And while this particular pastor used the words “ encounter with Jesus ” to describe the higher goal , I have found that different people - reflecting differences in denomination , flavor , or culture from within the Christian Church - will use different language to describe their higherthan-just-singing goal .
They might say they want their congregation to : - “ experience God ’ s presence ” - “ enter His throne-room ” - “ share a time of intimacy with God ” - “ become more open to the Word of God ” - “ receive a touch from the Holy Spirit ” - “ soak in Him ” - “ be awakened to the things of the Spirit ” - “ experience God ’ s Holy Fire ” - “ move through the veil ” - “ be immersed in the Holy river ” - “ move into a Holy Spirit atmosphere ” - “ really worship !” … and other similar statements . ( I believe ) I get it ! I think I know what you ’ re talking about . I want that too !
For the record : I want us all to encounter Jesus - the risen Christ - as I lead sung worship . Yes ! Absolutely . That is the higher goal . The goal that transcends the lesser goal of congregational singing .
But here are a few thoughts that might explain why I emphasize the “ voice ” of The Church :
I ’ m trying to be a minister of reconciliation ( 2 Cor 5:18 ). I ’ m attempting to use language that reinforces our commonality - giving us a goal we can all agree upon . I have found that different people of faith in Christ start using different language and can potentially disagree with one another on the next rung on the ladder above “ singing together ”. I ’ d like to avoid that .
I don ’ t believe I can control if an encounter with Jesus happens for people or not . God does that ! Not me ! Nor can I measure if that has or has not happened with any sort of objective surety from my position on the platform .
Are our feelings of an encounter with Jesus a definitive measure anyway ? Was that profound experience I had an encounter with Jesus or a well-executed key change ? I don ’ t know . Maybe it was both ! If God can speak through a mule , surely He can speak through a key change ( Num 22:21-39 ).
To lead a team well - and do our job well - we need a measurable goal . If the “ goal ” cannot be understood and agreed upon by the team - nor success or failure measured - we have no goal at all .
Furthermore , don ’ t we want to encounter Jesus in every moment of every day ! Isn ’ t that also possible ?
Olympic sprinter Eric Liddell ( of “ Chariots of Fire ” fame ) is recorded as saying that he felt God ’ s pleasure when he ran fast . Mother ( now Saint ) Teresa of Calcutta explained that it was as she cared for the poor , sick and dying that she encountered “ God in His most distressing disguise .” My younger brother , who is an orthopedic surgeon tells me that he feels closest to God - not in a church building - but as he is operating on a patients ’ knee !
I often experience a profound sense of God ’ s reality - His presence , majesty and love for me - through music . I can be overcome with my gratitude for the gift of The Cross , so much so that I must stop singing . But not always . And I have had experiences that I could describe as “ encounters with Jesus ” in other places , at other times while engaged in other activities . Haven ’ t you ?
I want to know and be aware that God is present - omnipresent in fact - even when I ‘ m not having those experiences of His presence . I don ’ t want to be chasing experiences of Jesus . I want to be pursuing Jesus Himself . I want that for my congregation too .
Yes , many people ( but not all it seems ) may have a strong sense of the divine - what might be called “ an encounter with Jesus ” - as we express the worth-ship of God through songs together . I strongly believe that this higher goal - a deeper encounter with Jesus - is more likely if we are singing together ; allowing these prayers , praises , and truths to cascade from our lips . More likely than if we weren ’ t .
Maybe it ’ s a bit like this : It ’ s possible for a person to read The Bible - the written Word of God - yet not encounter The Living Word of God . But I think we would agree that it is a good thing for that person to read The Bible and that it is perhaps more likely that they will have their life transformed by the Living Word of God - Jesus the Christ - as they read the scriptures than if they weren ’ t .
Similarly , I believe that a congregation that passionately sings together as an expression of worship is more likely to find themselves in a life-transforming encounter with Jesus than if they were just listening to me sing . I do believe that the higher goal or God being worshipped by my congregation is best achieved as we all sing together .
And … singing together is Biblical ! Col 3:16 . Eph 5:19 . A lot of the Psalms , and more .
Yes , we should have a higher , overarching goal for our congregation - for our church family - with music . We might have different wording ( perhaps reflecting different theological or cultural emphases ) wrapped around this higher goal , but I am sure we all want our congregations to worship - or , “ show the worth ” - of God and be impacted by God as we worship Him together in this way .
But this higher , overarching goal is not easily , nor immediately measurable from my position on the platform , nor from the congregation . Ultimately , it is only God who can measure how worshipful our sung worship truly is anyway .
So , let ’ s get them singing and see what God does from there .
Grant Norsworthy founder of MoreThanMusicMentor . com