In the last post, we established that everyone serving on Sunday mornings is a lead worshiper. From people on stage to people backstage to those in the tech booth, we're all lead worshipers.
Today, I wan to focus on what we need to do to be the best lead worshipers we can possibly be, and again this comes right out of Rory Noland's The Worshiping Artist.
Noland says, "The first step in becoming a worshiping artist, and an effective worshiper, is to become a vibrant private worshiper. You can't lead others in an experience that you yourself aren't having already."
Author Jerry Bridges puts it this way, "The vitality and genuineness of corporate worship is to a large degree dependent upon the vitality of our individual private worship. If we aren't spending time daily worshiping God, we're not apt to contribute to the corporate experience of worship. If we aren't worshiping God during the week, how can we expect to genuinely participate in it on Sunday morning? We may indeed go through the motions and think we have worshiped, but how can we honor and adore One on Sunday whom we have not taken time to praise and give thanks to during the week?"
Noland finishes this section by writing, "If a church wanted to take the next step in improving its worship, I wouldn't rush to change the program or find a new worship leader, I would encourage every member to become a personal worshiper."
I don't have this all figured out yet, and there are still a number of days where I don't feel like a private worshiper, but I'm working on it. And that's my prayer right now for the worship team at Cherry Hills. I want us to work on our hearts; on our private worship. We're bringing in Joe Horness on August 23rd to help us learn how to do this better, but we can start today.
Spend a few minutes today reading the Bible and keeping company with God. Listen to praise music in the car when you're driving to work or running an errand. Or how about turn the television off tonight for a few minutes and pray in silence.
I'm convinced this is the next great step for our worship arts ministry. God has provided all the talent in the world, now we need to be good stewards.
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7 comments:
I agree with the needing to worship in our daily lives in order to be an effective/affective leader in worship. I, too, struggle with this. What does it look like? I think, to each their own. However one can connect to God in her or his day to day life is worship.
I have a problem with the terminology being employed, though. Lead worshiper just does not work for me. It implies a hierarchy within worship. Because one is actively involved in the leading of worship, somehow, their worship is better. I know this is not what is meant, but it is what I interpret. (And I understand that it is an attempt to give props to those behind the scenes.)
I guess I don't really have a point, but just wanted to share my half-cent.
A few years ago, I read Heart of the Artist by Rory Noland that has a similar theme. He's a good writer with good ideas that really put the role of the worship artist into perspective. If you're not walking the walk yourself, how can you expect to lead others in their walk? Thanks for the reminder.
Justin. I love your comments - keep them coming. They make me think.
I think in a perfect world everyone in the church would realize they are a leader (a lead worshiper if you will) and we wouldn't need anyone to lead in corporate singing.
But until that happens someone has to lead the singing. And I think by flipping thinking of ourselves a worship leaders (which I think does create a hierarchy), a lead worshiper infers that everyone in the room is a worshiper and a member of the choir. But there still has to be a leader - I don't see any way around that.
Let me know if you have any thoughts.
i guess it is just different perspectives.
I do not have a problem with the term worship leader. For as long as there has been worship there have been people to help lead the congregation. There are people called to this position. I (and mind you this is as a good baptist ;-))do not see these people as better than me, since the priesthood of all believers states that everyone has the ability to commune directly with God. Unlike other traditions where one must go through a priest, etc. These are people blessed with the gifts of leadership. Maybe there needs to be more emphasis place on the priesthood of all belivers...dunno.
Mind you it is the term lead worshiper that bothers me. It contradicts, in me wee little brain, idea of the poab. It rings of having to go through someone who is better than me to worship. Having someone facilitate worship, to me, is different than having to go through someone.
Now, I know we mean the samething when I say Worship Leader and you say Lead Worshiper, for me it is all about semantics.
Ok...my two cents. As part of a tech team, I really enjoyed being known as "visual worship artist" rather than "the cute blonde who pushes the space bar". It recognizes the heart behind it, and not just that I'm doing something that you can train a monkey to do.
It's all semantics....but there is a subtle difference.
I think part of it, too, is worship style. We do not have a tech team. We have a guy who turns up the pastors and readers mics. We have a pretty traditional service. We have a band that plays about once a month, usually bluegrass, mo-town, classic rock, country (we find the sacred in the secular)...anyhoo.
Our usual group upfront are the co-pastors, one of whom preaches and the other is the liturgist (they alternate) and the choir director and the choir (and organist/pianist). When we have a guest preacher usualy a lay person is the liturgist.
We follow a pretty traditional format...
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