at all. In the context of my daily workflow, that can mean that I get distracted by trying to improve in all these different ways. I could spend four to six hours making incremental progress across thirty different projects instead of buckling down and focusing on one project until its completion.
I know I’m not alone.
Trust the Spirit, Guide the Culture
If you’re a worship leader, I hope that familiarizing yourself with these dimensions of worship music ministry will help release the pressure to do everything well.
You don’t have to do everything well.
You don’t have to do everything…at all.
Your job is to be faithful to your calling. Hopefully, that sense of calling was prayerfully discerned and has been consistently re-examined across your ministry. If that’s not the case or you don’t have a clear sense of what your actual job description is, maybe it’s time for you and your church leadership to hit the reset button. Maybe you need some time to consider how these dimensions apply to your worshiping community.
Whatever growth you are able to experience in any of these dimensions will come, not by frantically trying to measure up to some impossible standard but by consistently seeking to learn and improve, week by week, season by season, year after year. We know God does amazing things through people who choose to trust him and make themselves available to the Spirit’s transformation.
Friends, God is not limited by the quality of our music. We know the Spirit of God was moving in God’s people long before we had keyboards, guitars, MacBooks, and Planning Center. So let us trust the Holy Spirit as we continue to make choices that impact the culture of our churches.
And don’t worry about trying to win the next round of worship wars. Whatever it’s about, not only does the battle belong to God, but God has already won. Even when it doesn’t feel like victory is in your hands, you don’t have to wait until the battle is over. You can shout now!
Let the worship team say amen.
