It’s Not What You Say

As a lot of you who read my blogs regularly know, I help care for my father who is partially paralyzed from a stroke. Sometimes he begins to say things in a more demanding tone than I prefer. I usually calmly look at him and say, “I’ve got this.” He usually responds with a laugh and says he’s sorry that he’s doing it again. It doesn’t make it any less annoying. Yesterday was one of those days.

This morning, I had to be in the office earlier than normal, and was going to spend some of my morning quiet time on the way. I started off, “morning, Lord” and almost immediately froze in my tracks. I realized my tone was this uninterested boring one that was totally unfitting for the prince of the universe. I began to think of all the times that I was like my dad, demanding of God. Now don’t get me wrong, I make a conscious effort to search my motives in worship leading, but there are times I let my guard down outside of worship leading and can fall into that rut. There’s nothing wrong with what I said, but my tone was more revealing of my heart, that was still in the bed. How many times do we as worship leaders fall into this rut. We get up for early morning rehearsals, and lead multiple services. Some of us have led thousands of worship services over the years, and can fall into the rut of going through the motions. Not intentionally, or even regularly, but sometimes.

I’ve always thought the scariest story for worship leaders in the Bible wasn’t that of Lucifer, but of Samson. The line, “He went out and shook himself, not realizing the Spirit of the Lord had left him” should strike fear in our hearts that if we don’t guard our hearts and motives, we find ourselves leading worship, not realizing the spirit has left us. So, as you lead in worship this week, ask yourself, “Am I leading in my strength, or His?” Because it’s not really what you say, but how you say it.

What Grieves My Spirit

It’s an old cliché that’s been used in comedy for ages. “You know what burns me up?” Or maybe, “You know what makes me mad?” I think it was Seinfeld who used to say, “Here’s the thing…” It’s usually followed by a monologue done for comedic effect, that tells of something that bothers the speaker. The best ones bring slightly exaggerated attention to something we can universally relate to.

In day-to-day life when someone begins a sentence with a statement like “Such and such really makes me mad…” I find myself wishing I were not involved in the conversation at all! It’s usually going to be a rant that shows how smart the person thinks they are and how “dumb” they think someone else, the system, the media, etc. is.

Christians, of course, are no different, except we have our own lingo. As is my pastime, I wanted to bring light to something that keeps us from reaching this generation of unchurched or dechurched people; with a little humor of course.

I remember a conversation a few years ago with a pastor friend of mine. We were discussing worship trends (what else?) when he made the comment about a recent youth concert he had attended. His comments began innocently enough about some of the music was “ok for young people,” but then came the line. “Then this other band gets up there and starts playing loud guitars and calling it worship. It just grieved my spirit.”

“Grieved my spirit.” Hmmm. I’ve often wondered if that is the churchy expression for “ticked me off!” Now I believe this brother was merely trying to express a feeling he had in terms he was comfortable using when discussing church matters. This however is where the problem truly lies. We, Christians, have created our own terminology that we use in church and it keeps those outside the church (the “world”) from being able to relate. We’ve become similar to early priests that kept everything in Latin to keep poor common people from being able to read and understand the scriptures for themselves.
Worse, some of the phraseology (like the one above) implies greater spiritual importance to things we like.

What the pastor was saying about the worship was that it wasn’t something he enjoyed. Perhaps that he was uncomfortable with the style of music. But by adding the phrase, “grieved my spirit” he was implying that because he didn’t like the style, it couldn’t be spiritually acceptable.

I’m using this as an example, but it happens every day in churches all over the world. Younger people don’t understand how you can worship with hymns. Older people don’t see how you can think this modern music can possibly be pleasing to the Lord.

Truthfully more often than we care to admit we’re uncomfortable because we get caught up in routine and tradition and are afraid to leave our comfort zone. So next time instead of claiming the high spiritual ground, search yourself to see if you’re spiritually offended, or just uncomfortable with the style. And for heaven’s sake, lay off the church lingo.

Change is Gonna Come

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephasus made such earth shattering conclusions as ,”Everything flows, nothing stands still”, and “Nothing endures, but change.” These thoughts permeate every fiber of our lives; and yet another great quote is, “The only one who likes change is a wet baby.” Why do we fight something that is inevitable? I have a few thoughts.

In the last few years, my life has been completely turned upside down. My father suffered a brain stem stroke leaving him paralyzed on his left side. My mother-in-law suffered a massive heart attack and passed away. My mom was diagnosed with renal cancer and died within 3 weeks. Change comes whether we like it or not. Now before you mistake this for a cry for sympathy, it’s not. It’s a case study in fighting change. See, when I first started DoorKeeper Worship it was in an attempt to do God’s will my way. God was calling me to pour into the lives of young worship leaders, but I was looking for a way to become one of the “rock star” leaders. Humility can come through change. Again, don’t mistake this for blaming God, but rather for realizing my reaction to adversity determines who I am. Change is gonna come.

Once my father was paralyzed my ability to travel with DoorKeeper was compromised. I sought God and took a position at a church close to our families. This church was affiliated with a denomination outside of the organization I had been affiliated with for most of my life. My nearly two years there gave me a different perspective than I had ever experienced in my 20+ years of ministry. Change is gonna come.

Today, I stand at a crossroads. DoorKeeper is being revamped to bring some really valuable tools to people in the field who need them. A partnership with an online ministry has been in the works for over a year, and is closer than ever to becoming a reality. I guess the point of all this is to say DON’T GIVE UP!!! A line from the Sam Cooke song I “borrowed” the title from says,

I go to my brother
And I say, “Brother help me, please”
But he winds up knockin’ me
Back down on my knees

Oh there’s been times I thought I couldnt last for long
But now I think I’m able to carry on
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come

See, change doesn’t have to be negative, but it nearly always brings growth. So no matter where you are, look up; change is gonna come.

Cleaning My Hard Drive

I just finished a task I hate to do. I had to go in and clean the junk off of my computer. You know the stuff; cookies, trackers, garbage that if left unnoticed can affect my computer adversely. Now I know some of you are thinking right now that you don’t mess with the stuff or maybe that you have security software to take care of that. Well, you see a lot of junk files get past most security software and just sit there on your computer. Some are harmless, and others, while not dangerous, are annoying. You see I depend on my computer immensely. It has my music arranging software, my recording software, my Doorkeeper files… things that I would be lost without. So what does this have to do with worship, you ask?

Much like I depend on my computer’s well-being for my music endeavors, as a worshipper I depend on my spiritual well-being for my worship endeavors. I have my anti-virus spiritual software running, but I have to be diligent to clean out the “stuff” that gets by it. Little things that, while not necessarily dangerous alone, can be annoying, or build up and turn my attention away from my “home page”.

Psalm 24 says, “3 Who can climb Mount GOD? Who can scale the holy north-face? 4 Only the clean-handed, only the pure-hearted; Men who won’t cheat, women who won’t seduce.”

This is a verse I keep in mind when preparing to lead in worship. If I intend to lead others in worship, I know that I have to do the maintenance necessary to make sure I am “clean” enough to ascend the hill of the Lord. As worship musicians, leaders, and pastors we have a responsibility to keep an eye on the “stuff” that piles up.

Sign Police

NOTE: This article, while probably a good idea, is intended to make us laugh at ourselves, and think about how we come across sometimes. Any sarcasm is strictly intentional.

I do quite a bit of driving. Living in Alabama (please stop laughing, this isn’t the funny part yet) I have ample opportunity to study church signs proudly displayed on seemingly every street corner. After seeing more than a few that made me go, “Huh?”, I decided that a license or some sort of training should be required to handle a sign. This license could be enforced by sign police that could revoke a sign license at any time. Now I know right now you’re thinking that I must be over reacting. The examples that follow are not exaggerations and are not pretty. Please proceed with caution.

He’s Not Here! He’s Risen!

Ok, this one is almost acceptable for Easter Sunday, when followed by the scripture reference. However, on a church sign in June, raises a number of questions about the church’s spiritual state. I mean if He’s not here, where is He. Now I realize this statement may be true of some churches, but this sign should be avoided if enticing newcomers is an objective.

Git ‘R Done For Jesus

Now I can laugh at the occasional Larry the Cable Guy joke as much as the next person. I’m not sure that the local church sign is the right vehicle for Larry, though. Now I suppose that if your church has Piggly Wiggly sponsor patches on the choir robes, or gun racks in the church vans, this rule could be voided, but I think for most part any Blue Collar Comedy is not a good idea for your church sign.

Great White Throne or Bema Seat: Which Judgment Will You Be At?

If your church is located on the campus of a Divinity school or in some town where the collective IQ average is just above the national debt, this sign probably works. For the rest of us however, if you got to explain it, it probably doesn’t work. Now before I get a ton of e-mails explaining the difference between these two judgments and the importance of the question, I passed my eschatology class in school; however, the average person riding down the road looking at your sign probably thinks your church is hosting a Star Trek Convention that will be judged based on one of two Federation Councils. Just a thought.

Don’t Let Worries Kill You. Let The Church Help.

Not sure any explanation is needed.

OK, so now that I’ve given you something to think about, e-mail me (or respond) with funniest church sign you’ve seen.

The Offices of Worship (part 3 of 3)

We have defined and discussed worship musicians and worship singers in the first two segments. In this third part, we will be looking at the role of worship pastor, and how it ties into the worship department. Worship pastor is an often-used term, but what exactly does it mean? I’ve been a worship pastor for a number of years now, and I must confess – even I’m not sure all of the time. Today, however, I’ll try to give you the best definition I can.

The Worship Pastor

A worship pastor is one who leads in worship or song, and also, to some extent, helps pastor those he or she leads.

Ok, it sounds simple, right? But sometimes we miss it at the foundation level. The bible refers to the position or office of pastor as someone who cares for the church in the same manner a shepherd cares for his flock. To tend, feed (in a teaching sense of the word), oversee, etc. A worship pastor not only leads in worship (he may write and sing and many other things that worship leaders and worship musicians often do), but he does so with the flock or congregation in mind. There are many practical illustrations of this. For example, a worship pastor is careful not to lead several new songs in a single service. A worship pastor recognizes that when the congregation is not familiar with a song it is difficult for them to concentrate on the actual act of worship. Of course at the same time the worship pastor should balance challenging the congregation and use fresh music as a vehicle to usher in an atmosphere of worship. Another example is key choice. Of course we all want to sound good! And we most certainly should do everything to the level of highest excellence possible! But when it comes to choose a key, a worship pastor thinks about the musical ability of the congregation. In other words, a Worship Pastor does things in a way the congregation can receive – a way that is comfortable enough for them to enter in without feeling inferior. We must take into account that we are leading. We must make the worship service relevant if we hope to lead the people we pastor to experience God in a real way.

Understanding the Task

The task of a worship pastor is quite often the unknown or nebulous part of the definition. Ask most worship pastors what their job requirements are, and you’ll get a laundry list of responsibilities. I’ve had responsibilities from cleaning toilets to handling electrical problems to installing the office computer network; but, as a worship pastor I learned (I’d like to say I always knew, but I learned it over the course of years) servant hood is the basis for everything in the Kingdom of God! If I cannot worship God with a toilet brush and a screwdriver on Thursday, can I effectively worship him with a microphone and a piano on Sunday?

The primary responsibility of a worship pastor is to help usher people into the presence of God. Notice I said help, because you can’t take someone where they don’t want to go. Too often we get too much credit when God moves in a service and too much blame when He doesn’t. The truth of the matter is this. The task of the worship pastor is to plan as if everything depended on us, and pray as if it all depended on God. When we begin to understand the enormous privilege we have to be entrusted with leading a congregation week after week into God’s presence, and (hopefully) seeing them grow, we can begin to grow into our role as worship pastors.

The Challenge

Ok, so what is the bottom line in all of this? As a leader, it is our responsibility to know the congregation which we lead. We must understand the makeup of the congregation in order to lead them. Anyone with musical giftings can lead singing; some who are skilled in leading can lead in worship; however, only those who have the heart of a shepherd can pastor in worship. As worship pastors we can do no less than lead, nurture, and feed those with whom we are entrusted.

The Offices of Worshp (part 2 of 3)

In part one of this series, we defined the role of a worship musician. In this article we will look at the office worship leader. Remember, the purpose of this series is to explore these roles, as well as how those who oversee the people in these roles are affected. Again, while people will occasionally operate outside the giftings of their office, the department will function more smoothly when roles and expectations are clearly defined and the right fit is in place.

The Worship Leader

The definition of a worship leader is a worship musician who is skilled in and practices leading others in worship. Worship leaders exist both locally, in the local church body, as well as globally, in the church world at large. Worship leaders play a vital role in the church worship department both in leading the congregation in worship and in addition to contributing the flow of the worship service as a whole.

The Purpose

Worship leaders exist to lead people into worship. In a local church setting, the worship leader is usually the one responsible for heading up the music department, running rehearsals, choosing songs and leading the music portion of the worship service. These responsibilities coupled with either a job outside the church, or other duties in the church, can be overwhelming at times. Only when prepared and equipped can a worship leader hope to accomplish everything that is so often expected of them.

Outside the local church, worship leaders exist to bring diversity and fresh vision to the world of worship. Similar to the artists we spoke of in the last article, these global worship leaders are often recording artists. The difference here, however, is that global worship leaders not only incorporate worship music into their recording careers, but actually incorporate their recording careers into their worship leading. Such leaders contribute richly to the church by writing songs, leading worship at large events, and even mentoring local worship leaders. These leaders, when functioning in their role, serve the body of Christ in a special way.

Potential Pitfalls

According to a 2003 Barna research survey, the average church attracts less than 90 people each week. With that statistic in mind, the same average church of less than 90 people probably does not have the resources or the money to hire worship leaders that have been fully trained, or have experience. Quite often, out of understandable necessity, worship musicians (see previous article) are forced to fill the role of worship leader. While this is a necessary part of church life, it can lead to frustration on the part of the worship musician, the pastor, and even the congregation. Knowing and understanding this is the key to building a healthy worship department. Just because someone is a skilled musician, doesn’t mean they are a skilled worship leader. Just as learning to preach in way that builds the congregation takes training and practice, worship leading is a skill that must be honed. Learning one’s strengths, weaknesses, and giftings is the most effective way to become a complete worship leader.

Wrapping It Up

Having examined two offices of worship and studied the similarities and differences, we will next turn our attention to the office of worship pastor.