Performance in Worship - Pt. 2

Are we authentic in worship?

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If you didn’t read part 1 of this post, I encourage you to do so and watch this video before continuing.

The purpose of performing is to embody the moment—to connect with the audience, communicate effectively, and create a memorable experience for both yourself and the people in attendance.

The purpose of worship is to give praise to God by surrendering what He has given to us. We have a voice or an instrument. We are to give them back to Him. As worship leaders, we should be completely present in the moment—connecting with the congregation, communicating effectively to lead them in worship and to create a welcoming and freedom-filled environment to share a worship experience as one church body.

Elias Dummer skillfully depicted the coexistence of worship and performance in the video I shared. Here are some highlights:

Worship Is…

1. The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

2. To show reverence and adoration for a deity and honor with religious rites

Worship is the active practice of assigning “ultimate value” to an object or entity, placing that at the center of your love, desire, attention and actions. It means we should intentionally correct our focus with our whole selves and have an intentional presentness to Jesus.

To Perform Is…

1. To carry out, accomplish or fulfill what is required (an action, task, or function)

2. Performo - Church Latin for “to form thoroughly”

3. To present or represent something onstage like a play or piece of music (a form of entertainment) to an audience.

“Over time, the meaning of performance came to suggest pretending and maybe even in an exaggerated way, which might be fake or even lying. Worship and performance ultimately come down to a single word, authenticity.” Dummer continued with citing statistics on how bad we are at reading body language. “We should be really careful about moralizing our authenticity hunches of others. Chances are we’re wrong about what’s going on behind the scenes.”

“The secret to performing a song well or a scene with excellence isn’t to pretend better. It’s to not pretend at all. Great actors and singers learn to recall an emotional moment in time quickly and live it out. They aren’t pretending; they’re embodying. Performance isn’t inauthentic pretending; it’s an authentic becoming.”

“Willful performance isn’t insincere; it’s that you value something more than your own wants in service to the role that’s been given to you. Worship leaders should look to serve others before themselves, represent the role they’ve been given and become like Christ.”

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did.”

“The question isn’t about whether or not we’re performing, but whether self is at the center of our performance or God and neighbor. We just need to ask ourselves, who is this for?”

We must remember that we are part of something that is much bigger than all of us and we should be authentic in whatever we do. To be honest, being authentic in our performance is something that many artists could improve on as well. Be present. Be authentic. Love God and love the congregation.

Are you interested in diving deeper into these areas for YOUR show? I’d love to get to know you and learn about your journey in music! Let’s schedule a FREE discovery call today!

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