Four Worship Cultures - Ministry Exchange (MX)

Urbana 03 Paper on 4 worship cultures

contributed by Corey Saffold, James Choung, Erna Stubblefield, Todd Waldo, Sandra van Opstel & Krista-Dawn Kimsey Compiled thoughts on Latino Worship Language: A communal celebration of the presence of God and the Holy Spirit

The role of the Worship Leader in Latino worship style:

The role of the worship leader is to help create and lead a communal
experience of worshipping God. The worship leader will call out to the
congregation and invite a response, whether in singing or shouting praise.
The leader will be interacting with both the congregation and with other
members on the worship team. For example, the leader may say to the
congregation, “tell the person next to you that God is here.” There are
usually many other singers on stage, all of which are involved with each
other, looking at each other and singing expressly to the congregation to
help create a communal experience. The leader and the team are the main
focal point in leading the congregation through the songs. There are rarely
overheads to present the words, instead you need to listen to the leader’s
voice. The eyes of the worship leader are open while singing in order to
interact with the congregation. They are expected to be a passionate model
of worship. They need to lead with a lot of energy and excitement and be
comfortable to speak to the congregation with direction. The worship leader
speaks with authority, giving instructions to the whole congregation and
also invites the people to “unload” in God’s presence.

Distinct musical elements and the use of time in worship:

In Mexican congregations there will be a horn section, guitars and many
percussion instruments. In Puerto Rican congregations there will be many
singers up front. In all Latin music auxiliary percussion, tambourines,
congas and the drum set are essential instruments. Singers are usually
women, and they sing in unison. There is not as much emphasis placed on
vocal harmony, so for example all 9 women up front could be singing in
unison. Songs are often taught in the call and response style since there
are rarely overheads to look at. There is a lot of repetition of each part
within the song and the direction of the song can be manipulated wherever
the leader wants it to go. If the songs are in Spanish, it is dishonoring
to the congregation to mispronounce the words since you are singing in many
people’s native tongue.
The younger generation is beginning to introduce the Latin rhythms into
their worship songs. There is great controversy within the generations of
the church over what music is appropriate to worship to. Older generations
see Latin music as a reminder of the “womanizing bar scenes” and prefer to
sing Western hymns and “white” praise songs as a sign of their break from
the worldly ways. Younger generations are attracted to praise songs that
sound like the music they listen to everyday and prefer to worship God in
their familiar musical culture.
The volume level of worship is sustained at a constant high level within
the worship in the Latino style. Celebrative worship gives permission for
people to shout, sing loudly, and express themselves boldly. When worship
becomes more meditative, there is still a loud “hovering” sound in the
background of people speaking out loud, crying, praying with others. This
will happen within a song, where the singers stop and the band continues to
play a section over and over. Worship seldom becomes quiet or completely
silent.
Similar to Asian and Black churches, the worship experience in Latino
churches is not defined by one song, but by the experience of many songs
together. Worship is not declared done by the clock, but by the
congregation’s experience with the Holy Spirit. Because it is a communal
experience only when the entire congregation has met with the Lord is the
service is over. The individual’s own time needs or process is subordinate
to the group.

Important themes and emphasized characteristics of God in Latino worship:

Celebration of God’s goodness is a very important theme in the Latino
worship style. Joy in the Lord is often emphasized in the worship services.
The community experience is also present in worship songs, and felt as they
are sung. Often songs about the Holy Spirit, God’s spirit falling and the
Kingdom of God, His power, authority and reign in this world are frequently
sung about and praised.

Overall atmosphere in the Latino worship setting:

An energetic experience of community in God’s presence is the overall
feeling of a worshipper in a Latino church. It’s loud, bold, and
emotionally intense. There is an expectation of a deep emotional connection
to God. The congregation does not see crying in worship as out of the
ordinary, or cause for concern. There is often space within the worship
time to wait on the Lord, unloading your burdens and giving over your pain.
Prayer times in worship are very powerful. There is permission for people
to have outward (and audible) expressions of deep emotion during the
worship service.
Another element of the overall atmosphere is the use of visual arts to
communicate emotion and the values of the community. “If you want to know
what is important to the community, look at the murals around the
neighborhood.”

Compiled thoughts on African-American Worship Language: An experience of freedom and celebration of God’s power

The role of the worship leader:

The worship leader in the Gospel style is a passionate leader who exhorts
the congregation to worship God with their whole being. Often described as
being “anointed by God” to take spiritual authority, they direct the
congregation to worship as they feel the Holy Spirit leading them. They
create energy and momentum in the group, the “hipe-person”. Seen as God’s
instrument by the congregation, they are able to give commands like “raise
your hands, get on your feet” and the congregation responds appropriately.
The worship leader is also a storyteller and gives his own testimony
frequently. While songs are being sung, the leader will sing over top, ad-
libing words to help the congregation get into worship and also have a deep
emotional experience. The worship leader is the one who determines the
direction and length of the song, and often leads the transitions in-
between songs. They will lead with their eyes open in songs that are
celebrative and community-oriented, and with their eyes closed in more
meditative songs. Rarely do worship leaders play an instrument and sing at
the same time.

Distinct musical elements and the use of time in African-American worship:

Repetition is the most common musical element in African-American worship.
The song in it’s entirety will be repeated a lot, as well as each section
of the song can be broken down and repeated exclusively. Often songs are
led to musically grow into a climax, and they often stay at a climactic
point (being very loud, allowing for bold emotional expressions like
crying, screaming, etc.) for a while and then come back down to where the
song began. The reason for the repetition is to give the “whole person” a
chance to respond to the truth of the words. Repetition allows for the Holy
Spirit to speak a personal word to each individual, and then more
repetition allows the individual to respond with their mind and emotions.
The worship band is usually large, drum set, bass, a few keyboards,
electric guitar, brass section, a choir of singers and a few lead singers.
The musical goal in the songs is to achieve a “tight” sound, where everyone
is playing together and the sound is polished. Doing things together like
choral swells, or unison melodic riffs in the band create that tight sound.
Working towards musical excellence is considered the way that the band
members give glory to God. Therefore, instrumental solos or complicated
musical riffs are frequently heard to allow people to worship God by
recognizing the talent He has given to the player. Most often the
instrumentalists only play their parts and the singers only sing. Since the
arrangements are often very complex, only doing one task enables everyone
to focus on doing that one thing well. Many new songs are the same ones
written by white composers and the church has changed the harmonies to
create an “urban sound” to them. For example, the song There is none like
you.
The involvement of the congregation is an important musical element to the
style. Many people in the congregation will bring their own tambourine and
play along with their own rhythms. Singers will sing in harmony or sing
their own testimonies over top to the song. Often space will be created at
the end of a song in order for the congregation to create their own musical
response to God. In general, the congregation is not expected to respond
uniformly. It is a communal experience that is enriched by everyone’s
individual expressions. They feel free to sing, clap, dance, sing harmony,
and respond to the Holy Spirit however they wish.
A note on cross-cultural participation: It is important to correctly
pronounce the words the way the congregation and leader are singing them.
Since the same words are often pronounced differently by white and black
folks, white folks need to listen carefully if they want to participate in
the song the way their black brothers and sisters are singing it.
The common worship experience of an African-American church is an all day
affair, filled with singing, preaching, praying, fellowship and eating. As
with Asian and Latino churches, “Having church” happens only when a song or
group of songs have sufficiently allowed for an emotional interchange
between you and the Holy Spirit. Since this cannot be planned, space must
be created to allow for the spontaneous response to the working of the
Spirit. Sometimes singing can be relatively contained to the way the band
planned the song, sometimes the song is extended for 15 minutes in order to
allow the Spirit to move as it wishes. There is often music behind prayer
and different chords and sounds can evoke different emotions. There is
music to prepare the congregation to enter into spiritual battle, music to
reflect on God’s goodness, music to move the congregation to celebrate
God’s character. Very rarely is there long periods of quiet or silence in
the worship setting. Music is the string that connects all the elements of
the service together.

Important themes and emphasized characteristics of God in African-American
worship:

God’s power and His promises are a deep source of joy and celebration in
African-American worship services. Often there is a lot of remembering
God’s faithfulness to His people over history. There is a lot of time given
to celebrating the freedom that God will bring to the oppressed and His
promise of liberty, justice and abundant provision. There is great
exuberance in worship because God is Supreme over all and He is the
redeemer of all pain.

Overall atmosphere in African-American worship:

The overall atmosphere in African-American worship is a celebration of
freedom in God as a Holy community. Because the people are filled with hope
and joy that God is powerful, the whole community celebrates with
everything they have. This often also includes wearing your best clothes to
church as a sign of reverence and celebration. It’s usually loud and the
room is filled with excitement, (sometimes appearing to be chaotic because
of people’s freedom in the spirit). There is an expectation that the whole
person will meet with God deeply and have an emotional experience in His
presence through the worship time.

Compiled thoughts on Asian American worship language: An experience of devotion and intimacy with God

Role of the worship leader:

The worship leader in Asian American worship reflects Asian cultural values
of humility and indirect communication. The worship leader leads by being
an authentic lead worshipper and using the non-verbal cues of musical
dynamics. Therefore they are focused more on their own worship experience,
relying on their model to give space for others to worship. The worship
leader will take whatever posture they feel is authentic and often worship
with their eyes closed. The experience of worshipping God is what is at the
forefront, therefore the worship leader takes a back seat in order for
people to focus on God. In order to create safety and freedom, the leader
will model what is appropriate rather than talk and explain. If they do
speak, it is often either a prayer or an invitation to the congregation to
move deeper into communion with the Holy Spirit. Too much speaking could be
interpreted as being manipulative to the individual experience of the
worshiper, or a sign that the worship leader is not fully worshipping
herself. The instrument (usually guitar or keyboard) gives the leading
cues, not necessarily the leader’s voice. Unfortunately, there is also a
lot of pressure placed upon the worship leader to be an excellent
representative of the Asian American community.

Distinct musical elements and the use of time:

The experience of worship in the Asian American style is defined by a set
of songs, not just one song. There needs to be enough time for musical
worship to build in intensity and create intimacy. The first song is just a
“warm-up” and there is rarely talking in-between songs in order to build
and sustain emotional intensity. Musical dynamics subtly communicate to the
congregation the direction of the song. This is why most often the worship
leader is playing an instrument while singing. They “speak” through the
instrument, giving directions to the band and the congregation. Musical
dynamics are very important, though quieter. The soft, more intimate times
are very quiet, usually led by one vocalist and a single instrument, while
the loud times are not as spontaneous or exuberant as other musical styles.
Musical excellence is a high priority and is seen as giving glory to God.
Excellence is the goal of the band together, not the individual players.
Instrumentalists don’t want to attract too much attention to themselves by
playing complicated solos because that would detract attention from
worshipping God. Songs from Vineyard, Hillsongs, Worship Together and
Passion writers are most frequently sung and loved in Asian American
churches. Often the song’s order is manipulated and the song can be
extended by instrumental space within the structure of the song. Another
common musical tag is to end the song by slowing the tempo considerably and
repeating the chorus out of tempo. This allows for one last opportunity to
reflect on the content of the song.

Important themes and emphasized characteristics of God in Asian American
worship services:

Asian American cultural values obviously influence the attributes of God
most focused upon. Sacrifice and servanthood are ultimate cultural
expressions of love, and consequently many songs focus upon our total
service and devotion in response to God’s sacrifice of His Son. Singing
words of extreme sacrifice and commitment aren’t false to Asian Americans
who consistently feel that they aren’t able to fulfill expectations. For
Korean Americans in particular, the concept of “han” – of great suffering
and despair – easily finds its way into the language of sacrifice,
suffering and devotion found in Christian circles. God’s holiness and our
utter depravity make God’s unconditional acceptance tremendously healing,
particularly when Asian Americans often do not find expressive love from
their own parents. Our repentance in light of His holiness and
transcendence is often present in services. The mystery and transcendence
of God, His glory and Holiness inspire deep awe and reverence in worship
services. Also there is often a long section of songs which draw people
into an intimate relationship with Jesus. God as a close and tender Father
is often a healing characteristic for Asian American worshippers.

Overall atmosphere in Asian American worship setting:

The overall atmosphere of worship in an Asian American style is intimate
and the focus is seemingly on the individual experience. It is true that
there is an individualistic component to Asian American worship. This feels
counter-intuitive, particularly because of the high value on community in
Asian American circles. But, worship provides an atmosphere to finally
escape the expectations of community and “face saving,” and gives an
opportunity to seek individual expression and freedom. Yet at the same
time, one would feel very uncomfortable being the only one fully engaged in
worship. Unless you were the worship leader, one would feel very
uncomfortable being the odd one out, egging others on in worship. The sense
that we are connected in worship never truly leaves an Asian American. The
lights are dim in order to create safety and intimacy. There is emotional
intensity that is not necessarily outwardly expressed as intensely as it is
felt.

Compiled thoughts on Caucasian North American Worship language:

Role of the worship leader:

The worship leader in North American Caucasian worship style is often seen
as the teacher and guide to the Throne Room of God. The leader will teach
the congregation about who God is and how we should appropriately respond
to Him. Often the leader will offer an explanation before the songs, giving
the congregation an understanding of what is ahead and why we are singing
the song. Since there is much in white culture that wants to succeed by
doing things the correct way, congregations look towards the worship leader
for direction in responding to God correctly. Often the leader will speak
permission to the congregation to respond in a variety of ways with their
bodies. Many congregations do not feel free to respond differently than the
group and will not act independently unless given permission by the worship
leader. However once the leader has said, “if you feel like standing before
God, you may do so” then often people will choose to stand even though the
majority may remain seated. Perhaps the desire to worship correctly is one
of the reasons why so many caucasian people feel safe and free in a
traditional liturgical worship style. The worship leader also creates
momentum for the congregation to worship, but it is much more reserved than
in the African-American church. The majority of churches view God with a
western mind set believing that certain things are either sacred or
secular, and only a certain level of excitement or emotion is often
appropriate in church. The worship leader gives instruction as to what
expressions are appropriate in their particular church culture. The worship
leader often plays an instrument (most likely acoustic guitar or keyboard)
and sings as well.

Distinct musical elements and the use of time in worship:

Following the theme of worshipping “correctly”, contemporary songs are
often done in a similar way every time. This helps everyone in the
congregation feel comfortable to worship because there aren’t any surprises
to figure out how to sing correctly. There may be some repetition involved,
but it is usually planned out by the band ahead of time, and almost never
changes the general order of the song. Often the chorus will be repeated
and the last line of the song repeated as an ending tag. In order for
everyone to sing the right words together, there is almost always a hymnal,
chorus book or PowerPoint projection of the words.
Musical contributions from the congregation are often limited. Often the
congregation is holding the printed words and so they don’t have hands free
to clap. When they do clap, it is often on every beat, or 1 and 3 beats.
There is often songs with “fancy” clapping parts in sections which are done
the same way every time. Depending on the area of North America you live
in, the following contemporary pubishers would be focused upon: Vineyard,
Passion, Worship Together, Integrity, Maranatha and Hillsongs. In general,
much of the upbeat music has a similar feel to rock, which feels like every
beat is emphasized. This is why many students jump up and down to the
music. Songs can end in silence. The range in volume is comparable to Asian
American worship, and not as loud as Latino or African-American.

Important themes and emphasized characteristics of God:

A personal relationship with God is often sung about, calling God our
friend, our Father, etc. The cross as God’s sacrifice for us, our response
of repentance and personal piety and forgiveness are also common themes.
Nature and Creation are commonly reasons to give praise. God’s mercy and
His desire for our holiness are often themes of slow reflective songs.

Overall atmosphere in North American Caucasian worship:

There is often a lot of symbolism in Caucasian churches: the cross, altar,
candles and visual art. The overall experience is focused on helping the
individual connect with the Triune God.