We all know we’re supposed to love Scripture – to meditate on it day and night, as Joshua tells us.
We’re supposed to read it, memorize it, quote it, write it, and place it on our walls.
But how many of us really do? On our worship teams, how rooted and connected to Scripture are we?
This is what fills my mind and heart today.
If I’m going to disciple my team, they need to grow in their love of Scripture.
Their lives must be rooted in God’s Word.
But in our worship teams, Scripture is oftentimes a passing glance, a quick reference, an in-one-ear-out-the-other system.
We’d much rather talk about gear, arrangements, excellence, and creativity. But in all honesty, our souls are starving for something more.
How do we go deeper?
Where To Begin
I believe this all begins with repentance. There are a thousand other things we would rather do than read God’s word.
We would rather gain insight while listening to music, reading a good book, watching an inspiring film, or having a good conversation. While all wonderful things, they are no substitute for the real thing.
Yes, our worship teams are starving for God’s Word. But more importantly, our souls are starving for it.
But guilt doesn’t help anyone. I could say, “Shame on you for listening to Kari Jobe instead of reading your Bible! Bad worship leader!”
Rather than do that, I just want to repent…repent that my desire for other things takes the place of my desire for knowing God. Then, I’ll pray this prayer:
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18).
In this Psalm, David is crying out that he may see differently than he currently sees. The law, to him, wasn’t wonderful. It was boring. Plain. Words on a page. But when God awakens the human heart to truly see, it becomes wonderful.
We need God to do this in us.
Pray this, worship leader. Pray this for your team. Teach your team to pray this.
Some Closing Tips
For Scripture to become front and center, you must intentionally make it front and center. Go ahead and repeat that.
Here are some tips:
- Don’t just read Scripture. Write it. Write your reflections on it. You will internalize more whenever you write.
- In your worship team preparation, select a scripture verse or passage for each song.
- For your group devo times, systematically study of God’s word.
- When you plan worship, include Scripture slides in between songs.
- Carry a Bible with you. Yes, a real-life, physical Bible. There’s something about turning the pages and carrying it that will make you more mindful.
- Listen to podcasts of great preachers who preach the Bible. I like this guy, this guy, and this guy.
- When you pray, pray Scripture.
- Challenge different team members on different weeks to share a Scripture verse before worship rehearsal.
Worship leader, this starts with you. Your enthusiasm for God’s Word will be the catalyst.
If you’ve read this far, I’d love to hear from you.
What are your struggles when it comes to spreading a passion for God’s word among your team?
What have you found that works?
You can leave a comment by clicking here.
[ois skin=”Beyond Sunday 2″]
David,
This is great! So true what you said about substituting song lyrics or other books for “the real thing”. As creatives, we’re always trying to find new ways to express Biblical truths. The danger is that the less we go back to the original source, the more open we are to interpretation. When I present a passage for our group devos, even though I know where I’m going with it, I start by asking them what they see in it first. I’m basically pulling them into Scripture without them knowing it. The discussions we’ve had are amazing and I think they’ve started developing that love for God’s Word.
Cliff, that’s awesome. So glad you’re doing this. Do you select individual passages each week or do you do a study through a book of the Bible?
David, I typically present something from my week of personal devotions. Currently, our family is going through Word of Life’s “Quiet Time”. Our entire family (ages 10, 14, 18, 47 & 48) is all going through the same passage at the same time (currently we’re in Luke). Each family member has a devo book specifically written for their age level. We read it, fill in the questions and then discuss it. My wife and I love the fact that it challenges us to really pick apart the passage and look at it from a new perspective while making it fun and interesting for the kids.
Other times, I’ll present a Scripture that comes from one of the songs we’re leading that weekend. As I’m running the songs before rehearsal, I’ll listen for a phrase that the Holy Spirit brings to my attention and find a passage that reinforces that idea. Then in rehearsal, we’ll talk about it. I find that this really helps the band look deeper into their role as worship leaders and not just musical performers.
David , I thought I would check in on this one. You have brought up some extremely important points, I will deal with the first one only. As you said, “You internalize more when you write”. My opening remark is, “As our phones get smarter, we are getting dumber”. There is so much information so readily available due to technology, we are suffering from information overload. As you know I am a music teacher, I have a lot of young students. They cherish owning technology over owning truth. “When I have the means to find anything I want, why do I need to know anything?” Just “google” it. No information nailed down, truth is relative, no study skills, no critical thinking skills. All this carries over into private Bible study. When information is hard to get, and you have to work hard to get it, you cherish it more, and learn valuable skills in the process.
I will close with this example. If you were a piano student of say, Beethoven, and you were learning a new piece of music. The teacher would loan you his handwritten copy of the score.You knew who it belonged to, you knew the value of it, and you guarded it like a treasure.
Next, you became a scribe and made your own hand written copy of the score, then returned the previous copy back to the teacher. Together they examined the students copy for possible errors in transcription. All before the student ever attempted to play the first note. By the time they actually began to play the piece, they already had it memorized, partially due to “tactile and visual” memory.
I fear for young people’s future, I will probably not be here. Information ( Biblical Truth) is devalued when we have to spend nothing to get it or keep it. Technology may make things easier, but convenience begets atrophy.
Don, I miss your comments. So insightful. That’s precisely why I added the point about carrying around a “physical Bible”. There’s something about the physical thing that makes you more mindful of it. How else can we train our young people to not be too technology-dependent?
Wow! this is Great! really great! thanks for sharing.!
Thanks Nixon!
Great word.. I like the carry a physical bible sometimes! I even think at church it’s good to put physical money into the offering at times. Very easy to get so reliant on technology (bible on phone, paying tithes through A/P etc) that we often don’t really stop and remember why we’re doing what we’re doing.
Great point, Dan. I haven’t thought about this in relation to giving. So good.
Good stuff..as always. One of the greatest things I have done for myself is to see myself as my team’s pastor. To want to help them grow all around instead of just in music. This has guided me when I wanted to give up on team devotions or just wanted to focus on the technical level of the team. We share together in the first service after the songs are over, and I love it! At first, I wasn’t sure if they were loving it, but have had some great feedback from them on how it has helped them grow. I have watched our team grow in unity and also in depth. I love to hear them share from the Scriptures and encourage and spur each other on in the Word. One of our guys started a blog where he writes about one promise from Scripture a week, and then everyone prays that promise together. It has been powerful! We have gone through books together, through topics together, all saturated and based in Scripture. It has taken our team to a new level. The cool thing is our music is better too as a result of getting first things first!
Thanks for you commitment to seeing your team discipled! It inspired me 2 years ago to do the same!!
This is awesome, Amanda – seeing yourself as your team’s pastor. Sounds like things have taken off. Do you systematically plan your topics for team devos or “take it as it comes”?
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