Worship, Justice and Decolonisation: Celebrating Diversity
Justin Lau was born in Singapore, raised in Japan and is currently based in the
UK where he studied for an MA in English Literature and an MA in Theology and
Ministry. He has served as a worship leader in all three countries, and has
empowered ethnic minorities in the western church whilst seeking to be a bridge
between the East and the West. He writes a Substack newsletter called
‘Decolonising My Faith’ about his journey to integrate his faith with his East Asian
culture and heritage. He now lives in London where he is Worship & Discipleship
Year Pastor at All Saints’ Woodford Wells.
When I hear the word ‘worship’, I think of songs like ‘10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)’ and ‘What a Beautiful Name’, as well as artists like Brooke Ligertwood and Phil Wickham, groups like Bethel and Hillsong. And I love them all. Contemporary worship has played a massive part in my life. Even as a Singaporean Chinese kid growing up in Japan, I would belt ‘Shine Jesus Shine’ at the top of my lungs! And for the past thirteen years, I’ve had the privilege of leading contemporary worship in white-majority charismatic evangelical churches in the UK.
At the same time, I’ve also been on a journey of decolonising my faith: disentangling my faith from unhelpful western influences, and integrating my faith with my East Asian culture and heritage. I’ve come to realise that there isn’t just one right way to worship, and it’s certainly not the predominant western style. Sandra Maria Van Opstal, in her book The Next Worship: Glorifying God in a Diverse World, describes various worship themes/styles common to different cultures around the world: from joyful celebration and victorious freedom (rhythmic and percussive! ad-libbed exhortations!), to awestruck reverence and personal relationship (quiet intensity! deep intimacy!) (p.201-206). Every culture, as well as tradition and denomination, has grasped something of God and learnt to express it through their specific form of worship. We understandably like to stick with what we know, with what is familiar and comfortable, but it’s worth asking ourselves what we communicate about who is welcomed and valued by the way we worship.
One of the ways I’ve witnessed greater inclusivity is by singing in different languages. When my church sang the chorus of ‘How Great is Our God’ in Yoruba, Tamil and Portuguese at Pentecost, the roar from the congregation when they heard and worshipped in their heart language was powerful and moving! Languages often marginalised in western society can be utilised to help the multicultural people of God worship. My friend, Jessie Tang, helps to lead a ministry called Songs2Serve whose aim is to equip churches to worship in different languages – not just tokenistically, but by proactively making space for and learning from one another.
But I recognise that this isn’t always viable. English is still the lingua franca that allows the majority of us to worship in the same language – which is a blessing in many ways, but can also result in complex dynamics. For example, Renie Chow Choy in Ancestral Feeling: Postcolonial Thoughts on Western Christian Heritage shares how her mother from Hong Kong considered western hymns a vital part of her faith formation, despite many hymns invoking ‘imperial’ imagery (p.103). This was partly the result of colonial missionary endeavours: the export of both the English language and the Christian faith means many Majority World Christians cannot completely detach from western influences – positive and negative – without losing a huge part of their identity. I’ve learnt that perhaps the best way forwards is not necessarily rejecting or erasing those influences, but reclaiming and reintegrating them into a more holistic and multifaceted sense of self.
Another way I’ve sought to extend a welcome is by empowering ethnic minorities in the western church, particularly worship leaders, to confidently bring their own vital and unique contribution as valued members of the body of Christ. I’ve experienced how a lack of representation can cause many to consciously or unconsciously self-disqualify themselves from serving or leading. How much are we proactively paying attention to those on the margins, coming alongside and empowering them to play an influential part in our worship?
I remember a beautiful moment one Sunday when a new Nigerian worship leader sang spontaneously during the service. Little did we know that it was a refrain of a well-known song back in Nigeria – and it just so happened that a new Nigerian family who’d recently migrated to the UK were visiting our church for the first time that week, and they were overjoyed to hear something so close to home! Giving her permission and freedom to lead meant we unwittingly (and prophetically) facilitated a divine welcome.
There is increasing awareness of the Majority World’s growing and important influence on the western church, and my heart is for the contributions of Majority World Christians – whether by nationality or heritage – to enrich our church’s worship life. One way we can advocate for this is by encouraging diverse songwriting. It’s great that the western church has fully embraced ‘Way Maker’ by Sinach (from Nigeria), but that was the merest of first steps.
A few years ago, I wrote a worship song influenced by upbeat Japanese music called ‘You’re Calling Us’, which has been well received despite it sounding quite different from the standard western song. I also recently wrote ‘Covered by the Blood’ about the power in the blood of Christ, which was inspired by the realisation that blood is self-evidently significant in many Majority World cultures – not to mention the biblical world – especially compared to the West. It’s been encouraging to see these songs helping to equip the western church with a new set of worship vocabulary.
My friend, Zoë Grace Wang, a British-Chinese singer-songwriter, describes how every person has their own unique story, and their cultural influences inevitably impact their worship. For example, her British-Singaporean-Chinese-ness, as well as her favourite genres of folk and jazz and gospel, all seep into her songwriting. If worship is the most authentic expression of our praise, gratitude and adoration of God, then let’s worship with who we each fully are: with all our stories and backgrounds, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
The more diverse a sound we are able to worship in here on earth, the more we get a prophetic foretaste of the future sound of heaven when every nation, tribe and tongue will worship Jesus forever (Revelation 7.9). And as we embrace and celebrate the rich diversity of the body of Christ, may our manifold worship be a deeply pleasing and fragrant offering to the Lord.
Justin will be leading worship in Oxford on the 17th of March as part of our Worship x Justice Nights. These are nights of prayer, worship, and reflecting on how we can pursue justice in the way of Jesus with the whole of our lives, happening in seven UK cities this March.
Find the nearest Worship x Justice Night to you through the link below.