Worship Podcast
How you think about worship makes all the difference.
It’s either a job title or it’s who you are.
It’s either a song you sing or a lifestyle you lead.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s more of a career for me. Which is silly to think about. How can something so pure, so miraculous, become an activity I dial in?
Many status updates have been written. Article after article. But it’s hard to put into words the kind of tragedy we are experiencing in our culture.
If you’ve ever experienced tragedy, you know how difficult it can be to count it all joy. To sing. To have faith.
Maybe you received a terrifying diagnosis. Or you lost your job. Or the offering plate passes by as you wonder how you’ll pay your bills. Maybe you and your spouse are disconnected and feel like it’s over. Maybe a family member has died. Maybe Orlando, Houston, or France.
Whatever the case, as worship leaders we need to be sensitive to grief and lament and make it a regular part of our worship gatherings.
I wonder…if Jesus were to evaluate our worship would cool be a value?
If the Son of God stepped into our Sunday morning services, would impressed be a word He’d use?
It’s time for the worship leaders to arise who care deeply about people and care deeply about the presence of God. A kind of worship leader who knows the people he serves and knows the God He worships.
If you enjoy fashion, that is no problem. But that’s not your strength as a worship leader.
If you have a trendy voice, that is a great gift. But it’s not your strength as a worship leader.
If you are a skilled songwriter, that is wonderful. But it’s not your strength as a worship leader.
If you have a ton of on-stage energy, that will serve you well. But it’s not your strength as a worship leader.
What sets you apart? What makes you a great leader? It’s your ongoing hunger for God’s presence and a deep compassion for people. Period.
I don’t think any of us would disagree that corporate worship is a place of encounter.
Sure, we gather for community. But we don’t just gather for community. Sure, we gather to hear God’s Word. But we don’t just gather to hear God’s Word. We gather because the Spirit has promised to come where His people are gathered.
Heaven and earth collide. In corporate worship we meet with the living, real presence of God.
But how do we know if we’re encountering the real thing?
I believe the answer lies in what we begin to crave Monday-Friday. Over time, the habit of worshiping in church every week should produce a new desire. We crave more that which we spend time doing.
At what point does excellence and production value become too much?
When does it cease to serve the local church and instead, distract us from our goal – equipping the saints for the work of ministry?
We’re always waiting for what’s next. Doing more. Making everything better.
I’ve heard the argument on both sides.
If your production is over-the-top excellent, you are a seeker sensitive, sellout church with no Bible, no depth, and a congregation that shows up to be entertained.
If you’re a small church with little to zero production value…well, that’s also looked upon with a certain degree of chagrin. You at least have to be using a click, right?