Gift

Is Leading Worship A Spiritual Gift?

I have been asked before if I believe that leading worship is a spiritual gift. The ability to play music is certainly a God-given gift that requires cultivation like any other talent or ability. And for the person who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, truly everything we do is spiritual - but is leading worship a Spiritual gift? Does the Holy Spirit impart the ability to lead sung corporate worship, at the moment of my conversion?

Scripture does not provide one single, complete list of all the available Spiritual gifts. We see gifts listed throughout various passages like Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. But nowhere in these passages do we see ‘worship leader,’ listed as a spiritual gift. We know that spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit, all are necessary, and they are given for the building up of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:11, 14, Ephesians 4:12).

Is leading worship spiritual, yes.

Is leading worship a gift, absolutely.

Is leading worship a spiritual gift? Probably not. But we can employ our spiritual gifts in the service of God’s people, to God’s glory, as we lead worship spiritually.

Technology In The Gathering

Last week I wrote about what makes a good song.

Production is important in our corporate gatherings but it cannot be paramount. Technology is a beautiful tool, but a terrible master.

I love that we can project lyrics and see the faces of our brothers and sisters as we sing together. I love that we can use sound to amplify a room, instead of having to shout over one another. I love that lighting can illumine and focus our attention as we worship. I love that we can meet indoors at temperatures that are comfortable in the heat of Summer as well as the cold of Winter. Yes, technology is an incredible resource and tool. But technology can also have a mind of it’s own. Malfunctioning or breaking without warning in a moment. Does this mean we should avoid technology all together? Of course not. We receive and use technology in the corporate gathering as a gift of God.

In a similar way to what makes a good song - stripped down to all it’s simplicity - I think we should consider what makes the best use of technology in the corporate gathering. If our corporate worship is completely hindered or halted by a technology failure, is it worship that we are leading, or an experience?

Matt Redman shares the inspiration behind his song ‘Heart of Worship’ in this video. Maybe we do not need to remove the entire sound system from our church for a season, but perhaps it is always worth evaluating our use and reliance of technology as gift or god.