[The Weekly Worship Team Devotional is designed for reading before a rehearsal, forwarding via email to your team, or sharing with your tagged team on Facebook]
WORSHIP IS COLLABORATION WITH THE CONGREGATION
From 1 Corinthians 14:26 in The Message. “When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight.”
DEVOTIONAL
The next time you and I step to on a stage, stand behind a microphone, strap on our instrument, or rehearse our hearts out – we are only getting closer to achieving half of what is about to happen in the room during that worship set. The reality is, unless the community we lead in worship engages, finds their language of prayer in the songs and liturgies presented, and offers themselves to the community worship experience happening in the room that day, then our worship expression is only a show.
That is why we choose songs that gather the community in one voice, familiar songs seasoned with new songs on occasion. That is why we create for our communities, yet do so in a way that is submitted to a higher goal than just our own self-expression. This is why we can step on a stage to lead, or step off to serve in other ways for a time. We are collaborating with the community. Then community is then, ideally, collaborating with the Spirit. This is when all the gifts of worship truly flow.
When their song rises, to the tune of the music we lead, and amplify, and sing – then we are all collaborating in the kind of worship that the Father seems to seek. Recognize that we are collaborating with our congregation in worship, and leave the show to another place and time.
TEAM PRAYER
Lord, help us to see the beautiful collaboration that is our community in worship. Help us serve with our instruments, musicianship, and technical equipment, the shared worship experience going on in the room. Teach us to serve with our gifts and talents, rather than making our self-expression the motive behind what we do. In Jesus’ living name we come, amen.
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About The Author: Dan Wilt is the creator of WorshipTraining’s Essentials In Worship Video Training Course for worship leaders and teams. His worship leadership blog serves up weekly tools and team encouragements at DanWilt.com.