Jesus' Disciples Didn't Jell Their Hair??

I was standing by an older pastor at a special University Sunday at his church.  The Youth Minister and a student band were leading in a very well done contemporary worship set.  The pastor said to me, "You've seen music go from soup to nuts during your career haven't you."

Yes, I have.  I remember when at each of our events a different student was asked to lead and another student was asked to play the piano.  We went from that to taped accompaniment and the words put on the wall with an overhead projector.  We were out front and way outside the box!  Then, when we started what is now the contemporary worship movement, a College Minister said to me, "We have finally gotten to authentic worship".  I said, "I wonder what will come after this."  He looked at me horrified.....there is nothing after this....this is it was his clear thought.

I know to some it is sacrilegious to say, but THERE IS ALWAYS A NEXT.....there will be another new thing at some point.  It might be as crazy as one person playing a keyboard and leading. God uses different things at different points.  We must never lose sight of that.  It is always difficult to keep the message and the vehicle separate.  Jesus did not have a cool worship leader that I know of.....maybe even none of the disciples jelled their hair or wore skinny jeans.  Plus, I don't think there was a light show at the Sermon on the Mount (unless God lit the sky).

Our message must never be that we are cool, edgy, outside the box or look good in V-neck tee shirts.  Our message cannot be that our band is better than or louder than your band.  Our message must always be that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and broken.

If your vehicle is your message, your message will go out of style.  If our message and ministry is clearly about Jesus.....then, our ministries will be good for eternity.  Be current....connect with students and communicate in ways they get and understand.....just don't ever think the cool and your edginess is the main thing.

"Methods are many, principles are few.  Methods often change, principles never do."

Arliss Dickerson is a college ministry/leadership consultant and the author of five books on college ministry available at amazon.com (type in Arliss Dickerson).  "ALMOST Everything About College Ministry" will be available in early summer at Amazon.