Be A Good Worship Donkey

Have you ever had a conversation about familiar things with someone who approaches the subject from a completely different frame of reference than you do? It can be frustrating. Other times it can be enlightening!

It can be tricky for me to explain to people outside of my Christian sub-culture exactly what it is I do as a worship leader. Hard to balance the clinical description with the mystical because there's practical and spiritual intertwined.

One experience I had trying to make the explanation, though, blew me away. I was meeting a newly-acquired relative for one of the first times and getting acquainted. He came from a very different frame of reference than the Canadian suburban Evangelical church I grew up in. His experience with religion came from growing up in South-America in a Catholic environment.

My wife and I tried to explain a little bit of what I do in leading worship at church and his paraphrased summary reply caught us seriously off guard with it's depth. He said "So you're kinduv like the donkey that carried Jesus on it's back to the people."

My wife and I nodded tentatively, not sure where this was going…

He continued, "But when a donkey get's proud, it rears up and Jesus would've fallen off the back - So don't get too proud!"

Wow. My wife and I stood there amazed as he walked away. How deep was that? Where did this come from out of the blue? Who knew? But what a great thought and fresh perspective. James 4:6 says that God gives grace to the humble, but he opposes the proud. Isaiah 48:11 tells us God will not share His glory with anyone. To vie for personal attention in that position is to forfeit your usefulness and render yourself detrimental to the cause, possibly even harming your guest of honor.

Now its kinduv an inside joke with my wife and I. Often, when I'm about to go up on stage and lead worship somewhere, she'll say to me "Don't let Jesus fall off your back!" ~ Good reminder.

Worship Without a Song to Sing?

I recently came across an very creative article by Tom Kraeuter called "Worship Songs On Strike". Written as a fictitious press release / news story, it's one of the most interesting approaches I've seen to writing about worship ever; personifying worship songs and having them walk out of churches because people aren't singing them with sincerity - if at all. Perhaps worth checking out.

Kinduv a side-thought in a similar vein; what would I do, what would you do to express your love and worship for God if we didn't have songs to sing to Him? Singing is often the easy way to worship and therefore abused and taken for granted. I lead the singing of worship for a living. I love it, and I'm so glad God has given all of us that natural human expression to respond to Him.

But what would we do to show our appreciation for our God if we didn't have that outlet? - If all the songs "walked off the job" and left us without that option? Perhaps things we should all be doing anyways?

Pressure to Perform in Worship Leading

Whether you're leading at home or out on the road there can be a real pressure to 'perform'. If the last time you lead worship was an amazing time - how do you live up to the expectations to repeat those results? There can be very real pressure to attain or re-create the scenario again and again. Or if you're on the road and you're leading people only once, maybe you have a reputation to uphold or CDs to sell… Unfortunately there's a consumer culture we've built around what we know as worship music these days - and it's so not what our worship is intended to be.

Perhaps we've mistakenly associated God with the feelings of elation we feel during high points in music? If we don't feel those did we not meet with God? How can we 'conjure' up the right feelings each time? Is there a formula of things we can say or sing to make the manifest presence of God 'show up'? God is not manipulated by magic words and He's not subject to systems; yet sometimes as worship leaders we're only perceived to be as good as the last set of feelings we served up. It's this pressure to perform in our consumer churches that leads to worship leaders and pastors using tactics of manipulation to achieve the good results we all want to see and be a part of. Its cyclical.

As a worship leader, even with this understanding of what worship is and isn't, you're still living and ministering in a context that may not quite get that - or even serving a pastor who's distracted or pressured themself into forgetting. So your worship leading abilities are being judged and compared. There are worship CDs and DVDs to live up to and all the Randys, Paulas and Simons out there are filling out their score cards. Do you measure up?

How do YOU deal with the pressure to perform in your ministry?

How can you (as a worship leader) improve your relationship with your Pastor?

Great little article by Rory Noland and the National Worship Leader Conference: "How can you (as a worship leader) improve your relationship with your Pastor?" worth the short read!

ARTICLE

A Day With Michael W Smith

They say you should never meet your heros because you'll be let down.

I've been a big Michael W Smith fan for 22 years now since "Secret Ambition" on the i 2 (eye) album. (wow, writing that makes me sound old) I could list here a myriad of superfan things I've done over the years - but that would only highlight how lame I can be. I am not 'like that' though with anyone else. He's just always been my favorite.

Most often when someone comes to my merch table after a performance and starts their sentence with "He really sounds a lot like..." My wife can complete the thought for them: "Michael W Smith" In some ways I s'pose its intentional on my part and in other ways it's not, its just me. But suffice to say he has been a big influence in my life and music - consciously or not. Personally I think he's a musical genius with incredible longevity. He's coming up on a 3 decade career and his newest CD "Wonder" (Sept 28 2010) which I was blessed with an advance copy of, is as good as any he's done! (you need to get it! - EP available now) So even a fleeting comparison to him - I'll take it, with thanks.

I recently had the honor of working on a track for my upcoming album with Smitty and producer/engineer extrordinaire, Bryan Lenox, who Michael teamed up with on 'Wonder' as well as 'Go West Young Man", "Freedom" and "This Is Your Time". Wow. What a day. Living Ps 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." This had always been one of mine. I chose to cover a favorite Smitty songs that I've always wanted to cover. Michael played/programmed/produced/arranged it and I sang. Now, the first time I ever met Smitty years ago I could hardly string words into a sentence. But this time I actually managed to sing - even with him filming me! Growth! :) We're thrilled with the result and can't wait for you to hear it.

All in all it was an amazing experience. Michael and his team were gracious hosts, exceeding expectations on all levels and treating us like gold well outside the bounds of our arrangement. Not saying he's perfect based on that. He's a man - none of us are. But we only ever hear great things about Michael - can't say that about everyone. After 20+ years in a business based on relationships you have a reputation. Good bad or ugly. "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." (Pr 22:1 ) Props to Michael for managing to do it all. So let me just add our experience to his credit and give honor where honor is due. Fabulously talented and quality person simultaneously. Rare.

We broke 'the rules', met a 'hero' and were far from disappointed.

Probly bigger fans than ever now in a new way! :)

For more pics from the studio (video coming too) and to be in the loop for the release of the song come visit me on facebook!

KINGDOM KOMPETITION

It's a crazy thought that competition would ever be a factor in the Kingdom of God. Aren't we all after the same thing? Aren't we different parts of the same body? Yet even the early church in 1 Corinthians 1:10-12 had already started competing with each other - and we still do today. How easy it is for us to lose the plot and forget that it's not about us, our egos, our pride, our legacy, our name - or even our dreams.

If I am very honest (difficult in an open blog format) I would have to tell you I have struggled with a competitive spirit before and must continually fight to keep it in check. I have spoken to other worship leaders who feel the same too. It's a continual battle to keep perspective on what really matters and trust in God to use you in His way and timing rather than vie for position. We must remember that "position" as we look at it on earth means nothing to God. In fact he sees things in reverse.

Our world - even our Christian subculture - wants to reward outward performance. There are stats and charts on radio, sales, attendance and popularity even in ministry. Don't get me wrong, not all charts and awards are bad. I refer to them too. In my view its unavoidable. The pressure to participate in the game or feel sidelined or unimportant is huge. People around us will always keep score. It's our human nature. The trick is not to get caught up in it, or care too much - or think that God does AT ALL.

If you struggle with competitive thoughts creeping into your ministry from time to time, as I do, pause and focus again. It's not about us. It's all about Him and the only thing we can take with us into eternity are our souls and the souls of those around us. Everything else gets burned up and never sees the light of heaven.

We are to seek first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness and trust HIM to add to our lives what we need. (Mat 6:33) Let God promote you in His timing and His way. Even better, work to give up the desire for promotion in the first place and just rest in His unconditional love for you regardless of performance. (Easier said than done, I know)

THERE IS ROOM ENOUGH IN THE KINGDOM FOR ALL OF US.

Even those of us with overlapping talents. It's a big world, ripe for harvest, and the workers, in proportion, are few. Are you doing what God has called you to do in the place and manner in which He has called you to do it? If so, awesome. Take a deep breath and relax because that's called obedience and that's all He really wants for your life. His purposes for us don't focus on earthly attention. He's simply focused on making us look more like Jesus. The only scorecards for that are kept in heaven. Let's do our best to race each other towards THAT goal and let the rest fade away.

Worship Defibrillator Part 4 of 4 - Just Do It

Fourth and final post on the subject: What do we do when we don't FEEL like worshipping? We all have our days! - This post will be short and sweet.

SUGGESTION #4

Just Do It Anyways

Our worship is faith-based and based on the truth of who God is and what He's done for us. Not our feelings. "Without Faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Heb 11:6) We choose to believe God is who He says He is even when our human eyes or emotions might lead us to doubt. We don't see the big picture yet, but He is a good God even on our bad days!

RIGHT FEELINGS FOLLOW RIGHT ACTIONS

To love a person or love God (worship) are both decisions we make. A couple getting married might feel warm and tingly about it that day but they will not forever - even in the greatest marriage. Instead, there are days when they stand not on goosebumps and spine-tingles but on commitment that goes deeper than the feelings of the moment. A choice. A decision to act in a loving way towards the other.

Surprisingly, when you act out even 'cold' decision-based love the feelings often actually follow even if they did not proceed. Your investment helps pull you back in as well as bless the recipient.

We act on what's right first and then we begin to FEEL like it. (Psalms 103:1-2 “Praise the Lord” I TELL MYSELF with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. “Praise the Lord” I TELL MYSELF and never forget the good things He does for me!)

Not feeling it? That's okay. Kick your own butt into gear though. A sacrifice of praise to the God who we know, in faith, is worthy of our lavish love. Do it anyways - You'll get there!