Who Are We To Lead Worship?
Every Sunday morning, a man or woman steps up behind a microphone in the congregation, or straps on their guitar on a Wednesday night in a small group, or gets up in front of the youth – to lead them in worship.
Who are we to lead anyone in worship? If you’re like me, I often think to myself, “What am I doing here? If they only knew me, they wouldn’t let me lead this congregation anywhere!” But, God knows better. Who are we to lead worship?
We are followers of Jesus, who are able to sing and/or play an instrument, and who have a calling from God to create musical spaces in which people can enter into conversation with the Lord of their lives.
Our role as worship leaders works in tandem with other roles, like a harmony works with other harmonies. The pastor, children’s leader, small group leader, musicians, artists, techs, and ushers all have a part to play in creating a space in which people can interact with the Lord of our worship.
Our Lives Lead The Worship
In a culture that idolizes musicians and elevates emotions, we stand in front of people, behind a microphone, up on a stage, discipling people. We are training them, with our musical choices and worship sets, to be like Jesus. We must always remember that our lives sing louder than our musical instruments, and our pastoral leadership in worship shapes people in ways we never before thought possible.
Excitement and danger – that is the privilege of worship leading.
Becoming An Effective Worship Leader
Serving, loving, and leading in a local church is where the “rubber meets the road.” The worship leadership stage is where we learn to be givers in this life instead of takers. Stages and microphones do funny things to people; we hold our ground and lead worship as spiritual leaders and not just as artists.
As 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” In other words, we are given gifts and callings not for the service of our own visibility or personal sense of fulfillment – we are given the gifts we have to serve the others around us, while being energized by that service.
Welcome then, to the humbling, exciting, transforming, enlightening, shocking, challenging, artful world of worship leading.
(Excerpted from Essentials In Worship Leading)