Quote:
Originally Posted by n david
It has been one year. After a little over 15 years of being a worship leader, I "retired" at the beginning of last year.
The majority of WLs are sincere and want to use their gift for God. I've met and known dozens of WLs from UPCI, PAW, Non-Denom and Indie churches who struggle with how to lead the congregation to worship.
When I was growing up, there was no "praise team." There was certainly no large band with a front singer in pegged skinny jeans and boots. In the church my father pastored, there was a man - in his 60s - who led songs. He didn't have a great voice. It was gravely and raspy, and sometimes he didn't even sing. Almost every time, though, he had tears running down his cheeks as he worshipped God in a way I spent every service those 15+ years trying to model.
Years have passed and now there are so many workshops and conferences for WLs, which have caused WLs to lose focus on what matters.
The church is filled with commercialism - from the pre-service videos to the final prayer. There are multiplied dozens of companies just for WLs alone, not to mention products for membership, ministry, teaching, preaching, music, finances, etc.
Being a WL, there were products for audio and video, processors and video backgrounds with text overlays; group messaging/contact; products that stream live set lists - lyrics and chords to singers/musicians - and include messaging systems for everyone to text to each other.
It's hard not to get caught up in the commercialization.
It's also not an easy thing to do, although, I believe it's become more complicated than it needs to be.
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This is a great post, NDavid.
Per this discussion, I think what happens is that worship leaders are trying to mimic the genuine moving of the spirit by evoking emotions through their music. However... the spirit of the Lord isn't subject to that at all. I've seen the spirit move during a simple song in a beautiful way... and then seen that same song sung a dozen times since, in an effort to reproduce the moving of the spirit it once had, and ... nothing. That is just it. You can't imitate, mimic, overproduce, and reproduce the moving of the spirit.
Human emotion and efforts can be given 150% but... it is up to the Lord to move and touch lives in a genuine way. I've seen worship leaders try to play "God", and try to "make" the spirit move, but yet... no one can imitate or reproduce the genuine moving of the spirit that can come in the most unique and unusual ways.
Perhaps all those worship leaders who are trying to pull off an emotional performance would be better off just pouring their heart into worshiping the Lord, and forget about trying to pull off some emotional performance, and let the spirit of God work as it will, when and how it will.
Like NDavid said... the man who genuinely worshipped the Lord without trying to pull off a spiritual performance, actually allowed the spirit to move more without his human efforts trying to make the spirit move.
In the days when we were part of a large church congregation and in places where I found the music rather abrasive... I have just closed my eyes, blocked all the noise and nonsense out, and just praised and worshipped the Lord regardless of how I hated hearing the same 5 words sung a dozen times... and just began to praise the Lord, and sing my own song, or repeat scriptures psalms to Him... I would find a special blessing in that, and oftentimes when I have done that, people around have responded because of my worship, and the Lord was able to move. Sometimes you just have to block out the stuff around you and just worship Him. I think MTD might have mentioned doing that as well.
If you are part of a congregation where the music being sung is difficult for you to worship to.. then perhaps the best option you have is to worship the Lord by closing your eyes, and just praising Him, and then see what the Lord can do through your genuine praise! I believe that is about the only viable alternative from a pew point of view...
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