Christ in the Spotlight of Worship

 Yes, yes, yes. I love Kierkegaard's writings. Christ is in the spotlight and is the center of focus on the stage of worship; God is the audience of one, and the director and producer of worship is the Holy Spirit! We are the supporting actors out of the spotlight and off center stage; we are the stage managers, stagehands, and media technicians behind the scene, the background singers [and in some churches] dancers on the sides of or in the back of the stage or even in the balcony, the instrumentalists who are in the orchestra pit, the front office staff, and the marketing, customer, guest services, and hospitality workers supporting the glorification of Christ with our offering of praise and thanksgiving. This is the theology of worship Christians should have. Current worship leaders should not consider themselves the center of attention who must have the spotlight shine on them. Pastors and preachers should consider themselves as the offstage MCs or announcers welcoming the curious and introducing them to Christian worship and reminding the saints why and who and how we worship Christ. Other worship leaders should consider themselves not as the leading singers or instrumental soloists, but as section leaders of the choir or orchestra; they should lead from the pit or from the choir balcony off center stage to support the congregation in worshipping Christ and introducing the worship of Christ to non-Christian visitors or seekers. They should never want to draw others' focus and attention away from center stage to themselves. They should never want to photo-bomb Christ's appearance or to upstage Christ in worship. We should all serve from the back or sides of the stage, off-stage, from the pit, or from the choir balcony. We should never seek center stage or the main or any spotlight in worship. Marketing and church growth experts may tell us that the pastor (and/or worship and production team) are the image that people see and that marketing is about presenting and branding and managing that on-camera image to the public, but true worship for Christians of all stripes lies in presenting Christ: who Christ is, what Christ has done and is doing, why we worship and serve Christ, and how that worship and service is done for the glory of God. Imagining and excellence is nothing if it is designed from the wrong motives and the goals and purposes are not Christ centered. Pastors, worship singers, instrumentalists, and dancers are all prone to want the spotlight focused on them and to move to front and center stage when they lead. And most congregations are prone to consider themselves the producers and financial patrons and the audience for worship; they are prone to feel entitled to have worship focused on their preferences and comforts because they give of their time to attend worship services and give of their finances to pay for the worship services. We, the congregants, forget that (1) God is the true patron and producer of all life and activities, including worship, and (2) God is the true and only audience of One. The congregants are to worship God, to serve God, and to learn and be equipped for service and ministry for the purpose of serving God's people and serving the lost and dying of this world. They are not in the audience; they are not the audience. Instead, they should see themselves as the stagehands, the front office workers, the choir (singing hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs), and the frontline evangelism, hospitality trainers, and customer and guest services workers, and delivery workers of God's Grace, Hope, Love, and Salvation. Unfortunately, very few pastors or congregants have a Christian, Biblical, or Protestant Reformed understanding of worship. We have more of a post-modern, marketing mentality and understanding of worship--devoid of a God-sized perspective of worship with a Christ centered focus. We are after all flawed humans saved by grace and in the regeneration process whether we know it or not. Christ in the Spotlight of Worship Copyright (c) 2018 by Floyd Knight. All Rights Reserved.