Worship in a Broken World

We live in a broken and hurting world, it’s all around us. We each have brokenness in our own lives and we are surrounded with people who have brokenness in their lives. Being relational and broken sometimes clash. For instance, people with family problems might have problems with certain songs or prayers on Mother’s Day. If someone is shy they might not want to share prayer requests or pray aloud with others. Does this affect the way we plan and do worship? If it doesn’t, it should.

God created us to be relational beings. God has been relational from the very beginning. God is three persons in one; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three members of the trinity are equal with each of the other members.They have a full mutual indwelling with each other. Not only is the Trinity in relationship with each other, but as God’s people we are invited into communion with the Trinity. We are also in relationship with one another.

Since we were created to be relational beings, this definitely comes into play in our worship. Our worship is to be relational. It is meant to be more than something we do on our own. We worship in community with other believers. Also, since we are invited into relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our worship should be Trinitarian in nature as we interact with each of the three members.

Worship is authentic and holistic participation in God’s story through engaging in a continuing dialogue with the Father, in the Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Worship is also engaging with the community around you and being a reflection of Christ to the broken world.

So, then, how do we be Christ to the broken world and how do we plan worship to reach out to this hurting and broken world we are a part of? First of all I think it important to know the people you are reaching out to. Forming relationships with those around you, and knowing where they are at in their lives. To plan worship that will reach hurting people, we need to meet them where they are at. Secondly, our worship needs to be Pastoral. Hurting and broken people need shepherding and care. An example of something you could do in worship, would be to have a healing service to pray over people who have physical ailments and also people with emotional hurts, and even then, you have to be sensitive to those who did not receive healing from the prayer. To me, being a worship leader is not just a job, but a ministry. Jesus’ ministry was relational and and our relational worship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and with the community should extend into how we do our ministry.

No one ever said that the ministry of being a worship leader is an easy task. After all as a whole, our culture is hurting, anxious, an addictive society, and we are busy and tired. The easy answer would be to say let’s just plan worship that is upbeat and happy all the time. That doesn’t change anything though, because even if we plan peppy worship, we are still hurting and broken people. Instead we need to give people hope and peace. Show them the true source of rest, and bring real meaning in our worship. Also, by example show them how to be in relationship with God.

I don’t have all the answers to how we go about reaching our broken world, but a good place to start is making our churches a safe place for people to deal with their hurts and needs. The body of Christ should be a safe place to share our struggles and our blessings, and transparency is the key. If as leaders we don't model transparency, how is the congregation to know what it should be like in the body of Christ. As brothers and sisters in Christ we should have each other's backs and support each other in the good times, but especially in the tough times. This is not an easy thing to do, but Romans chapter 12 calls us to sincere love, and rejoicing with those who rejoice, and mourning with those who mourn. After all, Jesus said that we are to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, ‘Love your your neighbor as yourself.”