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"Slay the desire to be noticed, stir the desire to serve God. Don't make a theater production out of your faith."
Max Lucado
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I love this quote by Max Lucado (I love, love, love his books!) because of the truth in it.
I’ve said it over and over, WHO and WHAT we desire for in worship is imperative. It is crucial, it is the essence of worship. Not great songs (lovely as they are), not musical perfection, not flawless vocal pitching.
If we were to let songs, music and vocals consume us, it will only lead to a sing-along. A musical production. That isn’t worship.
When I started worship leading, I concentrated on those details because I had the impression that it would reflect on me as a worship leader, either excellent or otherwise.
I have learned over the years that as much as I love focusing on bringing a (well-rehearsed) joyful sound when I lead worship, my most treasured and memorable worship moments experienced were far from perfect and orchestrated.
Make no mistake, I believe in bringing excellence to the House of God.
However, self-glory and desire to see God being glorified in the praises of His people cannot co-exist. He must increase, we MUST decrease.
It is something that we (worship leaders) have to remember every single time we step on the platform and do what we do.
The focus is not on what we are able to do, what the people’s common needs are. JESUS must be our focus, to lift up His name above all else must be our goal.
This is how I see it.
When I lead worship, it is to draw the people away from what they are ‘feeling’ or going through. (When God is magnified, circumstances of life do not engulf us anymore. Worship is not a time to focus on OUR needs and for God to meet them, and because of that, we worship. We worship Him for who He is, not for what He can do.)
It is to captivate their hearts and eyes of understanding with His beauty.
To be mesmerised with the silhouette of The Cross standing erect on the hill of Golgotha, against the evening sky. To savour that image, that ‘wondrous cross’ as the song says.
And then, to look a little closer to The Person nailed The Cross. Look into His eyes, His gaze is brimming with love (not the slightest bit of anger or hatred in them), despite of the blood trickling down His face.
Trace your eyes down further and look at His battered body that endured heavy blows and piercing whippings.
Don’t stop there. Go on further.
Examine His beautiful feet. The feet that Mary had poured perfume on and covered with her tears. There’s a nail driven through those feet. They’re bloody (not only because of the nail but from the walk up the treacherous hill, carrying a cross on His back) and dusty.
2000 years and counting, I see that through the passages of time and still shed tears. (As I am writing this, tears are pooling in my eyes.)
I worship because of that.
I lead worship to bring the people into that Holy Place, to fill their eyes with the vision of The Cross because there is nothing more deserving, none other more worthy.
I pray that your devotion will be to His song, for His heartbeat to resound in all that you do.
Much love,
Melissa.
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