1. As a logophile (lover of words), we hates it (said in my very best whiny Gollum voice, LOL)! Yes, words change. That doesn't mean I have to like it. ;)
2. It's not very descriptive. Truly, the first time I heard the term I thought it was a new name for the assistant pastor or head of the elder board or something--I envisioned someone who was in charge of coordinating all the 101 different ways to worship within a church to ensure we were all on the same "theme" or focus or something. I was frankly shocked when I finally understood that this was just a new title for the Director of Music, and that people were further changing the meaning of the word "worship" to simply mean "music" (in a church). This is the explanation I have most often given for my pet peeve about this, but I realized the other day that...
3. The music is not really worship at all anymore, at least not for me. :( And I think that's why it bugs me most. Right about the time I started hearing people calling music "worship" and titling the music director as "worship leader" was the same time many churches apparently gave up on the whole idea of congregational singing. Most of the music is loud, repetitive, and shallow (theologically), and it's often completely inappropriate for congregational singing and/or totally unfamiliar (because I don't listen to Christian pop radio). I'm OK with some of the music being this way, because children and young adults SHOULD feel like the very important part of the church that they really are! And we absolutely should have some of the music they prefer at every service. :) But does it have to be ALL of it? Are older adults no longer an important part of the church?? Is there truly no value to passing on to the next generation the classic "hymns of the Faith" that have been around for hundreds of years? :'( I remember as a kid feeling such pride and a sense of belonging when I would master one of the old hymns, envisioning congregations singing it all over the world for hundreds of years... This whole "worship leader" thing is mostly just a minor pet peeve of mine, but that lost tradition truly makes me sad. And seriously, music leaders, do you really not see it as a problem if/when a large portion of your congregation is leaving the service wondering "Does it still count as worship when I am excluded from it?"
2. It's not very descriptive. Truly, the first time I heard the term I thought it was a new name for the assistant pastor or head of the elder board or something--I envisioned someone who was in charge of coordinating all the 101 different ways to worship within a church to ensure we were all on the same "theme" or focus or something. I was frankly shocked when I finally understood that this was just a new title for the Director of Music, and that people were further changing the meaning of the word "worship" to simply mean "music" (in a church). This is the explanation I have most often given for my pet peeve about this, but I realized the other day that...
3. The music is not really worship at all anymore, at least not for me. :( And I think that's why it bugs me most. Right about the time I started hearing people calling music "worship" and titling the music director as "worship leader" was the same time many churches apparently gave up on the whole idea of congregational singing. Most of the music is loud, repetitive, and shallow (theologically), and it's often completely inappropriate for congregational singing and/or totally unfamiliar (because I don't listen to Christian pop radio). I'm OK with some of the music being this way, because children and young adults SHOULD feel like the very important part of the church that they really are! And we absolutely should have some of the music they prefer at every service. :) But does it have to be ALL of it? Are older adults no longer an important part of the church?? Is there truly no value to passing on to the next generation the classic "hymns of the Faith" that have been around for hundreds of years? :'( I remember as a kid feeling such pride and a sense of belonging when I would master one of the old hymns, envisioning congregations singing it all over the world for hundreds of years... This whole "worship leader" thing is mostly just a minor pet peeve of mine, but that lost tradition truly makes me sad. And seriously, music leaders, do you really not see it as a problem if/when a large portion of your congregation is leaving the service wondering "Does it still count as worship when I am excluded from it?"
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