Strange Routes

[Michael G]

In Tim Hughes book Here I Am To Worship he says "Most of us know the pressure to provoke a response in the people we lead in worship. Maybe we throw in a song that we know will get some hands in the air. In the end though this type of worship is hollow. The real role of a worship leader is first to respond to what God is doing, which means at times going down some rather strange routes. God's ways are higher than our ways." Tim then tells a couple stories about how God "steped in" and changed the direction of a worship service. I would love to hear some stories from all of you about the Spirit leading you to a "strange route" during a worship service.

[BillyChia]

Many people who attended my wedding commented after the ceremony on how different it was and how much they enjoyed it. Over a year later people still talk to me about it.

To start the service I led our churches worship team in a pretty rockin' set (Including: No One Like You - Crowder, Indescribable - Tomlin, Better is One Day - Redman and a few others) We made full use of graphical elements in Media Shout that my wife and I personally designed. My wife walked down the isle to Still Burning by Six Pence None the Richer. We took full advantage of the lighting system by setting up several light cues throughout the service. We wrote our own vows together and recited them from memory during the service. We lit our unity candle while the Nooma Flame played on the screen and we walked down the isle together after being pronounced man and wife to Beautiful Day by U2.

Perhaps not your typical wedding or maybe more and more weddings are like this every day. But I'd like to think that the Spirit led us down a "strange route." The fact is that we prayed tons over it and decided to do a wedding that truly reflected who we were as people individually and collectively as a couple.

As you can imagine this type of ceremony took mass amounts of planning and preparation involving coordination between many different people. In the end it went of pretty much with out a hitch as rehearsed and it was great.

I know this isn't exactly a spontaneous change "during" a worship service. To that I can only quote a conversation I heard about between two worship leaders:

1: "Your band seems so well rehearsed like you played everything the exact same way you practiced it. Don't you ask for and listen to the Spirit's guiding?"
2. "I do ask for the Spirit's guiding. The only difference is I ask for it on Tuesday when I pick the songs instead 5 minutes before I go on stage."

[Michael G]

Wow sounds like an awesome wedding! All that and you even got the girl! You go brother!

[WorshipCity]

Yeah, not sure if I completely agree with what Tim's saying there. Which means I probably need to go read his book b/c he's obviously got more under his belt than I do. I don't know, we're in this phase right now at our church trying to figure out our church 'climate.' We've done such an insane job creating community and a relaxed, friendly environment, we're now seeing the adverse effects of that which is a casual approach to worship. So, very often the songs I pick may be chosen to evoke a response. A song that I know our congregation loves, or a song like "Holy is the Lord" that is shifting our focus off ourselves and I think when we do engage and physically worship it begins to shift our minds to the right direction and get us prepared.
That's our congregation though and my scenario. I feel validated in that only b/c of how appropriately Billy's quote is to my situation:

"I do ask for the Spirit's guiding. The only difference is I ask for it on Tuesday when I pick the songs instead 5 minutes before I go on stage."

That's hilarious! No one has ever asked me that question so I've never had to use that response but that's great! Yeah, I do a ton of asking while picking out our songs. So much so that sometimes, I've picked the last song or 2 on Thursdays because I haven't felt God tell me which song yet to choose! I don't know if thats 'hollow' or not, I see it as my job in leading worship to lead people to the throne room where they can engage a mighty God. And sometimes people are content with waiting out in the outer courts :) or the lobby drinking coffee!!

[WorshipCity]

One of the coolest things I have seen though while leading worship that God did though, I do have a story :)
We had a guest preacher that day and so my songs were chosen pretty independant of his message. And that week I had read an article of how a girl used Crowder's "O Praise Him" to use as her song as she snow boarded in like the Xgames or Winter Olympics or something (I have the article I'll try and find it.) Well I thought it was a huge God thing b/c I had chosen that song to play that Sunday. So, I brought the article and read it and shared the girl's dealio/testimony from the article and thought how neat of God to do that.
What I didn't know is that PERFECTLY set up the guy's sermon. I mean it was exactly what he was preaching on that morning. In between services we met up and were like dumbfounded and just laughing with one another! I'm sure the congregation thought how fitting it was that we were together on that but for us it was a huge God moment! I was just grinning like an idiot reading the article again and sharing that stuff in the 2nd service!

[russhutto]

God is in the details.

God is not adverse to planning. In fact, I think that's why He gave us brains: to use them to create atmospheres in which people would truly respond to Him.

That being said, if we're not at least open to the possibility of a spontaneous "strange route" then maybe we're not being led by the Spirit at all?

I think being led by the Spirit and being spontaneous are not the same. Although the Spirit can and does lead us into spontaneous responses, I tend to think that the majority of the time, we benefit as a whole, as a corporate gathering, when things are planned and everyone knows where they fit into the picture as a whole. In our fellowship, we tend to experience more of the "strange routes" in our smaller, intimate gatherings.

[BillyChia]

I follow ya bro. I love spontaneity but I believe believe the best spontaneous streams flow out of a well planned and aptly rehearsed river.

[WorshipCity]

Great point, I lead the team at our rehearsals to nail the songs and to 'know them' as well as possible. That way, if I or our drummer (he's been with me for nearly 7 years now) feel led to do something strange or spontaneous we have the confidence knowing that we won't leave the band behind!

[WorshipCity]

I follow ya bro. I love spontaneity but I believe believe the best spontaneous streams flow out of a well planned and aptly rehearsed river.

Dude you're hilarious :)

[BillyChia]

Oh man, and the girl was such the sweetest part of all.

[BillyChia]

Exactly what I'm talking about. You really can't improv in any meaningful way without a band that's played together enough to know where to go.