worship leaders and the displacement of Christ

Where it appears, the title of "worship leader" should be critiqued, for it suggests a model of worship in which Christ has been displaced from his rightful place. In the Middle Ages it was the priest, now it is worship leader. Christ' displacement is accentuated by the focus, either implicitly or explicitly, on the leader's personality, charisma and gifts. In this regard, it is noticeable how the leader's causal greeting has replaced the traditional call to worship in many services. It is almost as though the worship leader is the host, welcoming people as he/she woudl to his/her home. Also interesting to observe is the role of the "worship team", usually consisting of a music group, whose task it is to open worship with a "worship time". This consists of a bracket of worship choruses, interspersed with the leader's exhortations, humorous asides and extempore prayers. A lot of effort goes into creating the right atmosphere. Music has come to assume a priestly role in much worship, insofar as it is regarded almost as the primary vehicle by which people enter the presence of God.

(Graham Redding, Prayer and the Priesthood of Christ, T & T Clark, 2003, p. 298n.30)

Comments

[ash]

Yes, I always found it odd in my church how the scheduled worship blocks were pretty much non-negotiable parts of a service, but if they overran, then the Eucharist was dispensible... as if the Eucharist was not worship!

[Gray]

Hmmm...it seems to me that you are reactionary against many of the problems in contemporary worship settings. The solution, I think, is not to go after the position of the worship leader in principle. The worship leader position is a biblical extension of the chief of musicians described in the OT. Practically, someone must be up front to assist in leading singing. If he/she is over-the-top, irreverent, attention hungry, or cheesy, that is his problem and doesn't mean we have no need for worship leaders. The term worship leader does not mean that Christ has been displaced.

[ray valdez]

Indeed. As one who has been given that title, I have always found it uncomfortable. Indeed Christ is the ultimate leader of our worship and it is though him as our High Priest that our worship reaches the throne of God.