I think there is often too much emphasis on one's "personal worship experience", from the perspective of both the worshipper and the worship leader(s). From the planning/leading standpoint, I often feel that the (unrealistic) expectations are that the leader (a) give people a "powerful worship experience" (not sure exactly what that is), and (b) see to it that this experience is not distracted, disturbed, or foiled in any way at all.
After all, there is only One Who is able to give us a "powerful worship experience" in the first place, am I right? He is not going to be thwarted by some worship planning miscue or some baby crying in the auditorium. If He's got something to say to me/us, He's gonna say it...and if it's truly a work of or word from God, there will be continual Conversation loooooong after we've left the building.
So, that leaves the age-old question still staring us in the face: exactly what then is the role of the worship leader?
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2 comments:
Well said, I think. I love the prayer that the preacher from Kenya (and his wife) would say, asking God, "May I decrease and you increase, Lord." Very powerful, very true, very important. The more noticeable we are, the more often we are tempted to be thinking about us and not Him. We can go both ways, either "I stink! I ruined this!" or "I'm awesome. I rocked today." The problem is the same with both thoughts: the focus is on us, not Him.
Nat, just be yourself. You know, the truth in the inward person thing. Worst case (?) you discover a different calling than this ministry. If you want to be whole as God is whole, you have to take risks. This is regarding personal growth. Ministrywise, you are a mini-shepherd. What would you want your sheep to hear and know that would keep them "stayed upon Jehovah", the Big Shepherd? So, you've got two things going on all the time, like the rest of us, your own personal relationship with Christ, which involves risk, and your public ministry, which will reflect your personal experiences, whether they be dark and difficult or light and easy. You only get to toss it out there to the crowd. You don't get to control everyone's take on it. That's as it should be.
I missed yesterday's service as we were with our son Graham in Asheville.
See ya.
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