Exploring significant issues the Church is facing today
In this week’s episode of the Daron Earlewine podcast, we dive into the dynamic world of church worship!
We’ll discuss the future direction of the worship movement, emphasizing the significance of creativity and the power of worship music. Together, we’ll explore exciting possibilities while addressing some common pitfalls we should be aware of.
Let’s embark on this insightful journey and discover what lies ahead for the Church Worship Movement!
Tune in and join the conversation!
Ways to work with Daron:
⚡️FREE: Jumpstart to Purpose
⚡️BOOK: The Death of a Dream
⚡️COACHING: Register Here
⚡️SPEAKING INQUIRIES: Click Here
Connect with Daron on Social Media:
Episode Player
Links to the Daron Earlewine Podcast
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Libsyn
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
FULL TRANSCRIPT
I listen to bands like U2 and other ones, and, and they, they, they’re saying things about God and about life and about truth, and they say it in such a poetic, beautiful, creative way. And so as you listen to a Christian song, you’re like, I mean, did you just look up the thesaurus of like, how to say cliche Christian things and put it, you know, behind GC and d? So part of it I think is phenomenal. I think we’re, we’re, we’re getting people that, that, that are some of the best songwriters and musicians. I think production is phenomenal. I think it’s great. So there, that’s the, that’s the podcast. That’s not the podcast. But first answer, I think it’s phenomenal. I think anytime we’re growing and, and we’re, and we’re putting out the best possible artistry and things, it’s phenomenal. Okay.
Tagline: Created on purpose and for purpose.
Hey everybody, welcome back to the Daron Earlewine podcast. We’re in this frequently asked questions series all summer long, answering your questions that you sent us. Once again, I told you guys we, we want it to be frequently asked questions, but we didn’t get frequently asked. Like, wasn’t like one frequently asked question, like, oh my gosh, like a hundred people asked the same question. There’s this question asks that were asked. So we’re doing our best to answer them even though there’s not necessarily a theme or one that came in a bunch. And that’s okay. I, I like the, the variety of it and the ability for us to talk about a lot of different topics in this series. And so, week four here, here’s the question that came through. It says, now more than ever, worship is popular. Every mega or medium-sized churches coming out with their own ep, with church merch to sell and promote it.
Where do you think this worship movement is going? Where do you think God wants it to be and go to or back to? Great freaking question. Okay. Lemme do my best to to to give you my take on it. And and, and, and, and, and some, some scripture in it too, right? Cause I don’t want it just to be my take on things. But so yeah, worship is really popular and and I dig that. I really do. I’ve loved music my whole life. I’ve been involved in, in leading worship behind the drums, right, since I was in sixth grade. Which I think back to that, it’s kind of crazy. And what’s kind of nuts for me is I was thinking about answering this this question. I can remember, you know, the early obviously the Jesus people in the seventies and everything like that.
Like, there was, there were waves of, of worship becoming more contemporary, but at least in my neck of the woods and in my life you know, I, I remember, I, I came to college in 1996 and I remember there still being debates about like drums being on the platform. And I remember, you know, I was in, in one of the first, you know, full live music, you know worship groups that traveled for the university that I went to. And and so I, I guess in some, I was part of the, the early kind of nineties growth of of what’s become more popular worship. And I, and there’s part of it I think is great. Growing up as a kid it was tough for me because I felt like, why does the devil have all the good music? Right? Cause I’ve heard people say that before, and I kind of felt that way.
Like all the good bands, and like, anytime I hear like a Christian song, whatever, it’s usually lame. It’s not very creative. Like, it, it, you can just hear it and you can go, okay, that’s, that’s a Christian song. Bad production, like bad musicianship, right? Uncreative lyrics, which some of that, I still think that’s the case. Like, I listen to bands like U2 and other ones, and, and they, they, they’re saying things about God and about life and about truth, and they say it in such a poetic, beautiful, creative way. And sometimes you listen to a Christian song, you’re like, d I mean, did you just look up the thesaurus of like, how to say cliche Christian things and put it, you know, behind GC and D? So part of it I think is phenomenal. I think we’re, we’re, we’re getting people that, that, that are some of the best songwriters and musicians.
I think production is phenomenal. I think it’s great. So there, that’s the, that’s the podcast. That’s not the podcast. But first answer, I think it’s phenomenal. I think anytime we’re growing and, and we’re, and we’re putting out the best possible artistry and things, it’s phenomenal. Okay. I love a quote, another quote by Earl McManus that I love that I, that I heard back in 2001. He said this, that creativity is the natural result of spirituality. I love that. And I think it’s true. And, and that doesn’t mean, I don’t mean the creativity doesn’t mean like artistry. That doesn’t mean like, natural result is you’re gonna become a guitar player or a worship leader, but creativity is a natural result of spirituality. So I think anytime we’re seeing, you know, top-notch creativity, it it’s God at work in it. What I’d love to see is more creativity in non-artistic places where we’re getting creative of solving some of the world’s greatest problems.
And that the spiritual, that the spiritual growth of God is, is bringing us unbelievably creative imaginative results in every sphere of life, not just music. Okay, now, to, to go a little further than the question. Talk about every mega or decis church coming out with their own ep. Here’s the issue with that is some of the good of that is one of the good things that megachurches do is they actually have enough mass of people to get enough good musicians and songwriters that they can actually do some pretty awesome stuff. The other good thing about megachurch is oftentimes they can pay the musicians and they can pay the people that are doing some of the great music and songwriting. So that’s, that’s why can’t you just, you know, anybody, just do it. Well go back way back in the day when actual artists painters, I mean like the Sistine Chapel, I mean, right?
Like where amazing artists were actually, their, their greatest patrons were the church, right? The church would actually give so that the art could be created. And I think we have to have a strong connection to the arts because most of the time, those of you that are gifted in the prophetic, you’re also gifted as creatives. And I think God did that on purpose because think there’s sometimes that that God needs to stir in the heart of a prophetic person. The ability to, whether it’s creating a song, painting a picture writing a screenplay, using the ability of art to be the thing that actually gives us connection to what God is actually saying to us as a people. I also think that’s why we don’t have it historically in the past, maybe a hundred or so more years, whatever, had a great connection of the, the church being a great art artistic epicenter.
Because we don’t actually like what prophetic people do and say, right? Because they’re actually telling us what God thinks. And we’re like, I don’t wanna hear what God thinks. I wanna hear what my itching ears wanna hear. So I think that part is great. Here’s the part that’s not so great, is I think we forget, or we can’t forget, right? That there are millions of dollars being made by non-Christian companies, or even if they’re run by Christians, they’re not necessarily, there’s not a Christian company, right? There are Christians that follow Jesus that are in business. And I think one of the dangerous things that may be happening is, or it says, Hey, it’s great that you know that now more than ever, worship is popular. It is, which means it’s lucrative. Which means one of my concerns is sometimes I hear worship songs and I’m like, okay, wait a second.
Like, why am I hearing a somewhat washed-up Christian artist from the eighties covering the brand new Bethel song, the brand new Elevation song, whatever, that’s already been released by six or seven other artists. And, and the reason is because most mainstream, you know, kind of conservative evangelicals probably feel like it’s a little too radical to be listening to Bethel music or whatever it is, or Elevation. Cuz we know Stephen Furtick’s the devil or whatever the thoughts are, right? Well, you know, if who’s the band? I’m trying to think. Not Stephen Curtis Chapman … Coops service, I was getting ready to say I was getting ready to say Crosby, stills and Nash. That’s not them. What’s the one? There’s the dudes. There are a couple dudes that are in a yes, that’s it, right? If Philip Craig’s and Dean, oh, Craig and Dean Craig’s, what is it?
Philip Craig and Dean, Philip Craig, whatever, if they put out like this worship song, right? And we really take all the distorted guitar out, you know, turn the drums down, sing it as white as we possibly can, right there. Now it’s good for mainstream Christian radio that makes me sick to my stomach, right? That’s such a a, it’s just, it’s screwing up the art of what it is. But guess what? It makes money because a lot of your people who, you know, need a sanitized version of whatever, they’ll buy it, they’ll consume it. And so the consumption part of it’s where I get concerned about is that we’re getting, you know, C-level art basically redone a hundred times just so it can be consumed by the masses to make a big, huge money a company a bunch of money, which is not why the song was written, you know?
It’s kind of like saying, Hey, you know, David wrote a lot of songs in, in, in, you know, in Psalms. Is it bad that those are popular? No, it’s not. But just imagine in David’s time, if like David was writing these heartfelt songs is out like being chased by, you know a Saul and he’s like calling out to, you know, he’s waiting on the Lord in his redemption and all these things. And it’s like him, you know, just from, from the depths of his connection to Jesus writing these Psalms and these songs, and then it’s like a multimillion dollar record company was like, Hey David, you’re a little too out there, right? So we’re gonna get these really, really nice sanitized people to sing your song so that everyone’s cool singing it in their service they go to for once. And you know, this is back to the last episode, right?
We, we’ve gotta do these things so that everybody in their church sings it because we’ve made church just going to a place and singing songs and hear a guy speak for 30 minutes. Problem. Worship being popular, great really great songs being written by really great musicians and produced and, and mastered by really great people that have a great, you know, mastery of that art. Phenomenal. I love all that. It being manipulated just to make money to the masses of Christians missing the point. And so where do I think the worship movement is going? I don’t know. I don’t know where it’s going. Obviously the whole situation the Hillsong Church has gone through, I think will probably impact in the next few years what the next generation does with mass-produced worship. I hope it goes back to not the majority of churches singing songs from like four churches.
What I’d love to see is the next generation where there are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and thousands of amazing young singer-songwriters, prophetic voices connected to the heart of God and out of the overwhelming connection and intimacy they have with God, they bring forth great new songs that maybe aren’t even meant to be consumed by the masses, but they’re meant for their local community and their church to hear what God is s saying to the church about himself and who they are. I’d love to see that. And if they sell 300 albums to the people in their church, phenomenal. And if the church next door maybe starts singing it or they come together and let’s write songs together and what’s God saying to our town, like, I love all that. I hope that’s where it’s going. Will that song be as good as the new song that just came out from the massive church?
Maybe not. But worship wasn’t meant to be something that would be consumed by the masses. It was meant to be the overflow of the heart connected to God. And I’m gonna share a story from the nineties right after this commercial break. We’ll be right back.
Is it time for you to take your next step towards discovering your purpose, but you’re not sure to do? Maybe jumping into the entire Spiritual DNA course seems just like a little too much for you right now. No problem at all. That’s why I want you to know about the Five Day Jumpstart to Purpose. It’s totally free and it’s a five day audio course you’re gonna listen to just, it’s really short, like I know, five, six minutes a day. But it’s gonna help you just, let’s call it an appetizer, right? To help you jumpstart this process towards purpose. It’s free. All you gotta do do is go to daronearlewine.com/jumpstart. It looks like this right behind me on the screen. You’re gonna go there and we’re gonna send you the course for free and it’ll help you take your next step. Cuz hey, we say it every week. I don’t want you to forget about it, right? God’s created you on purpose and for purpose. Let’s jumpstart that purpose. Now, let’s get back to the podcast.
All right, so we’re back talking about worship where I think it’s going. And this whole thought brought me back to the nineties and that’s was my jam when I was leading worship doing more of that. And I remember when this song first came out, and I remember hearing this story but dates back to the nineties, late nineties in Matt Redmond’s church in Watford, England.
And maybe you’ve heard this story before. Maybe you haven’t, but you may have heard this song “Heart of Worship,” right? I’m coming back to the Heart of Worship. It’s all about you, all about, you’ve probably heard that song before. Here’s the backstory of this one. The backstory of this is Matt Redmond was the worship leader. And let me read, read this quote here. He says, what happened was there was a dynamic missing in their worship, right? And, and what was happening. And the know things were growing, they were getting more popular and the music stuff that, that Redmond was writing and the church was putting out. And he says there was a dynamic missing. So the pastor did a pretty brave thing. He decided to get rid of the sound system and the band for a season, and we gathered together with just our voices.
His point that we’d lo was that we’d lost our way and worship. And the way to get back to the heart of worship would be to strip everything away. And so they did that. And in this time of stripping that all away and all the sound and all the lights and everything getting back to the heart of worship, Matt Redman went back to his house and he wrote this song. And originally it was written just, it was, it was a journal entry in his journal, in in a song he had just written between him and God, right? He brought it back to his pastor and he said, Hey, wrote this. And his pastor was like, Hey, let’s tweak a couple of these words here so that everyone can be able to be a part of that. And, and these are the lyrics.
If you’ve never heard the song, right? And think about this not as a song you just heard on K Love cuz and probably still being played on K Love or whatever, right? Just think about a guy who had realized that he had been, that he had lost what worship was actually worshiping, is showing adoration and love to his heavenly Father. And this is what he writes. When the music fades, all is stripped away. And I simply come longing just to bring something that’s of worth, worth that will bless your heart, I’ll bring you more than a song for a song in itself is not what you have required. You search much deeper within through the ways things appear. You looking in into my heart, I’m coming back to the heart of worship. And it’s all about you. It’s all about you, Jesus, I’m sorry Lord, for the thing I’ve made it when it’s all about you, it’s all about you, Jesus.
And that’s where I hope worship is going. If a song pops off using technology, which the cool part is some 16 year old could kid could record a song in his bedroom with all the technology we have, and it would sound amazing. And you know, what if 6 billion people to it, and very possibly it’s what God wanted to say to his people. And that’s beautiful. And I hope that happens. But I also, what ha hope, what happens is the popularity of worship brings a lot of us to a place of repentance, to strip away everything in our life and to bring God more than a song to bring him something of, of great worth to bring him our heart. And that’s what I hope happens with the worship movement that we’re seeing right now. There’s your answer. Hope it helped. If you didn’t like it and you wanna argue with me email Darren Cooper at I’m, I’m just kidding.
If you wanna have a deeper conversation with it, please reach out to me through the socials. You can email me daron@blackbirdmission.com or always text 317-550-5070. Hey, thank you for these questions. It’s been fun to to dive into this and, and to talk about some stuff we don’t always talk about in the podcast and maybe we need to talk more about it. And if you want, if you want us to let us know cuz we do this podcast for you. So I appreciate it. Love you guys. It means a lot that you’re a part of this community and we’ll talk to you next time with the Daron Earlewine Podcast. Until that time, remember, God’s for you not against you. He’s near you not far away, and he’s created you on purpose and for a purpose. See you next time with the Daron Earlewine Podcast.