Worship Leaders, we have a responsibility.
Our planning matters. The songs we choose matter. The heart we bring matters. The more I feel this weight the more I become concerned for worship leaders and how we’re shaping the culture in our churches.
Are we trying to be too cool?
Are we trying to be too clever?
Are we getting in the way of God?
I don’t know the answer. But I do know that what my church needs more than anything isn’t to be entertained. They need God. They need to see Him, to feel His presence, to know His Word, to declare His truth, to orient their lives around Him.
That is my goal as a leader. That is your goal as a leader. Lead people to a beauty beyond yourself. Lead people to being impressed with God above your songs.
Which brings up an interesting tension.
There’s a tension that every worship leader must learn to balance. Sure, there’s a lot of tensions. There’s a lot of details you need to make happen, information you need to process, skills you need to develop. But one tension seems to rise above the rest.
It’s striking a healthy balance between our friendship with God and the fear of God.
Emphasizing Fear
My tendency is to emphasize the glory of God – majesty, wonder, awe, magnitude. But the downside is the tendency to view God from a distance. We tell Him how great He is but we don’t actually draw near.
This is a dangerous place to be because the story of the Gospel is that we have access. We can come into His presence. The Bible commands us to come, to cast our cares, to trust, to cry out. As worship leaders we need to create environments where people grow in intimacy with God.
It’s not enough to look upon lyrics and say, “I agree with that.” We need to actually do it. Worship is beholding His glory, but it’s also drawing near and receiving all that God is for us in Jesus Christ.
It’s about coming close, drawing near. I love how Psalm 73:28 says it:
“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”
The verse doesn’t say, “I agree that the Sovereign Lord is a refuge.” It says, “I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge.”
I love the progression of thought – being near, making the Lord a refuge, and then telling of His deeds. All actions.
Worship isn’t business. It’s personal.
Emphasizing Friendship
On the other side, many emphasize the friendship and exclude the fear. This is what is often criticized as sappy, “Jesus is my boyfriend” worship music. Many criticize the charismatic movement for erring on this side.
For sure, there are challenges. We sing more about our worship than we do our God. We focus more on what God provides for us than who He is. We have a tendency to waltz into His presence without wonder and awareness of the miracle of that moment.
Without a healthy balance, our worship isn’t complete. To worship without fear is to take God for granted. To worship without friendship is to dishonor what He has done.
How does this apply to worship leaders? It means emphasizing both. A worship set shouldn’t go by where both tensions aren’t introduced. We should stand in awe of God’s glory every time. We should come close every time.
We need to worship with understanding, not just sing karaoke.
Pick songs that outline His perfection, majesty, beauty, and wonder. But also pick songs that encourage pursuit, coming close, and responding to God.
It’s not enough to agree with theology. Worship is an action, a choice, a life of being near God.
How does this tension play out in your church? How do you balance friendship and fear?
Let us know in the comments. You can leave a comment by clicking here.
[ois skin=”Beyond Sunday 2″]
I needed this so much today.. Thanks and God Bless
Awesome words today! I needed to be reminded of these truths. It seems as if many times a congregation will kind of mentally “check out” during worship. I like the sentence:”We need to worship with understanding, not just sing karaoke. I’m afraid that is what is going on in too many churches today. God help us to focus our worship on you in a healthy balance of fear and friendship.
“How does this tension play out in your church? How do you balance friendship and fear?” Good question David. If He doesn’t do it for me I am certain I cannot.
Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
So one thing is, I need to obey His known commandments to me as well as the Spirits promptings.
And he quoted Isaiah, “This people honors me with their lips (P&W), but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.” (Matt. 15:8-9 NASB)
“All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me. It is useless for your to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans.” (Matt. 15:8-9 CEV)
Lead a congregation for two years and view the fruit, the maturity, the strength of doctrinal stability, the obedience to his commandments, the faithfulness to the Great Commission.
In short, how do I and those whom I lead reflect the Christ within and live Him without into the world. I don’t care what kind of music or instruments show up as long as this remains the end by-product.
I am concerned that we the church are become as the fundraiser for the cancer patient. We had a great party with bands and lot’s of energy. We even collected money. But no one introduced the cancer patient or invited him to the stage or spent time with him personally. It was an excuse to have a party and have bands play.
I am concerned at the shallow role the scriptures play in what we call worship.
This is assuming any of the scriptures are used at all.
If my P&W (praise and worship) does not translate into
into T&O (trust and obey) then I am rendering mere lip service.
Steve I thought that was well written and true I think it shows the importance of the role of the worship leader for me I dont look at where the people are at that’s Gods concern.I can encourage them I can pray for them and do all I can physically do to help them but there spiritual growth is between them and God.My responsibility is to maintain my relationship with the Lord we are his vessel as Glen mentioned we need to live that word otherwise there is no power in our ministry to impact others.We cant give out by faith if we are not living by faith.i thought when Glen spoke of the concert to raise money for the cancer patient that summed up where many of the churchs are at its the saddest thing to read.Where is our God in that where is the power of God to destroy that cancer or is there no one that that can lay hands on people as in the book of James and by faith made well.Its sad but true that the Church is lacking the visible power of God to do what his word says we can do that is terribly sad.lCancer is rampant I know of 3 Christian ministers who have died of cancer in the last few years and yet God is the same yesterday today and forever so why is that the case my question is just doesn’t make sense to me.