I ran across this video on a blog the other night and with mixed emotions I figured out why it made me upset because I see a line being crossed in how you worship our God. The ministry where this video was taken is called The Ramp (www.theramp.org). I have read and talked to some people who are involved in The Ramp type ministry and I am fully behind and in agreement with what they are trying to do. They are a ministry where they gather the young generation once a month or so and do a mini, very intense conference type weekend. They are very passionate about reaching the young generation for Chirt and getting them geared up to be the army of God we are called to be. My problem then lies in the way they do some of their worship and the way they carry it out.
First, and my biggest concern is that it is way to much emotion. I believe worshipping God through songs can be very emotional and I have had times where I have had emotional moments when singing worship songs to my God. The problem is when the emotion has taken over and it is no longer worship to our God, but a bunch of hype and adrenaline pumping through us. The fact is, to many people focus on “experiencing” God and they get all emotional and hyped up, but they never experience God because the emotion got in the way. God is not concerned about emotion and hype. He wants us to worship Him in our own way yes, but in a way that is all about Him and drawing nigh to Him. That is what I see in this video. Their is alot of excitement, emotion, hype, and energy, but it is hard to see God in it with all that stuff in the way. I have had some good times at teen camp where the whole place was jumping up and down while singing David Crowder songs and running around the adatorium while singing the Happy Song, but when that emotion takes our eyes of God and truly gazing upon Him, than our worship is no longer worship.
Secondly, I do not see my reverce and respect given to the Lord in this video. The lead guy’s attitude does not even seem right to me. The song or “lines” they keep reapeating are actually taken from an 80’s pop song, but only with “Jesus” added. That to me does not seem to be a fitting song to sing to our God. At the end of the video the guys says, “…we love the Lordy.” Im not sure how that is showing much respect and reverce to the One who has died on the cross to pay for our sins and save us from hell!
I love having a good time in church and while worshipping my God. I have been in services where you can’t help but to throw up your hands or fall to you kness. I have been in services were we have jumped and ran around while singing awesome songs to our God. I love that! But I have had those times doing that, when I have caught myself being totally off foucused from God and totally focus on the emotion of running, jumping, and waving my hands. King David knew what it was like to jump and dance while worshipping our God. There, in a sense, is nothing wrong with worshipping that way! But we must make sure it is God honoring and the emotion is not taking the first place in our worship.
Austin McCann 