Pay To Praise?

Keith Green led by example in his life. One of the more memorable things that he is did was his fight against the commercialization of Christian Contemporary Music (CCM). Specifically, he was distraught at CCM artists charging admission for their concerts. One artist who carries that banner today is Steve Camp. Here is his powerful opinion on charging admission for Christian concerts.

Keith Green’s method was to accept love offerings to finance his ministry. In this way, people were free to come to his concerts regardless of their ability to pay, thereby letting all who came to hear the gospel of Jesus. His example is rarely followed now except in rare circumstances.

This issue came up recently in my life. I found out about “The Big Ticket” event which will be happening in my town this summer. The event is great; it will feature Casting Crowns and the Newsboys along with other Christian artists in a two or three day concert. The event will include overnight camping on the grounds for a truly Woodstockish event.

It turns out that I will also be in on the planning in one aspect of this event – the youth worship choir training. The ultimate goal here is to recruit 30-40 youth from this area to prepare for a praise concert modeled after the Passion, a popular event helping kids find God and worship Him.

This group of local kids will sing and lead others in singing five or six songs with a DVD + live accompaniment worship band on stage. But here is the kicker. In order to participate in the worship choir event, they may have to pay $5 above the admission price to the “The Big Ticket” which I hear will be close to $30 PER PERSON. This is outrageous.

These “worship” events have become more about celebrity than about worship. “Worship artists” are now celebrities. We go to hear them “perform” at concerts. We go to “applaud” them on “stage” while they “entertain” us for Jesus. Ministry? I guess as long as the ministry is to rich kids, it’s a good ministry.

Pity the welfare kids in town who have to decide about whether to make their car payment or go to a worship event.

I really think that CCM artists and event promoters have become misguided in their pursuit of fame. Money really has become a distraction. We in evangelical society have come to accept the norms of secular entertainment into our “music ministries”. Where is our reliance upon God for “supplying all our needs”? Is our reliance on charging admission a way of taking God out of the process?

Why not have local churches step up and support this event fully? Sure, have voluntary love offerings during the “The Big Ticket” but don’t deny anyone the opportunity to get saved! Don’t deny the lost kids in town an opportunity to hear about the love of Christ because the cost of admission would get in the way! What are we thinking!?

WHAT ARE WE THINKING?!

Half True Praise Songs

Some modern praise songs are theologically rich and can express deep Biblical truth through a worshipful spirit. Others tend to focus on a single attribute of God by frequent repetition. Though Biblical, that truth can be shallow when it comes to living the Christian life.

For instance, it is true that Psalms 118:5 says the following:

“In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free.” NIV

But if we were to worship using a song that was written as follows:

I cried to the Lord and wept
The weeping of my eyes, tears for the Master
I felt the stirring of the Lord on my journey
Which kept me from disaster.

Oh Lord, my tears are for You
Oh Lord, my fears are for You
To seek you in the morning
To weep for you in the evening
Oh Lord, my tears are for You.

OK, I admit – poetry is not my thing. The point is that sometimes we take a shallow Biblical truth; build words around it, then make a song. This (bad) song above which I wrote in 24 seconds, is Biblically true but completely incomplete.

When our church worship music is dominated by these kinds of songs, we dumb down our worship.

Other songs twist Biblical truths to fit into a poetic schema the author wants. The words ‘sound’ Biblical and maybe even exude worshipful feelings, but are simply inaccurate.

This post is a direct result of my wife’s explanation of worship this past Sunday at church while I was away. The song was “This Is Your House” and the words are as follows:


As we gather in this place today; Holy Spirit come and have Your way
Have Your way; As we lay aside our own desires
Sweep across our hearts with holy fire; Have Your way

This is Your house Your home; We welcome You
Lord we welcome You; This is Your house Your home; We welcome You today

As we offer up our hearts and lives; Let them be a living sacrifice; Have Your way
Be glorified in ev'rything we do; Be glorified in ev'rything we say; Have Your way

As we pray (As we pray); O Lord draw near; It's Your voice (It's Your voice); We long to hear

This is Your house Your home; We welcome You
Lord we welcome You; This is Your house Your home
We welcome You today; This is Your house Your home
We welcome You; Lord we welcome You
This is Your house Your home; We welcome You today
We welcome You today; We welcome You today


There a few good lines in this song, but a vast majority of it are that “This is Your House, we welcome You today”.

Think about that line. I mean, besides the general feeling that it sounds Biblical, actually READ the line and find the paradox.

If it is HIS house, then why are we welcoming Him? If it is His house wouldn’t we be the ones who are visitors? Never once since I have been a homeowner have I ever had someone come to my house and said “welcome”.

The proper expression of this would be that HE welcomes us into His presence, not the other way around.

Many don’t care if the words don’t make sense. I have a good friend that believes that there is no such thing as a bad praise song! He believes that if the song brings him or anyone closer to God in worship that the words simply don’t matter.

I see his point that the ultimate objective is a personal connection to God, but if we lower our standards to the point that the words can loose their meaning, then why have words at all? What’s the point?

Here is another spontaneous composition to make my point:

The air, the grass, the sand the sea
The air, the grass, the sand the sea
The air, the grass, the sand the sea
The air, the grass, the sand the sea

It is so beautiful to me
The air, the grass, the sand the sea
Your majesty is what I give to you, not me
The air, the grass, the sand the sea

How is that for a 10 second composition with the help of ‘copy and paste’? You see my point? I know the words are poetically terrible, but do you see a theological inaccuracy here?

Our Deepest Worship

Your deepest worship of the week generally can’t occur on Sunday morning if you attend a blended church.

That statement may sound strong, but I wish to back it up if I may.

For the purpose of this post, a blended church congregation would have people that like hymns (exclusively) and others that like modern praise choruses (exclusively) who can be irritated at having to experience too much of a differing style. Everyone has their preference.

In a blended church there has to be a compromise of stylistic preferences on Sunday morning because of the natural diversity of people who attend. This would naturally come at the expense of another’s preference.

So to come to church on Sunday morning and expect to be bless and be blessed more than other times of the week is folly. Worship on Sunday morning will always be at the lowest common denominator of the depth of people there.

In addition to worship style differences there is another reason that Sunday morning may not be the best time to worship. How many people do you know that are at their intellectual peak at 9:30 AM? I certainly am not. Especially after corralling four kids to get up, get dressed, get fed and get in the car.

So to expect deep spiritual connection then might be an exercise in futility. This isn’t to say that it cannot happen or that we should not expect it. Certainly, given time to settle we are better prepared to come into the presence of the Living God.

But my larger point here is that our best and most sincere worship might best be done outside of Sunday morning either privately or in a small intimate group when inhibitions are at a minimum.

Personally, I know that the most significant times of my worship to God occur in the basement in a sound-proof room. Many times, the worship is sparked by a song I hear by a group such as the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir or Fernando Ortega or St. John’s Episcopal Church in Denver.

I also can confess that my Sunday morning worship is lackluster at best. There are occasionally songs that help me contemplate or evoke praise, but most of the time I stand there irritated at the disorganized congregational singing due to unfamiliarity with the song or that they simply are not sure on which note to put the syllable.

To realize the unlikelihood of deep, significant worship on Sunday morning in a blended church is to realize the need for deep worship at other times of the week.

With this in mind- I am challenged to deepen my personal devotions and to think of it as daily “worship” instead. Maybe then, I can experience a more unrestrained and uninhibited worship to He who deserves the best of my praise.

Sunday morning has its purpose in unifying the body of Christ but it cannot replace deep uninhibited singular worship.