Comments on: Worship Leader Fake

By: Los

Los — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 00:03:45 +0000

Joe. Good to see you man. Invite me up to Seattle to drink some coffee. Are you guys having a conference soon?
Los

By: Joe Day

Joe Day — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 23:53:58 +0000

I think that worship has everything to do with us. I also think that it has everything to do with God just a little bit more.

However, we’re human and prone to depravity and that will mean that what is in our minds during worship is important.

Once I read a book on spiritual disciplines. The author said that many of us “tune in” when we pray and “tune out” when others pray. He considered “tuning in” while others pray an important spiritual discipline to cultivate. And so it is with the minds of worship leaders.

We’re all in the same boat, and do think about all sorts of things while singing and leading. To take the wife analogy one step further…when you’re on a date and telling her how beautiful she is, what is on your mind? What about when you’re simply conversing while waiting for the food? My wife likes my attention and often times I suck at giving it to her…but I think it’s possible to change.

I struggle with this every week. But for the most part, I find I’m most tuned in during the first service. I find that I begin thinking about replicating what I did in the first service during subsequent services, rather than focusing on what I’m doing RIGHT NOW!

By: Joni

Joni — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:14:48 +0000

When I used to lead, I had to approach each service with an open mind and heart, praying for God to be pleased with our offering and asking what/if he wanted me to communicate or what he wanted to hear through that time in music. I had to take a few minutes before the second service to refocus. I used to stumble over trying to lead the same way each service and then would kick myself for not saying the right thing that came across so clearly 1st service. Duh, just tune in for what’s happening during 2nd service. I have sung songs that I’m technically bored with but tried to get past the desire for emotion and simply praise. Or prior to that I try to find a way for the words to be fresh again.

By: Red Byrd

Red Byrd — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 03:00:12 +0000

This is such a great question! And great comments.
We have 2 services, but we do a ‘dry run’ that morning as well so we play the songs 3 times on one morning. I loved the drummer’s comment re: 1st – Warm Up 2nd – Real Deal Holyfield. We joke about the same thing.
I LOVE the wife comment! That’s actually totally right on the money.
Our service seems a bit different since the 1st is represented by mostly people who volunteer during the 2nd service and typically are familiar with one another and comfortable so they need little if anything other than us to start playing their favorite song.
The 2nd service is mostly new-comers to the church or visitors and need more ‘leading’ if you will.
So both services are unique and require a different approach to them.

HOWEVER, I can’t so easily say “Its not all about the songs.” By the time we have a new tune in a regular rotation I’ve played it like a hundred times! Listening to the CD, playing it by myself, learning other musician’s parts, listening to other versions, introducing it to the band, rehearsing it with the band, THEN introducing it to the congregation and so a few weeks later oftentimes that song that was once inspiring and motivating has lost some of its sheen. Sometimes its difficult.

If I may be so honest, selfishly honest at that, 1 service is really about me. Not that I’ve forgotten about corporate worship and who’s there but its more of a time for me to really indulge myself in what the Spirit is doing and my reflection on God. The other service is one more focused on the people in the congregation. Not that I’ve forgotten about me but its more about them this time. I don’t know if this is right or not but that’s how I approach each service.

By: andrew

andrew — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:35:18 +0000

Being married to someone who is on stage worshiping on a regular basis I have a little bit of understanding for what those who are on stage go through. She always tells me that she has to be very intentional about focusing on God because it can always become a routine if you let it, just like anything else in life. It is not easy, nor is it a perfect process but being a part of a church who seeks to be authentic, it has to be a priority to be as focused on God as possible every time they get on stage. In answer to the question, I would say I don’t know, how could I, but I can also say that I believe at our church most of the time the answer is yes because they strive to be real. Its a great question and even more a great challenge for all of us to always strive for authenticity in our worship.

By: christian

christian — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:03:14 +0000

Reminds me a bit of Revelation 4. John’s picture of heaven includes some freaky beasts and 24 elders around the throne. In the vision, they spend their time (eternity) singing just 1 song. Holy, Holy, Holy…(not even a Redman tune…can you believe it?…who get’s the CCLI on that?). I think they’re just getting a new picture of who God is each time. He’s so multi-dimensional, we could see something new each time we look. I think that’s one of our greatest roles, looking for new revelation. I never get bored. Never get tired. I fall in love with Jesus all over again each time.

I guess that’s what makes me weird.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:44:37 +0000

Worship is not about the songs, it’s about us as a people connecting with the Living God. At our church, it seems that the “older believers” (people who have been walking with the Lord longer or a part of our church longer) come to the early service and many times it’s hard to get them to engage and so I feel like I really have to model what it looks like to engage with Jesus. The second service, though, has a lot of new believers and so they tend to sing louder and as a whole be more expressive. It’s often easier for me to feed off of them in the 2nd service than in the 1st.

By: ian

ian — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 18:52:35 +0000

from a drummer with multiple service experience for quite some time… the first is always joked as “practice” , the second is the wake-up .. and the third is the real deal. ok, so that’s not always correct but is often joked about.

i feel its a matter of heart. many times i feel the same attitude in my heart for all three. sometimes for only two. most of the time for all three. we are human and incapable of the same emotion 24 hours a day. but in the end if our hearts are in the state of doing it for Gods service and not our own, it doesnt matter what mood you’re in, you play your best and realize the glory is not yours.

psalm 33:3
psalm 150:5

By: Jinx

Jinx — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 16:10:19 +0000

I’m with Dustin on the wife analogy.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 15:29:21 +0000

So, here’s my take:

In the first service the worship leaders are really worshipping.

In the second service, they lift their arms high so that some of the sweat (It’s HOT up there “on stage”!) will evaporate.

In the third service, those leaders really bring it! They lift their arms even higher and offer the sweat stains as evidence to the 80% of passively attending, non-involved church members. It is unarguable proof that they are part of “THE TWENTY PERCENT” eagerly working their butts off for God!

And you know that those people in the pews will be happy to approve an increase in the worship budget next year if it means they can stay right where they are, in the monogrammed pew spots, watching “the show” from a comfortable distance…