A Life Of Music, Kids And Worship

The title of my blog just sums it up. My blog is about my worship leader journey and helpful hints and tips I have learned along the way.

[cjworshiptime]

Tip #5B Worship 101: Praying, Singing, Shouting & Using Our Bodies

Worship: Reverant honor paid to God.

The last tip I posted was about the church and our service. Let’s continue looking into Worship 101 with items 3-6.

3. Prayer: This is a super important component of worship as it is how we communicate with God! A few weeks ago I came up with with a prayer booklet for my Kindergarteners on Wednesday evening to help them learn what prayer is and what they should be praying about. It reminded me of what I should be talking to God about and also that praying is the key to having a close relationship with the Father. So how is prayer worshipful according to our definition? Prayer is a way for us to thank God for everything that He has made and done for us. But it is also a way for us to ask for help, guidance, healing, etc. God wants us to talk to Him and He is ready and waiting to listen. Jeremiah 29:12 says, “You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” (HCSB)

Psalm 149 (HCSB) Praise for God’s Triumph 1 Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly. 2 Let Israel celebrate its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. 3 Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and lyre. 4 For Yahweh takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation. 5 Let the godly celebrate in triumphal glory; let them shout for joy on their beds.

4. Singing & Playing Instruments: Making music is my most favorite act of worship. In fact in a lot of churches the singing and playing of songs is called the worship portion of the service even though technically the whole service is worship to God. I think that the Psalmist, Asaph (who happens to be called the choir director), summed this up by writing, “Sing for joy to God our strength; shout in triumph to the God of Jacob. Lift up a song—play the tambourine, the melodious lyre, and the harp.” Psalm 81:1-2 (HCSB) Only God would put those words in the mouth of a choir director writer. Pretty cool if you ask me! As worship leaders in the church whether serving in kid or adult worship services, we are called to help cultivate reverent honor to God in others through our music. Remember that this is what should drive our set lists, practices and performances.

5. Shouts of Praise: Amen!! Right…sometimes I think that this act of worship can be one of the hardest to do. Nothing like being the one to break the silence of the atmosphere created by the music or a prayer. However, over and over in the Psalms the phrase “shout for joy” is used. “Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:1-2 (HCSB) What does this mean for us? We should want to break the silence and say “AMEN!” or “PRAISE GOD!” Don’t be ashamed of worshiping God through shouts of praise!

6. Using Our Bodies: Growing up with a very conservative background I was always told that raising hands in church or clapping was wrong. I want to preface what I am going to say by explaining that I am not here to decide who is right or wrong. In fact using our bodies to worship God is a leading of the the Holy Spirit during an act of worship and is totally personal preference. I choose to raise my hands to God offering Him the words that I sing. Leading kids worship at my church has really pulled me out of what my comfort zone used to be and has made me realize that using my whole body is an act of worship. We love to reinforce songs with different motions and “dances” as this helps keep the attention of the crazy kiddos and encourages them to remember the words that they are singing. It also happens to be super fun!! Use your body as you feel lead to do so. Here is a good article about this very topic if you would like to do some more reading. https://mysteryoffaithblog.com/2015/07/08/should-worship-be-physically-expressive/

Remember that worship to God is anything that you say and do that shows honor to God. Worship should be a natural act and an outpouring of what is in your heart. Your adoration and devotion to God should be real and not just a going through the motions.

“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Luke 6:45 (ASV)

[cjworshiptime]

Tip #5A Worship 101: The Church & Our Service

As I mentioned in my last post I would be talking about the basics of what worship is over my next few posts. 

So let’s recap, worship is anything we say, do etc. that honors our God. Therefore, let’s look at the first two ways to worship. This is worship 101 if you will. 

1. Going to Church: Well hey guess what, if you are doing a worship set you are there! You are at the place where a lot of people say is the center of our worship culture, the church. God wants us to be together with His people, to be part of His community. The writer of Hebrews says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV) This passage tells us that we should gather together with our brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage one another. Attending church also allows us the opportunity to hear teaching from God’s Word and to learn from it. Going to church also allows you different opportunities to perform another act of worship, service.

2. Serving God & Others: Let’s talk about service at church first since we started there. Service to God through a ministry of the church is important. It allows you as a Christian to “pour out” what you have been taking in through Scripture and teaching. Ministries are not just singing on the praise team or leading kids in worship they vary from ministries to women, to men, to older, to younger and yes, ladies and gentlemen even to babies. Serving in the church is one of my favorite acts of worship. God has given each of us gifts and talents and He expects us to use them to further His name and purpose as well as build up and encourage the community around us. In 1 Corinthians 14:26 Paul says this, “What then is the conclusion, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, another language, or an interpretation. All things must be done for edification.” (HCSB) Paul had spent many of the chapters before this verse reminding the Corinthian church to use the gifts that God had given them no matter what they were to glorify and to be a church that serves God! 

There is also a second part to this of worship called service. It is serving others. I am not just talking about serving within the church but also to the people outside of it. We are called as Christians to be lights to the world and to be a help in the time of need. So what does this act of worship look like. I am not saying just go and pour money into whatever charity you think would be good. Yes, you could do that but I am talking more down to earth terms. An example would be going and feeding the homeless through an organization or doing a food drive to feed the hungry. An act of worship could also be helping that co worker paint their house or fix their sink. God has given us each different abilities and tools and what an awesome act of reverence to God do we do when we use those things to be a light to others.

Do some thinking about these items in your life. When you reach the points in your life when you feel lost and you feel so far away from God, go back to the basics of worship. When we take our focus off ourselves and repoint it back to the gracious, generous, all powerful God through these acts of worship how different would our Christian walks be. How different would our praise sets be. 

As you worship God, remember the seriousness of what worship is and what you are doing to show honor to your Father.

I will continue with the next few items of worship in the following post.

[cjworshiptime]

Tip #5 Back to the Basics: Worship

“Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. He made us, and we are His — His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.” Psalm 100 (HCSB)

This Psalm really points us in the direction of worship. It takes us “back to the basics” and begs us to ask these important questions: What is worship? How do we or can we worship our God?

This week I was studying this very topic while coming up with a lesson to teach to my Kindergarten Sparks in Awana and I want to share with you what God has been teaching me though my study of this elementary truth over the next few posts.

Worship, are we commanded to do so? Matthew 4:10b says this, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” In this passage Jesus was being tempted by Satan to turn from God the Father to worship him(Satan). Jesus tells us that even He knows that it is important to worship God. Another thought here is that if we truly are following God and wanting to be like Him, worship should be a natural outpouring of our hearts not just following a commandment.

If we are told that we should be worshipping God than what is worship?

Definition: Worship is reverent honor paid to God.

So worship is not just singing or playing through a set of praise songs. It is a variety of things that we do. In fact you could say that it is any act that shows respect for our God and what He has done for us. Matt Redman’s song “The Heart of Worship” I think best describes the point that I am trying to get across. 

“When the music fades all is stripped away and I simply come. Longing just to bring something that's of worth that will bless your heart.

I'll bring You more than a song For a song in itself Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within Through the ways things appear You're looking into my heart

I'm comin' back to the heart of worship And it's all about You It's all about You, Jesus

I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it When it's all about You It's all about You, Jesus”

Worship can be and should be more than music. So, what are some of the different ways for us to “bring something that’s of worth.” I would like to take this thought and break it down into six simpler terms. Please know that these are not the only ways to worship God as I mentioned earlier worship is anything that you do, say etc. that honors God. In the next few posts I will be touching on these six things stripping them down to the core and reminding us of what worship really looks like in the hope that it makes us change how we worship and also how we lead others in worship. Digging into the basics of worship has made me change my perspective as a worship leader and I pray that it is helpful to you, the reader as well.

[cjworshiptime]

Tip #4: Be Part of the Church Community

When you are struggling, do you have a group or a certain person that you run to for support in the church? Do you have someone that helps you stay on track in your walk with God?

Community: a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.

The Christian life brings ups and downs, twists and turns and how in the world are we supposed to navigate our way through them? Well, God gave us a tool, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Granted, we are to first seek Him for help. The Bible says, “In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6 ASV. The next verse in this passage tells us that after we have asked God for help we can find the “peace that passes all understanding” as long as we have given all of it over to him. This is an awesome truth. Our amazing God takes the time to listen to our problems and troubles and wants us to find peace in knowing that He controls it all. 

Step 1, ask God for help, check! Step 2, wait on Him... God brings people in our path to help us with trials that we go through and I have found that a lot of times that person comes from my church community. The writer of Hebrews definitely had it down when it comes to explaining what a church community should look like. Hebrews 10:25 (HCSB) says, “Not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” God gave us the church family as a way to help each other to go through the Christian walk together. 

So how do you find those people? The answer is simple, be involved. Look for different opportunities to get together with others in your church. Join a home group, a bible study, attend a Sunday school class or get involved in other ministries of your church. Make yourself available for God to bring the right person or people across your path. Trust me, you will be thankful that you did!

[cjworshiptime]

Tip #3: Take Time for Personal Worship

How do you keep from being burnt out? What do you do when you get to the point that the songs do not mean anything and you feel like you are just singing words? 

Sometimes I feel like I get to the point of feeling stuck like I am just mouthing words and not thinking about the meaning of them or literally just putting on a performance for the sake of feeling like I have to. Granted God can still use that performance for His glory but how much better would the worship experience be if I was actually worshiping Him along with those I am leading.

A pastor once explained what service should look like in the church and he used these words which I will never forget, “You cannot give if you do not take in.” He was speaking about God’s Word as it relates to teaching others but as I continue down the road of the ministry which I am a part of I am starting to see that he was speaking in broader terms. I see his phrase meaning taking the time to sit and learn from God’s Word through sermons in the church service as well as being a part of the audience every now and then during the music portion of the worship service.

Recently, my church held a women’s worship event on a Monday evening. It was a time to come together and just let God work in hearts and minds through an hour of musical worship. It was amazingly refreshing to be part of the audience and not be leading in worship. It made me realize that I need those times of just thanking God for everything He has, does and will do in my life and just letting the Holy Spirit work in me.

God longs to have a personal relationship with His children just as much as he wants them to help others know that same fact. He wants us to take time for Him! This is the reason for sending His Son to die on the cross for us so that there is no more separation between us and God. 

Taking part in personal worship allows us to refresh our attitude, hearts and minds so that we help others in the church do the same. John gives us these words of Jesus, “’Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.’” John 15:4-8 HCSB 

This passage is very direct. Jesus was speaking straight to the point as he sat with his disciples preparing them for their future. We can expect to take on the feeling of being burnt out if we are not “taking in” what we need to have a personal relationship with our loving God. How can we expect to “bear fruit” if we are not seeking a time to spend with our “Vine” after all He truly is the reason that we can even be worship leaders.

So the next time you start feeling like you are just singing words or are feeling like your service is becoming a chore, I encourage you to ask yourself if you are taking time for personal worship. Your Lord longs to talk with you, to help you see Him anew!

[cjworshiptime]

Tip #2: Have A Servant’s Heart Attitude

This tip can apply to any ministry not just being a worship leader. So, what does it mean to have a servant’s heart attitude? 

When it comes to serving in the church sometimes we are asked to do things out of our comfort zone and how we shape our attitude in that uncomfortable moment is the exact struggle I want to touch on. 

In my previous post, I wrote about the topic of humility. I feel that being humble and having a servant’s heart go hand-in-hand when it comes to the topic of leadership. The most perfect example of this is Christ washing the feet of His disciples. John gives us this story. He says, “When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, ‘Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.’” John 13:12-16 (ESV) Jesus saw that there was a need and even though Jesus was not the servant who was supposed to wash the disciples’ feet, He got up and did it anyway with no complaint or bad attitude to be seen.

Being able to do anything with a good attitude is part of being an effective leader. There have been many examples that I can think of in my own life where I have failed to follow Christ’s lesson of humble servitude. I am willing to do whatever needs to be done but I tend to not have a good attitude about it if I am doing something I am not comfortable doing or don’t feel that it is something I really wanted to do in the first place. 

How do we fight this mindset so that we can continue to be effective leaders? The best way we have available to us, Scripture and prayer! Paul’s words and example in these verses are spot on with helping us to refocus our approach in dealing with our attitude. 

1. BE CONTENT with where God has placed you. He has put you where you are for a reason and He will equip you with everything you need for the job. “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13 (ESV)

2. REMEMBER OUR SERVICE IS FOR GOD not for the praise of men. “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3: 22-24 (ESV)

3. PRAY FOR HELP in overcoming the temptation to have a bad attitude. God hears our prayers and wants us to talk to Him! “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6 (ESV)

Have a servant’s heart attitude in any ministry! The goal of the body of Christ (the church) is to work together as a unified group to glorify Him!! Jump head first into the service God has called you to do!! He’s got your back!! Be an example!!

[cjworshiptime]

Tip #1: Just Be Humble

Secular Definition of Humility: modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance, rank, etc.

Biblical Definition of Humility: an attitude of lowliness and obedience, grounded in the recognition of one’s status before God as his creatures

Paul talks about humility being one of the aspects of a body of believers (a church) that helps to maintain unity. He says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV) 

One of the hardest things to do sometimes is to be humble. When you become “elevated” to the status of worship leader how do act when you are thanked or not thanked for your service and how do act towards those who are not serving in that capacity? The answer should be simple right? Most of the time probably not. Quite frankly, it is extremely difficult if you are trying to be humble according to the biblical definition. 

I have been leading kids in worship for about 10 years. Those years cover a variety of grade levels, types of kids and events. Therefore, sometimes I can tend to take on the “I know better” mentality which literally translated means, PRIDE. Recently, I moved to Arizona and have become increasingly involved in an amazing church with a growing and changing kids ministry. My role as a worship leader has evolved into coordinating the worship rally times for the kids as well as leading in some of the rally times which brings me back to the word humility. 

Paul mentions in the verses above that we should “walk in the manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” So how do you act when someone “steps on your toes” during a ministry in which you are serving your God? I was reminded of this after a situation that came up on a past Sunday. The situation was basically a “I like it better this way but I liked it better that way” conversation. My first reaction, logically, was to be frustrated with the situation and be upset with the person. It was during that conversation I came across the real issue, lack of communication. Nothing like getting a humbling guilt feeling. I left feeling like I had been run over by a truck. Have you been there? 

This cool new journey in my church has brought some pretty awesome brothers and sisters in Christ down my path. One of those sisters in Christ encouraged me to take a step back and look at the whole picture. She reminded me of our purpose to lead the kids in worship of their Great, Holy, Loving God! 

Humility allows us to continue to serve as a unified body of Christ. By not being humble and not taking a step back to look at the whole picture, I was not promoting unity or “walking in the manner worthy” of my calling as a worship leader.

In summary, JUST BE HUMBLE! Our goal in serving in worship ministry is to help those in God’s church glorify Him for everything He has done for us. We are his “creatures” and as such we are to serve Him by “putting off” pride and “putting on” humility. 

I will leave you with these words from Paul:

“But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:20-24 (ESV)