Worship was really good yesterday. I know, because many people came up to me and said so. Here is a composite of these conversations:
Them: "Worship was really good today.
Me: "Yes, it was."
Them: "I really enjoyed it."
Me: "Good. I'm glad"
Then they look at me like they expect me to say something more. In one such conversation, I successfully deflected by talking about Joyce and how much I enjoy her voice and admire her improvisational skills.
I know what people are looking for: they are expecting me to say "thank you." They feel like they gave me a compliment, and a thank-you completes the transaction. But they didn't give me a compliment; they commented on the worship itself. I don't have anything to do with whether a spirit of worship comes over the meeting. Well, maybe that isn't quite true; I have something to do with it, but I really don't have much more to do with it than the "ordinary citizens" of the congregation. Yes, I prayed for a good worship time, and yes, I personally worshiped before the meeting so that I could hit the ground running, so to speak. Physically, I tried to warm up so that I wouldn't crack or squeak on the high notes. But I've done all those things before, and more, and sometimes the worship time isn't so very good.
If you think about it, the idea that my lil ole voice could move the hearts and affections and the spirits of a couple of hundred people who are stuck in the doldrums or in unbelief is pretty silly. Worship was great because of the work of many people, so that when the music actually started there was a tipping point of more people focused on God and on His splendor and on the amazing love of Jesus than on the Olympics or the work they have to do around the house or whatever. Great worship is a corporate work - not the work of any individual.
I do say thank you when people compliment me on my singing. Or, at least, I try to; sometimes I revert back to an "aw shucks, I ain't that good" response, which stinks because I'm indirectly saying that they don't have any judgment. But I won't take credit for the spirit of worship that people feel during the meeting. I shouldn't; it wasn't my doing.
I know at least one of the two of you have led worship; what do you think?
2.5 - 36 - 4.2
(PJ, you do know there are at least 5 people that have read at least some of your blog, right?) ;-)
ReplyDeleteI am not one of the 2 (or the 5) that has ever led worship, but may I weigh in here?
I totally agree with you, PJ. No one can take credit for the spirit of worship that falls during any given meeting. It is a corporate work. Our part is to show up and be present with the Lord, giving Him what He deserves, no matter how we feel and no matter what is going on in our lives. I know I have said this before (probably ad nauseum), but I always enjoy worship. I would say "almost always", just to be on the safe side, but I honestly can't recall a time I didn't like it. I think it is because I have trained myself not to pay too much attention to what other people are putting into it or not putting into it. I don't know if I am expressing this quite right. I do pray for the meeting, before and during the service, and I do try to make sure I have personal worship time with the Lord prior to the service (I confess I could improve in this area). Sometimes I am even led to pray more intensely during worship, or during the teaching, for a greater breakthrough of God's presence (or whatever, sometimes I am praying in the spirit). Whatever happens, or does not happen, I try not to let that keep me from giving all I can give to the Lord during that time. I am by no means perfectly consistent in this, I get distracted sometimes, but when I become aware of this I try to bring my flesh or my mind into submission to my spirit, and to Holy Spirit within me. I ask God to help me keep my focus on Him. That is my only part in all of this, to be available to God, to give Him every bit of praise and worship it is in my power to give Him (recognizing that it all starts with Him). I cannot take credit for giving back to Him what He gave me in the first place.
I totally understand not taking credit for the spirit of worship being good, and I agree. Worship is good because God is good. And this is cart blanche, all the time, doesn't change whether your stuck in a cell with a rat for a companion (which thankfully, is not the case for me right now) or in a nice, friendly church surrounded by people who love God.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is such a thing as your spirit responding to God's spirit and literally magnifying him before the congregants, cause Him to become bigger, more visible, his attributes clearer and closer, etc. And this takes a couple of things on your part--a). obedience--the decision to just be obedient to God and do what he tells you to do in the context of worship, no matter what, which also takes b). major guts. Sometimes it is not easy to step out and sing something, say something, dance something, pray something, but when you do that, God responds--making worship essentially even more "good." and it also takes, in the area of music, specifically, c). talent/application to gifts. Yes, they are from God, absolutely--but you have made a decision to be able to "play [or sing] skillfully before the Lord" and this moves people, allows them to be drawn in by the beauty and artistry and testament to God's good gifts.
So yeah, I think that you can certainly thank people when they compliment you because worship is symbiotic--it involves both us and God--and it's okay to acknowledge or accept that you have done a good job being obedient, having guts, and honing your gifts so you can be more effective.
Of course, the glory belongs to God, but a good Father also praises his kid for a job well done.
Does this make sense? It's late...;-)
Jess, it does make sense. But here's the thing:
ReplyDeleteThere are times when I "do everything right" (not really possible, but I think you know what I mean), and that wonderful spirit of awe and gratitude and love for God doesn't fall. Then there are times when I basically show up. Usually when I am dragging or underneath it all I will pray the prayer of desperation, but sometimes I haven't even done that. Some of these times, the rest of the team will seem to be in the same place (we don't really talk about it). And then something wonderful will happen, the people will be moved, great praises will be shouted, all seemingly apart from what the team is doing. So there doesn't always seem to be a cause and effect relationship between how we as a worship team do the three things that you mention and how full the worship is.
I think, of the three qualities you mention, obedience is the most important, even if it is obedience to just show up.
As an example, the Spirit just reminded me of some way in which I do effect worship that happened Sunday and has happened several times before. There are times when we finish a song and there is this expectation of continuing - you know, the song isn't really done? People don't want to stop singing, but we got to the end of the song? But nobody takes the step to actually start singing in the Spirit. Then I start singing, and then Pop will join in (like he was just waiting for the excuse), and then I will quickly hear it go from there through the crowd. But I didn't bring it to that point, and I didn't make the worship happen - that desire to continue in praise was already there. I just touched it and tipped it over.
I don't want to deprecate my contribution. I have spent too much time in self-deprecation and I am starting to see that it is wrong. A lie isn't OK just because it is a lie about me. But I also know that great corporate worship is a corporate work. Who am I to speak of it as if it were something I did?
Well, I feel a little stupid right now, PJ. I guess I should have taken your question, "What do you think", as a literal invitation; the "you" was specific, not general. I have to figure this blog stuff out better, when it is okay to make a comment, when it is not.
ReplyDeleteKathie,
ReplyDeleteIf you have something to add, I want to read it. You may not "lead worship," but, shoot, some people might think that what I do isn't leading worship either. If I only wanted Jess to be able to comment, I would have sent her an email. ;-)
To all, sorry for my last comment - I looked at it again, and it is kind of a jumble. I edited it several times and didn't read through the whole thing to see if it made cogent sense. oopsie.
I know what you mean, PJ--the interesting thing is that God's presence is not dependent on us. At all. And I think he is good to remind us of this when he makes worship so good and fulfilling and sweet and we know that we've barely been holding on to his coattails all the while!
ReplyDeleteBut at the same time, God is relational and loves when together, we create what is known as worship. God plays the lead as the one who is worshipped, and we play an important role of worshipper. And though God would still be as worthy of our worship without our worship, it would not be the same without each of our distinct "voice," so to speak (not as in singing, but as in spirit).
I remember once, while leading worship at YWAM many years ago, God distinctly spoke to me and said that he doesn't even see the microphone in front of me or the stage on which I stand; that he looks at the hearts of each of us and though I can put on a show for others, he knows what's going on inside...It made me realize that worship was all the time, heart-measured and that music was just a part of it, and certainly not the most important part. So right, the credit is not ours to take for worship being good--that is God's.
At the same time, there is nothing wrong with acknowledging that your voice, your heart, draws out a special part of God that he responds to. And this inevitably blesses others, which is right.
Also, there is nothing wrong with being told that you sound good and then saying thank you:-) or that your part in creating the corporate worship moved someone and again saying thank you for letting me know...
but then again, this is all just IMHO! I certainly don't have the corner on anything...
Oh my gosh--the fact that it says HANK BASKETT from the eagles wrote that is hilarious!!!
ReplyDeleteit was actually me, Jess, I am just on drew's computer and for some reason that is what his name is on google right now.
My bad!
Dear PJ,
ReplyDeleteI haven't led much but I've been in the congregation a lot and give positive feedback at times. I think we need an acronym like IKIGIY (I Know It Is God In You). Then we could say "IKIGIY but I want to tell you blah blah blah", then we wouldn't have to spend all that time trying to explain that we're not trying to bolster your ego and you wouldn't have to explain that you aren't receiving worship from us...You could say "IKIGIM (I Know It's God In Me), but thanks for the encouragement."
Then just a comment on the either/or nature of preparing. I'm finding that things that I do do not necessarily have an immediate effect but that doesn't mean they don't have an effect. I find this true in spiritual warfare. If I'm depressed on Monday and wallow in it. I'll likely be depressed on Tuesday. Eventually, God in His mercy helps me anyway. But if I'm depressed on Monday and fight it, I usually feel no better on Monday but Tuesday is better. It seems that there can be a delayed effect of what we do.
So preparing and having a not so great worship experience doesn't mean that the preparation was not important. Next weeks worship may be affected. I think every time we choose to give time to God makes a difference.
Abby, great point. I know that I tend to see each "turn" at worship-leading in isolation. But it makes sense that there can be a cumulative effect.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't mind a little ego boosting - ah, who am I kidding? I often desire ego boosting. But semantics matter. We did worship. If you want to boost my ego, then boost my ego (please!), but don't comment on worship in general and expect me to say "Yes, thank you, I'm very proud."
Oh, and Hank, thanks for joining. Glad to see you have worship leading as one of your many talents. What do you think of the Eagles chances this year?
ReplyDeleteWell, hank is right next to me and he says, SUPER BOWL, BABY!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHe's very optimistic, to say the least:-)
Eagles Football! Yay!
ReplyDeleteI have to say that the spirit expressed in the comments is one of the things about worship at VCF that most blesses me. I used to belong to a choir in a church where enunciation of the words, pitch perfection and smooth, round tone seemed to receive higher priority than entering into the presence of the living God.
ReplyDelete"Worship" (I almost hesitate to even use the word) was treated much more as a performance art than as an opportunity to commune with God and help other people reach out to encounter Him.
In contrast, the worship experience I had at the first meeting I attended in Girl's Inc. was palpable, invigorating and inspirational.
I am thankful that the very talented musicians we have leading worship have remembered consistently to keep God at the center of worship.
Thanks, Susan, for the comment. I was once a member of a church choir while I was an atheist, so I am well aware of the sad contrast between the intention of the singing, and what is actually going on.
ReplyDelete