Darren Mulligan: Bigger Platform = God is Ignored?

As a CCM rock n’ roll band leader of We Are Messengers, most Christian’s automatically put labels and categories around Darren Mulligan’s ministry. But isn’t it fun when someone blows apart stereotypes and surprises you with wisdom and heartfelt conviction!? 

At Worship Leader, we’re committed to platforming a variety of voices around topics like worship theology and music, unity in the Church, and effective ways to spread the Gospel given today’s cultural movements. Darren’s vision around his songwriting as a ministry focused on songs for the people of God and others who are dealing with mental health issues, anxiety, doubt, etc. shows those of us looking to label something as worship or not worship should broaden our definitions and reevaluate our assumptions. 

…part of my worship is evangelizing and inspiring people who have maybe drifted from him to turn to him.

There’s room in the Body of Christ for those singing vertical songs and those writing and singing songs that are more story driven in a rock context. Each can bring people to the throne room in a different way. Praise the Lord for diversity and creativity and, if you subscribe to our content, you can expect to continue to hear more interesting voices like Darren.

New Music by We Are Messengers

Album Review “Power“

Power+ is a reggae flavored, infectious album.  With each successive track, listeners are drawn in to wanting more of the beats that We Are Messengers are throwing down, while also being drawn in to an intense desire to know the driving force behind those beats.

Transcription

I would consider what We Are Masters do is worship music. And part of the reason I consider it that is we’re a rock and roll band. We’re pretty varied in terms of our sound and style. Stylistically, we’re very varied. But I view it as that because of the fruit that we see coming from what we do. You know, sometimes we say worship music is just- like it’s a worship event where everyone’s singing vertical songs to God about God.

We tend to write a lot of songs about the people of God living lives that are maybe wrestling with doubt or anxiety or mental health issues, and about how God meets us there. And in turn, those people find hope, they find meaning, they find purpose. And the fruit of it is that a whole generation of people are turned towards loving God.

And so part of my worship is evangelizing and inspiring people who have maybe drifted from him to turn to him. And so, yes, worship can be assigned, it can be a lyric, it can be a movement. But for me, the fruit is proof of what the music is actually doing. Is it worshiping God or is it worshiping ourselves?

If it’s worshiping ourselves, the fruit is, “I get a bigger platform, more money, sell more records, and God is ignored.” If it’s worshiping God, we see prostitutes come to him. We see people turning away from their adultery, their pornography and their sin. We see the church inspire to support young women in crisis pregnancies with their time, their energies and their money.

So yeah, I think we do worship an injustice when we categorize it as a particular sound or style. It’s much bigger than all of that.

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