5 CHARACTERISTICS
OF A WORSHIPER
What a gig. The lights, the equipment, the fans--er, I mean "congregants". In our era of iTunes and American Idol, where worship bands go on tour and music is a major determinant of church membership, it's easy to forget what makes a church worship leader good. Here are 5 characteristics of great worship leaders:
1. Great worship leaders lead the church in worship.
Yep, it's basic, but
it's the only place to start. God calls worship leaders not for their musical
ability or magnetic personalities or fashion sense (though they can be helpful
tools). He calls them and gifts them to lead his people to worship him. They
help people abandon their self-centered orientation for a God-centered one, and
to join in the chorus of praise for our triune God that rings out across the
universe for eternity. Worship leaders show how, why and, most importantly, Who
to worship. Here are some practical ways great worship leaders do this:
They help people transition. Most of the people who file
into the service bring a truck-full of stress, distractions, emotions, and
nagging thoughts with them. Worship leaders help them set all of that down so
they can focus on God, Scripture, and the community. Through the atmosphere in
the room, to what they say, sing, and do, the tempo and lyrics and order of the
songs, great worship leaders plan the service to help people orient themselves
appropriately, not just for the service but for life.
They help the church know what to do. Anytime your people
get confused, they snap from God-consciousness to self-consciousness. If lyrics
are on the screen, but there's a solo on stage, people get spend more time
trying to figure out whether they're supposed to be singing or not (and often
feel stupid whichever option they--or those around them--settle on.) If there's
a solo part, don't show the lyrics. If you only want the women to sing a
section, let people know. If you're going to change the tempo or phrasing on a
well known song, give them clues (like turning from the mic or casual hand
direction) so they're not lost. Similarly when singers go off on their own riff
in the middle of the song (mmmm, we love you Lord....oh yes we do, yes we do,
yes we do...mmmm), they leave the congregation behind. They're no longer
leading the church in worship--they're worshiping while the church watches and
waits.
They let the congregation be the "front man" of
the band. One of my favorite professors explained this in a great course called
"Leading the Church in Worship" (which I highly recommend for any
worship leader.) Ever wonder why it sounds like you're the only one singing?
Because today's sound systems puts the emphasis on you, so the people in the
pews don't have to pull their own weight. Mic the congregation. Amplifying
their voices allows them to hear themselves.
They'll be inspired by the sound of so many voices lifted up. The
response? They'll sing even more loudly.
They use a variety of worship methods. It'd take a whole
other blog post to go over non-musical worship methods, so today I'm limiting
myself to the band, but great worship leaders lead the church to worship
through scripture, prayer, tithing, responsive reading, and other methods.
2. Great worship leaders don't compete with God.
As a worship leader, you know you aren't there to entertain
the church, or get glory for yourself. But with church bands looking so similar
to secular ones, and all the pressure and attention that is placed on the
group, sometimes it's easy to forget. Centuries ago, the choir loft was in the
back of the church. The choir's strong voices rose over the heads of the
congregation, whose own voices joined them on the way to the cross or altar at
the front. Now, bands play on stage, often under spotlights, in front of the
church. Even if you're not confused about who the Audience is and who the performers are, your church might
be. Here are some practical ways great worship leaders avoid competing with God
for the glory:
They get out of the spotlight (figuratively and literally).
Dim the spots. Don't stand in center stage. Every time you grab the attention
or glory, your taking some away from God.
If you project the lyrics on screen, avoid video feed of the
band as the background (people stop worshiping and focus on the images--who's
attractive, the shiny earrings that your guitarist is wearing, spinach in your
teeth. It becomes less Amazing Grace and more Austin City Limits.)
When people applaud, turn that applause to God verbally like
my friend Andy does: "that's right--let's give the Lord a hand for who He
is and what He does" or non-verbally, like one friend does when she simply
points up and, with her eyes raised, silently praises God.
3. Great worship leaders are intentional teachers.
No, I don't mean that you're delivering the sermon next
week. I mean that you're already teaching, and you need to be intentional about
your lessons. Gordon Fee says, "Let me hear a congregation sing, and I
will tell you their theology." Think about it: most people will hear a
specific sermon your pastor preaches once, but they'll sing the songs you
choose over and over, many for years and some for a lifetime. The lyrics seep
into their souls and shape their beliefs. If they sing self-centered,
experiential songs, their spiritual life will be self-centered and
experiential. If they sing songs filled with God's word and centered on Him,
songs that reflect deep biblical truth about Him and His creation and His
kingdom, their spiritual lives will absorb God's truth. Here are some ways
great worship leaders intentionally teach:
They choose songs on purpose, after reading the lyrics and
thinking through the theology. Even if a song is popular on the local Christian
radio station, weed it out if it teaches lies about God. Try updated hymns, or
discovering new artists who write scripture-based worship songs--or become one
yourself.
They take time to teach.
The great ones take time between songs to teach explicity. Perhaps
helping people understand what worship is and why we do it, or the role of the
band and the proper response of the church.
They prepare. Many worship leaders take time to throw out
encouragements or prayers in the middle of sets. Great ones plan out what
they're going to talk about, and make sure that they don't pass on bad theology
because they spoke off the cuff (How many times have we heard someone
inadvertantly thank the Father for dying on the cross or living inside us?)
They have the lyrics handy, whether on a music stand or a monitor. True,
secular bands don't do this, but those guys sing the same songs at every
concert for years. You're changing songs every week, and it's a lot worse to
forget the words than to admit that you don't have the entire library of modern
and classic Christian songs in your head.
4. Great worship leaders are pastors.
The great ones are pastors to their worship team. In
traveling all over the country, I've gotten to attend tons of churches, and
seen how the absence of pastoral leadership on the worship team can derail a
congregation's worship. The "band" aspect of worship teams can bring
out unique temptations. Oftentimes, band members are recruited for their
musical ability despite low spiritual maturity. They're placed in an
environment that feels like a normal gig and even gives them a little fame in
the community. All eyes are looking at them, and there's pressure to look good,
cool, cutting edge or even sexually attractive. Here are ways great worship
leaders are pastors.
They protect and disciple their team, even before
individuals are on it. This means that they don't use people. They recruit
people who can handle to position spiritually, and don't put a brand new
believer into a position she can't handle spiritually simply because she has a
rock star voice.
They tackle difficult problems with truth in love. They
don't avoid hard conversations about pride or jealousy or revealing clothing on
stage.
They know their people and their families, build into their
lives, and do life with them. They put priority on the individual's spiritual
life, emphasize on worshiping God humbly, and actually model these things in
their own lives.
5. Good worship leaders worship God.
Above everything, good worship leaders love the Lord. It's
easy to fake it for a while--to perform rather than worship. In fact, if you
perform dynamically, your congregation will think your great. You're church
might grow, and you might even get a raise. But that's nothing if your soul is withering.
Here are some ways great worship leaders continue worshiping God on the inside
while you worship him on the outside:
They keep up their personal time with God. Though that can
look different for different people, it includes scripture and prayer. It might
also include things like spiritual disciplines, time in nature, participating
in a Bible study.
They have authentic community. Small groups, accountability
partners and friends are crucial to our walk. Have godly friend in and outside
your own congregation, and make sure you have people who aren't impressed by
you.
They serve in other ways. You aren't just a worship leader.
God has given you other gifts, abilities, talents and interest. Use those sides
as well. Feed the poor, counsel the hurting, help build houses, raise money for
a good cause.
They remember that God loves them beyond their work. Leading
the church in worship is a big and important job, but God loves you no more and
no less because you do it. Thank him for the opportunity to participate in his
work, and thank him that his love doesn't depend on that.
May God use you and grow you through your
ministry!
