I have asked worship leader candidates what they consider to be a successful worship experience. In other words, what are the dynamics of a worship service that you led that you would say was “a win”?
Now I realize that such a question may not be at all fair since the One, True, Judge of our worship is God and God alone. Giving supreme priority to that as the foundation and inspiration for all we do as worship leaders and worshipers, I do believe that in our roles as “worship pastors or leaders” it is important, indeed, vital that we have some parameters that guide our leadership. Specifically I believe we should prepare and execute our worship with an end in mind. The word or action that I think best captures that portrait of success is “response”. May I go even farther to say that “meaningful response to God” characterizes true, authentic worship in the corporate setting.
I offer the distinction because many will think that merely because congregants sing, applause, clap their hands and stamp their feet (in rhythm, no less!), that we have achieved the response we were after. Being in church as long as I have (since I was a zygote), I know how easy it is to fake response. So let me go on record: it is impossible for any human being to judge the quality of another person’s response to God, let alone a congregation without some external, demonstrable act (like singing, applause, clapping, “Amen”-ing, altar response etc. I think the best we can do as leaders is to prepare our worship service with an Isaiah 6:1-8 intention. We must do what we can to give people the chance to encounter the awesome wonder of the Living God, clear the way for them to respond to Him in ways we may not see and leave the validation of this to God.
In addition to the ways I have mentioned, consider these other forms of response:
- Conviction of sin – a deep sense of remorse for our words, thoughts, and actions that have offended the heart of God
- Wonder – a deep sense of awe at some aspect of God’s character and work
- Gratitude – a deep sense of awareness of the manifold goodness being poured out upon our lives with the corresponding (co-respond-ing) demonstrations of thankfulness
- Joy – a deep sense of satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness in the reality of the divine mercies and love of God
- Compassion – a deep sense of loving care that directs action for those around us, in our families and spheres of influence.
- En-Couragement – a deep sense of great trust in God who supplies us with what we need to endure and overcome the trials of life.
That’s just a few but here’s the question that can be a catalyst for the creative planning process: what would we need to do in our worship services to help create an atmosphere of response to these deep sensings? How must we as worship leaders, following the lead of the Spirit, serve our congregations in a way that can inspire their greater affections to and for God? What elements in our worship services need to be provided that can facilitate time for people to move from passivity to activity in their engaging the Great God of their hearts and Shepherd of their souls? How must we guard this sacred moment to make sure that nothing distracts our people from the God who desires us to know Him best when we are still?
Worship from the perspective of the worship leader is never merely about what he or she offers God, or offers the congregation. It is about how they serve to help the congregation offer their best to the One who has already given His best to us…and still does! We must be diligent and vigilant to examine our worship leadership motives and practices and purify them of those things that get in the way of the Groom being intimate with His collective Bride.
Consider that when most people come to church, they really don’t need our music, our new song and lyrics, our video clips, testimonies, choral arrangements, offertories, or even, dare I say it, our thoughts on the Word of God. They desperately need God! And they desperately need to know they have been set free to respond to the God who has already revealed Himself. Heaven waits in earnest for the Bride to respond with devotion to the Groom. Hell fears it!
Everything we do as leaders must be dedicated not to giving people our offerings but empowering them to give God theirs. After all, worship is exclusively and completely what God made us for. It is in our response to Him that life regains transcendent significance and where God truly has our hearts as we aim our lives for His heart.
May He give us the grace under His leadership to help His people respond to Him with intimate love, humble submission, childlike wonder and complete devotion.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
"Imprinted" on Worship 