A few months ago I read Donald Whitney's book called Praying the Bible. For me, one of the most helpful parts in the book is his insight that many times when we pray we get stuck saying "the same old things about the same old things." His point is that we can easily go into prayer mode and ask for blessings for this person and a hedge of protection for that bit of travel. We're aware of the mindless repetition, but it's hard to stop.
This insight on prayer led me to think about my platform leadership in a new light. I can remember many times when I didn't prepare as well as I should have, and what I heard coming out of my mouth were phrases and worship leader jargon that, although true, sounded stale and unhelpful. Our responsibility then is not only to hold up the Truth, but also to have wisdom in our economy of words, extending beyond just the same old thing.
Lead Your People to Understand and Cherish the Lyrics
We know that one of the main goals in corporate worship is for the Word of God to dwell richly in the people of God. Now, this should happen during the singing of worship songs. But we know that even if the songs are filled with images or exact words from Scripture, sometimes it's difficult to understand what we're singing. Worship pastors have the unique responsibility of tackling this problem. We're like museum docents, helping people understand what they're looking at.
To that end, worship leader, consider finding a lyric in a song you're singing and help your people feel the significance of the lyric. For instance, talk about why you can sing "my sin is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more." How can a room full of sinful, idol-worshiping people sing those lyrics with confidence?
Help Your People Feel the Weight of the Themes in the Gathering
One of the more humbling times in worship leading is finding out that all of the thematic thoughts I had while planning the service didn't really get communicated to the people I'm serving in our gathering. My careful song placement or artfully placed thematic items didn't even get noticed.
What I have grown to realize is that plain explanations and clear leadership are a much greater blessing to the congregation than veiled themes. When it comes to worship gatherings, we shouldn't think that our artistic or thematic nuances will have the same impact as will clear explanation of why we're doing what we're doing.
Try to Exhort as Many Types of People as You Can
Some people come ready and eager to engage in worship. But, as I prepare for our gatherings, I often think about how many of us walk into corporate worship with a bit of indifference in our hearts. Mingled throughout our congregation, we'll find weary single mothers, anxious stay-at-home moms, spiritually lazy teenagers, dads who are beat up by their jobs, busy college students, and lonely seniors, among others. And for all these types of people, your words could function like an outstretched hand, reaching into their worlds, pulling them up to see the beauty and grandeur of the gospel.
Friends, let's continue to pray for insight and plan with zeal so that we can effectively guide our congregations' hearts and minds through worship gatherings, in a way that breaks through saying the same old thing about the same old thing.