What is Worship Leading?

The Unique Musical Work of Worship Leading...

Confession: I was a church musician before I was a Christian.  As an undergrad I was recommended to a local Lutheran Church looking for a choir director. They asked me a lot of questions about music and about who I was as a person -- but NEVER asked me about my faith. Not one question! Since then I have served on many church staffing committees, and we always ask for a formal statement of faith, not to mention talking about it during the interview process. I don't blame the group interviewing me --  I sincerely believe that God clouded their minds and stopped their mouths in a significant miracle that would change the course of my life.

Twenty plus years later, as I continue to lead worship and train worship leaders, the incredible uniqueness of this work continues to surprise me. When it is authentic, it has elements of performance, but it is quite unlike performance. It has elements of deep individual worship, but it is unlike worship. It is vital to the mission of the church and the experience of the believers present. I consider "worship leaders" to be not only contemporary singers whose faces are in front but also instrumentalists, choir members, keyboard and organ players -- anyone who helps the congregation experience God through music.

Worship leaders need to have experiences and times of authentic worship, but how is individual worship different from worship leading? I think that in worship, there are only two "players" involved: the worshipper and God. The experience can vary extremely from calm listening to ecstatic charismatic experiences, but authentic worship it is a closed circuit of connection and relationship. Others around you cease to matter and awareness of them on some occasions simply falls away. It is intensely personal.

I believe the best worship leaders are also skilled performers. Performing is also about connection, however, the connection is between the performer and the audience. Though using talents certainly glorifies God, connection to God is not part of the performance. The best performances have an aspect of relationship where an audience feels connected to the performer and through that performer learns or lives something larger than themselves. The performer invites the audience into involvement with himself or herself, and the more honest and vulnerable the performer is, the more successful the invitation is also.

Worship leading, though leaning heavily on both of these aspects, is unique in that there are now three distinct players involved: The congregation (audience), worship leader (performer), and God. The aspect of invitation in the best performances is the same and absolutely vital, however, the worship leader's invitation is now not to relationship/connection with him or her, but with God. The worship leader must maintain the aspect of personal worship because without a real relationship with God, the invitation to join it is hollow and empty. However, if the worship leader if the experience between the worship leader and God becomes too intensely personal, the congregation is shut out and no longer invited into the experience and connection. Similarly, if the worship leader becomes too involved in her or his relationship with the congregation it leaves God out of the picture and quickly becomes false.

The worship leader, like any other leader during a worship service, sacrifices some aspects of worship in order to lead others. This is not a negative thing -- it is a willing act of self-sacrifice that I believe is pleasing to God.

The ultimate responsibility of a worship leader, then, is to begin with a cultivated, authentic relationship with God and then to openly and vulnerably invite others into that relationship through music and worship. In order to do this the worship leaders must also build skills in their instruments or singing performances and extensively rehearse as a group in order to bring the highest quality of music possible to glorify God. I have seen and experienced some phenomenal musicians fail at worship leading because they didn't bring their best efforts/individual practice/rehearsal because it was "just church."

Worship Leading is daunting, difficult, and an incredible commitment. But what could possibly be more rewarding than inviting people into a closer relationship with God through an art form that we love? It is important work that brings with it the frustration of striving to improve, dedication, commitment, and moments of intense joy.

Thoughts on Luke 2:25-35 -- Hope

Luke 2:25-35

25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you may now dismiss^d your servant in peace.

30For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and the glory of your people Israel.”

33The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

When I was a young person, one of the running jokes in my family was trying to give gifts to my grandmother.  It wasn’t that she wasn’t appreciative – she would ooh and ahh appropriately, say things were beautiful, and then never ever use them.  She would put them away in her cedar chest. 

Her slippers were full of holes, my mother gave her beautiful new fur-lined isotoners… that went into the cedar chest.  Clothing, towels, pans, whatever – they were “too nice to use” and put away for some unknown future. 

Now, I like anticipation as much as anyone.  I don’t unwrap corners of Christmas presents to take an early peek, and I am happy to wait to open them even when the day is here.  I never, ever look at the last page of a book I’m reading.  But how much sense does it make, once the anticipation is over, to never use what has been given?  To behave as though we have never received the present?

My grandmother’s gifts were never any use.  Most were still in the cedar chest new when she passed away, and the things she used were worn out.  It was silly, laughable – and in some ways, sad. 

This text acknowledges that Christ has come.  The waiting is over – it has been for over 2000 years.  How much of our lives do we waste behaving as though we’re still waiting for Jesus?  Jesus –is come.  Now.  We choose whether or not we set that gift aside for another day.  Jesus didn’t look like they thought he would 2000 years ago– why should we expect our experience to be any different?

After Simeon acknowledges that he has seen the Messiah, a light for the gentiles and glory for Israel, he blesses the family.  He blesses them and us with knowledge of what living with Jesus in our lives means.  “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”

It’s interesting to me that these words come as a blessing, and not a warning.  Jesus is the cause of falling and of rising, a sign to be spoken against, and a revealer of our deepest thoughts and motives.  These are the blessings we contend with when we live with Jesus, when we are active in the kingdom of God, here and now.

So what does it mean to live using these gifts instead of hiding them away?  How do we, as believers, look different on the outside because Jesus has come, and how are we different internally?  To me, the big differences are shown in two areas – how we respond to trials, and where we find our joy and hope.

The first thing that we need to notice is that Simeon does not say “Jesus will make people comfortable.” Or “his followers will be happy.” 

If you’re in a dark time in your life – and all of us have been in dark times, if we’ve been on this planet for long at all – it is not a moment to wait, and think that gifts and promises from God are for another time.  It is a time to shine.  As believers, we are a light.  We were born for darkness!  

As believers, we are light  -- we were built for darkness!

Trials don’t only test your own character, they test your faith and your understanding of your ownership of the kingdom.  They become great stories of hope, where weakness in our own lives has been an opportunity for God to show how strong HE is.  We have to have a test to have an imony! (That’s not mine, it’s another preacher’s quip, but I like it.) And it’s true, isn’t it?  We sing every week about being a people of victory, but you can’t have a victory without a battle! 

We were built for darkness, to be a light for the world.  James chapter 1 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”  Joy isn’t pleasure – he doesn’t say consider it pure pleasure, or pure fun.  Jesus causes rising and falling – a trial is not a time to complain, it’s a time to rise. 

Living in the kingdom here on Earth means attack and assault.  Jesus is a sign that will be opposed, and that means trials.  Remember the beginning of Jesus’ ministry?  No problem, I’ll refresh y’all – Luke, chapter 3 and then 4: 

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”  

… Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.  The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.”

 

The devil tempts Jesus with power, with testing God, and eventually fails to overcome him, and then

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

The last thing that has happened to Jesus is that the voice of God has spoken over him, saying “this is my son, in whom I am well pleased,”  and the first thing that the devil says to him is “IF you are the Son of God.”  If.    One of the first ways to recognize a spiritual attack is that he attacks your personhood, your identity.  Easy to observe that in this story, isn’t it?  But doesn’t it just cut you when you hear it?  IF you were a good mother, your child wouldn’t throw a fit in Target… IF you were a better provider, your family would be grateful… IF you were a real Christian, you would… fill in the blank.  Your identity is attacked.  Knowing , really knowing, with a full heart knowledge, that Jesus has come means knowing that he has bought you.  When you really know who and whose you are, every battle in life has been won, hasn’t it?

But when you’re in the midst of a trial, in the middle of your own 40 days in the wilderness, and you wonder who wants me here, God or the devil – well sometimes the answer is “yes.”  God allows it, and what Satan meant for evil, God has used for good) Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit.  The wilderness is a way that our inner thoughts, our hearts are revealed.  God wants you in the wilderness and the devil wants you there, but their purposes are different.  The devil wants you there to destroy you, (John 10:10 – the thief comes to steal and to kill and to destroy) but God wants you there so you can destroy the work of the devil.  So that in your weakness God can show His strength.  We are weak, but he is strong – the first thing we teach our kids, right?  The devil came to Jesus when he had been there for 40 days.  He was hungry.  He looked weak.  But that was the moment for God to show his power, and afterwards, Christ leaves in the POWER of the spirit. 

But here’s a question – is accepting that power over our lives, knowing that Jesus has come and not shoving him into the cedar chest for another day – is that it?  if the battle is already won, do we really have to do anything?  Doesn’t God have it all handled?  Well, yes, but “the man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”  (1 Cor 3:8-9)  When we say “worker with us in the Kingdom of God” to everyone who is baptized at this altar, we say “worker” on purpose.  We don’t say “sleeper” or “rester.”  Perseverance – work --  is a fruit of the spirit.  We know Ephesians 2:8, right?  We are saved by grace, through faith, not a result of works but created FOR good works.  I think in our society we’ve lost the sense that perseverance and hard work create breakthrough.  I don’t like it either.  I have a couple places in my life where I am flat sick of the hard work.  In Colossians 1:29 Paul says “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”  Labor.  Struggling.  The Greek words mean “to grow weary with toiling” and to “agonize over.”  I don’t like toiling and agonizing.  But it says I should do it. Ephesians Chapter 2 tells us why… “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

Because Jesus has come, this is your mission—should you choose to accept it –your joyful obedience  -- you’re not working for salvation, you’re working from salvation – not working FOR love, but FROM love – but you are working.  Striving.  Growing weary from toil.  Being built to be a dwelling of God. 

Romans 15:12-13

And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”

When James writes “consider it joy” to be facing the trials – is he telling us to chin up, smile, love the pain?  Of course not.  But our joy is in having something greater than the trial, greater than the pain, and understanding that through the tough times our faith will grow, our lives will produce more fruit of the spirit, and the light of Christ will shine more brightly in the darkness.   

One quote seems to me to sum up this attitude of hope…

"Where is the hope? I meet millions who tell me they feel demoralized by the decay around us. Where is the hope? The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people - - and that's where our hope is in this country. That's where our hope is in life." Chuck Colson

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that

you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen

 

Thoughts on Luke 7:31-34

Luke 7:31-34

New International Version (NIV)

³¹ Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“‘We played the pipe for you,
    and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
    and you did not cry.’

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’

Have you seen "Shrek?"  Of course in my world this question is about the musical, not the movie -- but in both versions there is a great conversation between Shrek and Donkey.  Shrek is trying to explain to the rather one-dimensional Donkey what ogres are like, and he finally decides that ogres are like onions in that they have layers -- not like a cake, not like a parfait -- an onion. 

Like many passages and words of Jesus -- this one is like an onion.  And no, I don't really feel that it's a cake or a parfait. 

When I have a preaching assignment, I like to listen to and read what other people have said on the subject.  Type "John 3;16 sermon" into Google and you will get thousands of results.  Do the same for Luke 7:31-34 and there are seven.  SEVEN!  And four of those are from the 1800s.  No one seems to want to talk about this passage.  And I think I know why.  It calls us out.

Let's picture the marketplace of life for a moment.  

It is filled with color, distractions, people going on with their lives, goals, and problems.  There are things that people buy, things they reject.  Things that demand and deserve their attention.   Things that are real and important and legitimate.

When we have an agenda for the world -- desire as Christians that people should pay attention to us, come to us and cry when we play our sad songs and dance when we play our happy ones -- instead of going into the world and caring for real people, Jesus says we are "children" -- we value children in our culture but in the era of Jesus they were disease carriers and nuisances.  As insignificant to life then as cats yowling on the side of the road would be today.  Christians whine that the world is crumbling around them and build themselves up in self-righteousness and judgment of others.  And NO ONE CARES.  No one listens to the spoiled child throwing a tantrum in Wal-Mart.  And why should they?  They aren't contributing anything to the marketplace, to the development of the culture, to life.

Jesus refers in this passage to the differences between John the Baptist and himself.  John prepared everyone for a monster.  Prepare the way -- make the way straight for he is coming and he will rock the world -- but when the door opened, there was no monster.  There was a Lamb.

And the lamb didn't fight against his enemies.  He was a pacifist.  A celebrator. 

So what does that have to do with the idea of Jesus as our friend?  Lots. 

A writer I studied when I was a youth director warned that kids, especially teens, were very susceptible to the "you are what you eat" aspect of friendship.  He maintained that we become like those we hold close to our hearts.  Those we call our friends.  I still keep an eye on my kids' friends, just in the back of my mind.  Erin, for example, always wants to hang with Frankie Hartman, so I figure she's going to turn out okay!

Is the Jesus of the Gospels someone you would want your teenager to hang out with?  Is he someone you would claim as a friend yourself?  Would you go with him out drinking with the guys at the bar?  Fat, stinky, drunkards?  Or would you worry about what your church family would think if they saw you?  Would you go with him to take the hand of a prostitute?  Would you stand calmly while people picketed him and told him that God hates the people he loves? 

Jesus was not the friend anyone expected.  He still isn't.  John warns to make the paths straight -- because the one coming is going to knock everything flat anyway -- you'd better clear the way and FAST.  But there is no monster, no fighter, no warrior, no avenger.  Instead there is a peaceful man who is more concerned with how you treat other people -- including tax collectors and sinners -- than how you are treated. 

And that's scary but it's okay -- I read the end of the book and it all comes out fine...  but before that, there were and are consequences.  John came singing funeral songs, fasting, praying, warning.  He was mocked, ridiculed, raged at, and eventually beheaded.  Jesus came singing wedding songs; laughing, eating, drinking, enjoying life and loving everyone.  He was mocked, ridiculed, raged at, and eventually crucified.  And though he did this to save us from sin and death all he never guaranteed that he would save us from ourselves or from each other. 

It is time, as friends of Jesus, to live up to that friendship.  To grow up.  To embrace the idea of "we are what we eat" when it comes to friendship with Jesus.  He offers us true friendship along with true peace -- but it is (John14:27) but it's not the kind we expect.  He's not a monster on our side so we can whine and cry and be insignificant.  He IS significance.  We need to grow up as Christians and take the risk of saying "my Jesus is a friend not only to me but he is a friend to the radical Moslem... or the person shooting at the college... or the man with the sign making a fool of Christians everywhere... and we need to understand and accept the consequences.  Our friend is a lamb.  A man of peace and grace and love and commitment.  He calls us into depth, into sacrifice, into reality, into the risk of being significant in the world.  

We have a promise of security to take these risks -- our citizenship is in Heaven, we have a green card to work here. 

We have significance.  And overall I don't think we're failing.  We just look around and get stuck in despair.  How many of you think this country is worse, in worse shape now than it was a hundred years ago?

I disagree.  I don't think it's getting worse.

How many of you watched cowboy and Indian movies when you were a kid?  Where the Indians were the bad guys?  Can you even find one any more?  Nope.  Why not?  Because we figured out that Native Americans weren't savages.  And our whole idea about thinking that was funny or entertaining went away.  We can no longer root for the cowboys because we know what actually happened to the Indians.

How about for women?  Is it worse? Women couldn't vote in this country until 1920.  Women fought for the right to vote in this country for 78 years.  Think about that.  78 YEARS!  Most of the people who started the fight didn't live to see it won.  Do we think we'll ever go back in this country?  No.  Why?  Because of the law?  No.  Because we think differently about women.  Laws can go back and forth.  It's because we as a culture have changed our mindset about women.  We see women differently in 2014 than we did in 1814.  Or 1914.  The way to make a permanent change in behavior is to change attitudes, mindset, and vision. 

How about for people in America that aren't European descent?  Civil rights...  mind set change, not just for white people but for African Americans as well...

What if you're gay?  You have rights in this country today that you didn't have even last year or last month. We still have work to do as a culture in  this but you know what?  My teenagers have an entirely different mindset than teens in my generation.  It's a non issue for them.  That is cultural progress that can't be legislated.  

And our community of faith, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has been a leader in all of these cultural shifts.  I don't like denominational barriers any more than I like cultural ones but I am extremely proud to be an ELCA Lutheran in America today.  Whether we are embracing women in the pulpit or marriage rights or going as a community to literally give our life's blood in honor of a sick little girl we love -- we as a community of faith are striving to be grownups.  Are you doing your part to keep up?  Are you embracing your significance or are you whining at the sidelines that people aren't paying attention to your irrelevance?  It's a tough question, isn't it?

We have other things to tackle in this world, lots of them.  We need changes in mindset toward poverty, toward environmental stewardship, toward health and sickness -- But I firmly believe that grown up Christians are going to be at the forefront of these cultural shifts as well -- and we're going to win because there is going to be no end to the increase of His government or His peace -- so if you get afraid and are tempted to go back to the ways of spiritual childhood you need to remember that you live in an unshakeable kingdom.   Mission possible. 

You don't have to preach the message.  You are the message.  You are the message to the friends of Jesus Christ.  

When you meet a stranger that you are introduced to by a friend as "my good friend..." does it change your behavior toward them?  Yes.  You treat that person in a way that protects and cultivates the relationship you have with your friend, don't you?  Saying "this is my friend" says that this person is valued.  Tells you to care for them.  Implies that the connection is such that if you harm them, you are harming me, and if you care for them, you are caring for me. 

It's not by might.  It's not by power, but it's by my spirit, the Lord says.  Amen.