I believe that everyone on stage is a worship leader. It doesn't matter if you're on the electric guitar or singing a harmony part - if you are on the stage, you are leading the worship experience.
When someone walks into the auditorium or sanctuary and engages into the worship, they may or may not identify with the worship leader that is singing the melody. They may enjoy clapping as much as singing, so they're watching the drummer. Or they may be an alto that can't hit those melody notes from the Chris Tomlin song, but they can follow the alto vocalist or pick out the part based on what the pianist is playing.
So what do I do? Here are some simple and applicable suggestions for everyone on stage.
1. Be intentional about your worship. Know the songs and your role in them so well that you don't depend on a band chart or lyrics on the screen. Those things are great help and are fine, but avoid staring at them. Instead, be free of them!
2. Engage the congregation. I love a suggestion worship pastor and author Tom Krauter makes in one of his books. Identify one person in each quadrant of the church and make eye contact with them at least twice per song. This way, people throughout the congregation feel acknowledged and included.
3. Lead authentically. Authenticity means that you have to put in some extra preparation - you've got to get your heart and mind right with God. You have to adopt these songs as your prayers and make them your own. Apply the concepts, phrases and yearnings that come through in the music to your own life and walk with God - and you're set for a transformational experience yourself!
4. Sing, even if you don't have a mic or aren't supposed to be on-mic. One of the biggest things I ask of my worship vocalists that I work with is to sing off-mic. It shouldn't be limited to vocalists though - the entire stage should be engaged in the worship experience that they are leading and the most basic way to do that is to sing the words. Have you ever seen a drummer or bass player sing their heart out? It's moving. And think about it... we're asking the congregation to sing, why wouldn't we sing? We are very much a part of the church and congregation - we just happen to have microphones and instruments. We're all there for the same purpose; to lift up the name of Jesus, offer our hearts to God and our lives to the Holy Spirit.
The last thing to note on this topic is the heavy responsibility of spiritual leadership that lies within each person that takes up the call to be a worship musician. It's an incredible privilege to lead someone to the throne of the God of the universe to worship Him! Take it seriously. Take God seriously and remember that you are just a small part of the greater thing He is doing.
Couldn't have said it better. I like what you said: "the heavy responsibility of spiritual leadership that lies within each person that takes up the call to be a worship musician", but I'd like to add (or state the obvious), that not only do we have a responsibility as musicians to bring people to the throne when we are on stage for a few minutes, but we are responsible and ought to take that responsibility very seriously on the stage of life, people watch us (Christians), what kind of tunes are we playing in our daily lives?
ReplyDelete::Keep 'em coming!
-Eddie Cornejo-
Good point Eddie! Worship leaders (and by that I mean worship musicians) must realize that their worship leading doesn't end as they walk off stage; we lead in everything we do, as an example to our congregation and to those we come in contact with.
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