When Worship Becomes Performance.
Worship is meant to be a dialogue with God, rooted in John 4:23, participatory and communal, not a spectacle. Today’s services often mirror concerts with LED walls, concert lighting, heavy bass, click tracks, and smoke, which can overshadow spiritual engagement. With altars removed or minimized, stages can center performers instead of God. Leaders are urged to pursue excellence guided by the Holy Spirit, not applause, recalling David’s resolve to offer God what costs something (2 Samuel 24). When performance takes priority, congregations become spectators rather than worshippers. The call is to train musicians as ministers, shift language from set lists to services, and make room for silence, repentance, and Spirit-led spontaneity. Sacrosanctum Concilium affirms sacred music should foster unity, solemnity, and prayerful delight. True worship is surrender to God’s sovereignty, and our offerings should rise like Abel’s accepted sacrifice.
