The Harmony of Worship
Jack Hayford
Our worship leaders don't make a god of harmonious worship, but we do want to lead a service that runs smoothly and in which the parts blend, because orderly worship is worship that most helps our people.
—Jack Hayford Ultimately, I don't know that God cares if our worship runs smoothly, but people do. For that reason, among others, I want to lead a harmonious service. Although worship leaders should give their best to God, polished worship isn't necessarily worthy worship. God looks first for contrite hearts in the worshipers. Yet, understandably, people expect a certain professionalism or quality in worship. Their standards have been shaped by television, where performances are well-timed and segments blend into each other with the audience hardly noticing. When people come to church and find services disjointed and haphazard, they are distracted from worship. They may dislike worship that is nothing more than a stylized production. But neither do they appreciate sloppy services fashioned in the cause of "spontaneous" or "spiritual" worship. People have been created by God with a desire for order. Only in an ordered environment can we respond creatively and faithfully. Basketball is a joy to play and watch because it's bounded by rules that create order. Life is most fulfilling when bounded by the order of the Ten Commandments. Disorder, on the other hand, undermines joy and meaning. For example, children raised within an emotionally unpredictable environment created by an alcoholic father or parents who constantly argue often struggle in school or remain psychologically troubled for years. So, when worship is disjointed or disorderly, seeming an unconnected patchwork of activities, it leaves people uneasy. Disorder creates ...
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