These last songs must be sung while standing, because the rise will drop blood to the brain and the increase in exposed skin will drop body temperatures. This leads to a light, floating feeling also produced when one huffs paint. The music drops, and sometimes vanishes all together, and everyone gets really mellowed out. They are basically on a trip, psychologically, physically, emotionally, they have been all but hypnotized. They are nearly braindead, we ensured a physical change and posture to cut circulation to their head. We rhythmically moved them into a trancelike state. And now comes the finale! An apparently impromptu monologue by the worship leader. To my knowledge they are impromptu. And they had better be! If they are not, worship leaders intentionally plan a mini-sermon behind the pastor's back. And a minisermon filled with theological loopholes, assumptions, and even outright falsehoods and lies. I've heard theological outrages spoken during a worship leader monologue with guitar background filler and a voice that sounds like the guy is having an orgasam on stage; and no one, not even the pastor said a word.
Things like, "Jesus never said he wanted us to be perfect" Really? He didn't? I must be imagining that Matthew 5:48 in the Bible then, It must actually just skip straight from 5:47 to 5:49.
"All God wants is our love, we don't need to do anything or say anything to make him happy, just love him" OK... so James was being sarcastic when he went off about faith without works being dead? You may say "Oh he's taking these out of context" It's the first assumption. I hate it when people do that, I don't want to do that. I am not! It's what was being said. Maybe not what was meant, but what was meant is on the same ground as what was said in public speaker, because we must remember, even the dimmest in the audience must understand our meaning and how will they except by what is said?
I generally don't collect false teachings, so this is all the more I can give you of examples for now, but I've heard a plethora of foolish ideas and straight out lies from these musical monologues.
If you need proof, find a good guitar-only track of a very repetetive worship song. Put it on repeat, and read these words in an airy voice, like you're in an early musical, talking romantially to the primary love interest.
"Last night... I was lying in my bed... and I just couldn't sleep... And then it just... it just hit me... I really.... I really wanted a sandwich!... So I just got up and... and my feet hit the floor!.... and I went to the fridge and opened it up.... I got mayonaise... mayo and pickles!... Mustard and turkey... paper thin sliced turkey... I put them all together and as I took my first bite... I just began to realize... I realized, wow!... This bread is moldy!... have you ever been there? Have you ever just realized suddenly... my bread is moldy?... I know I did last night... and all you can say is wow... what a great and wonderful sandwich!.. and it was all wasted... But not to fear! .. Because I had a fresh, new bag... A bag of Standish farms bread!... My sandwich was remade!... and I ate it, and I never looked back!!!. How encouraging!... to know that even a moldy sandwich can be remade!... Tonight... when you lie in bed... I want you to think about that.... about the power of the remade sandwich... and all the hope it brings us... Let's pray!"
First off this is more theologically sound than many mini-musical-monologues I've heard because it doesn't bring God into it at all except to pray to Him. Second... If you lowered the lights and said this in that airy voice... you'll notice how it can cause goosebumps when presented well. it can bring tears to your eyes when performed correctly, and worship leaders must practise this tonality very carefully. It's like they think that by embellishing they get heard by God or something.
This is an Emotional WMD. It's purely designed to knock down your defenses and to cause you to have an emotional experience so that when you walk away you believe the time was significant. You say, "I'm going back to church, because I feel good and energized, and good things happen there" But this is a lie! You should go back to church because the FELLOWSHIP is encouraging, because it is the BODY OF CHRIST! not because you get all goosepimply, and it gives you shivers up your spine. If that's your case for church, I vote you walk into your freezer instead sunday mornings. You'll save about an hour of your time and get the same effect!
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with using good design, or planning out your worship set. What I am saying is that any and all impromptu outbursts in church need to be made with everyone unemotional, of sound mind, and thinking clearly, able to discern from truth and lies and right and wrong so we don't mislead people and send them to hell and ourselves to stern rebukes! Furthermore, no one, not even the pastor having planned for weeks his message, should be allowed to speak with emotional music in the background. Ever. It is a trick, and we don't need tricks, manipulation, hypnotism, or sleight of hand to tell people about the Truth of Jesus. It's the Holy Spirit, not their emotions that move them to faith in Jesus. If they are moved there by their emotions, it will be a shallow faith, and the second things get a little hot, they'll bug out. They'll be worse off because they could not finish what they started, and every entry to the church will begin with the bitters of their last exit.
Some people enjoy emotional time, and that's fine, but heaven forbid we teach lies with our emotional time. It's great for worship, it's great to encourage openness and fellowship in a safe environment, but it is horrible to engender discerning discussion about the truth. Furthermore, it's a tactic that outright says "I don't trust you Holy Spirit, I'm going to do your job for you.!"
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