A clear understanding of the nature and needs of a congregation is vital for leading worship sessions. A prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit is essential to get such an understanding. Usually, those gifted with pastoral ministry (the title does not always accompany the gift!) sense the pulse of their congregation. Such pastors should be at the helm of the worship team.
Church services are (or ought to be) public services. Anyone should feel free to walk in and participate in a worship service. A church service, therefore, may be attended by born-again Christians, nominal Christians, and people of other faiths. The Apostle Paul wanted Corinthian Christians to be aware of this possibility. That’s why he advised them against the unwise use of the gift of speaking in unknown languages in public meetings without an interpreter.1 Besides, while describing the usefulness of the gift of prophecy, he talks about how a prophecy might reveal the secrets of an outsider, leading that person to believe in the presence of God in that service.2
Regarding these special situations that we might have in our churches, we should be careful to make our worship services as intelligible as possible to our friends from other religions. (Notice that I did not refer to them as “unbelievers,” “pagans” or “non-Christians.” People who follow other religions are not “unbelievers”—they, too, believe in something. We need to weed out all derogatory words from our services.) Let us avoid all jargon. Biblical terms such as “righteousness,” “justification,” and our shouts of “victory in the blood of Jesus” are mere strange sounds for a newcomer.
Even in a congregation of born-again Christians, we may come across mind-boggling diversity, especially in an urban church. People come from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The English language or a local language may be a unifying factor. But more factors under that thin veneer divide the gathering. Add to it factors such as social and economic stratification, not to mention the emotional, religious and intellectual baggage people carry! Our national identities and political affiliations are different. Prejudices abound.
Worship leaders must be sensitive to other people’s feelings and constantly guard their thoughts and speech to avoid offending anyone. For instance, we may be tempted to use Biblical expressions written in a context different from our own. Think twice before you assail “Egyptians” or “Babylonians” based on the Exodus story or other narratives in the Old Testament; an Egyptian or an Iraqi Christian may be present in your church!
Many Christians the world over ape the West in their style of worship. In God’s sight, no particular style is more acceptable than another. God likes diversity. If each people group retains its cultural affinities in its worship services, I believe it’s a treat for God!
Let the West worship in their style using their instruments, music styles and body language. Let the Hindustanis worship God using Hindustani music; the Punjabis, with Punjabi dance and music; and the South Indians, in the Carnatic tradition! Only the Christian faith permits such diverse expressions of one’s faith.
Take the Muslim world, for instance. Muslims rarely exhibit such freedom in cultural expression. Instead, they export the West Asian culture – dress code, food habits, and Arabic language – to every country, producing an enforced uniformity.
Christian missionaries, too, committed similar mistakes in Asian and African countries. Local culture – that is, local music, attire, architecture, dance, and food habits – was condemned and replaced by Western culture. Christianity, like Islam, obtained the disgusting label of being a “foreign religion” in many countries. One of my Western teachers regarded the South Indian dhoti as an indecent “pagan” apparel!
Within a large country like India, Christian missionaries from the southern states tend to impose their cultural practices on new believers in the northern states. Malayalam songs were translated into Hindi. If native speakers of Hindi had written those songs, they would have used a different set of words and a different set of rhythm and melody.
Today, a large number of Christians who live in Asian and African countries love to worship God with the accompaniment of Western instruments, singing English songs in attractive Western tunes. They, then, wonder why they are unable to attract their friends to their churches. Their friends who follow other religions love their own culture and music style. They have preconceived notions about about what religious or devotional music should sound like. Moreover, a renewed sense of nationalism might make them resist foreign influences. If they are invited to a church that loves Western music, they will feel like fish out of water.
Consider another cultural practice prevalent in South Asia. A Hindu can never imagine entering his temple without removing his footwear. Hindus generally prefer to sit on the floor during prayer times. They venerate sacred books. They do not understand why Christians place their Bibles on the floor. A Western preacher once preached in an Indian convention about trusting God. He stood on his Bible and declared: “I stand on the promises of God!” The crowd was stunned.
Christians who understand principles of contextualization are increasingly adapting to local cultures and mores. Their churches resemble local places of worship. They worship in the local language, employ local music styles and instruments, and respect cultural rules. These people are not weird. They are following the Lord Jesus Christ and his “incarnational” ministry. Jesus, in his human form, did not land in Nazareth as an alien from outer space or a different empire. He was well-connected with the local language and culture.
In urban centres of Asia, young people are increasingly drawn towards Western culture due to the influence of visual media. This is because young people (and older ones) do not have a sense of pride in their language and culture. On the other hand, there are religious and cultural organizations that resist any foreign influence.
Some urban churches consider it their God-given task to communicate the gospel to such Westernised Asian youth. I appreciate the efforts of Asian urban churches that adopt Western styles and language to win our Westernised urban youth to Jesus Christ. Even such churches can have special Sundays to celebrate local culture and language.
We also find “Third Culture Kids” (TCKs) among us. The term is used to describe people (both children and adults) whose parents came from two different cultures. They were born and raised in a third culture. More often than not, these TCKs had to move from one country or state to another because their parents’ careers required migration. Ask TCKs where they are from. They usually do not have a one-word answer. They have a story to tell. They often face an identity crisis. They may not speak the language of their parents. Their parents may drag them to churches where they are not comfortable.
Why should we know about TCKs? As a worship leader, when you look at a congregation, the people might appear to be homogenous. Not everyone who looks “Indian” is an Indian. They may be American, British, Kenyan, or even Japanese in their culture and outlook! Not everyone who looks like a Malayali from Kerala is a Malayali. In the US, not everyone who looks like an African American is an African American. They may be Africans who are alien to American culture! A Kenyan friend of mine once told me how, during his stay in the US, Americans assumed he was African American.
Similarly, not everyone who looks like a foreigner is a foreigner. They might understand every word you say about them in your language! A TCK who does not know your language might remain quiet and unresponsive during a worship service. Therefore, do not be too quick to think that someone needs “deliverance.” All he might need is an interpreter who understands his situation.
Furthermore, there is a diversity of attitudes and spiritual status of individuals. It is impossible to minister to such a varied congregation without the help of the Holy Spirit. The weak have to be strengthened; the dejected lifted and encouraged; the backsliders warned and restored; the faith of doubters, built up; the bereaved, comforted; those at odds, led to reconciliation; the hopeless, encouraged; the joyful, encouraged to celebrate, etc. The list seems to be endless.
A “small group” can cater all these needs. But those who are a part of “small groups” (or Care Cells) are the ones who come to the worship services on Sundays. Can we find fault with them if they expect Sunday services to be relevant to their situation? It is foolish to dismiss them by saying, “Get your spiritual and emotional needs met in the care cell meetings. This is the time to forget your worries and to worship God.” We are creatures grounded in our respective situations. God appreciates that fact more than most pastors or worship leaders do.
Worship leaders who fail to monitor the pulse of the congregation will flounder at selecting the most appropriate songs for the occasion. Those who do not understand the needs and situations of their flock are clueless when people do not respond to their overtures to “celebrate.” They might resort to “sheep-bashing” and preaching.
Sometimes, the worship leader has to deviate from his plan to accommodate the Holy Spirit’s guidance and leading. That flexibility, however, is no excuse for slack preparation. A leader must be able to select the most appropriate song for any given moment. A thematic classification or indexing of songs can be some help. Accompanying singers and musicians must be ready to sing songs that were not on the original list for a particular meeting. The technical team, too, must be on their toes to project an unscheduled song at the drop of a hat.
Proceed to Chapter 4: Planning a Worship Service
Philip Eapen, an environmental scientist by training, devoted his life to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ ever since he realized that the world needs Jesus Christ more than anyone or anything else. Apart from sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, Philip teaches Christians in order to equip them for service. He is supported by donations from readers. Philip is married to Dr. Jessimol and they are blessed with three sons and a daughter.
Date: May 8, 2023
