Leading Worship for Real People
Something that I’m currently learning is that I’m leading worship for real people. Real people with real issues, struggles, problems, situations, health conditions, unsaved family members and much more. I think in the past I’ve come out on stage with a zip-a-dee-doo-dah attitude thinking everything’s cool with all people of the world, they all just won the lottery and they just can’t wait to sing all the amazing songs I’ve chosen for that weekend!
This simply isn’t the case with most people. True, some of them are excited to sing, but it’s gonna be hard for them to do so. It’s going to be hard for them to utter that God is great, that they trust Him, that they have faith, that God is with them. The reality is that, as a worship leader, you’re not playing songs for a bunch of your biggest fans.
YOU’RE ENCOURAGING SKEPTICS, DOUBTERS, UNBELIEVERS, THE DOWN-AND-OUT AND CANCER VICTIMS TO PRAISE GOD. THAT’S NOT EASY.
There’s a few things that have helped me realize this. The first is that I try to make myself available and talk to people before and after services. I try to show people that I really care about what they’re going through. I take time and talk to them without looking over their shoulder to see who’s the more important person I could be talking to. I look at them the whole time. I give them well, thought-out responses, not christianese gibberish. And although I hope they’re encouraged by my connection with them, this whole process is primarily for me. By knowing who I’m leading for — what their struggles are, who their son or daughter is, why their grandfather’s in the hospital — I become a more effective worship leader. I’m also making an investment into them, which in turn allows me to make a withdraw (encouraging them to sing songs to God). Now, all the sudden, to them I’m not just some hipster that walks out of a green room and tells them to sing. I’m someone who knows their name and that goes a long way.
The second thing that’s helped me realize I’m leading for people going through real things is looking at the prayer requests. Out our church we have an incredible prayer ministry. People submit prayer requests into boxes and they get privately prayed over again and again by our prayer team and pastors. And boy do they get prayed for! And let me tell you, all I have to do to get a proper perspective of life is read through those requests. That stuff is real, man. It’s eye-opening and it helps me see who I’m actually leading worship for.
I encourage any pastor or worship leader to do things like this. Making myself available for connection and reading those prayer request really changed my perspective! But what do you do with this information, with this new found perspective? Well, my first response was to be somber, dark, gloomy, serious. “People are going through tough things in our church so we should all be depressed!” No! This information shouldn’t lessen our energy or vigor or happiness on stage, it should increase it! You have an amazing opportunity to lift these peoples’ spirits. With the songs you sing and the way you play, you can encourage people, declare God’s promises to them and give them hope!
YOU MUST REALIZE THAT MUSIC IN AND OF ITSELF IS VERY POWERFUL AND HOW MUCH MORE SO WHEN MATCHED WITH TRUTH AND HOPE!
A while ago we started singing God Is Able at our church. What an incredible song. So simple, yet so profound and powerful. I know that this song has encouraged and given hope to so many at our church. It’s given words to people who can’t utter any. “God is with us, God is on our side,” “He will never fail us,” “He will never leave us.” These are such powerful truths for people to be singing, life-changing truths. And although nobody in your church may have won the lottery, you can help them feel like they did by what you play and the way you play it from stage. So go worship leader, go! Declare truth. Declare hope. What you do matters, never forget that.
