Award-winning Christian artist Tauren Wells says churches have forgotten that worship isn’t something that should be relegated to leaders on stage.
But rather, worship is what’s happening among the faithful in the pews who’ve come to praise God.
During a recent Young Adult Worship Night at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas — where he joined as a staff member last year — Wells talked about the power of worship;
“I think that, in some ways, the big cool church — which I am a fan of — has, in some ways, done us a disservice. And this is churches all over the world,
We have, with good intentions, relegated the idea of worship to something that happens on a stage where worship leaders worship.
And we all enjoy the overflow. But the truth is, the power of worship is not on this stage, it’s in these seats.”
The Grammy-nominated artist added that worshipers of Christ shouldn’t consign worship only to what happens on a stage “with bands and instruments.”
And encouraged those gathered not to “shrink the magnitude” of what worshiping God really is.
“Worship is the human soul responding to it’s Creator in a desperate response to be adequate to the measure of love that has been poured out from the Heavens into the Earth, into my little small life,”
Wells also questioned how anyone could withhold anything from a God “who gave it all.”
He then stressed that churchgoers should open their hearts in praise when they step into an atmosphere that’s already been set.
“Worship is not hype, Don’t give me hype if you can’t give me depth. Because it’s in the deep places that God transforms us and shapes our character into His very own.
He uses this mold called worship to fashion us into His image.”
Wells isn’t the only Christian artist talking about worship music lately.
Skillet’s frontman John Cooper told The Christian Post earlier this week that people shouldn’t easily subscribe to the messages in songs that are being sung at churches nowadays.
When it comes to writing songs for Skillet, Cooper stated that he has a “very close relationships” with his church and he takes their input seriously because of how un-scriptural some modern-day worship music is.
“A lot of Christian people right now, artists are releasing stuff that when I read the lyrics, I’m like, ‘I’m amazed that people have a problem with Skillet lyrics’ when some of the songs that we sing in church today I don’t think are actually accurate.
Not to be overly harsh but I am 100% sure that God’s love is absolutely not reckless in any sort of way. I can’t believe we sing it in church, but we do!”
Cooper was referencing the very popular worship song “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury, which is sung in many churches all over the United States.
He explained that the first time he became aware of the song was when his 11-year-old son told him he had been listening to the lyrics of it and after reading the Bible he could not find anywhere in the Word where it said God’s love was “reckless.”
His conversation with his son showed Cooper the importance of proper theology in music.
“I’m not trying to be rude about the song. And I’ve listened to interviews and I get where it’s coming from.
I want to be inclusive to people but when people look at Skillet lyrics and they go, ‘I’m not really sure if this is a Christian song? I’m like, ‘Really? And you’re singing the songs you’re singing [in church]?’
“My point is, we should have a little bit more trepidation before we just start throwing out stuff in the world.”
@christianpost
