Why I Was Told to Make Them Worship
The following post is adapted from Branon Dempsey’s forthcoming book, Confessions of a Worship Leader, with the author’s generous permission.
“Why aren’t people singing?” asked my former pastor. “People are not singing as much as last week. We fell below our worship goal.”
How did they sing before? Can we make people worship? Whose influence persuades souls to offer praise? If the people weren’t singing, does that mean God wasn’t worshiped? I’ve spent over twenty-five years leading worship, and I’ve seen many reasons why people sing or don’t sing in church. Usually, people blame the music, but the real truth is that it’s a matter of the heart.
I used to think music was the issue, so I sought reasons for why people have difficulty engaging in worship. In my graduate studies, I’ve researched and conducted practical observation while traveling across the country to help churches with their music programs. No matter how much I studied the music side, the common denominator always went beyond the style of music. While the technicalities of performing music are still a legitimate difficulty for many churches, I’ve realized over the last half of my pilgrimage that the problem is not really the music. It’s a spiritual issue.
Survivors of spiritual abuse find worship to be hard and sometimes triggering. Too often, worship has been weaponized against them. The worship service in an abusive church system does not facilitate grace and mercy. It does not nurture honesty and sincerity in worship. It does not value or prize its people; it only lifts up the pastor. Such an approach damages people’s lives and twists their outlook on their own relationship with God. This system only accommodates the leaders’ selfish need for control, which they justify with their interpretation of the Bible and reckless manipulation of others.
For many years, I didn’t want to believe that churches use music to manipulate listeners and entice people to sing. Then a workshop attendee asked the uncomfortable question, “Is this manipulating people?” I quickly defended the approach: “The way we are making music is to engage people’s senses.” But the more I thought about that process, the questioner turned out to be right. I became convinced that music can be used as a subtle yet powerful weapon. Was not Satan the highest musician?
Here’s what I mean when I say worship can be a weapon. One Sunday morning, I was approached by the lead pastor I was working with at the time. “Branon, you gotta do something this morning to get people engaged,” he stammered. Right there we see the first problem: I have to do “something.”
He went on, “Is there anything you and the band can do to get people to worship harder? We have a guest preacher this morning, and he really wants the worship ramped up for him. We need to get people singing in tongues–don’t hold the Spirit back. Make sure the band plays the right notes to avoid distractions.”
What can the band do? Musically speaking, the band has the capability to enhance the music. They can produce dynamics and textures to intrigue the listener. When you think of a symphony, the conductor can direct the musicians in such a way that their music touches the heart and soul of the audience. God gave humans the gift of music, but that gift is to be used for God. Simply put, trying to woo the heart of people for personal gain while saying it’s a gift for God is a false offering.
Worship harder? When you think of athletes, you may envision people who train vigorously in order to win a competition. There’s blood, sweat and tears for the purpose of achieving a personal goal. Their aim is to satisfy a physical accomplishment. Can you imagine worshipers trying to sweat it out, worshiping hard in order to get His attention? Should we have to work up a sweat for God to hear us? God is already here by His omnipotence and omnipresence. Adding anything to this is an overreach of Scripture. We do better to worship God by His standards, not by human achievements.
What about “ramped-up” worship? Is it possible to “work” the crowd and get them revved up? You bet you can. But is this really what God wants? We see a crowd get worked up in Exodus 32 where the people wanted Aaron to make idols for them. In 1 Samuel 13, Saul and his men offered the sacrifice too early even as Samuel instructed them to wait. After the transfiguration in Matthew 17, the disciples wanted to build three shelters as a monument for worship.
These scenarios did not involve a worship band and a pastor, but all these scriptures reveal the hubris of men. In their haste for worship, their emotions put the cart before the horse. We too can get so caught up in our zeal to worship that we can become hasty and miss God’s way.
Too often, spiritually manipulative leaders want to ramp up worship in order to take the focus off what’s really going on underneath. Abusive leaders can use the worship time to keep their congregation preoccupied, to keep their eyes off the abuse occurring in the church.
They use God’s name to lend authority to their own narcissism. They say, “God wants to hear you singing,” “You need to have more faith,” “You’re not tithing enough,” and “You’re not serving enough.” Who’s going to contest God’s anointed? And that’s the way the religious leaders and spiritual abusers want it. When abusive people lead, it’s really no wonder why people aren’t singing.
What does God truly desire? The melody of your heart. I believe that this means the true music of your heart comes from a place of honesty, humility, and even brokenness. Your song may be a symphony of praise or a single murmur of the lips of spiritual poverty, but God welcomes it all.
An honest heart of worship doesn’t need a stage, pumped-up lights, haze, and a rock band. If so, we have flipped the meaning and no longer prioritize Christ. Jesus himself was not arrayed in extravagance or hype. He is God in the flesh. Is there anything better to receive than this? How may we respond to a God who is so kind, patient, and humble?
“But how do I worship again?” I have learned to worship out of my brokenness. When I’m able to put myself powerless before God, even in the midst of wolves, I am grounded by His truth. I am covered in his grace and blanketed by His mercy. I don’t need to pretend anymore; what happened to me is what happened to me. God is not the author of confusion, but he is the author of my healing.
From my personal experience, people may have meant it for evil, but God intends good for me. This re-centers my trust. When I can put a label on the falsehood and separate that from the power of Christ, my perspective changes. No longer do you need to give power to false leaders.
Worship can really be brought back in the way God originally intended for you. Deep and intimate worship that the soul can trust again. His tears become drops of refreshment as he washes over your heart. Trust him; he can take it. His desire is to hear the true praises of His true children. You are his child and yes, you can sing again.
Branon Dempsey is an author, teacher, and worship pastor.
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