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Worship
What
Does a Worship Leader Do? Part 2
By
Bob Kauflin
Director of Worship Development, PDI Ministries
June 17, 2002
 It's
not just "worship leading." It's leading
people. The question is, in what direction?
PDI
Ministries -
In the first of this series on the role and goals
of a worship leader, I proposed this definition:
An
effective worship leader, aided and led by the Holy
Spirit, skillfully combines biblical truth with
music to magnify the worth of God and the redemptive
work of Jesus Christ, thereby motivating the gathered
church to join him in proclaiming and cherishing
the truth about God and seeking to live all of life
for the glory of God.
What
does it mean to be a leader? When someone takes
a position in front of a group of people, he or
she will, to one degree or another, be leading,
whether intentionally or not. Romans 12:6 says leaders
must lead with zeal (ESV), or govern diligently
(NIV). Both phrases speak of faithfully seeking
to direct a meeting. The first duty of a worship
leader is to take on that responsibility cheerfully.
Congregational
worship in spirit and truth doesn’t just “happen.”
God can at any moment choose to manifest His presence
in our midst, but He has identified specific activities
and attitudes to which He generally responds. Critical
words, for example, quench the Spirit, while praise
invites His activity and involvement. Thus, there
must be intentionality and purpose behind what a
worship leader does.
Everything
ultimately GLORIFIES God (for example, all sin and
rebellion is eventually judged by God, thus magnifying
His holiness)…but not everything WORSHIPS God.
Worship is all I know of me RESPONDING to all God
has shown me of Himself. This response involves
a choice, and the use of my mind, will, and emotions.
Thus, everything a worship leader does should encourage
that response in the people he is leading.
Since
we’re leading people (and not just “leading
worship”), we need to be clear on what direction
we’re taking them in. It’s easy to overuse
vague phrases that sound good but don’t necessarily
define where we’re going or what we’re
doing. For example, In recent years “entering
in” has become synonymous with the corporate
worship experience. But what do we mean by that
phrase? Are we entering in to some mindless, automatic-pilot
state of ecstasy? Are we perhaps passing through
the outer courts of worship to enter in to the holy
of holies?
Both
concepts are commonly voiced today. But did you
know that neither one finds support in Scripture?
First,
worship is neither automatic nor mindless –
it’s intentional, purposeful, and very much
involves the mind. And second, Jesus has already
entered the holy of holies for us (Heb. 10:19-22).
The purpose of worship is to enter in to a fresh
awareness of who God is, what He has done, and how
that affects our past, present, and future.
Finally,
a worship leader’s task involves leading people
effectively. We should expect good fruit from our
labors. Worship leading is not a hit-or-miss proposition.
God desires to bless us with His manifest presence
when we gather to worship Him.
When
we moved into our new home several years ago, my
family’s yard was a wasteland. But each fall
I aerated, fertilized, and planted grass seed. In
the spring I applied fertilizer and weed killer.
For a few years it seemed like not much was happening.
But here we are five years later with a full lawn.
What happened? I sowed, and tended, and then I reaped.
So
it is with worship. If we want God’s people
to glorify Him, we must sow to His glory. We must
paint a compelling, attractive, grand, biblical
picture of our great God and Savior.
But
I’m getting ahead of myself. Next time we’ll
look at the importance of the Holy Spirit in leading
worship effectively.
For
His Glory,
Bob
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