A friend posted the original article over on his website. I thought it was a great reminder for me, and for all of us, of exactly what the music during our weekend services is all about (we don’t like to call it “worship” as our whole life is supposed to be worship. This is just the corporate singing part of it .)
I strongly suggest that you click through and read the full article at …. http://amplify.themeetinghouse.com/10-things-worship-leaders-wished-everyone-else-understood/
However, for those of you who I know won’t do that (we’re all lazy at heart), here’s an exerpt from the full article.
When I’m up on stage, there are a few things that I wish I could just stop and say … but have never had the guts to:
10 – I’m probably going to forget the words at times … To “cover it up”, I’ll sometimes just make random vowel sounds until I realize what I’m supposed to be singing again.
9 – We’re probably not going to sound like those guys that you were listening to in your car on the way to church … You’ll have to wait till that band tours through town to hear them….
8 – When I back away from the microphone, sometimes its because I’m leaving a space for everyone to sing together … Other times its because I have to burp and I don’t want to rip it into the microphone.
7 – I know it’s the weekend and I know it’s morning, but chances are, I was up earlier than you today, so let’s all try to wake up a bit. I think we should all agree right now that what we’re doing is more important than the coffee you’re holding.
6 – There’s more to what we’re singing than just a list of songs. Have you ever realized that the songs we sing are actually thematically building on one another? …. When you tune out for a minute during the musical worship set, you might miss out on a truth about God that we’re going to be responding to in a couple minutes.
5 – I’m not here to perform for you. I’m here to sing WITH you. We don’t need the show to worship our God together in this way!
4 – I’m not intentionally doing “those things” so that I can receive “those e-mails” on Sunday afternoon (If you’ve been in ministry long enough, you know what I mean)…
3 – Even though we can’t make you show up on time, musical worship is not viewed as optional around here. For those who prefer the teaching over the music, hopefully you realize that there is the huge potential for teaching moments within the music set and the songs we’re singing. …
2 – When you’re walking in late, talking with others, or even just reading your program, you’re distracting more people that just yourself. Those who are trying to engage might be pulled out of the moment by hearing your conversation or seeing you walk across the front of the room.
1 – It’s not my job to prepare your heart. I’ve heard and have even agreed in the past with the statement that Sunday mornings are a glass of fresh water to take in to refresh you and energize you for a week. Then we come back again the next Sunday to be filled up to be sent out again. I don’t necessarily agree with this statement anymore. Instead, I would be in the camp that says our hearts should be so full of joy and excitement for what God did in, through and around us all throughout the week that our Sunday mornings are a community celebration of joy over the goodness of God! If you haven’t thought twice about what God is up to in your own life before walking in on Sunday morning, than chances are, you might not “feel” it by the end of the 15-20 minutes that I’ve got with you.
And then for us folks who find ourselves on the delivery end of this, Andrew asks us…
Have I done everything I can to be able to expect these things of everyone else with a clear conscience?
Now remember! Click through and read the full article!!! 🙂
TTFN!