Worship With Your Strength

In Luke 10:27, Jesus said, “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind…” As worship leaders, we know that worship is more than songs, that worship is the right response of our whole lives to God’s revelation of Himself. Over the next four weeks, I will spend some time exploring what it means to worship God with our hearts, souls, strength, and with our minds.

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

- C.S. Lewis

Life is hard and exhausting. Perhaps this is why we easily set so much of our time and routine on autopilot. The same is true as we gather with the people of God - we know what time to arrive when to sit and stand, when to sing, and when to listen. We can easily go through the motions without having a posture of heart that is open, soft, and responsive to the truths we proclaim as the people of God.

If we are to worship God with our strength, there should be an intensity that we exercise in our response to God that focuses our half-hearted affections. No, our churches don’t need mosh pits for Jesus, but we do need to invite our people to see how their affections have been splintered. In the corporate gathering, we can bless and thank God for being the Giver of every good and perfect gift, while also acknowledging that we are quick to worship created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25).

Perhaps one of the ways we need to encourage people to worship God with their strength is to sing loudly. Sing like they believe what they are singing. Sing like they want to believe what they are saying. Sing like they are building up the faith of their brothers and sisters surrounding them in the room - because that is exactly what is happening. We are strengthened, and so is our worship as we gather and respond to the One who is called Almighty.

Worship With Your Soul

In Luke 10:27, Jesus said, “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind…” As worship leaders, we know that worship is more than songs, that worship is the right response of our whole lives to God’s revelation of Himself. Over the next four weeks, I will spend some time exploring what it means to worship God with our hearts, souls, strength, and with our minds.

We like to compartmentalize our lives and relationships: this is my work self, and this is my home self. This is my church self, and this is my non-church self. But as embodied souls, our lives, desires, and affections are not so easily separated and split apart. Likewise, there is not a worshiping self and a non-worshiping self. It is all worship. All of life is a response to something or someone.

Sin did not end Adam and Eve’s perfect worship in the garden, nor does it end our worship now, but perverts our worship. Sin sends our worship spinning toward things that are not worthy of our worship. So part of what we are reminding the people of God as we gather is not that worship begins and ends, but worship continues, and our worship must be redirected toward the One who is worthy of our worship, the One who commands our worship, and the One who delights in our worship.

Worshiping God with our souls is worship that involves the whole of our being. All that we are and all that we have. Not just our songs. Not just our minds. Not just our hearts. Not just our time. Not just our talents. Worship that offers our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).

I found this video from the Bible Project about ‘The Soul’ very helpful:

Worship With Your Heart

In Luke 10:27, Jesus said, “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind…” As worship leaders, we know that worship is more than songs, that worship is the right response of our whole lives to God’s revelation of Himself. Over the next four weeks, I will spend some time exploring what it means to worship God with our hearts, souls, strength, and with our minds.

The heart is the center of our beings. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). From the heart flow rivers of life (John 7:38). The human heart is desperately wicked, and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). But as followers of Christ we have been given new hearts and with it new desires (Ezekiel 36:26).

Rene Descartes’ famously stated, ‘I think, therefore I am.’ But humans are not primarily thinking beings, but beings who feel and desire. As James K.A. Smith said, ‘You are what you love.’ As worship leaders, we have a responsibility to present deep and rich truths in our songs, verbal transitions, and liturgy that inform the minds of our people. But if truth only resides in our minds, without transforming our hearts and affections, we become proud and arrogant (1 Corinthians 8:1).

Living in the shadow of the enlightenment, we must work to help people apply the truth in their minds to their hearts and lives. Depending on your culture or context, seeking to apply and respond at a heart level may easily be confused with shallow emotionalism. But if we understand worship as the right response of our whole lives to God’s revelation of Himself, we will be transformed from the inside out both in our affections, desires, and our response to God. Worship will not just live in our minds as an intellectual ascent to specific truths about God, but will emanate from the center of our beings - the heart.

If we want to lead people in worship that is from the heart, we must be led by the Holy Spirit, as He opens our eyes to behold Christ, and live lives of worshipful response in the gathering and when we are sent out on mission.

I found this video from the Bible Project about ‘The Heart’ very helpful:

Ten Yearly Questions

As 2022 comes to a close, it can be helpful to remember, celebrate, and reevaluate. I don’t know about you, but there is something about the end of a year that draws me toward reflection and vision more than any other time of the year. But often I need parameters that help shape the questions I ask, the way I consider the previous year, and the things I hope, pray, and dream for the next. That is one of the reasons I found Mike Cosper’s Ten Yearly Questions he shared on the Doxology and Theology podcast so helpful:

1. Who is here?

2. Who needs to be here?

3. Who has been here before us?

4. Is it comprehensible?

5. Is it with the cost?

6. Is it true?

7. Who is the hero of the service?

8. Is it participatory?

9. Does it speak to rich and poor alike?

10. Does it prepare people for their encounter with death?

What questions are you asking as you remember, celebrate, and reevaluate?

Embodied Worship

We know that worship is more than a song. That in fact worship is the offering of our whole lives in response to God. And throughout Scripture, specifically the Psalms we see that worship is expressed through our bodies:

Singing (Psalm 9:11).

Dancing (Psalm 149:3).

Playing Instruments (Psalm 150:4).

Bowing your head in worship (Psalm 95:6).

Clapping your hands (Psalm 47:1).

Shouting (Psalm 66:1).

Being silent (Psalm 62:5).

Raising up your hands (Psalm 134:2).

Maybe these outward expressions of embodied worship do not represent the body of believers you serve, your church background, or your theological bent. But perhaps we who declare worship as more than a song need to acknowledge that the praise of God must be embodied as much as it is sung.

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!” Psalm 150:6

Knowing If It's Time To Move On

Seasons end and new seasons begin. Sometimes these are endings we choose, sometimes they are thrust upon us. Sometimes things fade slowly over time, sometimes things are done in a moment. But how do you know if it is time to move on from a place where you have invested a season (or more) of your life?

There are no easy answers, but I do know that uprooting your life, your community, and your serving should give you pause. This is a decision that should be considered in prayer, seeking the discernment of the Holy Spirit, and being engaged in the community.

Ask questions. Am I running from something? If God is pursuing some specific space in our sin-sick hearts, you will never be able to outrun Him. You can avoid, and ignore all you want, but the same sin-sick heart will follow you everywhere. Do I think the grass is greener? Ministry is hard everywhere. Don’t allow one interaction or a rough season to send you spiraling, and searching for a better life somewhere else. What is the most loving thing to do at this moment?

Seek wise counsel. If you are lucky, maybe this is a pastor or elder at your church, who can help you navigate if God may be leading you toward a new season of life and ministry. Be wise in seeking your wise counsel - this is not for the purpose of gossip or airing of grievances, but inviting someone to walk with you as you seek the Spirit together.

Exhaust your options. Don’t run, press in again, and again, and again. By the empowering of the Holy Spirit, seek to live as Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Pray, pray, pray. Listen more than you speak.

Be honest, with yourself and others. Don’t lie, or exaggerate. But also be aware that not everyone is safe. That not everyone needs to hear the whole story. Sometimes the most loving thing to do, the most truthful thing to do, is to keep your mouth open to God and closed to others.

Benedictine monks take three vows: a vow of stability, a vow of fidelity, and a vow of obedience. Vows tether us and remind us of the larger story to which we belong. Vows hold us secure when things are hard and painful and we are tempted to give up, give in, or walk away. Most of us will not take vows to serve on staff, or as a volunteer within the local church - although we may take membership vows to our local church - but the picture of stability is one that we should all desire to emulate in our life as followers of Jesus, and wherever He leads.

The truth is, the church is made up of broken people. There will be sin and brokenness in every church we attend, serve, labor, and work. But there is a difference between sinful brokenness and toxic abuse. If you think you may be in an abusive situation, you need to get to help and safety quickly. Find a counselor, mentor, or therapist who can help you navigate the complexities of your situation.

Staying is hard. Leaving is hard. Learn from the wisdom and mistakes of others who have walked a similar path. I found this conversation between Beth Moore and Russell Moore to be so helpful on this topic. You can listen to it here.

Seeker Sensitive Worship

Churches have varying opinions about the point and purpose of the corporate worship gathering. Is it primarily to experience God? Is it primarily to teach the Bible? Is it for the purpose of evangelism, and attracting the community?

My personal conviction is that the purpose of the corporate gathering is for the spiritual formation of God’s people. That we gather to disciple and be discipled. That conviction shapes the way I think about the songs I choose, the liturgies I create, and the way that I communicate. However, that does not mean that I approach the gathering expecting that only followers of Jesus who are seeking to be conformed to the image of Christ are present. I think every week that we gather there are people who are walking with God, people who are far from God, people who are not Christians, and people who believe they are Christians but in reality, are not.

This too shapes the way I consider our gathering. In the same way, I want to be aware there are children in the room during a family worship weekend, I want to be aware that every time we gather there are people in the room who do not know, love, or follow Jesus.

If you’re here this morning as a follower of Christ… I preface much of what I share with this phrase. My hope in using these words is twofold, first, so that we would never assume that everyone sitting in our rows is a Christian. Second, there are things we are saying, singing, professing, proclaiming, receiving, and believing that will only be true for those who know and follow Jesus.

Explain what is happening, and why. Rubrics are helpful on this front. We want people to be uncomfortable for the right reasons. We want guests to know how and when they participate, and what are the expectations as we gather.

Use language that is clear, and without condescension. Our words matter and can be used to clarify or confuse those who attend our services. There must be a balance in being generous and welcoming in our language without being overly simplistic, and talking down to the unfamiliar.

Finally, present the gospel clearly. This is why I love using the Gospel Song Liturgy as the way we move through our set lists. Our songs can help tell the story of the sovereignty of God, the brokenness of sin, the glory of Christ’s cross, and the hope of our own resurrection, and Christ’s return. May all people walk away from our gatherings knowing who Jesus is and what He has done.

Children In The Gathering

On the fifth Sunday of every month, first through fifth graders join the adults of our church in the auditorium for gathered worship. This has been a learning process for our staff team, and for me. I believe that the primary purpose of the corporate gathering is the spiritual formation of God’s people, and this includes not just adults, but children as well. This is not a time simply to give our children’s ministry volunteers a break, but a chance for discipleship to go both ways, for our children to disciple the adults of our church, and for the adults of our church to disciple the children.

The presence of children in our gathering should remind adults of the way that we are to approach our Heavenly Father. With the faith of a child, full of wonder, joy, curiosity, and without reserve. Children should remind adults that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Children should remind adults that we are a part of the family of God, that we care for, serve, love, and are inconvenienced for one another - that we gather not to consume but to serve.

When children are in the gathering adults have the opportunity to model what it looks like to engage in the body of Christ. To sing, respond, listen, and wrestle with God’s Word preached. To give ourselves away in service, and to give our finances through tithes and offerings. To be reminded of the broken body, and shed blood that makes us a family. To confess our sin and receive God’s forgiveness once more.

One of the things we speak about regularly as a staff team is not wanting a Family Worship Weekend to feel like a Vacation Bible School Sunday, where the entirety of our gathering is oriented around our children. But at the same time, we do not want to have a Sunday that is ‘business as usual’ without acknowledging there are younger people in the gathering.

Here are a few ways that I am working to grow my awareness of the presence of children in our gathering on these weekends:

Through song choice. I know that there are a handful of songs we sing in the auditorium that our children sing regularly. When I am able, I like to lead those songs which overlap so that kids can see that grownups gather and sing just like they do.

Teach them a new song the week before. This past year, I have been going over to our children’s ministry the week before and teaching the kids a song that we will be singing the following week. I talk to them about what it means, and why we sing and play through the song with them so that they have something else that is familiar when they come to Family Worship Weekend.

Use accessible language. I want to be clear in what I say always, but when kids are in the room, it forces me to consider how I would articulate truths to my own children in a way that helps them to understand. Using accessible language helps cut through some of the jargon that many in our gathering may not understand.

Repetition. I want our children to be able to engage and respond with us, not just be passive observers. So I try and consider songs that are highly repetitive so that even if a child can’t read (or read quickly) they can still sing along. We have done this when reading confessions as well. Having a statement the leader reads, the corporate response being ‘Forgive us, Lord.’ Enables us to teach our children, rather than having - or adults for that matter - spend the mental energy to read aloud a changing line of response.

Scripture tells us that children are a blessing from the Lord. Certainly, this is true for the parents of the children, but it is also true for Spiritual parents and the community of faith. Children are a blessing to us, let’s welcome, engage, and serve them as we gather and as we are sent.

Receiving Compliments

Pride forces us toward two extremes: I am amazing, or I am awful. Sometimes these extremes push and pull moments apart, again and again! And when we stand in front of people with a microphone, an instrument, a voice of authority, and a position of visibility we can quickly begin to size up our value and worth based on the response - or lack thereof - from the people we serve. We can foolishly believe that everything is riding on us. Did the music go well? That’s because we worked hard, practiced, and led well. Did things feel chaotic, disjointed, and a mess? It’s because we are not good and have no business in this kind of role.

Two weeks ago I wrote about responding to criticism. But the truth is responding to compliments is a different side of the same coin. Undoubtedly, we will receive criticism in our role. Undoubtedly, we will also receive compliments. I think we must receive compliments in the same way we receive criticism. First, prayerfully.

One of the ways that Christ equips and builds up His body is through His body. I desire to receive a compliment not as an affirmation of myself and my gifts, but as a testament to the way God uses His people to build us all up toward maturity in Christ. I want my heart and mind to be turned upward to Christ in gratitude, rather than inward toward self when people speak words that spur me on toward godliness.

Second, we receive compliments with humility. This doesn’t mean that we are not grateful, that doesn’t mean we attempt to deflect people’s words with something like, ‘It wasn’t me up there, it was the Lord…’ It means we recognize that we have nothing we did not receive, and so we give glory to God, who does not share His glory with another. It means that we celebrate who God is and what He is doing, rather than seek to build up our own fragile egos with the life-giving words of another.

Finally, we let God’s voice be the loudest and most consistent voice in our minds and hearts. When my heart is treasure the Word spoken over me by my Heavenly Father, I do not have to be swayed or swell with the criticism or praise of another.

“Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou my inheritance now and always,

Thou and Thou only first in my heart,

High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.”

Advent Beyond Nostalgia

When we lived in England, it was a normal and expected part of the Advent and Christmas season to sing carols. Not just in corporate worship, but during a Carol service - where Christians and non-Christians alike would come and sing along to songs that felt more nostalgic than worshipful. But isn’t that the truth even for followers of Jesus who gather weekly with the people of God? We all are tempted by nostalgia more than wonder during the Advent season.

As you begin to think about and prepare for Advent, what would it take to spend time celebrating the season by helping people not just sing familiar carols, but meditate on the truth these songs declare about the wonder of the Gospel and the fact that God is with us?

If you are unfamiliar with the history, additional verses, or inspiration behind some of the carols that you will be leading, spend a little bit of time reading about these songs online. I often find that understanding the original context changes the way I experience and lead a song.

Work to connect songs and sermons. We lead people, not songs. So help the people understand why we are singing what we are singing, what it means, and how we are to respond.

Use the slides, projection, or printed material to help do some of the heavy lifting. I like to use the slides to help shepherd people. Rather than feeling the pressure to explain everything, how might you use what is already at your disposal to help lift the eyes of those your are leading toward the transcendent truths we celebrate together?

Christmas may be a popular time for non-Christians to attend church, but Christians need the Gospel just as much as anyone else. Let’s prepare the truths of Scripture beautifully to be sung, prayed, and remembered inviting the Holy Spirit to lead in our preparation as well as our leading. And ask the Holy Spirit to make alive cold dead hearts for the first time, and the hundredth time.

Receiving Criticism

Receiving criticism is hard. Whether you have requested feedback, or someone walks up to you after a service and lets fly all the things they don’t like about you and what you’re doing. Because of the corporate nature of sung corporate worship, there is a sense of ownership among our congregations - this is our thing. And so it is not unusual for people to express their opinions, frustrations, and objections about sung worship. Whether that is style of the music, song choice, volume, liturgical elements, who are serving, what they are wearing, how they are leading, and any host of other points of tension.

When it comes to receiving criticism, I think it is important to note the difference between grumbling and complaining, and criticism. Although they may be presented in a similar way, I think of criticism, as ultimately, and hopefully helping to clarify who we are, what we do, and why we do it. Criticism, can help us grow if we are willing to receive it prayerfully.

One of the hardest things to do when receiving criticism - at least for me - is to pause long enough to pray, rather than attempting to verbally fire back. I need the words of the Psalmist to be my prayer “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3). Our first words need to be toward God, before they are in reaction or response to the person being critical.

Second, we need to receive criticism with humility. Again, this is so hard - Don’t you know how long I’ve spent preparing for this weekend? There are ins and outs of this area of ministry you could know nothing about! I have read more, rehearsed more, and spent more time growing my knowledge and understanding of sung worship than you! Who do you think you are to say this to me? All of these things reactions and more surface easily and quickly for me when receiving criticism. What an exposure of my own prideful heart!

Finally, I think it is so important that we have a philosophy of worship. We need to have convictions, about why we do what we do. We need to be able to articulate those convictions to the people on our team, as well as our congregations. But our convictions as well are something we need to hold with humility lest we become rigid, and critical ourselves.

The good news for worship leaders as we receive criticism, just like everyone, our identity is not in what we do - but in Christ.

Finding Your Weekly Rhythms

As worship leaders every week we must prepare the music, our hearts, and our teams to serve God’s people in corporate worship. Although these are things that I believe every worship leader should be prepared for each week regardless of their context, there are certain unique things that need to be addressed and prepare depending on the size of your team and church, where you serve, and whether you are full-time, part-time, a volunteer, or are responsible for other areas of ministry as well.

Ministry, like life, moves in seasons. There are times when you will be required to run hard for a season. But ministry, like life, is a marathon, not a sprint. So finding a healthy weekly rhythm that can be tweaked in a busy season, is better than no rhythm which has to constantly adapt in every season.

When it comes to finding a weekly rhythm, perhaps the first question we need to ask is, how much time do you need to budget to accomplish everything for which we are responsible in a weekly service?

Here are a few other questions to consider when establishing a weekly rhythm:

What are the things that only you can do?

What are the things you need to train someone else to do?

What things do you need to add to your weekly rhythm?

What things do you need to let go of for a season, or forever?

Life is chaotic, ministry is hectic. Finding a rhythm to your week will allow you to respond rather than react to every new challenge. Over the course of time, I believe that rhythms help us know how and what to prioritize, as well as find a life that is sustainable, strengthened, and balanced.