Have you ever looked around during a worship time and wondered where the joy was? I’m not talking superficial excitement. People can conjure that. I’m talking joy. Joy in response to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and for their work in rescuing us from hell, for transferring us from the domain of darkness and into the glorious Kingdom ruled by Jesus (Col. 1:13).
When your team is anemic and your congregation seems distracted, what are you doing about it? Are you just wishing someone would “get it”, and finally show some enthusiasm for why we’re there? In other words, are you being a victim?
If so, stop. Be a leader. Even if you’re not THE leader. Remember, what you accept becomes your standard. Accept halfheartedness, and that’s what you’ll get.
Instead of wishing it would happen, you set the standard. Instead of wishing someone would come to life about the good news, you need to come to life.
Pave the way and others will follow. Leading people into joy over the gospel is never a bad thing. So how can we do this?
Turn the lights down and turn the music up louder. Totally kidding. LOL.
How many conservative, reformed worship leaders wanted to smack me right then? Be honest. 😛
Seriously, as brothers and sisters playing guitar for the Lord, how can we do this?
1. If you are not amazed by the gospel, you must start there.
This is the only thing that matters. You’re at church to celebrate that. Period. If you’re not reading your Bible at least every other day (every day is perfect), start. You can’t be excited about God if you aren’t learning and being reminded of his character, truths and promises, all of which are revealed to you in scripture.
2. If your team is not amazed by the gospel, help them see the miracle it is.
Take time to talk about the redemption story and how it should be the gas in the tank for all we do. If you spend more time on everything else, you’re wasting your energy if your team doesn’t have this part right. Remember, the power of God is in the gospel (Rom. 1:16).
3. If your congregation is not amazed by the gospel, help them see the miracle it is.
Ask your worship leader to put a relevant passage of scripture on the screen during the song. Ask him or her to unpack the song, the scripture and it’s meaning at the beginning or in the middle of the song to help those who aren’t as familiar with God and his work to save sinners understand the miracle it really is.
4. Show your joy by singing and through your energy.
If you’re so focused on the act of playing your guitar, you inhibit your ability to sing or worship. And God calls us to SING (Psalm 66:17). Your singing will be a joyful noise to the Lord and to his people. So sing! Preparation helps here. The less you have to think about playing and tone, the more you can focus on God and how good he is for even allowing you to lead his people in worship; this will allow you to outwardly show your inner excitement, which will naturally spillover to your congregation.
5. Be present enough to connect with and encourage your team on stage.
Look around. Be aware of the miracles on stage. By miracles, I mean dead people who have been brought to life (Ephesians 2)! Your team is filled with walking miracles: sinners saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Catch those moments! Let the saving grace of God inspire you! Make eye contact with your team. Smile. Try to say through your expression, “This is a gift. This worship time is something I’ll cherish for all my days.” Don’t be afraid to do the same with people in your congregation.
6. Matthew 5:16.
By God’s grace, there’s a light in you that shines the glory of God. Be conscious of that. Because of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone, you are a miracle. Shine that joyous light to give glory to our Heavenly Father. And stop caring what people think of you. Your allegiance lies with Jesus.
“I’m playing tomorrow, which means I need a tip NOW. “
I hear you. As for some “boots on the ground” advice, I have simply this: If the people around you aren’t filled with joy as they worship, check yourself first. Start with you. In the end, that’s what you can control. Own it. Know God so well by reading his Word that you can’t help but rejoice each and every time you’re corporately worshiping with his people. So, practical tip: read Ephesians really quick. You won’t be able to contain your joy afterward.
-Troy