What A Worship Leader Actually Does

Let’s be real. You’re not the best worship leader there is. Neither am I.

There will always be a better musician, a better singer, a more charismatic personality, a more organized leader. You’re not the best.

But isn’t it good to know that leading our churches isn’t about being the best? Because worship class worship leading is more about being hidden than being noticed. Let me explain what that means.

It’s important to distinguish what we actually do and facilitate as worship leaders:

• Worship leaders don’t draw attention to themselves. They direct eyes and hearts to Jesus.
• Worship leaders don’t sing for people. They sing with people.
• Worship leaders don’t entertain a crowd. They engage a room.
• Worship leaders don’t usher the church into encounter. They spotlight the One who does.

Our praise doesn’t make God more glorious. He is completely glorious in and of Himself.

Our passion and desire doesn’t force the Spirit to move. We simply awaken to His ever present nearness.

I love how John Piper says it in his book, Reading the Bible Supernaturally:

We do not magnify Him the way a microscope magnifies. We magnify him the way a telescope magnifies. A microscope makes tiny things look bigger than they are. Telescopes make huge things, which already look tiny, appear more like what they really are.”

What’s sad is that many of use are putting ourselves under a microscope for the Bride of Christ to behold rather than helping them see Jesus through a telescope. I know I’ve been there.

But strong, humble leaders help people look through the microscope – to help them see what they haven’t seen before. We don’t change anything about what we see – we simple make it clearer and draw more attention to it’s fascinating detail.

Our object of attention? The glory of God. More specifically, the glory of God shining most brightly in the person of Jesus Christ.

In every service, there are people who’ve never seen. This Sunday might be the day their eyes are opened. There are others who have grown cold to what they’ve seen. This weekend might be where the fire is sparked again.

Songs are our telescope. We sing in order to see clearer. The clearer we see, the more our hearts are moved and the deeper we worship.

Scripture is our telescope. The more we see in God’s Word, the more we can respond in Spirit & Truth worship.

Every tool we use as worship leaders is a telescope to help us see Jesus clearer. If it’s not helping us see Him, it’s not helping us.

Help people see. Respond. See more. Respond again. That’s what a worship leader does. Don’t use the stage to magnify your talent. Spend your life spotlighting the eternal facets of God’s glory.

There’s endless beauty to behold.

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This post originally appeared on my Worship Leader Newsletter. For more of this, be sure to subscribe at davidsantistevan.com/subscribe.