Church From The Other Side: When The Worship Leader is Led By The Congregation

[russhutto]

Reposted with persmission from MandyThompson.com

The... (continue reading full article ...)

[pian0dude]

Mandy,

Thank you so much for sharing that. It is so short and sweet ... so simplistic, yet so beautiful and true!

God Bless,
Brian (a fellow worship leader dude)

[bryannelson]

Thanks for sharing about the "other side" of worship. I love thinking about worship from God's perspective.

Bryan Nelson
Vertical Resonator

[Trent]

While I enjoyed the article, I disagree with the statement that "nobody is performing." I understand that it is primarily a semantic issue, but I'm not sure why the term "performance" is so taboo in our evangelical jargon. I believe that our careful dance around certain terminology is a symptom of a larger issue: compartmentalized living.

Why am I bringing it up? I guess it's because I'm tired of tiptoeing, clarifying and disclaiming around Christians. Here's the truth:

When I stand in front of people in ANY musical context, corporate worship or a "secular" community festival, my aim is to be prepared and to PERFORM to the best of my ability for the pleasure of my Creator, the enjoyment, entertainment and edification of the listeners/participants and yes--my own pleasure as well.

Avoiding terms like "entertainment," "performance," and the like is usually an attempt to feel good about ourselves, and at it's worst an opportunity to measure others' spirituality against our own. We are wholistic creatures. Good worship leaders simultaneously perform, minister, entertain, exhort, edify, teach, etc, etc... Those things are all good things.

It's ok. We can relax. Really.

[Smitty]

True word, Trent!

I'll stand with you, bro. I PERFORM...and for the same reasons you do.

Smitty

[russhutto]

Though I agree too...(See my latest post in the guitar riffing thread)... I think that's really not the heart of this post.

All musicians are performers by design.

That being said, I do think that the fact that her thoughts started with the desire not to be a performance (in the sense that we tend to fret over) and the direction those thoughts went throughout the post, shares with us a vulnerable and raw side of Worship Leading that we seldomly see.

The part that truly wants to be a representation of Christ (which is more than just a carnal performance, by the way). One that reflects the awe and glory of an immeasurably powerful God. Then finding that in all our striving (even the greatest of performances) it's really not about the performance anyways, it's about the meeting of the spiritual and the natural, the sacred and the profane, the eternal and the fleeting.

And we see that in the experiences of our worship gatherings. The looks on their faces. The tears in their eyes. The bent knees and lifted hands.

These are not the only measures of a worshipful gathering, but it is in these outward expressions that we see the inward encounters and in those moments how could we not be mindful of the God of Creation?

I think that is really what Mandy is expressing.

Great discussion!

[milepost13]

My favorite moments leading worship are the times that I can stop leading and step back and listen to the others around me worshipping. We built our auditorium in a way to make sure that when people are singing, it rings out loud and clear.

I will say that I do see part of my role as performing...as Big Daddy Weave sings, for an Audience of One. But, maybe that's just me.

Nate

[Greg Moore]

As a worship leader (and as a keyboardist, I can sing sometimes and not other times), I see faces -- the divine glory transforming a tired soul going through the motions to freedom and prayer and dancing and weeping before God, unashamed. Most of the people see the backs of their heads or the side; I see them face-to-face, and it is wonderful. People I eat with and know their troubles; people who have put a roof on my house. And I see God worsking on their spirit during music/prayer/worship time.

[skyescraper]

Ah, that's beautiful, Mandy! So well-written.