Author: Jamie Brown

The Four-Legged Stool of Discernment

Learning how to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit during a time of corporate worship can be challenging. It’s a bit like learning to walk. You start out a bit wobbly, and even after you’ve “gotten it”, you still trip over yourself from time to time.

To lead worship in a Spirit-led way simply means to lead in submission to the sovereign will of God at every turn, as much as we know how. Our planning is good and necessary, but God’s plan is better. And as much as we seek to be led by the Spirit in our planning, we still can’t be arrogant enough to know in advance exactly how God is going to move. Only he does. And so when the service begins we offer our planning up to him and ask him to bless and use it – but also to guide us and lead us by his Spirit to follow his sovereign will.

And this can be hard. So much goes into a service, and so much is going on during a service, that there are all sorts of pressures and competing voices in our head that make it hard to know the Holy Spirit’s leading. He doesn’t usually announce his promptings on a billboard or with a bullhorn. So we doubt whether what we’re hearing is the Holy Spirit or our own preferences. We stick with safety. We wonder what could have been. Or we go the opposite way and follow every whim that comes into our head and we lose all sense of order.  How does a worship leader discern the direction of the Holy Spirit during a service? I like to think of it as four-legged stool.

1. What does God’s word have to say?
No matter how strong the urge, how great the song, how many people agree, or how cool an idea, the Holy Spirit won’t lead you to do something that conflicts with the infallible word of God that he inspired. God’s word is authoritative and can be trusted to lead you in the right direction.

This is particularly applicable when you feel prompted to say something, or lead people in a spontaneous song, or some other form of verbal expression. If it doesn’t fit with God’s word, then it’s not God’s leading. The lyrics to the songs, the words you say, the expressions and articulations you encourage, and the atmosphere you cultivate must be in conformity with God’s word or else you’re in conflict with the leading of his Spirit.

2. What do you hear?
God gave you ears for a reason. You’ve got to use them when you’re leading worship to discern where the Holy Spirit is leading.

Listen for the sound of unified, enthusiastic singing to provide a confirmation that you’re on the right track. Conversely, listen for the sound of distracted talking, confused melodies, or ho-hum singing to tip you off that the Holy Spirit might be nudging you to adjust your leading.

See, this isn’t all rocket science. The Holy Spirit might not declare his promptings on a billboard, but he’s also not trying to make things difficult for you. Listen. Your ears won’t tell you everything – as sometimes even what you hear can deceive you. But your ears are one very important leg of the stool.

3. What do you see?
Likewise, God has given you eyes. Look at the people you’re leading. Open your eyes. Turn the house lights on. Look around the room. What do you see?

You can’t tell everything from what you see. There will be people who stand there like statues who are actually deeply engaged with God. And there will be people who dance in the aisles and wave their arms around who have no idea what’s going on and whose hearts are far from God.

But you can tell a lot from what you see. If people just aren’t that into it, you might need to move on to the next song. If people are enthusiastically engaged, you might need to linger a bit longer before moving on. You’ll learn to read the room the more time you spend with them, and you’ll often find the Holy Spirit giving you cues based on what’s happening before your very eyes.

4. What do you sense?
When God wants to get my attention during a service, I’ll often sense it in my stomach. I’ll have an uneasy butterflies-in-my-stomach sensation that won’t go away and is an indication that the Holy Spirit is trying to get something across to me. Then I’ll try to focus as clearly as I can on what he might be saying. This comes in the form of a word, a phrase, an idea, a song, etc. It’s different every time.

And God speaks to us all in different ways. For some people it’s more of an intellectual thing. For others, like me, it’s more of a physical sensation. Don’t discount something you’re “sensing” and assume it’s just nerves. Maybe it is – but maybe it isn’t. Chew on it, think on it, and pray on it for a moment. Maybe even add a few empty measures into the song while you listen and discern.

Just seek to be obedient to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. It really is like learning to walk. You’ll get more confident as you go along, and even though you’ll still trip over yourself from time to time, you can move forward again once you’ve gotten your balance.

When People Keep Coming to Church Late

Yesterday I received a very kind email from a worship team member at a church who asked how I would address this situation at their church:

We are trying to address an increasing issue of late arrival. We are a large church with two Sunday morning services and one Sunday evening service.

We start on time and our worship is near the begining of our service. We are finding that the sanctuary is not often filled until 20 minutes after the service starts. The worship time has finished by then.

Addressing tardiness is, in my view, 100% the responsibility of the pastor. He is the shepherd of the flock, and it’s his duty to cultivate sheep who see corporate worship as something that is crucial, and who see God’s greatness and glory in Jesus Christ as being reason enough for our getting to church on time. You should feel free, as a layperson or as a worship leader, to communicate your concern to your pastor, and tell him that you think he needs to address this issue with the congregation. Love, support, and submit to him, but don’t be afraid to tell him what you think. If your congregation is regularly very late to a service, he needs to say something and you’re right to encourage him to do so.

The worship leader should never address tardiness from the platform. I’ve seen worship leaders do this and it always creates a very tense dynamic. It feels like you show up late to someone’s house for dinner, and instead of welcoming you in and being a good host, they berate you for being late. Would you want to eat with that person? Would you even want to take your coat off and go inside? I wouldn’t. I’d rather get back in the car and go home. Same principle applies to latecomers and church. The worship leader has reason to be frustrated, but he has to keep trucking and be as good a host as he can be. Leave it to the pastor to address tardiness.

Some people are late because they’re just really bad at being on time. They’re late to everything: dentist appointments, their own wedding, work, and movies. I don’t know if there’s any hope for these people.

Some are late because of genuine hindrances like traffic, parking problems, getting four kids dressed, in their car seats, and in their Sunday school rooms, or newcomers who don’t really know where they’re going. Churches have a responsibility to think through every possible hindrance, and make their campus, schedule, and signage as conducive to moving a mass of people (and visitors especially) to their destinations with ease. If your church is laid out like a maze, don’t be surprised when tons of people come in late.

But some are late because they want to skip the worship. They don’t want to have to stand there and sing the songs. They’d rather take their time getting to church and get there after the singing is over, and be in time for the sermon. They see the time of singing together as being optional and unimportant. Again, I go back to the pastor. If your pastor agrees with this view, then I don’t think you’ll see a change in your congregation. For example, I know that in many churches the pastor isn’t even in the room during the singing. He shows up 30 minutes later when he appears on stage to preach. This sends a message to the congregation that the singing is something that can be skipped.

But hopefully, your pastor would be grieved by a congregation who sees corporate (sung) worship as being unimportant. The responsibility of changing this culture falls to him, and he’ll need your help and prayers as he seeks to change it.

To this end, I’d encourage you and your pastor to watch and seek to emulate this exhortation from Joshua Harris, the senior pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland, as he seeks to shepherd his sheep to come to church eager, expectant and early.

Title Trivia

How concerned are you with what people call you?

Worship Leader. Worship Pastor. Worship Director. Music Coordinator. Worship and Music Director. Director of Worship and Music and Arts. Lead Worshipper. Assistant Worship Director. Associate Director of Worship and Music. Executive Director of Worship and Associate Director of Music and Assistant Director of Arts.

The list could go on.

I used to be really concerned with my title. It mattered to me – a lot – what it said on the bottom of my email signature. I felt more important when I was promoted from a part time worship leader to a “coordinator of contemporary music”. Then a couple years later I felt slighted when the title “associate” was given to someone else who I didn’t think deserved it.

What a stupid thing to be concerned about.

One day I was brushing my teeth and God spoke these words to me (by the way, God often speaks to me when I’m brushing my teeth. Don’t ask me why): “Would you be just as faithful in your ministry if your title was ‘custodian’?” I was convicted. I had to honestly answer him, no. But I wanted to be. I wanted to be just as passionate about my job regardless of whether or not my title is grandiose. Then God spoke these words of assurance to me: “Jamie, my name for you never changes”.

Wow. Here I was, a just-out-of-college part-time worship leader, and the sovereign God of all creation is calling me out on my petty and prideful obsession over what title goes on my business card.

If the Apostle Paul had an email signature, his title might read “Paul. Chief of Sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15). Or maybe “Paul. Servant of Christ.” (Romans 1:1). His identity was completely wrapped up in his position in Christ. Sadly, too often our identity as worship leaders is more wrapped up in our position on a staff chart.

To help keep me from getting too carried away about my title, I’ve purposely started referring to myself as “one of the music guys”. Sometimes I’ll say “I lead some of the music at my church”. I don’t have my title on my email signature. I don’t have business cards. I try to do everything I can not to get wrapped up in whatever title is given to me by the church.

Sure, titles matter. They signify what role your church has designated and authorized you to fill. They back you up. They help on a resume’. They tell people what you do and what you don’t do.

But they just don’t matter that much. First, they certainly don’t matter to God. Secondly, they don’t matter to your congregation. I bet 99% of the people in your congregation don’t know and don’t care what your title is. Third, they don’t matter to you. God calls and equips you, then he sovereignty places you in the exact place he wants to you serve for his glory. That’s what matters.

Don’t concern yourself with what people call you. Concern yourself with who has called you. The High King of Heaven has called you. Serve him, work for his glory, and let your titles come and go as they may.

Oops

A few Saturdays ago we began our Saturday service with the Stuart Townend/Keith Getty song “Creation Sings the Father’s Song”. If you don’t know this one you can read a post I did about it a while ago or just watch the YouTube clip here.

After an opening prayer and bit of liturgy we did a Stuart Townend/Aaron Keyes song based off of Psalm 62 called “My Soul Finds Rest”. It’s a great song. You can see it here.

Both songs are strong, congregational, truth-filled songs.

They also sound a lot alike.

So after the second verse of “My Soul Finds Rest” I was so caught up in the moment that I launched into the chorus of “Creation Sings”.

Oops.

Here’s how it sounded in all of its splendor.

OK, so a few lessons learned:

1. Don’t do two songs back-to-back, even if there is a pause between them, that sound exactly the same. And are in the same key. And have the same time signature. And both have three verses and a chorus. And both choruses have similar lyrics.

2. If you happen to mess up royally like this, there’s no way to hide it. Just keep trucking, laugh, and correct yourself.

3. Definitely don’t post the recording of this royal mess up on the internet.

But I just couldn’t resist letting you hear this moment of loveliness.

We changed one of the songs the next morning. That’s lesson #4: rehearsals and run-throughs (our Saturday service is always a good “run-through” for us) are always a good idea.