The Bible tells us to “Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.” (Psalm 100:2) Any worship leader can tell you that this can be a challenge given the myriad of variables present on any given Sunday morning.
For instance, the drummer no-shows; the sound engineer has a cursory knowledge of mixing; the pianist didn’t come practiced up; music needs to be copied at the last minute; a monitor goes kaput unexpectedly, but despite inevitable lack of perfection, worship really isn’t just about the blend and sound output.
At my own church, our worship director endured a sudden crisis and subsequently took a sabbatical. This has meant that more volunteers were needed to step up to fill his shoes, which has been no simple feat. It has brought each of us on the worship team to a place of sacrifice as we navigate leading with no clear leader; sharing our gifts without seeing it as an opportunity to rule the roost.
Isaiah 2:11 says, “The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” It is not up to the worship team to instill faith by singing and playing perfectly. Sometimes that just isn’t a realistic option. Instead, remembering that as a worship team we are leading the congregation into worship of our Lord and King is key. We are up there worshiping our Savior too.
After coming home late from a rehearsal and feeling discouraged, God pressed upon my heart the reason why I participate in worship. I hope it blesses you.
Worship Is . . .
Worship is not my hobby, it’s not what I do for fun when I could be sleeping in on a Sunday morning. I don’t sing because I like to, I sing because I feel compelled to, to give back to God what he has so graciously given to me.
Worship is generosity-filled; laden with possibility; filled with hope and blessed assurance that this life is not all there is.
Worship is passion for what Christ has done on the cross, and for how he saved me, profoundly and personally.
Worship is my heart’s intimate connection to my Maker, it’s a love song to my beloved.
Worship is the act of releasing, the art of embracing, the joy of loving a King who rescued me from myself.
Worship isn’t something I do on my off-time; I live to worship – in my mornings, throughout my days, as I go to bed.
Lord Jesus, I worship you – with my voice, with my instrument, with my whole heart.
