Death and the Worship Leader (part I)

dougallord

Note: Recently, at a conference in the USA, I was shocked as I read the news of the unexpected passing away of a member of our UK small group – a woman with whom I would speak weekly after church about a variety of topics.   The following blog (and series) was in development for the last few months, and I pray some of the exhortations are things I have lived out and not just commended.

I remember sitting with and visiting our good friend Lynn as she was in her last few days of her battle with cancer.  Becoming less and less responsive, her face usually in a grimace of pain. Sometimes groans or cries of pain escaping her.

But every now and then, those of us gathered would sing hymns of faith. 

And her face would relax in those few brief moments.

“Death is a part of life” 

 – No, it’s not. It is life’s antithesis. 

Prior to the Fall, humanity was not intended to experience death.  It’s horrible and agonising and sometimes disgusting.

And in fact, one day all will be raised –
“For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

‘Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. “

John 5:26-29
(emphasis mine)

 – And.. yes, death is a part of life.

Until Jesus returns, death will impact us all.

“And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28)

“…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned “
Rom 5:12

So worship leader – how are you preparing the flock you care for to be prepared for the inevitable?

If the “only certain things are death and taxes”, then are we helping our people to meet death in a Christ-trusting way?  A God exalting way?

The way filled with hope.

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” 1 Thess. 4:13-14

An ecstatic expression over sins removed, cleansing and freedom in Christ are a witness – but there may be just as powerful (perhaps more so) a witness to the power of the Gospel in our response to suffering and death as in our joyful praise. A people meeting the bleakness with full assurance of faith and confident hope.


As worship music ministers, we should prepare the congregation with songs for this eventuality
 – we do not cease to exist, we do not enter ‘sleep’ as we think of it on earth (nightmares and dreams), we will be immediately in a new realm, fully conscious. 
(This blog isn’t about showing the reality of that from the Bible) – my point here is:  as worship leaders, we must prepare our churches for death.

How are we preparing them to grieve with hope the loss of a loved one (sudden or prolonged). 

Or how about those who have received a terminal prognosis, or the dreaded words… ‘stage 4’?  How do our songs prepare them to “tread the verge of Jordan” when “fast falls the eventide”? And to do so in a way that embraces Jesus’ words in John 5:24, “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.”  Has passed. Past tense.

Grief of a passed loved one does not end at the graveside as the casket is slowly lowered.  Grief continues in waves – sometimes for decades.  

How are we preparing our congregations to continue to trust, follow, be filled with hope and yes, even rejoice in suffering (Rom 5:3)?  

Part of our role as those leading worship is to have songs in our repertoire that the saints can sing in these times, and beyond.

Do your songs prepare them to do so?

We need to teach our people songs of rich theology of facing death as Christ-followers.
 
Do they know songs like:


“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” – 1 Cor 15:26

What are other theologically rich songs that can help prepare us for death?

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