The New Core of Worship

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Valley Christian Magazine asked Brownsville’s Livingway Family Church Worship Leader Ryan Moore to reflect on Integrity Music’s recent choice and release of “25 Songs That Changes The Way We Worship” and on being a Worship Leader in today’s church.  Here are his thoughts and reflection.

By Ryan Moore

As I looked through a CD list of 25 songs that changed the way we worship, I noticed that most of those songs are still played in churches around the world TODAY. I think the reason these songs changed the way we worship in Church is they are worship songs that don’t have an expiration date on them. They were written to last a long time and to be at the core of our worship services.

These songs were the start of changing the way we think about worship in general, from self-centered to God-centered. Before these songs were written Worship had a reputation of just being the music that happens on the stage before the pastor brings the Word. These songs have helped change our culture from thinking in that mindset into thinking that worshipping God is an everyday thing, not just what we do on Wednesday or Sunday. Musical worship is now becoming a lifestyle. It is no longer about a genre.

I don’t think we have a full mindset change quite yet in the body of Christ, but we are getting there.

I became a worship leader six years ago. It was a shock for me as well as the people of Livingway Family Church. I had just finished school at Hillsong International Leadership College in Sydney, Australia and if you know Hillsong music, they are at the progressive forefront of worship all around the world. I would say they are the most contemporary style of worship out there and I was accustomed to that style for two years.

I figured a change to that would go over well in my congregation…..Well, it didn’t.

People would say “It’s too loud,” or “It’s like a rock concert in here” and “this is too modern for church.” It was where we were heading as a church, but not everyone wanted to make that happen (In which it never will, so you just continue in obedience to what God and your Pastor tells you).

It took songs like “Open the Eyes of My Heart” “You Are Good” and “Shout to the Lord” to open the door to where worship was headed and where It is still going. Now I can almost sing any style in our church and it doesn’t matter because the knowledge of what worship really is has been made present to the congregation through the help of these songs.

Even though some of these songs are a little before my time, they mean a lot to me and still have so much spiritual significance to my life as a worship leader. Most of these songs are still being sung in my church today and hey will still be sung probably long after I am gone. These songs have inspired me to write more God-centered songs for the Church in general and I believe they are doing the same for all of us songwriters out there. These kinds of songs will be the ones we are all singing when we get to heaven.

God you are “Awesome in This Place,” and we sing “Hosanna” to your name. “I am Free” to live for you God, and “I Exalt Thee” in heaven as I did on earth. What a glorious day that will be when we have worship leaders from all over the world singing these songs together worshipping our God in heaven. I can’t wait!

Thank God for giving these songwriters these great songs that will continue to inspire worship leaders, pastors and congregations throughout the world. May we continue to make sure Jesus remains at the center of our worship services through the songs that we write and present so that he may be known to the lost souls seeking salvation that walk into our services each weekend!