Just in the same way that Thanksgiving dinner involves a scheduled time set-up and sequence, teaching new songs to the church involves those same three steps. These three steps are critical in helping the church digest something new that their bodies are not yet used to as part of their worship diet.
We live in a day and age where creatives in the church volley to have platforms as a means to express themselves and build their kingdoms. In efforts to put our imprint on things we usurp the Almighty and worship the created, instead of the creator. Our hearts our idol-making factories that consistently need to be condemned if Christ is to have His rightful place in our lives and in His church.
Being a doorkeeper requires patience and the ability to see past one’s present condition and to the potential inside. Some doorkeepers don’t see the full fruit of their labor, but rather are a link in the chain of opportunities that grow men and women into their calling.
Worship leaders must develop their own filters to determine and discern what music is appropriate for their worship diet and worship culture at their church. Choosing songs merely based on preference alone, what’s “hot” on the radio or what stimulated a meaningful worship experience in your car aren’t necessarily great metrics for determining what truth to put into the mouths of worshippers on the weekend.
What we say to lead others in worship reveals the source of our authority. We’re either leading from the authority of Scripture or the authority of self and only one source is truly effective.
For so many years I fell prey to the “Good morning church, are you excited to be in the house of the Lord!?” routine. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, my greeting was largely intended to elicit a response from the congregation to satisfy my desire for demonstrative engagement. But my prompt was hinged on my words, not God’s.
Your relationship with the senior pastor will ultimately determine the length of your tenure at a church and deeply contribute to how content and fulfilled you are in your job.
Just as flags mark ownership and territory, songs often reflect the desires we have for the Lord to take deeper ownership and territory of our hearts.
One of the most daunting things both a worship leader and pastor face every Monday morning is a blank sheet of paper.
A worship leader’s job is done when the church sings aloud in spirit and truth.
Travis Doucette • Worship Blog 