Popular Oxymorons: "Worship Rehearsal"

Rehearsal is not worship.

I want to live my life honoring God and worshipping him through obedience and servitude in everything I do. Therefore, I will never actually stop worshipping because everything I do is honoring God. With this in mind, when entering into "worship," it's just a more focused exercise in praising God that flows naturally from our daily living. (Easy for me to say but I'm very much preaching to myself.)

So when I say, "Rehearsal is not worship," I'm speaking of the kind of focused worship that supersedes the focus on music. If the focus during rehearsal is about the music and organization, real worship can only distract from the task at hand. There are times that rehearsal can naturally lead into worship and delegated worship time for the team is important, but the focus on rehearsal should be clear: rehearsal is practice, not worship.

Now that I've cleared my meanings, below is a loose outline of what I believe rehearsal should encompass:

Preparation
Before worship begins and before even coming to church, worship leaders should prepare themselves. This means an active prayer life, staying in scripture and maintaining a life that reflects Christ.

In addition, preparation includes maintaining the necessary skills to play an instrument, use your voice and memorize music. Knowing your instrument and the song inside and out will make practice nearly effortless.

Arrive Early
This seems like a simple thing but it's actually very important. If everyone arrives at least 15 minutes before rehearsal starts, it allows for a more relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. This also allows you to set up your equipment, warm up and settle in.

On the other hand, lateness creates concern and anxiousness in addition to upsetting other musicians. This makes rehearsal very difficult and can lead to problems during worship as well.

Sound Check
For some churches this means vocal warm ups. Other churches need to sound check the drums, bass, guitar, vocalist, keyboard and many other amplified instruments. No one likes to interrupt a rehearsal, stop everything and wait in order to solve a sound problem.

Prayer
Everyone is ready and prepared, the sound check is done and it's time to start rehearsal.

Not yet.

Say a prayer. It doesn't have to last half an hour and it doesn't have to be a short grace like, "God's neat, let's eat." This is simply a time for the worship team as a whole to thank God and ask for help during rehearsal.

Rehearsal
Rehearsing is getting from the beginning of a song to the end and doing it well. Whatever it takes for you to accomplish that, do it.

Break
This is a short rest time. A mental break. Time to prepare yourself emotionally, physically and mentally for the upcoming worship. Relax.

Prayer
This brings the worship team together again and establishes much needed focus. The team is leading the congregation in holy worship: a great responsibility and privilege.

Worship
Worship God with all you have while not sacrificing the quality of the music you're playing. This is the most difficult part of leading: maintaining a balance between the heightened focus of worshipping God and the primary focus of leading those who are looking to you to help them accomplish that very kind of intimate worship.

Spirit-Led or Rehearsal-Based?

Both are important.

I've had the privilege of playing in a variety of different worship styles. I've played timpani for Christmas services with much pomp and circumstance, sometimes with members of the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra. I've covered intricate drum set grooves for the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir repertoire with full orchestra and rhythm section. I've played for contemporary services that have as much liturgy as one might find in the Catholic Church. On the other hand, I've also played for small charismatic services that might spend a full fifteen or even twenty minutes on one song "as the spirit moves the leader," and then after finishing the song hear from the pastor, "Let's hear that chorus again," usually after a compelling exhortation to the congregation about the spiritual implications of worship at that moment.

Worship can be planned and still be spirit-led. The ratio between rehearsal and the Holy Spirit depends on the framework, determined by the leadership. Here are two very different, widely divergent examples:

*Please note that neither example is meant to degrade or uplift one over the other.

Let's Just Praise God (Charismatic)

Musicians arrive early and pray. Prayer can take anywhere from 2 minutes to 15 minutes (and to those not used to this, it seems like an eternity). This time can include praying for the congregation, for fellow musicians, reading and declaring scriptural passages, speaking in tongues, laying hands on musicians for the Holy Spirit to fill them, etc. Once finished, songs are rehearsed to establish some order, but within rehearsal there is still a greater sense of worship. After rehearsal is finished, there is a small time to rest as the congregation arrives. Just before worship begins, another prayer is led by the worship team but this time the pastor and similar leaders in the church are included.

Worship begins. Many song lyrics include words like, "lifting holy hands in praise," "shout to the Lord," and similar phrases that encourage a more active role from the congregation. Dancing is not uncommon (usually from women because America has lost a significant part of the culture of dance) and congregants' hands raise, wave and clap loudly without much provocation needed from the leader.

Let's Plan to Praise God (Liturgical)

Musicians arrive early and pray, but prayer only lasts a minute at most. A comprehensive sound check is done for all instruments and then rehearsal is the main focus. Worship isn't discouraged during rehearsal, but the focus is to rehearse. Before worship begins, prayer includes the pastor but again lasts less than a minute.

Worship begins. Each song is played as is without repeating choruses and the longest any song will last is around 5 minutes. There is no time to say, "Let's sing that again," as the liturgy dictates available time and the confession, sermon and perhaps communion still need to take place. For some songs, the congregation is sitting down and usually needs to be told, "let's rise," or "you may be seated."


Both of the above examples could be combined in numerous fashions with much or little liturgy and more or less spirit-led worship. There are many factors, but the question is not which worship form is "correct." This is why so many different forms of worship exist and praise God equally.

In the next blog, I'm going to break down specific steps to creating what I think should always lead to quality worship, no matter what denomination or liturgy is in place.

As Long As It's Worship

The popular phrase "heart for worship" is used to describe passionate Christians who love to worship God, and it also happens to be prevalent in many song lyrics and titles. I have always taken the saying to mean something positive, edifying and uplifting. If someone described me as having a "heart for worship," I could boast in the Lord with great pride. At least, I'd like to think that I'd only boast in the Lord and not compare myself to anyone else.

But the phrase "heart for worship" comes up in different context.

I remember an instance of the same phrase when used to describe a worship leader, worship team or individual musician when the music didn't sound... good. As a matter of fact, I believe I was complaining to someone (a habit I'm proud to say that I've conquered and continue to conquer, but more on that later) about the qualifications of a musician and why they shouldn't be leading worship. The reply to me was, "Yeah, but he's got a real heart for worship." My thought was, "So What? He still stinks."

Why should a heart for worship be able to supersede what's pleasing to the ears? Well, for one reason: God. Whether you sing out of tune, with bad rhythm, too loud, with a lisp or when everyone else has already stopped, God loves that you are worshipping him with everything you have. But I'd like to relegate that to the congregation.

The reason worship leaders need to have authentic, musical talent is because they are worship leaders. Don't get me wrong, musicians who lead the congregation in worship can't just be great musicians. They absolutely need to have a heart for worship and a longing to glorify God. However, someone who is a great worshipper isn't always the best choice when it comes to leading.

I've used the term "worship leader" quite a bit now and I'd like to clarify something: everyone on a worship team is a worship leader. I don't mean that there isn't a leader at all and it's some kind of collective consciousness like a new-age drum circle (I loathe the cacophony of sound and the ridiculous "no leader" rule with its backward theology). I mean that while the worship leader who sings the songs and directs the people in singing is the head of the band, he/she can't function without the other members. The worship team leads, therefore each member is a leader.

Through my experience as a drummer, I'm aware that I have to know the songs inside and out and better than the band leader knows them in order to provide the strong foundation, the proper phrasing and the dynamic control the worship team needs. I know that if background vocals don't come in strong and with authority, the melody becomes weak. If the bass player is unsure of the next note, the song falls apart. Everyone, every single player in any band, is integral to the success or failure of their purpose, whether worship or just playing music. 

Worship team members should be chosen with these questions:

1. Is this person a leader, spiritually speaking? In other words, do people look up to them for spiritual guidance? Is this person living a life that reflects Christ outside of the church as well as within?

2. Is this person a qualified musician that can step up and lead? Can this person lead a congregation musically and with authority? Can this person function within a band?

The first question should apply to all Christians. God calls us to be Christ-like, to know him and make him known. Churches with small groups rely on asking this fundamental question and then asking, "How are you contributing to the body that is the church?"

The second question is more difficult. Surely no congregation holds the perfect mix of worshippers who can also lead with musical ease. There are many different skill levels, spiritual levels and leadership levels within the church and discernment is needed when making decisions about a worship team.

The Treble with Clefs

In college I took a class entitled, "Music Before 1600," where I learned about the beginnings of musical notation. Actually, music was referred to as "Nuematic Notation," a term that I still enjoy to this day because of the obvious joke, "Of course it was Nuematic! The pitches had to go up and down." (The term actually refers to a "neume," used most notably [pun intended] in Gregorian Chant.)

From the early 1600's and well into the twentieth century, music fell within one of two categories: sacred or secular. There was really no cross-over and, until the late twentieth century, with few exceptions, music stayed that way.

Why is this important? Well, during this period of history, anyone who wrote lyrics, composed pieces or performed music for the church had to have an impressive musical background. Being trained and practiced was absolutely necessary; experience in leading a choir and an entire congregation was paramount.

An example: Church organists must not only know their instrument inside and out (one of the most difficult instruments), but they must also know how to musically transition from one hymn to another, sometimes in a different tempo or meter and almost always into an un-related key signature! Think of driving a sports car down a six-lane highway and then immediately having to turn down a slow, winding road, but now you're driving a twenty-foot-long camper. A musician in the traditional church equates to the kind of player we now associate with a major symphony orchestra: a professional.

This is no longer the case.

It was during the 1960's when the charismatic movement brought about "contemporary worship," a term indicating a move away from "traditional worship." The term "traditional," in a musical sense, usually makes one think of the aforementioned church organ, choirs singing rich harmonies, and meticulous musical counterpoint (a kind of rule set for classical compositions and hymns). "Contemporary worship" however, employs the kind of instrumentation a rock band uses and hardly ever applies standard notation. It has now become very popular across many denominations and, more importantly, it's influenced a wide spread of musical talent. I've observed churches touting "contemporary worship" to have one of the following: 

1. Glorified Cover Bands (composed of professional musicians who can play anything from Roy Orbison to Justin Timberlake)

2. Glorified Garage Bands (composed of a mix of people who tend to be "self-taught" on their instrument, for better or for worse)

3. A mix of the above

Of these three scenarios, worship leaders are usually faced with number three: a mix of professional, semi-professional, self-taught and beginning musicians. In this case, much compromise is needed on many levels. And it's not an easy task when faced with leading an entire congregation in worship.

Do You Like Hypothetical Questions?

(Please don't answer that.)

Participating in worship, I find myself reacting in two specific ways:

1. Analyzing the Natural

I analyze the music, musicians, quality of sound, singing and clapping in the congregation and how everyone around me is responding whether equal or opposite to me.

2. Measuring the Spiritual

By engaging my imagination, memories and emotions I can measure how the Holy Spirit is moving me into a state of worship. I can then respond in whatever way I choose based on my personal state of being and convictions.

Simply put: What's going on and how do I feel about it?

I've participated in worship both as a member in the congregation and as a worship leader. In both roles I've had many chances to analyze what's going on and measure how it impacts me. Worship has uplifted me and strengthened my soul. Worship has helped me feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. In worship I've been moved to repent, to rejoice, to mourn and to be still. Worship reminds me to take comfort in the acknowledgement that Jesus Christ is Lord.

And sometimes I've felt that worship makes me think that Jesus Christ is bored.

What prevents quality worship? It could be an apathetic congregation; it could be awful, awful music; or it could be that you're just not "feelin' it." In fact, it could be that absolutely nothing is wrong with the music and nothing is wrong with the people around you. It could be that the problem lies within yourself. This is when pride gets wounded (And I believe wounding your pride is not only healthy, but one of the main purposes for worship... but more on that later).

My question is, how do you know when you should speak up and say, "Something is wrong and it's not me," and when should you consider that, well... it might just be you? I made up two terms: M.Q. & S.Q. (your musical or spiritual quotient). Employing these non-existent measurements, it would be nice to be able to reference your quotient as a kind of set of credentials:

"My S.Q. may not be very high but I have the highest M.Q. in this church and when the bass player never plays in the right key no one can sing right and it detracts from focusing on what we're supposed to be doing!"

Although the S.Q. and M.Q. may not exist as scientific measurement systems, the leaders in the church are charged with making decisions that, for lack of a better definition, rely heavily on their S.Q. The person in the church who may boast having both high S.Q. and M.Q. scores is the worship leader or minister of music and it is this person who must decide which opinions matter (including their own).

Before talking about the worship leader, some history should first be covered. 

Who Qualifies?

As a professional musician, I enjoy using my "musical intuition" from a background in jazz, understanding what to play and when to play it from years of playing experience, interacting with other musicians with the same (if not much better) talents, and being able to help people experience the true power of music.

All this being said, I should note an important detail: I'm a drummer.

Let me break the ice this way with one of my favorite drummer jokes: Upon arriving at a party, the host answered the door and asked me, "What's your  I.Q.?"

I replied, "125... I think."

He directed me to a room where other people with similar intelligence quotients were carrying on conversations. In love with this simple idea, I decided to watch who else came to the door and where they were directed. The person after me was asked the same question and replied, "188."

"My goodness," remarked the host. "You might find some interesting conversations in the dining room. I believe they are discussing string theory."

The next person to knock on the door was asked the same question again, "And what is your I.Q.?"

"37," replied the man.

"Oh! What kind of drumsticks do you use?"

Understanding that all musicians have their own idiosyncrasies, different personality types and varying degrees of musical intelligence no matter what the instrument, I can proceed. Actually, the above joke is not far off from the reason I'm writing.

Rather than asking someone their I.Q., what if you asked a musician, "What's your M.Q. or 'Musical Quotient'?" How would this be measured? Talent alone is a good start, but training, practice and experience have a great deal to do with proficiency on any musical instrument (including the voice). Evaluation without some sort of guideline leads to subjective outcomes. It could be said that a bad musician can't adequately evaluate other musicians' talent because of his inherent lack of musical skill. But what if this bad musician observed a world-class musician? Would he recognize world-class talent?

Let's take the I.Q. to a higher level. What's your S.Q. or 'Spiritual Quotient'? Seriously now, think what you would give yourself on a scale of 1-100, 100 being Jesus Christ and 1 being a die-hard atheist. What score would someone else give you? Again, this measurement is difficult and very subjective.

What about worship, though? Who qualifies to lead a congregation in worshipping the Master of the Universe? Who gets to say they are talented enough or spiritual enough and who can question them? All of the sudden, we have to consider who's M.Q. and S.Q. adequately fills the position, otherwise we're left with un-musical, un-spiritual and uninspiring worship.

Interested in more of my thoughts? Look for my next post!