This
is the first topic of a series I'd like to do on different
necessities for the worship leader. I've been involved in the worship
ministry for several years and have been leading worship in our
church for nearly 4 years. That said, the more I serve in this
wonderful ministry, the more I see how much I really need to grow.
There are many priceless lessons I've learned from other wonderful
leaders. I've also learned through personal experiences, be it
through successes or learning from mistakes. I'm at a point in my own
ministry where I'm branching out into new aspects of it that I've
never done before. More members are being added to the team, and I'm
primarily learning many practical things at the moment - how to
conduct a team and arrange songs, how to direct someone without
particularly knowing how to play the instrument they are on, and how
to wisely and effectively use the very short amount of time that we
have each week to practice.
For anyone who might read this and is interested in listening to a 3-part series on worship that we went through in our church, please click here (teachings are only in Russian. Sorry everyone who doesn't speak Russian :)
I would like to start this series out with the Word – our utter need for the Scriptures. There are many important aspects of the Scriptures concerning worship. In fact, without the Word of God being the foundation for this ministry and our role as worship leader, the house that we will try to build will crumble.
For anyone who might read this and is interested in listening to a 3-part series on worship that we went through in our church, please click here (teachings are only in Russian. Sorry everyone who doesn't speak Russian :)
I would like to start this series out with the Word – our utter need for the Scriptures. There are many important aspects of the Scriptures concerning worship. In fact, without the Word of God being the foundation for this ministry and our role as worship leader, the house that we will try to build will crumble.
This
post will be the first of a 2-part topic concerning general
applications of the Word to our ministry. The first area (and what
we'll be looking at in this post) is personal application in the
worship ministry. The second part in the next post will be the
application of Scripture to corporate worship.
What is the goal of corporate worship?
The very first question we worship leaders should ask ourselves is "what is worship about? What is the goal of this ministry?"
What is the goal of corporate worship?
The very first question we worship leaders should ask ourselves is "what is worship about? What is the goal of this ministry?"
Worship
is about seeing Jesus - who He is, what He has done (justification),
what He is doing (sanctification in the believer and mission to the
lost) and what He is yet to do (our hope in His coming kingdom).
Worship is not only seeing Jesus, but enjoying Jesus. Rejoicing in
the truth of what His word says about Him. Lifting Him up for His
victory that He has freely imputed to us. Humbling ourselves in
submission before Him in His lordship. Coming to Him before His
throne just to be with Him in His presence, cast our cares upon Him
and receive refreshment from Him based upon His promises to us by His
grace.
If
the ultimate goal of corporate worship is to see Jesus, enjoy Jesus
and magnify Jesus, what is the one thing without which we cannot do
this? His Word. How can we see Jesus aside from what His word shows
us about Him? How can we enjoy Jesus without experiencing all that is
the Good News of Christ, which is revealed primarily and ultimately
through His Word? How can we magnify Jesus without knowing, through
His Word, for what He is to be magnified?
Seeing
ourselves first and foremost as Christians, sons and daughters of
God, we must recognize and give ourselves over to the vast importance
of the Scriptures for our personal lives. His Word is the source of
truth and life. Worship leaders, are we daily seeking Christ through
His Word? Are we seeking to see, enjoy and magnify Christ based upon
what He has spoken to us through His scriptures about Himself? Are we
meditating on the Gospel and allowing Christ to mold us more into His
image? Without this, we will fail in our ministries. Jesus, revealed
through His Word, is the cornerstone of our life and our service to
His people.
Now, coupled with the utter importance of Scriptures is prayer. I was contemplating making prayer the next topic. Though there is much to be said about prayer, it's so tightly linked to our reading of the Word, meditating on it and applying it to our lives that I opted to speak of it here. Also, I would like to avoid being redundantly repetitive. :) If we are not praying through the Scriptures, asking Jesus to reveal Himself to us, asking Him how to apply it to our lives, His Word will not have its full effect on us.
Now, coupled with the utter importance of Scriptures is prayer. I was contemplating making prayer the next topic. Though there is much to be said about prayer, it's so tightly linked to our reading of the Word, meditating on it and applying it to our lives that I opted to speak of it here. Also, I would like to avoid being redundantly repetitive. :) If we are not praying through the Scriptures, asking Jesus to reveal Himself to us, asking Him how to apply it to our lives, His Word will not have its full effect on us.
Sound doctrine
The
next application of the Scriptures to the personal aspect of the
worship ministry is sound doctrine. We'll look at this more in the
next post concerning corporate worship, but needless to say, if our
doctrine is not sound in our own minds and hearts, the songs we sing,
the prayers we pray, the encouragement we speak to the people must be
put under question – is it glorifying God and truly edifying the
body if it's not of sound doctrine?
The Word unifies the team
This
third application in this section involves both the personal and
corporate aspects of the worship ministry in a sense, but is being
applied specifically to the worship team. I've found it to be vastly
important and beneficial to be in the Word together as a team. I
would not force this opinion (that all worship teams must have Bible
studies or devotions together) on other churches, but I can sense the
benefit of it in our team. I must admit though that this aspect has
been scarce of late in our team. With it growing and the fact that we
have a very limited time for practice, I've let devotions slip aside,
if not altogether disappear. Usually what we do is go through a psalm
each week together before beginning music practice. One of us will
read it and share a short devotion we prepared. Sometimes we'll have
time for open discussion. What have I found to be beneficial in doing
devotions together?
1) It refreshes each of us on the team.
2) It unifies us as a team in our vision of Christ, our doctrine, the direction that the Lord is leading us from week to week.
3) Depending on the size of the church and team, on the amount of services and activities held throughout the week, and your own busy schedule you have as the worship leader and other responsibilities in your life, you may not have a chance to meet up with all of the members of your team aside from practices and Sundays. You may not have an opportunity to share with your team, ask them how they're doing in their walk with the Lord, disciple them. Doing devotions together is a great chance to know that your team is in the Word, seeking the Lord, growing in Him and being led by them. Of course, this must not replace their personal time with the Lord, but it is, again, a benefit for the team and the worship leader. If this will be a regular part of our practices, we then, as the worship leader, must pray and plan accordingly. You know how much time you have, you know your team and where people are at in their musical abilities. I would suggest you do all that you can to keep this time succinct and to the point. If you will apply devotions to your practice, will it simply be a reading of a section of Scripture and prayer? Will it be a time to read and one person shares what he sees in the passage? Will you add to these things a time of discussion about the given Scripture? Another thing that I've applied to our practices is asking how the Lord worked in the members' of the team during worship on the previous Sunday. Again, we've not been doing this so much lately simply because the team is growing and more time is demanded to practice music. But I would like to get back to the place where we can read together and shortly share with one another.
Perspective and priority
Fourthly, the Scriptures maintain perspective and priority in our ministry. Because of the nature of the worship ministry, it has potential to be dangerous for us. Rather, we, as sinful people, have the potential to make it dangerous for ourselves. We're on the stage week in and week out. Sometimes several times a week. People see us, people follow us. People see our talents and abilities. If not careful, we can make worship about us on stage. If not careful, we can make worship about the music we play. If not making it about us or music, we have the potential to make it about our feelings and experiences, our emotions that we feel through the music and poetic words.
However, worship is not about us first and foremost. Its goal is not even to primarily affect our feelings or emotions. It's about Jesus. It is about the Living God. It is about His glorification and His work within the body. It's not that our feelings and emotions are a bad thing or have no place in worship. It's that our feelings and emotions, being effected by the melody and content of the music, do not create worship. Enjoyment of the Gospel creates worship. If the Gospel is not causing us to worship Jesus, no song, experience or emotion ever will. Nothing else is capable of such a task.
Those who participate in this ministry (or anyone in any ministry where people see or hear you) can understand the potential danger that lies in our prideful and selfish hearts. I have found in my own life and ministry that the one and only way to keep worship about Jesus first is to be in the Word. When my life is about Jesus, my thoughts and desires are fixed on Him; when my goal is Jesus and the body to be focused on Him and His glory – then and only then am I freed from making worship about me, and can focus my attention on Jesus.
Of course, this list of personal application of the Word to the life of the worship leader is not exhaustive. If you have any thoughts, additions or questions, feel free to leave a comment!
1) It refreshes each of us on the team.
2) It unifies us as a team in our vision of Christ, our doctrine, the direction that the Lord is leading us from week to week.
3) Depending on the size of the church and team, on the amount of services and activities held throughout the week, and your own busy schedule you have as the worship leader and other responsibilities in your life, you may not have a chance to meet up with all of the members of your team aside from practices and Sundays. You may not have an opportunity to share with your team, ask them how they're doing in their walk with the Lord, disciple them. Doing devotions together is a great chance to know that your team is in the Word, seeking the Lord, growing in Him and being led by them. Of course, this must not replace their personal time with the Lord, but it is, again, a benefit for the team and the worship leader. If this will be a regular part of our practices, we then, as the worship leader, must pray and plan accordingly. You know how much time you have, you know your team and where people are at in their musical abilities. I would suggest you do all that you can to keep this time succinct and to the point. If you will apply devotions to your practice, will it simply be a reading of a section of Scripture and prayer? Will it be a time to read and one person shares what he sees in the passage? Will you add to these things a time of discussion about the given Scripture? Another thing that I've applied to our practices is asking how the Lord worked in the members' of the team during worship on the previous Sunday. Again, we've not been doing this so much lately simply because the team is growing and more time is demanded to practice music. But I would like to get back to the place where we can read together and shortly share with one another.
Perspective and priority
Fourthly, the Scriptures maintain perspective and priority in our ministry. Because of the nature of the worship ministry, it has potential to be dangerous for us. Rather, we, as sinful people, have the potential to make it dangerous for ourselves. We're on the stage week in and week out. Sometimes several times a week. People see us, people follow us. People see our talents and abilities. If not careful, we can make worship about us on stage. If not careful, we can make worship about the music we play. If not making it about us or music, we have the potential to make it about our feelings and experiences, our emotions that we feel through the music and poetic words.
However, worship is not about us first and foremost. Its goal is not even to primarily affect our feelings or emotions. It's about Jesus. It is about the Living God. It is about His glorification and His work within the body. It's not that our feelings and emotions are a bad thing or have no place in worship. It's that our feelings and emotions, being effected by the melody and content of the music, do not create worship. Enjoyment of the Gospel creates worship. If the Gospel is not causing us to worship Jesus, no song, experience or emotion ever will. Nothing else is capable of such a task.
Those who participate in this ministry (or anyone in any ministry where people see or hear you) can understand the potential danger that lies in our prideful and selfish hearts. I have found in my own life and ministry that the one and only way to keep worship about Jesus first is to be in the Word. When my life is about Jesus, my thoughts and desires are fixed on Him; when my goal is Jesus and the body to be focused on Him and His glory – then and only then am I freed from making worship about me, and can focus my attention on Jesus.
Of course, this list of personal application of the Word to the life of the worship leader is not exhaustive. If you have any thoughts, additions or questions, feel free to leave a comment!
