Scrolling through my newsfeed, I came across the following question a mentor from my past posed on their timeline earlier this weekend: When selecting your worship team, should spiritual maturity be a HIGH priority? I was struck by this scripture this morning regarding leaders, I Timothy 3:5, He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ---------------------------------- Here were my bumbling thoughts on the matter: Even though I left Pentecostalism back in 03 & am now a converted United Methodist, I really believe what youre saying applies to us as well. We are a growing congregation and choir who dont use projection screens; canned music or terms like worship team, worship leader, praise band or platform. We sing from a hymnal. We use an organ. We stand on the chancel. We wear robes & call ourselves a chancel choir. Im called a director of music. We have some symbolic rituals that help remind us we are not at the forefront. We are led in by a cross & a flame representing the light of Christ. During the service, we stand behind a cross (rather than in front of one). When we sing the Gloria Patri each week, each choir member (including myself) turns center facing the cross in front of us. At the conclusion of the service, we are led out by the cross and the flame representing that we are to be the light of Christ wherever we go. Were a heartily-singing congregation of which Im very happy to be a part. All these are lovely traditions, but I feel the point you were making applies to us as well. We are a choir of approx. 50. We have new Christians and we have seasoned Christians, and we encourage both groups (and everyone in between) to join our choir. We are certainly like a small group; lifting up one anothers needs and treating each other like a family. However, since Ive been with them, Ive tried to remind them that we are actually leading Gods wonderful people in worship. Now, what does that mean? Well, Ill have to leave that to theologians smarter than myself, but this much I do know: Leading Gods people in worship is a privilege & its a task in which one should enter humbly, reverently and with a pure & receptive heart & mind. Since Im so imperfect myself, I dont really know how to rate the spiritual ability of one that seeks to lead Gods people in worship, but despite my incapability, it seems that God is using us for His glory. It seems that the new Christians in the choir are trying to figure out this spiritual emphasis on leading people in worship, while the seasoned Christians appreciate the emphasis. All that being said, before each service, we meet in the choir room, warm-up, rehearse what must be rehearsed, then finally we join in (what I hope is) an earnest prayer. In the weekly prayer, I always try to say some version of the following points: 1. Lord, we ask that You would be with us during this time of worship. 2. Lord, we thank You so very much for the awesome privilege it is to usher Your people into Your holy presence. 3. Lord, keep us humble & pure. 4. Lord, we ask that through the preaching, praying, playing & singing - peoples hearts would be ministered to in a most genuine & effective way. 5. Lord, bind us together with cords of love that cannot be broken so that we may proclaim your gospel through song as one great, mighty voice. 6. Lord, receive our praise today & be glorified in all that we say and do. As Ive said, I dont know if Im doing everything right & my own imperfections sometimes self-dictate that I am perhaps the least-qualified to lead in worship, but in the words of Charles Wesley, which we sang this morning: No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine; alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine, bold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own!
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 22:43:09 +0000
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