It is such a unique thing to walk into a church or any worship-leading opportunity as a guest and complete stranger trying to assess where the group is at spiritually and what God is doing right in that moment. If you've been praying about it ahead of time - and hopefully you have - you may be fortunate enough that God has given you an advance sense of how to lead in that particular setting. Or maybe it'll come on the fly. Or maybe both. :)
Leading in a familiar setting with familiar people, like at your home church, can take some of the guess-work out of where the body is at in that season. But then, it also carries it's own share of pitfalls. Being overly familiar can dull people's sense of expectancy (Mark 6:3-5) and it can lull a leader into complacency or to assume too much.
In both cases the 'trick' comes down to the same thing: Leading as we follow the leader - The Spirit of God. In John 5:19 Jesus says "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." We are simply to be like Jesus. The Father sets the agenda and we follow. It's supposed to be that simple. Our job is to learn how to discern what the Father is doing and then just jump on board with THAT game-plan.
I love Psalms 32 verses 8 and 9 where God says He wants to guide us with His eye rather than have to jerk us around like a horse or a mule with a bit in it's mouth. (KJV) The idea here is that we would stare into the face of God and know Him intimately enough that we could see in His eyes what He wants next. We'll "just know" because we know Him so well. This is echoed again in Psalms 123:2 "...just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal."
That is our job. Not to rush around like a busy servant trying to accomplish what seems like the good next thing to do for our master; but to simply stare in His face, let Him set the agenda and then move according to what He is doing in the room. When we're in synch with His purposes we'll have the full backing of Heaven to accomplish them and -wow- that's a good place to be! Thanks be to God He actually lets us participate with Him! What a privilege.
when we stand centered in His grace, He works mightily in- and through- us - no matter where He has us.
ReplyDeletepeering into the very face of God, and seeing the intent of His heart in the subtle movement in His eyes, and seeing ourselves in the apple of His eye is both overwhelming and humbling at the same time. tx for the reminder.