Is worship music a form of emotional manipulation?

October 11, 2007

I’ve got a Google alert set up to email me whenever it comes across something on the web that contains the words “worship leader.” It leads to a lot of good articles discussing and critiquing worship leadership that I may not have come across in my typical surfing habits. This week, it notified me of an interesting post at the No Gods Allowed blog, called My Guitar Gently Weeps. It really got me thinking, and I wanted to post a few of my thoughts in response here at Worship Rising.

The Blog

The author describes himself as a “a guy who gave up Christianity for Atheism,” and the blog discusses the problems with Christianity and religion in general. I would highly recommend anyone reading this go and check it out. There’s also an excellent book recommendation page there, with short descriptions/reviews (more bloggers should do that). I’ve read one or two on his list but need to hit more of them… God is not Great is next up for me.

The Post

Anyway, what caught my eye was his take on music in corporate worship and the role it played in his disillusionment with Christianity. Read the post for the full story, but let me try to (poorly) summarize: He was heavily involved as a guitarist in a Christian campus ministry for several years, but one day realized the impact that the music he was making had on the crowd’s emotions/attitude/response. He describes this recognition by saying “There was no god in the equation. It was just a cheap ploy to manipulate the masses, and I was as much entranced by the spell as anyone,” and goes on to compare the response to such a worship event with African tribal dances, concert-goer hysteria, and (sigh) Benny Hinn.

My Response

Well, it really got me thinking about the power of music– not just on the individual, but on the crowd. Part of what resonated with me was the fact that the best (and, honestly, most “spiritual”) times in my life have occurred in live worship or concert environments. In fact, I describe my career as “creating environments where people can connect with God” just like I did. Is that manipulation? I hope not. Was everything I felt the sole result of well-placed notes? Let me unpack some of my thoughts:

1. Music can (and often does) manipulate.
Yes, I absolutely believe it does. Not only in worship or live situations, either. For instance, what about movie soundtracks? Even the most visually stunning movie, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, makes me feel what it does largely because of the music. Directors design it that way, because they want us to feel something particular about the characters, the story, or ourselves as the audience. Nontheless, I feel manipulation has more to do with the spirit/attitude things are done in, rather than an artist simply trying to envoke an emotional response. After all, what good is art if it doesn’t make you feel?

2. Churches can (and often do) manipulate.
Thankfully, this for the most part has not been my experience. But I’ve seen it happen, a play for emotions in the wrong attitude, like Benny Hinn on TV (great clip at NGA, by the way, watch it with the sound up!) or the documentary Jesus Camp. The hard part for me is that churches and Christians exist that are nothing like that… authentic people who think it is healthy to question and doubt and think for themselves. But all Christ followers have been characterized by some folks that make incredibly bad choices and happen to be charismatic, successful, and well-known. It’s a reputation that the rest of us are going to have to redefine by living out an authentic faith. I despise that reputation, because…

3. I hate being manipulated.
…And to go back to the movie analogy, I can easily think of films that manipulate with music. The first that comes to mind, oddly enough, is Remember the Titans. Sure, it is a good movie with a great story. But after watching it I felt like I had been on an emotional carnival ride and wanted to get off– the music demanded more from me than it should have. My dislike of manipulation has made me ask a lot of the same questions the poster at No Gods Allowed has, not just about my own worship experiences but the ones I craft for others.

I use the word “craft” intentionally, because that is what I do… my hope is for people not just to sing along on Sundays, or learn from the words of the songs, but to feel something specific. I know, for instance, if we end a song in a big “vamp,” or a “messy ending,” it will raise the level of energy in the room, get people excited, they will possibly focus better, and we should be able to transition to the next song easier, which will prevent distractions that could take people out of the moment. Hopefully this is not manipulation but simply opening a door for God to work. My desire is that people will feel something, but all I can do is set the stage for God… only he can make his presence known (I don’t want to say that tritely, it’s the only way I can describe it). I think he’s always worked that way (even in the Old Testament we see his people gathering in groups to worship corporately), which points out a major aspect of how we are created:

4. He has made us with a weakness for art.
This is the reason I am so deeply moved when Joel tries to remember Clementine in Eternal Sunshine, and Beck’s E-pro instantly puts me in a better mood. When we experience something beautiful, we feel. Interestingly, the things that move me do not move others– they find the movies I watch confusing and the music aggravating. But sometimes, some art moves some of us to emotion, sometimes the medium is worship music, and God (sometimes) uses that emotion, those feelings, to communicate with us–after all, worship is a two-way conversation. Hopefully our music serves as the venue for that.

To Close

Hopefully my ramblings here have made sense. I’ve got to admit, I know I’ve crossed the line between manipulation and “opening the door” at times. I know I’ve led worship in the wrong spirit, hoping for an emotional or physical response that people probably weren’t in a place to give. The post reminded me of the responsibility we have to make sure we’re not overstepping our bounds as musicians– as our art, like most art, has incredible power, especially in a group setting. Our dedication to God should not be driven by emotions, but instead approached with our entire selves (minds included)!

If the original poster stops by and reads this, then I want to say thanks again for a thought-provoking post. Know that there is a worship leader out there who wrestles with the thought of manipulation through music. My goal was not to try and give an “answer,” but to meditate on the question and possibly ask more. You bring up some great points!

If anyone has anything to share on the topic, leave a comment at No Gods Allowed or here at Worship Rising.

Posted in Worship Leadership