Hi Worship Leader,
Before you start assuming this blogpost doesn't apply to you, let me first say that I have been very surprised by the number of worship leaders there are who do not know how to define what makes a worship song a worship song. Hence the reason I'm sharing this blogpost with you today. (Please share this post with other worship leaders because our assignment depends on our knowledge of this very small piece of information.)
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Secondly - and I promise that I'm not saying this because I want to manipulate my way to greater book sales - there is an entire chapter in my book, Dear Worshiper, that explains, in depth, the differences between praise and worship. I definitely think every worship leader should, at the very least, read that chapter of Dear Worshiper (Chapter 4: "Praise" and "Worship").
Now for the purpose of this post: What makes a song a worship song? A song is not categorized as worship because it has a slow tempo or because it mentions the name of God. "Break Every Chain" by Tasha Cobbs is NOT a worship song. "I Give Myself Away" by William McDowell is NOT a worship song! A worship song is a song that talks TO God, ABOUT God.
The audience/recipient/receiver of a worship song is best when its God. Worship songs should be directed towards God. Also, worship songs don't express our needs or our prayers or our desires to God. The ideal worship song talks TO God, ABOUT God:
YOU are Holy
YOU're excellent in all YOUR ways
There's nobody like YOU
YOU alone are worthy
and so on and so forth.
The more we seek the authenticity of God, Himself, the more we should make the worship less about mankind, more about God, and more intentional towards Him. Let us meditate on this very simple principle as we continue on our journey to make a difference, showcasing God's worthiness and greatness.
XO Rocky Dania
www.rockydania.com
