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Just then our worship leader walked out..ready to start singing..wearing a hat.
Classic!!! I love it when people just wear what they want to wear, as long as it covers more than saran wrap & a rubber band would.
My response: Show me in the Bible wear it says I shouldn't wear a hat in church and I won't.
It probably wasn't the most respectful thing to say to someone who might be considered my elder, but then hey, she was like, "Well, it's just disrespectful to the Lord..."
My response: "If I'm not mistaken, most jewish men would cover their heads when they prayed as a sign of RESPECT to the Lord."
She had nothing.
ive never actually worn sunglasses inside the building while on team. but when we used to meet outside in our park during the summer for church services i did. if wearing them then didnt bother people than it shouldnt in doors either. imho.
I like to keep an attitude of transparency when leading worship. I think sunglasses indoors would call attention to me that I don't want.
Mike
You know it's not about what wear to church.... it's that YOU ARE AT CHURCH!!
I think if we get so tied up into what we are wearing then we forget what is purpose of being there. Trust me at 5:30 a.m. in my gym clothes, unbrushed hair and teeth on my morning walk at the beach, God doesn't care what I look like, it's that I got to the beach to worship Him.
Great post!!
Really, I think God looks at the heart, not the eyes...unless your eyes are looking at something they shouldn't be, in which case you should poke them out.
@Heidi: Very true. I'd actually wear my shades everywhere if my wife would let me!!
@nate: SWEET! We are a very casual church (untraditional/informal), jeans and tees are the norm. Shorts and flip flops too. It's funny though, I did get a few funny looks when I put my shades on this past Sunday.
If you're wearing them to emphasis a particular sermon theme - then fine.
If you're wearing them because a beam of sunlight always crosses your eyes during the service - then fine.
If you're wearing them because you want people to notice how cool you are - then maybe not so fine.
It all depends on why you are wearing them. God knows. Don't mess with Him.
;-)
first, it's a question of motive. as a musician/worship leader, i constantly fight the performance mentality... our culture is overrun with image. and musicians have an "image" that comes with the industry. could getting sucked into a rockstar "image" help or hinder the worship leader's battle to make it about God and not him/her?
second, i think it also depends on the individual church's culture. if the church is highly "seeker" oriented, then musicians carrying that pop image might be an evangelistic edge.
but, for my current church, well... we are not as seeker oriented, and i would probably offend a LOT of people if i wore sunglasses.
We meet in a movie theater, use a rock band set, use a ton of media, and have a simple but killer lighting setup. Shades in that setting probably look more normal than they do on the organ player in a stone cathedral or country church.
As far as the performance thing, I totally get what you're saying, but lately I've been struggling with that whole line of thinking myself. Maybe it's because of the evangelistic nature of our gatherings, but the more I ponder this the more that I believe it's okay to admit that as a musician I'm inherently a performer. It's what I do.
So if I'm a performer, then I want my performances to be the best they can be while simultaneously being an offering of worship to God. Is that possible? I believe it is.
It goes back to what I believe is the common thread of most of these responses: motive.
i would press on with something that Francis Chan said in a sermon, when addressing his attire for preaching...he wants to be the same person seven days a week...he doesn't want to be someone he's not when he's at church on sunday(my paraphrase)...i think that is huge...if i'm trying to be some one else on sunday, am i worshiping in Spirit and in truth...?
JonMark: why hate agreeing with me?! LOL!!!
@MandyT: yes, of course, if we perform for ourselves (ego) then that's a problem. I do think that whatever we do, whether it's singing, preaching, greeting, painting, leading a group, children's ministry, whatever...we're "performing" to some degree.
First, for God, then for people. And it's OK. It really is. I try and perform at my highest level as a musician and singer on Sundays for God and for people. Honestly, it feels good to do it right. But I think there's a difference in being content and satisfied with what you and your team has "performed" and in having your ego stroked.
Motive is SOOO key. I think we should all be in a place where we can step off the stage on any given week and let the team lead without us. I did so two weeks ago and was so amazed at our team's leading in worship and connection with our attenders...THAT is what it's all about! They don't even NEED me!! Haha.
to actually answer the question...i would not wear them, because it's not me...i would gladly wear a hat!!!
MandyT... hmmmm, let me see...yesterday you mocked me and today you slapped me upside the head...hmmmm...
I don't feel there is a right or wrong answer to this question. However, I've always felt that it's the job of the worship leader to disappear up there on that stage so that the congregation might meet with their Creator and give Him the praise that is due. So for my husband and me, it was all about doing everything we could to NOT draw attention to ourselves but to just worship the Father and hope that others would follow suit.
But that's just me :)
Have a great day!
sure. go ahead. go for it. wear a hawaiian shirt and go barefoot as well.
I do think sunglasses would distract many in the congregation and the interaction between the band and the congregation would be much less I would think.
hows that for some randomness. oh yah!
We don't do the typical charismatic/contemporary fast then slow worship set for 20-45 minutes.
We do 3 high energy songs and then move right into transitions to messages.
More worshipful tunes happen at the end or during our special nights of worship...at those I probably wouldn't ever wear shades.
And again shades or not, it's about connecting with God and with people. If it's to be "hip" you might as well wear a white belt, vans, and a olive drab castro hat.
Haha!
I would be one to stray from the glasses. To me, if they are not for actually blocking the sun, there has always been an attitude behind them. That's fine. If they are worn indoors, it is clearly for a fashion statement. I tend to believe that we can set aside our personal statements while we are attempting to declare God's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHa_jqxnn4o
@indianpapa @tam: I'm blogging from my phone so I'll catch those vid responses a bit later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9p0Ac5bLlI&...
I'm pretty sure it was metaphor. Meaning, to truly worship you have to be real, not a pretender.