What’s My Perception?

I asked my worship leader friend what his job was. He replied something like, “I just have to make sure there’s worship when we need it.”

Perception is powerful. Your perception has such a strong effect on you that we, as coaches, often say that it’s reality. You might be accurate or way off in your perception, but whatever it is, you believe it’s real.

How would you answer what your job is? 

• “Make sure there’s worship when we need it.”

• “Make sure there’s (fill-in-the-blank kind/style/potency/quality/biblical/etc.) worship when we need it.”

• “Make worshipers.”

Take a sec and answer it for yourself. As a worship leader, what’s my job, in its core and scope?

Think well about this because you will create the precise reality that you perceive. If you see yourself as a scheduler, that’s what you’ll do. If you’re an event leader, you’ll do that. If you’re a discipler and equipper, you’ll do that.

If all you need is to staff events, there’s no need to develop musicians. If all you do is front the band every week, there’s no need to develop leaders.

But if all you do is disciple worshipers (on and off the team), you’ll create all sorts of opportunities to invest in them and give them confidence. You’ll require a much deeper commitment from the team and congregation because you have a charge to support them in their journey to grow as worshipers. You’ll push for a culture of deep, biblical worship and do whatever it takes to get your church there. You’ll lead with preparation, conviction, love, and passion every time you get the chance. You’ll work your tail off to hone your craft. You’ll realize everything is at stake.

I think you tell without even reading between the lines which job I think you have. :)
In case your fire has died down, let me blow on your embers.

That energy you give week in and week out can’t be just on “getting Sunday done,” or you will fizzle. Burnout happens because your vision is dull, because you feel like a cog in a wheel, because you’ve been buried under expectations, disappointments, and...life.

Let’s rediscover the fullness of what the LORD has called us to as worship leaders. Let’s steward the flame on the altar, protect the deep well of worship. Let’s take seriously the charge to disciple and develop those given to our care and training.

Let’s ask the Maker to reshape and redefine our perspective on what our job as worship leaders is. And then let’s launch into it with the strength that He’s responsible to provide us in our weakness.

Love y’all!

-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)

What’s My Perception? (Nº 277)