As a youth worship leader, my focus for discipleship is
students who have some musical inclination. Being musical, or at least having a
creative spirit, comes with pretty large emotional baggage. As author of Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth
Gilbert points out in her TED talk , people tend to think that
creativity has a strong connection with suffering.
There’s just something universal about suffering artists.
Now granted, as Gilbert goes on to say, a lot of the
suffering artists put it on themselves. Hemingway dealt with a lot, but chose
to drink to his death. Cobain did copious amounts of drugs. And Taylor Swift
continually dates jerks, but there's still something unique about the way creative types struggle.
Suffering typically draws the sufferer to assume
responsibility that isn’t necessarily theirs to take. Worship leaders or at least
worship leaders who are struggling do this by assuming control of things and
activities that simply aren’t theirs.
My point being, as a worship leader, our job is not to bring
people into the presence of God. Our job is not to make a piece of art so
wonderful, that it forces admiring God’s greatness. Our job is not to sing
perfectly, live perfectly, and lead perfectly.
God’s job is to draw people's hearts to God.
When Jesus and Peter are
talking in Matthew 16, Peter nails Jesus’ question and tells him that He is the
son of the living God and the Messiah. Jesus says that no man could have told
him that of flesh, but that the only way to know that is to be given the
knowledge from God the father.
Our biblical job description is to worship authentically in
spirit and truth though “singing hymns.”
If we go under the assumption that hymns are simply songs
after God’s heart that communicate God’s truth and spirit, than our job is to
sing songs that are representative of both God’s power and the community’s
response to His power.
God desires worshippers who are bold and confident. But the
only way we can authentically worship is if God allows us the knowledge of his Son’s power and identity.
Practically here are three steps to help you (or your
worship leader) in this category of allowing God to be God in worship:
1 1. Worship leaders have to first be worshippers.
This means you must be worshipping off the stage. Whether that’s through songs,
marveling at creation, or whatever, you must be engaged off the stage. Be
accountable. If a pastor only reads his or her Bible to get the sermon text, we
would naturally question the trueness of their walk. Same goes for worship
leaders.
2 2. Sing songs that communicate the truth of God.
There are a lot of fantastic hymns out there, but there are equally a lot of
crappy ones. Songs don’t need to communicate a specific theology, but choose
songs that are responsive of your community. God’s mercy is new each day. God
brings fresh life to old dead sinners. God is the God of unfailing and
unchanging newness. Don’t be afraid of trying new things.
3 3. Know your community by being in your community. Artistic types will almost
always be introverted and inclined towards shutting themselves off. Don’t allow yourself to get cut off from the world and
the community.
Overall, worship leaders have a unique and incredibly power
task, but the ultimate task of drawing people to worship is God’s business. Allow God to be God
in worship, your song choices, and your leadership.
True freedom starts there.
