Some Sundays feel like heaven. Everyone shows up on time and is prepared, the set list is connected and cohesive, there are no technical issues, the congregation is present and engaged, we feel free as we lead and serve, and God seems nearer than usual. It is glorious, beautiful, soul-stirring.
Other Sundays feel like hell: the team is scattered and disjointed, you wonder if your body was possessed when you built the liturgy and set list, rehearsal is consumed with technical issues, the congregation is indifferent, you stumble over your words, can’t wait to walk off the platform, and wonder if God has somehow left the room. Commence the Sunday Spiral.
Leading worship is vulnerable, serious, and important. If we value this sacred responsibility, it can be easy for us to feel completely derailed when a morning falls apart. So how do we avoid a Monday morning resignation, and stop the Sunday spiral?
See that you are safe. Your identity, my identity is not in what we do. Therefore, even if I fail at a task, my identity, value, and worth is not in jeopardy.
Lay down what you are carrying. The good, the bad, the ugly - if you faithfully stewarded the moment, team, and people of God to the best of your Spirit-led abilities, then ask for the Spirit’s help to not internalize the shame or condemnation that the enemy wants to plant in your heart and mind.
Do some diagnostic work. Was this a one-off? Or are there consistent issues in the culture, preparation, and dynamics of a team or the morning that are beginning to emerge?
Take advantage of feedback loops. How can you help shepherd your team through that moment, and their own Sunday Spirals? Are there things that need to be worked through so that you can avoid that situation in the future?
Do not go it alone. If you are spiraling, articulate that to a trusted person - not necessarily so they can assure you that ‘I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,’ but so that you do not have to bear your burden alone. Ask them to listen, ask them to pray, and ask them to be present.
Lead again. Discipleship is the long game, and part of our discipleship and sanctification is being accomplished through our leading, serving, volunteering, and obedience to follow Jesus in our vocation and with our responsibilities as worship leaders, so lead again.