Growing up, I was always taught that worship was an activity that happened on the stage. People with musical and vocal abilities would stand and lead us into a place where we can see and experience God. Sure people can spend time with God during the week in devotions, but real worship only happened if it was led from the stage. This was evident by how people would respond with a sincere and authentic desire to experience God in time we were together.
As I got older and went into ministry, I took what I had learned and applied it in the same fashion. The stage was the platform that our church would use to define what worship was. It had been this way for a long time so why mess with it.
But, over the years my perspective began to change. The stage was becoming such a huge focal point in our church that people would fixate on it. Everything revolved around the stage. This created an expectation that the level of presentation from the stage would always deliver something big and creative. The response of people following a service felt more like the discussion one has after leaving a movie. “The opening was good, middle fell a little weak, and the end was a real disappointment…” It felt a lot like we had transitioned from facilitating an atmosphere of authentic worship to an environment of critics and performers.
That is when it hit me.
People in our church had started looking at the Sunday worship service just like a movie at the theater. What made it worse is that I was leading a ministry that facilitated this type of dysfunctional worship experience.
I am still in the process of figuring this all out, but it has been great to approach worship with the realization that the stage is just one of the places where we experience God.
Most of my favorite Christian musicians are still worship leaders at some small to medium size church but have been blessed by God to share their music with millions. I think because they are faithful with the small things and their hearts are still humble even though they could be considered “famous”. Most of them would not own that word but would say, “He alone is the Famous one”.
I have heard from many of these “worship Leaders” , the theme that worship is not what happens Sunday morning on stage, it is a moment by moment attitude of our hearts throughout the week.
Sunday morning, the stage is a huge focal point because we go to church and focus on the stage to be lead in spiritual songs, & hymns to the Lord and to hear teaching from the scriptures (hopefully).
But Sunday worship for me is also sharing in communion, giving the offering, and even talking with each other before and after. It’s hanging out in the lobby and having coffee and tea & just being with each other. Also on Sunday, setting up and taking down equipment is part of my “spiritual service of worship” Rom:12. It’s all a matter of what is in my heart.
The key for me is letting Sunday be just a brief part of one day in the week of worship, maybe the high point, but not always. Some weeks it may be receiving an answer to a prayer that I really needed or sharing my faith with someone or participating in a ministry.
Our weekly Bible study is sometimes the high point for me. Daily prayer and reading scriptures are all worship through the week. Sometimes I read the word for hours because I really get into what I’m reading .
All of these and more carry over to Sunday worship for me and even a Saturday worship service at another church.
I wish I could tell you that I live my life in this mode all of the time, but obviously it is an attitude and keeping it is a challenge. I can say the more moments I have throughout the day and week that I am living this attitude, the more Sunday “worship time” seems to just flow naturally.
As a lead worshipper, I have had some hurts and disappointments, but that’s another blog!