Recently, I was talking with a youth minister who told me that he struggles to find satisfaction in ministry. He said that both he and his wife think he takes himself way too seriously. When he said that, it was like an alarm going off inside my head. I could totally relate.
I, too, struggle from time to time with feeling satisfaction in ministry. There are times when leading worship feels more like pulling teeth. I have thought to myself, “Come ON, people…why are you holding back? What are you waiting for?” I tend to take myself too seriously and place the apparent success or failure of corporate worship on my own shoulders.
But really, who is to say when a time of worship is a success? Who is to say when it is a failure? Can a time of worship be a failure? We have all experienced times when things have seemingly gone terribly wrong…the power goes out, a guitar string or drumhead breaks, the song that’s being sung is entirely different than the words that are on the screen…you know what I mean. (By the way, please leave a comment telling me about one of your “worship: gone wrong” moments. Perhaps it will be cathartic for you, and the rest of us can laugh or cry along with you.) But do material mishaps necessarily yield spiritual failure?
One important question is this: what is corporate worship really all about? Sure, we want to have the band/choir/whatever sounding great. Yes, we rehearse both privately and as a group. Of course, we think and pray over our song selections. We even polish the cymbals and vacuum the stage–we may even have a dress code! Unless carried to unhealthy extremes, I think all of these are good things, especially when they are motivated by a desire to glorify the Living God. And that’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it?
Do things like computer crashes, feedback, and broken strings really minimize God’s glory? Perhaps a better question is can they minimize God’s glory? I think not. God will be glorified one way or another–even if the rocks have to cry out. Conversely, do well-running computers, crystal-clear sound, and new strings magnify His glory? Well, perhaps both yes and no. Empirically speaking, I would have to lean towards no. But what do all three of those things have in common? People. People have to use those objects in order for them to fulfill their purpose. A computer is of no use unless it is programmed and run by someone. A sound system is silent unless someone is speaking, singing, or playing through it. A guitar string is silent and still until someone plucks or strums it. So isn’t the real issue here the intent of the person behind the computer, microphone, and guitar string? In that case, when things go wrong, has the intent changed? Most likely not. The situation may cause some consternation, but I don’t think it detracts from God’s glory. The person who ignores the sad state of their guitar strings and refuses to change them has failed on some level. But I think perhaps that is more of a failure to perform one’s duty, a failure to honor God by giving one’s best for Him, rather than a failure to glorify Him. Hmmm, the more I write, the deeper we go. But I don’t want us to lose track of our original discussion.
I would suggest that successful worship ministry is more about intent than performance. The worship leader/team member that sincerely strives to honor and glorify God by 1) loving what is good, 2) doing what is right, and 3) walking humbly with Him is a success already, regardless of how well they play, sing, or speak between songs. And as far as the responsiveness of the congregation, the humbling truth is that we can no more make people worship than we can make a horse drink–even though we led it to the water. Huh, lead them to the water…Hey! I think I stumbled across something here. It is our role as worship leaders to lead the worshipers (worship followers?) to the Water: Jesus, the Living Water (see “Another Drink” by Scott Underwood.) When we as leaders are faithful to drink of the Living Water, we will be better equipped to lead others to that same Water. The Holy Spirit draws them; we help lead them. It is up to them to drink. That takes the pressure off us, and we don’t have to take ourselves quite so seriously.
Worship leader, take heart, for there is satisfaction to be found in being faithful to the God who knows your heart. So be faithful to Him in your own life first. Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. Don’t worry about what you will eat, drink, and wear as the rest of the world does. Seek ye first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. And also be faithful to lead others to the Water, regardless of whether they choose to drink. Oh, and if you’re feeling like a spiritual dentist, consider that perhaps you’re trying to do a root canal on someone who only consented to a cleaning. I’m thirsty–are you?
Scott Jasmin is a worship leader/worship consultant/songwriter whose calling is to help the Church encounter Christ by assisting other worship leaders and their teams. Scott has served as a Young Life volunteer, a youth pastor, a worship pastor, and currently does itinerant ministry as a freelance worship leader/worship consultant.
This article has been used by permission from www.WorshipMinistry.com, a Web site serving worship leaders, musicians, songwriters, and church production professionals. Check out their articles about leading worship.
