Last week I wrote about worship and my recent personal experiences with it. Been thinking about it some more, and here's what I know:
I know that worship is a lifestyle and not an event.
I know that when I lead others in worship, I should focus on and care about the God of my worship, and not the reaction of a congregation.
I know that this is hard because while I lead, I am on a stage.
I know that my purpose as a leader is not only to worship, but to help others do the same by meeting their needs as worshippers.
I know that the words I sing should be dedicated to the Lord, even when I don't feel close to Him.
I know that not feeling close to Him when I sing them does not mean I have failed in worshipping Him.
I know that worship doesn't always feel good. It is not always exciting.
I know that when it does feel good there's not a better feeling in the world.
I know that the movement of the Spirit in a congregation is impossible to judge in 20 minutes.
I know that the movement of the Spirit in a congregation is equal to the love they have for one another, not how loud they sing, or how much they clap or yell or smile.
I know that anything the Spirit does is in spite of myself.
I know that worship will not always look the same.
I know that you can market a worship CD, but not a worship experience.
I know that worship cannot be packaged and sold because it is not something I get, but something I give.
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10 comments:
I love this one
Thanks, Baca. I feel like I might have scared a few with my last blog on worship. It was very honest, but not necessarily pleasant to hear, I'm afraid.
I think it's safe to say that we all have times when we don't feel close to God. In worship, but also in our spiritual lives in general. And I think it's OK to talk about. OK to admit. Doesn't change your status with Him.
I'm with Baca. I love this one too.
I absolutely love this and agree, Fancy.
When you consider what is being said in many of the Psalms, I get the distinct impression that since the Lord knows every dark little corner of our hearts, it's not a matter of hiding anything from Him when we choose to pretend that everything is great on the outside, when it's not so great on the inside. The only ones we're ever really hiding things from is ourselves. The Psalmist lays bare the very core of his soul, and cries out to God for mercy. (This will not sell a lot of CDs or make people feel good, though.)
Expressions of deep anger, anguish, loneliness, coldness of heart, sense of wickedness and separation from God, or whatever else, are some of the purest forms of acknowledging who and what we really are, and who the Lord really is.
And that understanding of our place in the big scheme of things, and more importantly the Lord's place, seems to have a lot to do with "worship", whether we're talking about the way we live or about music.
Great discussion, as always.
I think being honest with Him when going through the distant season, might actually bring you closer.
I have liked both the worship posts... too...
Great post FP... this one's a keeper. Part of the challenge you face as a worship leader is to maintain your honesty with God while drawing the rest of the body into their own relationship with him. As worshipers, we forget that leaders are people too!
You guys have awesome stuff to say about this. Your comments have encouraged me. It made a difference this morning. Our music minister was out of town so we stepped in this week to help out and lead worship. It was a very honest and fun worship experience for me.
(P.S. Rob, the choir sounded GREAT today! Seth couldn't stop talking about it after the service. Good job to you and Susan!)
I've read this 5x and shared it with others. Excellent post. I'm gonna print it.
Thank you, DR. I'm very honored that it is meaningful to you. Print away!
Perhaps no one will see this small comment in an old post, but something came through my inbox this morning that seems to fit this discussion:
Words from the Spirit
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