Do It Like David

Have you ever been watching the worship team at church during a particularly moving section of a praise song and seen the guitarist just get carried away in the moment? Or maybe the song is moving fast and the drummer is just pounding out a beat like he’s in the Whac-a-mole championships? I’ve heard many people talk negatively about this kind of showboating at church.

I tend to disagree however. While I haven’t played an instrument since high school band, I have a deep appreciation for music. It truly moves my soul. When I see someone on stage who is truly moved with passion for what they are doing, I feel it right along with them.

For those that disagree, I wonder how you feel about hand raising? Isn’t it the same? People get moved by the Spirit and raise their hands in worship. This is just the way a musician raises their hands in worship.

I’m sure there are a few musicians who are truly just putting on a show to stroke their own egos. Should we criticize and restrain those that are truly worshipping though? It’s not easy to judge the heart of the person playing , and the Bible is pretty clear that we shouldn’t anyway.

If we take a look at the Biblical example of David, I think we get a pretty clear answer on the topic. In 2 Samuel 6, we have the story of the Ark of the Covenant being brought back to Jerusalem. During this, David is dancing and shouting before the Lord with all of his might. This was during a very public event. In fact, his own wife was embarrassed by his public actions. I see no condemnation by the Lord of his actions however.

I absolutely love seeing someone passionately sharing their gift before the Lord. It adds to my worship experience. If it’s not your thing, perhaps you should practice a little Grace and allow each to worship in their own way.