First off... a funny. Did you know you can list Douglas Adams as a technical source? In a textbook, no less. Taken from my Memory textbook "...as when people recall that the number 42 is crucially important in metaphysics (see Adams, 1981, p. 180)." And sure enough, it's listed in the references... go figure.
Now... a rant. Sorry. I have to. This ones been a long time coming, and several of you have heard bits and pieces of it...
I have a serious problem with performance bands that pose as worship leaders. Really. I do not, however, have a problem with performance bands who sing christian music, or choose to ocassionally lead in worship, or whatever. For instance. Petra sang a lot of praise music. It was awesome. I thought it rocked out (no pun intended). But. If I went to a Petra concert (which I didn't, because they changed members about the time I would have had money/transportation to go to a concert) I would expect them to perform. I would expect to be invited (as an audience) to sing along or worship or whatever... but I would be there to see Petra live, and not really to get some phenominal religious experiance. Having been to many christian rock concerts, I can honestly say that there's nothing particularly religious about them. Like, the words are religious. The people addending might be. Who knows, the performers might even be. But the event itself? Is a performance. Which is cool. That's what it is designed to be. Yay for performers and all that.
However. If D.C. Talk, or Petra, or j-random other christian band chose to come into my place of worship and *lead worship* (say, they replaced the musicians and choir on Sunday morning)... I would not expect them to perform. I would expect them to actually lead worship. I would not expect a new musical bridge to be added to a hymn so that the band could show off their lead guitarist, or their spiffy cool drum set, or whatever. I would not expect the lead vocalist to change notes and rhythms in a song, just to showcase the fact that they can sing. I would expect the band to play to the best of their ability, but not to go out of the way to draw attention to themselves.
I don't know... I have some funny idea that maybe worship is about more than a kickin' base player... But more and more, I find myself standing around listening to the worship band play, and waiting for the part where I get to join in and sing... I feel more like I'm at a concert. It's actually distracting. And annoying.
This is my brain..... in part, at least.
