Lately, my social media feed has been full with video clips of live church worship music and something has struck me as an oddity regarding these numerous church worship programs — light shows.

I’ve noticed that there appears to be a trend for light shows as part of the worship music and I’ve noticed this on video clips of both small churches and large churches.

Call me old school, but this idea of having a rock stage style light show participating with the worship band in flashing multi-color spots accenting rhythm and musicians is something I thought was only reserved for use by entertainers wanting to impress their paying audience.

Perhaps it is odd to me because when I became a Christian the focal point of the place called church was the teaching of the Bible.

Cosmetic set decor, dim auditoriums, and stage light shows were something that I only related to such rock tours belonging to KISS, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, and Pink Floyd.

The simplicity of a place of worship speaks volumes to me, mainly that there is no need to add clutter and distraction between the people in attendance and the God who saves.

At CrossHope Chapel we are very intentional about doing church simply and fostering a weekly gathering that encourages growth in personal grace and “knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Our worship music format style is more like a Caribbean prayer room gathering than a large American spectator event. I’m fine with spectator events and I appreciate great musical performance, but the biblical commands of Scripture that we all apply to church attendance, like Hebrews 10:25, make no mention of “performance” or “audience” but rather use interpersonal language like “assembling of ourselves together” and “exhorting one another” and “encouraging each other.”

The biblical way to doing church, as I understand it, is in the principles of Acts 2:42 “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (ESV).

My church worship leader friends tell me that congregational worship music is crafted as to reflect society in order to draw people in the world into church membership.

However, I know, what we win people with is what we win them to, and this may explain why so many bonsai church members never fully develop into “a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither“ (Psalm 1:3, ESV).