How often do you as a worship leader wish that the people would stand in awe of God during worship? How often do you make it your goal to give the people a worship set that makes them respond with lifted hands, claps, shouts, and cries?
Might I propose a few questions to you? Meditate on them and see which one best describes your worship leading...
Is it your aim for the people respond to songs, or is it your aim for the people to respond to God?
Being in a state of wonder of God only comes through knowledge of Him and experiences of Him working in one's life. I don't want to limit God in what He can do, but I don't want to sit on lazy song sets that sound cool. A lot of the time these sets have no theological nutrition for the soul, yet they tug on the heart strings of the people.. Which leads me to my next questions.
How do you expect people to be overwhelmed with God when you pick song sets that focus on men instead of God ("Draw Me Close" vs. "How Great is Our God")? And how do expect them to stand in awe of God when they are standing in awe of your overly-produced music?
Bring people to the throne of God so they can worship Him. Use the lyrics of the songs in your set to paint a picture of who God is and what He has done. This is so much greater than singing trite, man-centered songs. People will be overwhelmed with God during worship when they are given songs with theology, not heart-felt songs that appeal to an emotional response to the music instead of God.
Final questions...
Worship leader, do you worship while you are leading worship? Are you drawn to the throne of God or are emotional songs making you worship the experience?
Don't succumb to the trite worship of the day. Worship God and give people great songs filled with theology that gives God glory for who He is and what He has done!
Blessings,
Nick
