The Focus of a Worship Leader
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16
If you were to describe what a worship leader does, what would you say? The person who leads the band, or the singing in a church? Maybe the guy in your church who knows how to play guitar and sing at the same time? Or would it be something else – something altogether different?
When I begin thinking about leading worship, my initial thoughts far too often stop with music. Given, what I do as a worship leader is primarily conducted through the medium of music. However, the danger here is that we let our understanding of leading worship simply end with songs. Songs are not the target of worship – it’s more of Jesus. Music is not the goal of worship – it’s encountering God.
In leading worship, we are not simply singing songs. We are calling people to the grandeur and majesty of God. In the context of corporate worship, we are moving our attention and affections off of ourselves and onto God. We’re inviting people to “taste and see that the Lord is good” Psalm 34:8. Music is one tool in our hand. Songs, media, responsive readings, projectors, lighting scenes – all of these are simple tools to aid in what it is really going on. What we are building in the blueprint of a worship service is space for the people of God to come together to bring adoration, open the scriptures, confess and repent of sin, be mutually encouraged by other believers, break the bread of Christ, and to meet with God.
The role of a worship leader is to engage the hearts of people and point them to Jesus. We are the ones called to pastor and lead our church in responding to the power of the Gospel of Christ, and his redemptive work on the cross. We are to center the content of our worship on the character and attributes of God. If we realize what we are doing is something far greater than the singing of songs, we will lead worship with a new sense of power and authority. We can then release the need to continually obsess about our image, or how perfect the band sounds, or if everyone looks as presentable if we would prefer. In the light of Christ, lesser things become shadows.
Our people don’t need the coolest new songs, or their worship leader to look like a rock star. They need pastors who serve the church by leading them to worship God. They need servant shepherds who make their ultimate priority knowing God and leading the church to experience Him. This is not a call toward sensationalism or mental assent. God is not an emotion to be felt, or a thought to be ascribed to: He is a Spirit to be known. As worshippers, our goal is to know God.
My challenge for us who lead in worship is to fight against the things that seem so central to worship – and refocus our hearts on the encountering the living God. I stand guilty far too often of missing the target of my worship. My hope is that as we continue to grow Jesus will remain the blazing center of how we lead our churches.
Reflections:
How much time to you spend preparing the logistics of a worship service vs. how much time you spend preparing your heart?
In what ways do you clearly communicate (by teaching and example) to your people and team the heart of worship?
Outside of song selection how can you intentionally pastor your church in worship this week?
Fantastic reminders, Matt. Far too often I get wrapped up in the “technicalities” and presentation that I lose track of the purpose. Thank you for writing a piece to help keep me focused on His glory.
Thanks for the feedback Dave – we’re all in this struggle together…
thanks matt! this is so poignant for me right now. god really dealt with me on this issue while we were at saddleback. so, i’m repositioning….pressing in more. refocusing. getting back to the place where i started. thanks for your words! take care.
This is an incredible post. Thank you for walking closely with Christ and studying the scriptures so that powerful and edifying words continue to flow out of you. Love you bro.
Bleeck – thanks bro. Love you too. Much of what flows out of me is stirred up by you… Let’s keep going for it!