Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast

Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, & Worship Leaders?

Where did the term “worship leader” come from?

If it’s not found in Scripture, is it really necessary?

Even though our modern church culture makes such a big deal out of it, does God?

Does worship leading fit into the biblical paradigm of ministry?

I think these are important questions to wrestle with. If this is something that I’m giving my life to I want it to be biblical.

Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4 that he “gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.”

While he doesn’t add “worship leader” to that list, a worship leader can function within any of these ministry gifts.

Here’s what I mean:

  • An apostolic worship leader may break new ground and naturally release other worship leaders into their calling.
  • A prophetic worship leader may clearly hear the voice of God for a particular congregation and speak/sing it over them.
  • An evangelistic worship leader has a heart for those on the ‘outside’. He may go places that other won’t in order to reach the lost and bring others into the presence of God.
  • A pastoral worship leader may approach what he does with a sensitivity to the people he leads and explain what is happening so people don’t feel lost.
  • A teaching worship leader may feel a strong sense of the “why” behind the “what”. He may choose songs that are rich in doctrine and lead people to understand what they are singing.

You may be one or a combination of a few of these.

Truth is, the Bible is filled with references to music, singing, worship, and the exaltation of God. And God calls people to be skillful leaders.

I don’t know about you, but I feel privileged to stand before a local congregation and lead them to encounter the greatness of God every week.

Question: How about you? What type of worship leader are you?

The Heart of Worship: Obeying God

Beyond the music, beyond the songs, beyond the band, lights, gear, rehearsal, and setlists, is your life. A life that needs to love God’s Word and do what it says.

As worship leaders we need to set an example not only in our musical excellence but in how we live our lives. Consider I Timothy 4:12

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

  • Speech – are you glorifying God in your words?
  • Conduct – are you glorifying God in your actions?
  • Love – are you glorifying God in how you treat others?
  • Faith – do you actually believe the song lyrics you lead others in singing?
  • Purity – are you glorifying God in abstaining from sexual sin?

Does what you declare on Sunday oppose what you live Monday-Saturday? Are you more passionate about music and performance than you are living a holy life behind closed doors?

How do you keep it fresh?

Your ministry, that is.

Do you just show up and do it?

Do you fast and pray?

Do you spend a lot of time preparing music?

I’d love to share a few things I do, but I want to hear from you worship leaders or even preachers out there. How do you prepare your heart to do what God has called you to do? Much of what we do is based on routine. How do you keep it fresh and ensure you’re depending on the Holy Spirit each time?

DS

The Heart of Worship: Loving God

Imagine if you had the audacity to approach a guy/girl you were interested in and say, “You will love me. You will marry me. That’s just the way it is.”

After a slap in the face you both would be on your way, probably never to speak again. You and I just don’t do that. If you do, you may need a crash course in people skills.

But what about a Scripture verse like this: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut. 6:5). Is this the same sort of thing?

This verse is the great commandment. We’ve all heard it. We all know it. But do we realize this is a commandment? This is not a “if you feel like it, love me”. This is a “do or die” sort of thing. It’s in the syllabus. Not only is loving God supposed to be our joy, but it’s also our duty. Does this trouble you in the same way the “you will marry me” scenario does? Probably not. But why?

I believe it comes to down to the fact that there is no-one or no-thing like God. He is completely “other than” anything we’ve ever known. We relate to Him in human terms because that’s all we know. But he is set apart, different, holy, worthy, and a gazillion other attributes that even eternity will struggle to unravel. Because He created us, we love Him.

But that’s not the whole picture.

David said in Psalm 116, “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.” It all starts with loving Him for WHO He is, but it get’s personal too. We love Him for WHAT He has done for us. The goodness and kindness of God to me, a wretched sinner, is absolutely mind blowing.

Good worship leaders lead worship because they love God. Not because they are gifted or popular or musical. They love God so much that they enjoy directing attention to His glory, His grace, and His goodness.

How To Improve Your Keyboard Playing in Worship

Ever been a part of a band, worship team, or ensemble where someone doesn’t know what they are doing? Maybe that person is you. They hit wrong notes, transition to wrong keys, overplay, and are not sensitive to the moment? Yep. We’ve all been there and done that.

This Sunday Kate Griffin and I hosted a worship workshop for our keyboard players. Since a good keyboard player is so important to the sound, we wanted to create a context where deeper coaching could occur. When it comes to playing keyboard in a band/worship setting, there are some important things you need to know:

1. What is My Role?

  • Keyboard players are atmosphere creators
  • It’s our job to bring fullness and continuity to a worship set
  • Be sensitive and supportive of the worship leader
  • Awareness is everything. You can’t follow or support if you’re not paying attention. Be sure to look up.
  • Be spiritually engaged with what the Holy Spirit is doing in the moment. Allow that to interpret what you’re playing.

2. What Do I Play?

  • Pick a sound that supports the song type (organ, piano, rhodes, pad)
  • Keep it simple. Less is more. Contribute to the overall sound of the band. Give the bass player the low end. Stay in the mid range.
  • Maintain common tones between chords as much as possible.
  • Rehearse your transitions Subtlety is your friend.
  • Be intentional about dynamics.
  • Never stop practicing.