I want to talk about an aspect of worship leading that seems like common sense, but we tend to lose sight of it over time. The more time you spend organizing, planning, and “pulling off” worship services, the easier it is to forget what makes worship powerful in the first place. We’re returning to the roots today. Let’s start with a question. When you lead worship, are you more focused on leading people or beholding God? No need to get nervous. There’s no wrong answer. Simply evaluate your personal worship leading. Are you more mindful of you and your leadership or God and His glory?
There’s an interesting irony that the more you are focused on leading, the less effective your leadership really is. The more you focus on beholding God however, the more powerful it is. Why is this? Because people connect with worshipers. They don’t just want to be told what to do. They want to run with you into the presence of God. Of course, this isn’t always the case. There are worship leaders who are great at beholding God but lack the talent and leadership to engage a room in that experience. I’m not excluding one at the expense of the other. Worship leading is a balancing act – Behold God. Lead your band. Engage people.
So what am I talking about? The best worship leaders aren’t song-driven, but Spirit-driven. They step into a room and notice that God is there. They are struck with awe. They are filled with desire for His presence. They awaken the room with their passion. They go before the people and call them to behold The Majesty of Heaven, the King of Glory.
They know that worship isn’t about perfect execution. It can be raw, no holds barred, lay-it-all-on-the-line worship. They are often overcome by the presence of God and are moved to tears. The essence of their stage presence is that they are desperate for God. They know that what will satisfy the Church isn’t just a moving performance but a moving closer to the Almighty.
They know that since Jesus is alive, anything is possible. Public worship is simply an extension of their private devotion behind closed doors. They look beyond Sunday, preparing their hearts on Monday morning to worship Jesus.
What about you? Are you ready to start leading your best worship?
David is a Worship Pastor at Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh, PA. He is also a blogger on his website content on worship, leadership, songwriting, music, creativity, and social media. He typically posts 5-6 times a week, so stop by or subscribe via RSS or email.