Following the recent release of their latest album, Let There Be Light, DAVID ADAMS talks to Hillsong worship leader Jonothan Douglass – better known as ‘JD’ – about his journey with Christ, worship leading and what it means to be a worshipper…
Worship has long been part of the DNA of Hillsong and their latest worship album, Let There Be Light, is testament to it.
But it’s a mistake to think of worship as simply the time spent in a church singing on a Sunday, according to Jonathan Douglass, one of the worship leaders on the album better known to most as ‘JD’. That’s only a fraction of what worship is really all about.
ON STAGE: ‘JD’ leads worship at a Hillsong event. PICTURE: Supplied
“Really, if I could use one other word…to describe what worship is, it’s a response, it’s thankyou to encountering who Jesus is, His love, His grace, His mercy, His sacrifice – that God sent Jesus to be on the cross for us.”
“I definitely think that we’ve boxed worship, we’ve made it a lot smaller than it really is, to just a few songs that we sing on a Sunday,” says the 32-year-old father of three who has been on staff with Hillsong for 11 years.
“That is just a very tiny expression of worship…Really, if I could use one other word…to describe what worship is, it’s a response, it’s thankyou to encountering who Jesus is, His love, His grace, His mercy, His sacrifice – that God sent Jesus to be on the cross for us. When we hear that, when we understand it – even though we never fully understand it, I think that our only response should be to worship. And it’s basically just gratitude…”
JD says worship should be evident throughout the lives of Christians.
“I think the Bible does teach us that the way we live our life should be in a way of worship to God, not just when we gather together on a Sunday…It’s kind of almost cliché now, but the truth is that worship should be a lifestyle, and Romans 12:1 really does kind of talk about bringing your life before God, that’s our reasonable act of worship.”
Raised in a Christian family, he started attending the church’s Hills campus – then the only campus of the church which now spans the globe – as a child and gradually became involved more in music at the church as he grew older, first through youth group and then in the “big church” choir and eventually touring with UNITED. As well as singing and worship leading, he’s since written songs and can be heard on a number of albums, including the latest which was recorded at this year’s Hillsong Conference in Sydney.
While JD says he thinks every album is special, he says he “genuinely feels” this album is the best they’ve ever done.
“We’ve written songs that are relevant to the season that we’re living in right now and I think Let There Be Light is definitely a statement we’re declaring that our hope is on Christ and He is the light of the world.”
He says this an especially important message given the fact that whenever you open a newspaper or watch a TV news bulletin, “there’s not a lot of hope out there and it can seem dark at times.”
“We don’t deny the world that we live in but we also want to elevate the God that we serve above that and believe that the Word of God is true and Jesus is the light of the world. So I think that we’re really wanting to more and more be bold and make that confession in the circumstances and seasons that we’re in as the world today. I think that’s while it’s resonating with a lot of people…”
Pressed to name his favorite song on the album – he’s loving listening to them all, he nominates Marty Sampson’s Elohim. “I just really like it because…it’s such a different melody in the verses and the chorus is really simple but then it comes with this most power-punching bridge in this declaration of who God is and so that’s been something that we’ve been loving singing at church and I’ve been loving listening to it in the car.”
While he says he wouldn’t describe his family as particularly musical – although they always appreciated music, since his childhood years, however, music has always been a special part of his relationship with God. He recalls, for example, being on a camp with his Sunday school group.
“I remember singing songs to God and feeling His presence and knowing this was real. I felt His love and really, I guess, that led me on the journey of wanting to know more and discovering who God is.”
SHINING: Hillsong Worship’s Let There Be Light is performing strongly on secular charts.
“We’re basically just pointing people to Jesus, that’s our role. But we need to know how to get there ourselves and that life is built off the platform [of] genuinely having that relationship with Jesus.”
JD was aged about 12 when he made a deliberate decision to serve God and, while he continued to be involved in music, it wasn’t until he was aged around 16 or 17 that his enjoyment of music grew into something more.
“I kind of looked around and realised I was singing a lot and thought ‘OK, if this is what I’m doing I’m the kind of guy who wants to do it with my whole heart’ and as a result ended up starting to write songs and leading worship. It didn’t happen overnight…”
Now well-experienced as a worship leader, he says the most important lesson he’s learned in the role is that “you can’t take people to a place you haven’t been yourself”.
While it’s important for worship leaders to “steward their gift” through the hard work of learning the songs and skills needed to do the task, JD adds, “I think it all just starts with being a worshipper”.
“I think we’ve all seen people who are trying to tick all the boxes in picking a good song and singing that as best they possibly can, but if they’re genuinely not there to glorify God and help connect people…” he says, trailing off.
“I think another way of describing a worship leader – they’re like a signpost…We’re basically just pointing people to Jesus, that’s our role. But we need to know how to get there ourselves and that life is built off the platform [of] genuinely having that relationship with Jesus.”
~ http://hillsong.com/worship/
