My friend is a bank examiner, and oversees a large number of banks. His audits always catch a few mistakes, and sometimes reveal serious incompetence. Every now and then, an audit uncovers embezzlement.
Unfortunately, those trained and trusted to handle wealth don’t always do the right thing.
Worship leaders have also been extended a great trust; we handle the "currency" of heaven: God's Glory. We issue the call to worship, and direct the flow of adoration from earth to heaven. Such glory is the focal point of God’s own zeal and our purpose for living. (Rev. 4:11). No earthly bank can hold the blessing and honor and glory and praise Our Lord receives in the assembly of His Saints.
Sometimes I wonder what a Divine Audit of my work would reveal. Can God bank on me?
Glitches? Do I allow distracting technical errors to dampen or derail our praise? One morning our PowerPoint had the congregation singing, “that’s why we praise Him, that’s why we sin…” It’s hard to get back to the Throne after a moment like that.
Gross error? Do I engage in unnecessary patter on the platform that robs God of the attention He alone is due? Fail to prepare? Start late?
Embezzlement? Ouch. Lord, search my heart for such an offense against You. The praise of the Saints – on its way to heaven - thunders past me every Sunday morning. At any moment, I could falsely imagine that it’s about me and grab some for myself. If you remember, Satan’s intention to embezzle God’s glory (Ez 28) ended quite badly. “I will not,” the Lord later explained, “give My glory to another. (Isa. 42:8)”
When a musician/singer treats a congregation like an audience, he errs in triple: (a) he fails to minister to God (b) he invites a focus upon himself that belongs only to God and (c) he instructs the congregation in a lie: that worship is a performance for them to judge.
Please don’t misunderstand; I treasure the artist’s role in worship and believe God deserves our best (2 Sam. 24:24). My warning is not about the arts, but about our hearts.
It takes work to keep worship God-centered. Here are seven ways to safeguard the praise He is so richly due.
1. Practice Deliberate Discipleship. Musicians and singers need support and discipleship. The ability to play well or “command” a room is a gift; redeemed artists learn to use such skills to point people to Jesus. (Jn. 3:30).
2. Make God’s Preeminence a Church-wide Value. It takes a team effort to overcome a performance mentality. When those two adorable Jr. High girls offer to sing along with a Jaci Velasquez CD next Sunday, someone needs to decide if that’s a good use of five prime worship minutes. When our children’s ministries stand before the church, someone needs to remind parents that these little ones are learning to minister to the Lord. Dozens of flashing cameras might send mixed signals. I’ll stop before I get into trouble.
3. Make “Specials” Special. Effective special music is tough to provide week-after-week, and even well-intentioned performances can send (like those cameras) mixed signals. An alternative might begin with a brief solo or duet verse, asking the congregation to join on the chorus. A worship leader could tell the story behind a song and then have the whole church sing it with increased understanding. A church talent night may be a good outlet for fledgling players and singers.
4. Anticipate and correct likely errors and distractions. While you can’t fix everything, it’s possible to review the song lyrics before Sunday morning. Someone can make sure there’s fresh batteries in the wireless mics.
5. Banish triteness from the platform. A touch of humor can warm up a room, but too much silly stuff will hamper your efforts to draw the congregation near God. A worship leader is asking people to focus upon spiritual things; he or she needs a degree of credibility.
6. Host a good worship conference and make it required for everyone in leadership. ‘Nuff said.
7. Bonus for Elders: Hire a Worship Pastor. It’s difficult for even a mid-size church to operate without a dedicated shepherd overseeing worship. If a faithful volunteer is already doing a terrific job, maybe you can bless that individual with a few dollars and some additional training; free them up to “excel still more.”
A final thought about handling the currency of heaven. I’ve met terrific worship leaders who would pass a Divine Audit with high marks, but are still plagued by critics who accuse them of “dancing around” and “drawing attention to themselves.” Such psalmists are like faithful bank employees, wrongfully accused of embezzling money (Mt. 5:11).
Those in that position can take heart. It’s a horrific accusation to claim that a leader is robbing God of glory.
If those charges are unfounded, I'd fully expect a just and righteous God, Who is passionate about the declaration of His glory, to turn His attention to the accusers. David’s wife Michal would know about this. (2 Sam 6:22).
God is looking for people who are motivated by the best interests of His Kingdom. When He finds one He can bank on, He takes good care of them.
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