September 2009

Teaching Worship.
          A few weeks ago, I was talking with a couple of worship leaders. These guys are long-time friends and we were having a very honest, frank discussion on worship. One of the main concerns we discussed was that manipulation of music and song could cause people to react. Explain. For example, during a powerful swelling of the music, more people would raise their hands and give an outward response. More outward responses sometimes measure what we think as “success” (unfortunately) as worship leaders.

          What is concerning about that? Well, the fear is this: are we truly leading people to embrace the words we all sing corporately, or are we all just moved by the rousing music and emotional melodies? This pattern is apparent, but is it bad? Is it sinful? Is it manipulative? On the other hand, scripture says only God can judge the heart. He sees deep into our hearts. Throughout the worship time, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is one that we want to invite, respect, and cling to – not grieve.

Fear of the Lord.
          So, is this an over-analyzing? With a healthy fear of the Lord in mind it may be important to take a close look. As worship and song leaders, we don’t want to lead someone into an empty emotional experience that isn’t true. Too many spiritual leaders today are banking on that and we don’t want to be part of it.

          Coaching and directing from the stage with short phrases, scriptures and prayers can help direct hearts, remind, and guide the church body to worship Christ. A rich indwelling of the Holy Spirit and a heart set before the Lord is the only way leading worship will be most effective and authentic.

The Rich Indwelling.
          I love the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 2. He talks about his delivery of the gospel message, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on man’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” Most of us have tasted what it is like to be filled with the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Isn’t it sweet? Doesn’t time with Him just lift your burdens and strengthen your heart? After I spend time with God, sometimes I feel so strong that I could take on anything! Rich, lengthy times in His Word and meaningful hours spent in prayer and meditation are often more of a hope then a reality.

          When I get un-rushed time with Him I am so thankful. Graciously, even when I am lacking in time in the Word and time with God, He still uses me to minister through song leadership. The goal is always to take a look at where I am spending time and surrender what is the Lord’s….(which is all of it!!)

So what are we really doing?
          If God chooses to use worship in someone’s life- wow, to be used of God is spectacular! If just one person comes closer to surrender, takes a step into the loving arms of God, or finely lays down their burdens and embraces the cross…that is victory. These actions of the heart cannot be measured by the number of hands in the air or the number of eyes closed with sweet expressions. Only God can see the heart.

Final thoughts:
          Loving God=commandment #1. Loving people=commandment #2. So, our respectful plea and prayer is this: God, teach us to love you. God fill us with your love for others- as we live everyday and especially as we lead others to you. Guard us against evil. Protect us against depression, selfishness, critical spirits, sarcastic outlooks, and hopelessness. Disgust for manipulation is worth our time in prayer- as we seek to honor you and to lead and teach worship. Give us clean hands and a pure heart. Fill us with your Spirit of Truth so that we may bless You.

          George Mueller lived a life devoted to God’s ministry and he is well-known for his missionary efforts in orphan homes throughout England. Circumstances in the mid-1800’s in England were tough, but he chose never to fund raise. Mueller felt strongly that God would provide for his needs and the needs of others through his petitions of prayer. He loved the characteristic of God as the “Father to the fatherless” and so he trusted God for the daily, monthly, and yearly support he needed to keep the orphan homes going. Daily prayer and Bible study were apart of his everyday life. As I read his words, I am challenged to spend more time in the Word for myself, not just for the sake of my ministry with others, but for the benefit of my soul. As you read his journal entry below, I pray that you are encouraged by this man’s faith and challenged by his lifestyle of ministry. May you be nourished and strengthened by the Word…

          “Before this time my practice had been, at least for ten years previously, as an habitual thing, to give myself to prayer after having dressed in the morning. Now, I saw that the most important thing was to give myself to reading God’s Word, and to meditate on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed….

          This first thing I did, after having asked in a few words of the Lord’s blessing upon his precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God, searching as it were into every verse to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of public ministry, but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul.

          The result I have found to be almost invariably this, that after a few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication; so that, though I did not, as it were, give myself to prayer, but to meditation, yet it turned almost immediately more or less to prayer. When thus I have been for a while making confession or intercession or supplication, or have given thanks, I go on to the next words or verse, turning all, as I go, into prayer for myself or others, as the Word may lead to it, but still continually keeping before me that food for my own soul is the object of my meditation. The result of this is that…my inner man almost invariably is even sensibly nourished and strengthened…”

                    The Journal of George Mueller

                    Spring 1841, Bristol England

          We are really excited about the FQworship Songwriting Event! Some of us were sitting around and talking about the songs we’ve written over the years. We all have those napkins and scraps of paper with what we think would be the start of a great song. ==> Finally…a place to share those songs.

          Worship songs give us the opportunity to focus on who God is and what He has done. We want to hear from you! Many of you have been blessed with so much talent, and we hope to hear your songs of praise!

CLICK HERE for information on the Songwriting Event

Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.
-Psalm 107:22