Dear Friend,

This is a word to all worshipers, especially worship leaders. You will never select songs that please all the congregants all the time. That will not happen. Why?

Some like fast, peppy praises all the time. When you turn down the volume and pace to begin worshiping, they turn up the complaints, "The songs today were dull, dry, dead!" Others want slower, thoughtful, more worshipful songs all the time. If it's not slow, they go.

Some like only new, popular Christian music straight off YouTube. If it's not contemporary, it's old religious stuff. Others want only hymns. If it's not a hymn, it's not holy. Some insist on songs with Bible verses as lyrics. If it's not Scripture, it's not spiritual.

Some like one musical style, others another. Some enjoy acapella, while others prefer instrumental worship. Many prefer congregational worship, while others want their choir to do all the singing while they listen. And we could go on.

When displeased with the song selection, sadly, instead of behaving like children of God, we often act like children of men - babies in a nursery, some pouting and fretting, others folding their hands, and still others simply sitting down and refusing to worship. Some, the real huffy, stubborn ones, will continue these bad attitudes all the way through the meeting and leave unblessed, unrefreshed, and unhappy. They have forgotten that the apostle Paul recommended not just one but all kinds of Christian songs, including "psalms," and "hymns," and "spiritual songs" (Colossians 3:16).

No minor fault, their unconscious selfishness breaks the spiritual unity and spoils the atmosphere in the congregation. This "quenches," or hinders, the flow, power, and work of the Holy Spirit in those present (1 Thessalonians 5:19). As a result, people leave the meeting with their hearts untouched and their pressing needs unmet. And Christ is grieved and Satan happy!

Music minister, or worship leader, these are the facts. Study them. Learn them. Get used to them. They make the task of music selection mission impossible! What should you do? I would humbly suggest the following.

Before each meeting, pray and ask the Lord to lead you to the songs that please Him most and will bless most of the congregation in the meeting. Believe He hears you and thank Him. Then select your songs - heeding any prompts or checks that come - and, in faith, go with them! Also, deliberately mix musical styles and sing both praiseful and worshipful songs.

And by all means, have a "worship talk" with your congregation. To elevate the worship, you must educate the worshipers. Remind them the purpose of praise is to bless the Lord, not them: "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" (Psalm 103:1-2). Get them to focus not on what songs they like but on pleasing Christ. The music, words, instruments, chords, the people's raised hands - all these things are for His delight, not theirs. It's an offering, a sacrifice, a gift they give to Him, not receive from Him.

Tell them frankly they will not personally prefer every song you choose. One will be their favorite, the next will be the favorite of the man sitting behind them, and the one after that will delight the woman in front of them. So, they need to just get over it! If all else fails, gently remind them that the church nursery is for babies, the sanctuary is for adults!

If they want to listen and sing along with only the music they like, suggest they go to a concert, or play on their own instruments at home, or listen to their favorite CDs, and enjoy it all they want. Music appreciation is fine, and a blessing - but it is not music ministry. The former is a receiving, the latter, a giving.

And, in God's house, they are to focus all praise and worship on blessing Christ, and "heartily" (Colossians 3:23), not half-heartedly. Remind them Christ listens to every congregation's worship with interest (see Revelation 1:20 - 2:1). If rendered humbly, and in Spirit and truth, it ascends and enters into the worship flowing around God's throne perpetually (Revelation 4-5). Wow! Our earthly worship can rise to touch heaven! But there's more.

When our worship blesses the Lord personally, He blesses us personally, every single one of us. And the river of His Spirit, once released, sometimes even blesses those who are pouting instead of worshiping! Fire melts ice every time. How gracious is the One we praise and worship!

When we "give" praise and worship to God from the bottom of our hearts, He "gives" back to us, "pressed down, and shaken together, and running over" into our surprised, supernaturally refreshed, deeply strengthened, grace-softened hearts (Luke 6:38). And we sit or stand in silent awe, our hearts now pride-broken, contrite, clay-like, ready for the Potter's molding. And we are, in the words of the songwriter, "Ready to go, ready to stay . . . ready to do His will."

This is the mission of music ministry: a blessed God and a blessed people! God's dynamic power, not our petty pouting, flowing through our congregations! And this mission is possible.

On mission possible,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries