Victory through Vulnerability

We love a perfectly executed moment in music, but whether or not we love the musician depends on their vulnerability, not their ability.

This is true for preachers, too. We want them to show us truths we’ve not yet seen, or inspire us to do what we know already. The better they do it, well, the better. We like great preachers, but we love great pastors. The difference is often found in vulnerability.

When I lead from a position of strength and authority, I might feel important, but a negative--perhaps unintentional consequence is that sometimes I make others feel less important.

Vulnerability does the opposite. It makes me feel less important and others feel highly trusted—more important.

In worship leadership there are several ways to do this. Probably way more than these few I’ve learned:

• Tell appropriate stories where God is the hero and I am the one being rescued. (Not where I am the rescuer!)
• Sing songs that affect me emotionally and show the emotion.
• Own up to mistakes and failures. Everyone knows when I blow it. To hide it is to be prideful. To acknowledge it is to be vulnerable.Here’s the surprise. When I “let my hair down,” I lead better. But when I hide my flaws, I fail even more.

This platform behavior has to be consistent with daily living. I say things to my team all the time like:

• “I’m terrible at details. Help me. Ask me questions. When you ask about a detail, you make all of us better.”
• “I am a terrible solo leader. Without a team around me, I would be useless.” 
• “I can’t do much of anything but sing and tell others what to do. I don’t play guitar or piano or…” 

This maximizes my weaknesses and maximizes the contribution of others.

Of course the apostle Paul was right, “I am glad to boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

And C.S. Lewis captured it beautifully: “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken… Wrap [your heart] carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.”

How about you? How do you experience vulnerability when being led? How do you do it in healthy ways when leading?

Lower the Stage; Raise the Seats

In our fallenness we tend to venerate people based on their platform. 

This is so unhealthy. Whether Labron James in the NBA or Tom Brady in the NFL or Scarlett Johansson on the movie screen… we give them authority they haven't earned. In some churches this even happens with preachers and worship leaders.

All of this is in direct contradiction with the teachings of our faith. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. The teaching of James the brother of Jesus is that you are to “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor.”

In Romans 12 we’re told to outdo one another in honor. 

And so in worship ministry, our effectiveness is maximized by "lowering the platform." Doing everything we can to make ourselves appear the way we really are—the same as everyone else. Here are some things we do:

• I ask the folks on our team to greet people before the services. First time I saw this happen in earnest was at Passion City Church. It made a huge impact.
• I sometimes encourage people to scan the crowd from the platform and pray for the needs they see, and even the ones they don’t know about. 
• We don’t call it a stage; we call it a platform. The platform is for truth. The stage is for actors. (This is a general principle; we don’t punch people for calling it a stage!)
• Speaking of the platform, we approach it from the congregation, not the “wings.” The leadership emerges from the congregation; it doesn’t appear from some mysterious place.

There’s a second half to this, though. We want to both lower the platform AND raise the seats.

The role of the congregation must be core to the planning of--and execution of--the experience of worship.

Philippians 2:3 says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”

When those of us on the platform think of those in the seats "as better than ourselves," the whole paradigm shifts. We aren’t trying to impress them with our musicality, but with the reality of Who God is. What Jesus has done. The role of the Spirit in the gathering and in our lives. 

If our goal is to get the souls in the room to sing about Jesus, it reduces nervousness and surpasses pride. A double win!

A handful of practical ways we do this:

• Songs are choses to give voice to the congregation. 
• Keys are picked so the most people can sing, not so the person on stage sounds great.
• Very rarely do we include “presentational pieces” in our services. If we do, the goal is to have someone sing something a congregation can’t or have instrumental music that points people to scripture.
• The loudest voice in the room — both by virtue of instrumentation and audio mix — is that of the congregation.
• Nearly every Sunday there is a moment (or more) of a cappella singing.

Help one another out. Leave a comment. How do you do this? See it done in other places? Let’s build a tribe inspired to serve “so every soul sings."

Incarnational Worship Leading

One of the most amazing things about Christmas, the thing that seems to posture me toward wonder every single year, is that Jesus left the glory of heaven and the certainly of the celestial, to walk in the dust of Palestine and submit himself to the whims of the humans He created.

Theologians call that the Incarnation.

"Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness," Tim Hughes wrote.

Long before Here I Am to Worship came along, one of Jesus' best friends described Him this way: "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood." (John 1:14, The Message)

Perhaps this is the moment you expect me to talk about how the One who left perfection for crucifixion is worthy of our worship. And He is, without a doubt!

Actually, this is where I want to encourage those of us in ministry--volunteer, part-time or full time--to be like Jesus.

Move into the neighborhood.

In some ways that's a very practical thing. For example, if you're just starting your full-time ministry with a church, live where the people live. In my neighborhood there are 6 other church families. I don't have to drive to our community every day, I live in it. 

In other ways it's more strategic. When I started at Woodburn, my Pastor gave me a brilliant directive: take the first six months and do everything you can to learn the people. "Become a sociologist," he said. And after those first months are over, keep doing it.

And as fantastic as that counsel was, I've learned from him how to go one step further.

Don't just learn who you are leading in worship, be one of them. Don't just understand the neighborhood, move into the neighborhood.

Instead of just living among them, do life with them.

Don't just sing stories about Jesus to them, sing the story of Jesus into their story. Over their story. When you're leading a song of hope, look into the eyes of the folks who need hope. 

Quickly, here are 3 ways you can get started:

   1) Before and after you get on the stage, visit with people in the seats. Connect with them. It's more important to be part of the congregation than part of the team on stage.

   2) Find ways to be with people outside of the church building. Be intentional.

   3) Learn and speak the language of your church. Don't talk like an outsider; become an insider.

Bottom line: Be real; be normal. Jesus came to be one of us, so learn to be one of them.

Ruthlessly Eliminate...

When pastor/author John Ortberg asked his mentor, the late Dallas Willard, what the next step of growth was for him, Dallas said, "John, you must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from you life."

Interesting thought, eh?

I've not found a single time in all the New Testament when Jesus hurried.

Maybe it's time we become more like Jesus in that regard too.

Two more thoughts:
1) Hurry is not the same as hustle. Hurry is reckless; hustle is controlled.
2) Hurry is not the same as fast. While Jesus didn't hurry, he did move purposefully and, at times, with immediacy.

If this is ringing true in your spirit, I have a follow up question: shouldn't we ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our worship?

Songs can still be up-tempo.
Segments of the service can still move quickly.
There is a difference between dead time and stillness.

Seems to me that frantic is the enemy of shalom.

Which makes me wonder, what could we do in modern worship to return a greater sense of shalom (the perfect peace found in living at the timing of God) to our gatherings?

For example, I can tell if we don't have any songs with turnarounds, interludes, or a cappella singing in them. All of those things seem to slow time down. And the presence of the Spirit is often most palpable in those very moments.

Bottom line: if Dallas Willard were to visit your church, would he say "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your worship"?

All Puffed Up

I'm an enneagram 3 -- the Achiever or Performer.

I know this because of the underlying motivations that drive me. Some are beautiful and healthy. Others are hideous and sick.

One of the traits that frustrates the daylights out of me is my need to appear impressive. I hate this about myself. God's grace has grown me out of it in some powerful ways. (Which means there's hope for all of us!) But sometimes it still shows up.

I want people to be impressed when I'm around them. I am tempted to name drop, or tell stories that make me look better than I am.

This is hard, confessing this to you. But I'm doing it for a reason.

You see, one of the ways I battle this inward struggle is to remind myself of some principles. I often remind my teams of the same. Maybe they can help you, too:

1) I have to be more concerned with my Savior than my singing;
2) I have to be more impressed with Jesus than I hope to impress others with myself; and
3) I can't try to impress; simply express.

Let's go back to the first -- I have to be more concerned with my Savior than my singing. If you're not a singer, this still applies. Whether you serve in the tech booth, the band, the preschool classroom, or the deacon body... strive to be more concerned with the Giver than the gift. Always.

And the second -- I have to be more impressed with Jesus than I hope to impress others with myself. In other words, my the more consumed I am with Jesus, the less concerned I'll be with me. Make Jesus the focus of your time when you serve, when you wash dishes, or when you hang out with family and friends. Impress people with Jesus.

And finally -- I can't try to impress, simply express. When I'm on stage, or leading a meeting, or sitting with friends, I'm at my best when I don't care if others know I'm at my best. But still, I have a stewardship responsibility to express my faith and my gifts clearly. I can express clearly without trying to impress broadly.

Romans 11:25 says it clearly enough that I should understand it better by now: "I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud (puffed up) about yourselves."

And so this is, perhaps, a tiny facet of pursuing humility.

Willing to comment? Where do you struggle with being puffed up? And perhaps even better, what helps you keep from being puffed up? I'd LOVE to see what works for you!

I don't need to come to rehearsal, right?

I've been at my church for more than six years. That's a pretty long time, according to the average ministry tenure.

And nearly every week -- by now that's about 325 of them -- someone will either ask the question or make the assumption: I don't need to come to rehearsal, right? Every week.

I get it. We're busy people. Conflicts are on the calendar before we accept the invitation to be on the team, and far more often conflicts arise after we've accepted.

Not only that, but some folks -- especially those in the tech booth or on more orchestral instruments -- don't feel like they are core to the rehearsal process. I understand. I play tuba. If there's a rehearsal, I can probably skip it and look over the music on my own. There'd be no discernible difference in the quality of my playing on a Sunday.

But there are lots of reasons to be in rehearsal. More than just the five below, but when chatting with a young member of our team recently these five came to mind.

If you're part of a team in our church or another, I encourage you to consider this list. And if you're the leader of a team, maybe they can help you serve those you lead. I'd sure love to see any reasons you'd add to my quick handful!

1) You get to prepare. For those in the tech booth, this is the only practice you get. A guitar player can practice at home with his instrument. A sound/graphics/lighting/camera operator can only practice when there are people on stage, doing their thing. Back to my example above, I can practice my tuba part, but I can't practice playing with the ensemble. This is a big deal.

2) Everyone else gets to practice with you. Singers/band members get used to the mix from the sound tech, the singers gets used to taking their cues from the screens, the pianist knows where to leave in/take out a part duplicated with the electric guitar lead part, and on and on I could go. You change the dynamics when you're in the room. That affects everyone else--positively!

3) Changes are made in rehearsals, not on Sundays. This can affect anyone in any role, but our context it usually comes to the tech team. We'll change screen content (scripture verses in interludes) and backgrounds, lighting, gain structure on the sound console--which affects in-ear monitors, and even who sings when or what instruments are in or out. In other words, rehearsal isn't just to get what we know to do right, it's to create together what is possible. If you're not with us, our creativity is limited.

4) There's a cascading effect to #3. There are implications for others on the team. So if we change a background for a song, then lighting design is affected. If the vocals are tight and the moment is just right, we might have the band drop out. If the band is struggling in a spot, we might simplify or any number of other solutions. Everyone being together brings clarity and helps us get everything together.

5) There is a communal effort to leading worship. We're a team. The vocalists, instrumentalists, and tech crew are all on one team. We practice together. We pray together. We do life together. It's hard to do things together when one of us is missing.

Of course things come up. Sickness happens. Family obligations change at the last minute. School schedule things at the last minute.

Grace abounds! That's why we lead graciously, because we are the moment-by-moment recipients of grace. But grace without truth is not Biblical grace. I'm simply offering a little perspective that may be missing in your journey.

Oh, one more thing. If you're on the team -- mine or anyone else's -- we WANT you there. We love it when you're with us. We love you. We need you.

Alright... hit me with some comments on what you'd add or why you disagree!

Calendaring by Priority

I've always been pretty attached to my calendar. Back in the day it was a "Week-at-a-Glance" paper product. 

Well, not always actually. There was a time that I tried to remember everything. But one day I totally forgot to meet someone for a lunch meeting. It was important to me, but slipped my mind at the worst time.

And that day I committed, "NO MORE!"

So now I spend time every week, and often 3-4 times a week, simply managing my calendar. While that may sound cumbersome, it actually gives me great freedom. I don't have to try to remember stuff.

I tell my calendar what I want to do, then my calendar tells me what to do. It's wonderful!

Here's a glimpse into my approach. I sure hope it helps you!

I calendar recurring events first — study time, gym time, worship services, weekly rehearsals, staff meetings, etc.

Then I calendar big chunks — vacation, prayer retreats, writing days, long-range planning sessions.

And before I get over-booked, I calendar other family events third — date nights, family day-trips, activities with the kids, etc.

And then--and this is important--I calendar goals. Some of this may have been done already, but I want to make sure I get the work that matters most on my schedule. This is where writing days, prayer retreats, long-range planning etc. help. But I will also create a (very rough) project plan by assigning times on my calendar to work on chunks of my goals.

All done! 

Well, not really of course. Because I don't do JUST the things I want to, feel led to do. I also get requests from others. Meetings, conferences, and fun stuff. So once you have YOUR work on the calendar, then you can accept or decline the requests of others. If I someone asks for a time I have blocked out, then I can see if it is realistic to move what is already showing up to an empty spot (aka margin) to make room for their request. I want to honor their time and request, but I also want to honor the ways I've felt led to work.

In fact, this just happened to me this weekend. I was invited to lead worship for an event that sits squarely in the center of the things I am passionate about. So I looked over my Google calendar for the days before and after, the weeks before and after, and decided that while it would require some sacrifice and effort, it was worth it. 

That's freedom caused by structure and calendar-awareness. 

Now, time doesn't stand still and plans often change. So we have to manage our calendars. Based on the things I've learned through the years, here's what I suggest:

• Prepare your calendar annually.
• Review your calendar weekly.
• Then live out your calling from your calendar daily.

A newer practice a friend suggested to me has a great early returns. I’ve started taking time every other month to do long-range planning. I revisit my calendar from 3-18 months out as part of that exercise. While it’s early in this new discipline, I think it is helping a lot.

This is SO different from the earlier part of my career. And these days, my recent days, are by far my best days. I’m convinced that goal setting and intentional calendaring have a great deal to do with that.

Now don’t be Pharisaical with your calendar, but be strong and courageous. Whether you are in the marketplace or the ministry, God has called you to do stuff. Being intentional helps us do the right stuff.

I'd imagine you, like me, would like to echo the words of Jesus in John 17:4: "I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." Discerning goals and managing time seem the best ways to do that, at least in our day.

Now... share with each other: What calendaring hacks have you discovered that help you?

I Was Stuck

Early in my ministry career, I was driven to do everything all the time. I was stuck in the mindset that everything I thought was something that needed to be done. And everything that someone else thought I needed to do... well that was something I needed to do to.

That was back in the day. You know, in the 90s.

Who am I kidding... I am still that way!

But something has helped me far more than I expected. For the last six years I've been part of a staff team that does goals and shares them with each other. Setting goals has helped me narrow my focus from doing everything all the time to doing the more important things with my best time.

This process has served me in more ways than I can even articulate. Maybe a glimpse into the way I walk through this annual exercise can help you--whether you are in full-time, part-time, or volunteer ministry. They could help in school years, retirement years, or any career.

One more thing you should know: because my pastor is brilliant he gives us great freedom to choose our own goals. He seems to believe that as long as we have alignment as a staff in the big picture, we can set our own priorities in each area of ministry.

Since I think better in structure, I decided to create some for my goal setting. I find it extremely helpful to think in three broad categories:

• Spiritual - To be more like Jesus
• Personal - To act more like Jesus
• Professional (church) - To help people walk with Jesus

Of course the boundaries between these categories are not fixed. The healthiest among us are the most integrated. So the goals I set spiritually affect my personal and professional life. Whether or not I thrive in my professional life impacts my personal and spiritual journey. And so on.

Over the years that (intentionally) first category has included things like:

• Take 4 prayer retreats in a year
• Focus on specific spiritual practices (prayer, confession, journaling, fasting, etc.)
• Read the entire Bible aloud

And some of the things that made the personal list were:

• Lose 50 pounds
• Write 2 articles for publication
• And one of my favorites -- meet with 6 guys a few years ahead of me, asking 3 questions. One of these questions is always about how to be a better husband or father. I've already written about that particular practice. You can read more about it here.

And within the professional realm:

• Create and host a worship conference
• Hold a Worship Ministry Summit with key leaders and a guest clinician
• Create and distribute a worship ministry handbook

It is impossible for me to describe how the growth in all three of those areas of my life in the last 6 years has outpaced the same in any previous season of my life. 

Now to be transparent, I seldom meet all of my goals. In fact, I usually only hit about 70% of them. But 70% of carefully thought through goals has gotten me much farther than 100% of not having goals.

I'm eager to see, what are some things that have helped you with goal setting?

How to Worship When Worship Is Hard (from a very special guest)

By special guest blogger, Tricia Brown

“Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshipping what’s right with God.” -author, Mark Batterson

On Tuesday, September 18, 2018, my twenty-year-old son, Brandon, died. Just two days before, we stood next to each other and sang in worship. Less than a week after, I stood in front of his casket and sang again.

Raising four sons in a Christian home, my husband and I tried to make church a regular part of our lives. Even more, we tried to make worship something that we didn’t just do at church. And while worship is about so much more than music, music often played a part in our worship. We danced to Christian worship songs. VBS and its music were consistent parts of our summers. Veggie Tales music played on our television, and Christian radio played in our car.  

In the days following Brandon’s death, worship was not hard. I didn’t worship because I wanted to worship. I worshipped because I was compelled to worship. It was as if God was pulling me so close that I had no alternative but to bow. So, I did, face down in front of my son’s casket, perhaps more humbly and honestly than ever in my life. 

But, in the days and months after, as I struggled through the fog of grief, as my mind reeled from the reality of it all, as I pulled myself out of the Lord’s embrace and began asking the “whys” and arguing the “what ifs,” worship became harder. Music became a double-edged sword, speaking to my soul, whispering into places that mere words could not penetrate. 

Every song “spoke” to me, and every song hurt, but worship music was especially difficult. Worship is, after all, to give praise to the One who created me, the One who saved me, the One who gave me my son, and the One who allowed him to be taken away. 

Worship during Sunday morning became excruciating. Even now, there are times that my mouth cannot voice the words. There are times that tears flow down my face. There are times when my knees shake, and my heart breaks, and I want to plug my ears and scream. And in those times, the worst times, when I shut my eyes, and my knuckles turn white from holding myself in place, then, I worship with the only thing I can give at that moment—my presence.

Because even in the hurt, even in the battle, even in my darkest, hardest days, I still know that God is God, and I am not, that He is my Creator, my Redeemer, my Savior, the keeper of my Salvation and the keeper of my son. The Bible tells us that if we don’t worship Him, the rocks will.

So, how do I worship when worship hurts? I remember what is right about God instead of what is wrong with me, and like the Nike slogan says, I “just do it,” because God alone is worthy, and God alone deserves my praise.


Tricia K. Brown is an author, teacher, and speaker. For 26 years she has worked as an editor and freelance writer for organizations and individuals including the United Methodist Church, Mailbox magazines, breast cancer specialist Judy C. Kneece, RN, OCN, and psychiatrist and best-selling author, Ari Kiev. Through her business, The Girls Get Together, Tricia shares stories of life, loss, and laughter to encourage women in their walks with the Lord and each other. Connect with her on Facebook or on her website, where you can subscribe to her free weekly newsletter.

Listen!

When we were kids, I don't remember my mother ever telling us to be quiet or to shut up. She always said--with varying levels of intensity, "Listen!"

I remember driving home from our grandparents house one time. I was probably in 5th grade. Something came on the radio--news mom wanted to hear--and the 2 or 3 or 4 of us in the back of the car were being, well, kids. We were noisy. (This is before the days of DVD players in cars or tablets and phones. Yes, I'm an old dude.)

I have no idea what was so important, but she was insistent: LISTEN! (Probably the 14th time she had to say it.)

I wonder if her word to us kids was a shadow of what God is is calling all of His kids to do.

LISTEN!

Listen, first, to our Heavenly Father. He has so much to say, all which is better than anything we could hear from someone else. Anyone else.
     Listen to Him by reading the scriptures with an open ear. (He who has ears to hear, let him hear...)
     Listen to Him by the promptings in your mind and heart. If you sense you should do something godly, there's a good chance God gave you that sense. Make the phone call. Send the text. Stop and help.
     Listen to Him by listening to those in your faith community. If you hear something that you disagree with, spend time understanding better before you respond in any way.

Can I just pause here to say that for most of my life I've been terrible at this? I have a habit of listening to the people I want to, but not to the people I don't agree with.

I'm learning a great deal about this from my pastor (aka boss). I'm not sure the best way for you to learn, but I know there's a book that has served him really well. In fact, he just walked the whole staff through a session he created that was inspired by the book. So check out Thanks for the Feedback.

And maybe you'll hear the Father's voice coming from the front seat...

Listen!

A Tribute to Bob Kinser

What follows is a tribute to my brother-in-law, Bob Kinser. Pictured here with his dad and me, Bob died tragically on Monday, September 9, 2019. It is also a tribute to Jesus. My hope in posting it here is that it will be a way to remember my friend Bob. My prayer is that these words might open up our eyes to the way Jesus sees us. Regardless of when you read, would you pause at the end and pray for my wife Jackie, who just had to bury her brother, and their father, Melvin, who has lost his only son? Thank you.

Jesus would have loved hanging out with Bob.

Maybe better said, Jesus loved hanging out with Bob. 

Seriously.

Jesus loved to have fun, and no one had fun—that I know, anyway—like Bob Kinser. Jesus laughed a lot. He was fun to be around. And Jesus loved to be around people who were fun to be around.

One of the biographers of His life described it this way:

The Son of Man [that’s just a nickname for Jesus]… The Son of Man feasts and drinks and you say, “He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of…” let’s just say Jesus was a friend of the people that self-righteous people didn’t like.

Jesus loved hanging out with Bob.

How do I know Jesus was fun to be around? Because of the way he LOVED kids! Just like Bob. Have you ever known anyone who loved kids as much as Bob did?

You may have heard this story from one of Jesus’ first followers, a doctor named Luke:

Some people brought their little children for Jesus to bless. But when his disciples saw them doing this, they told the people to stop bothering him. So Jesus called the children over to him and said, “Let the children come to me! Don’t try to stop them. People who are like these children belong to God’s kingdom. You will never get into God’s kingdom unless you enter it like a child!”

You know another reason Jesus loved hanging out with Bob?

Because Bob LOVED animals. Oh, those dogs. From Butch when he was a kid to the, what was it—like 17 dogs living with him when he died? Bob loved dogs. Not justdogs, but especiallydogs.

I can imagine Jesus being out on the boat with Bob when he would take Pete, the Labrador Retriever who loved to swim, out on the river in Petersburg. The wind blowing in Jesus’ long hair and Bob’s… well, mostly bald head. And Bob loving his dog and Jesus thinking, “I remember when Dad and I thought up how much Labs would love water.” Imagine, Jesus watching Bob, made in the image of God, loving an animal made by the imagination of God.

But Jesus also loved hanging out with Bob because Bob HATED injustice. Some of you… okay, most of you could tell a story or two about when Bob would lose his ever-loving mind over some act of injustice. Someone didn’t get treated right at work, or in a restaurant, or anywhere… and Bob would be furious. Not at the person as much as the injustice. (Though sometimes it was hard to tell the difference.) Jesus is a fan of justice too.

In fact, one of my favorite Bible verses was written by one of Jesus’ original disciples. It says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and He will give you everything you need.”

One more. Jesus loved hanging out with Bob because Bob loved to help people. All people. Didn’t matter about skin color, income level, education, or age. He loved helping kids, teenagers, and adults of every age. Bob had the heart — the giant heart — of a servant. And Jesus is a fan of servants. 

You may know this, but Jesus said of himself that even Hedidn’t come to be served but to serve. And to give His life as a ransom for many.

It’s that last line I want to finish up with.

Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many.

You know... ransom. The money paid to set a prisoner free.

For anyone who feels like — or believes themself to be — a prisoner to guilt, shame, addiction, hopelessness, or anything else, I want to tell you some good news. Jesus died a criminal’s death so you could live a free person’s life. He gave His life as a ransom for your freedom.

Sure Jesus loved to hang out with Bob. We all did. But Jesus loved Bob more than that. He loved him so much that He came to earth as a helpless baby, grew up in the dusty streets of Palestine, wandered around the Middle East as a homeless preacher, and then was killed by religious leaders who couldn’t see that God was walking among them.

Friends, I would hate for you to miss what they missed. Jesus is here. He’s hanging out with us, too. He loves you, too. And if you’ve never thought about the idea that Jesus loves you and loves to be with you, maybe before you leave Bob’s story behind, it’s time to talk with someone.

As one of my favorite Bible teachers says, “Jesus makes life better, and He makes you better at life.” If you’re looking for a way to make life better and ways to be better at life, following the teachings of Jesus is the best way I know how.

Worship Pastor -- a Good Job Title?

About a decade ago, while looking for a church to serve in the ministry of music/worship, I had an interview with a prospective committee. It was a great interview. God moved in the middle of it. We laughed, and we cried, and we talked for a long time.

One of the questions they asked was especially interesting to me.

"What's the difference between a Minister of Music and a Worship Pastor?"

I've thought of that conversation dozens of times. While the difference could be under-stated or over-stated, I'd like to take a quick minutes to talk about why I think of myself as a worship pastor--and hope that those of you in similar positions, regardless of your official title, might do the same.

Why?

As a worship pastor, I find that the more I pastor people between Sundays, the better I can pastor people on Sundays.

By pastoring people, I mean caring for them. Checking in. Spending time outside of rehearsals and services. Shepherding their souls. I love getting to do this.

And how do I pastor people on Sundays?

I think of it in three ways:
   Pastoring people on the stage;
   Pastoring moments from the stage;
   Pastoring people from the stage.

While I certainly have a role to play as a worship leader for all of the people in the room, my primary "flock" is the folks I share the stage with--band, vocals, choir, and those in the tech booth. For those closest to me, I must pray. I seek to know what's happening in their lives. While I'm not their pastor, for many of these folks I'm more of a pastor to them than our senior pastor is. What a beautiful burden!

Also, while I guide the congregation through a worship gathering, there are likely to be a few moments. High praise, joy. Tender worship, intimacy. Transitions in need of a guide. These moments are like fences, brooks, and verdant pastures a shepherd would walk his sheep through. Those moments need pastoring.

And then, as second fiddle to the preacher for sure, I want to pastor the people in the room from the stage. To love them with song selection, and textual expression. To catch the eye of a struggler in the lyric of comfort.  To smile a look of hope to the man struggling to hold his marriage together. This is a beautiful part of my job. I delight to pastor the people from the stage. This horizontal dynamic in worship is priceless.

How about you? If you are the lead pastoral musician in your church, how else do you think of your worship leader as a pastor? If you are among those being led in worship, how do you experience this sort of pastoring?

Needy Much?

I'll start with a confession: I walk into too many rooms needy. Needy of affirmation, or on my unhealthier days, admiration. I'm sorry. It's just true.

I walk into too few rooms needed. Not because of what I have to offer but because of Who I have to offer, Christ in me. (see Colossians 1:27)

This happens when I’m with my peers, my team at work, and my family. On my worst days, even in the meetings and rehearsals I’m charged with leading. 

Please don’t hear me say there aren’t times we stand in need of community—the balm of Godly relationships. Of course those times come. And only our arrogance keeps us from surrendering our needs to those who can meet them. 

I am saying that when we start each week with worship and each day with the Word of life, Jesus through the Scriptures, we will more often be a source of life than a sucker of it.

You may have skipped over those words, reading on auto-pilot. Slow down with me for a moment.

When we start each week with worship—not church attendance, singing, and note taking during sermons. I mean worship: entering the presence of the King of the universe. Sitting at the feet of the Savior. Sensing the power of the Holy Spirit. Caught up in the wonder of the One Who created you, redeemed you, and sustains you. Worship.

And I mean: being with Jesus through the Bible. Not just reading to out of duty, but reading with an awareness that the Author is sitting with you ready to show you things you’ve never seen before. That He may remind you of things you need to have in your consciousness. 

Oh, and when you pray--not because you're supposed to, but because you get to sit with the One who knows the future you're uncertain of, who loves you more than those you love the most, and who wants to hear your heart.

Then our needs get met and we can focus on meeting the needs of others.

Time for me to go "practice what I preach."

Stop Pleasing People, for God's Sake

I’m a worship pastor. In my job, it is impossible to please everyone.

If you regularly lead worship, you are aware of the long list of possible complaints:

Too loud

Too soft

Too new

Too old

Too many people on stage

Not using enough people on stage

Too much lighting

Not enough lighting

I could go on, but you get the idea. I am not complaining; in fact, I’m grateful that apathy is rare in conversations about worship gatherings. Passion is hard to stir up. There’s a lot of passion about what we do in worship ministry.

This dynamic offers a massive temptation: to make decisions that displease the most people. It cuts down on the complaints. It makes for better personnel committee meetings. It just makes life easier.

So why not focus on pleasing people?

Because it’s not enough. Not nearly enough.

“Don’t just pretend to love other. Really love them.” (Romans 12:9)

Pleasing is pretending to love.

If it’s too loud, love the person who offers that complaint by considering them. Listen to them. Honor them.

If it’s too soft, love the person who offers that complaint by considering them. Listen to them. Honor them.

And then make the best decision you can about the volume level in your worship space.

Some will be pleased and some will be displeased, but all will be loved.

That’s the better path.

With that in mind, savor some of Romans 12…

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them.

Singer Stamped

I'm a fan of Ravi Zacharias, the Christian apologist. I've read some of his books. I've poked around his website. And mostly, I've listened to dozens and dozens of his podcasts.

One of my favorite Ravi-isms... his observation about Jesus and taxes.

What?

Well, sort of. You remember the story? It appears in the synoptic gospels. Matthew 22:15-22, for example. The Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus, so they ask him about taxes. He asks for a coin, reminding them whose image is stamped on it. "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God," he says.

Then comes Ravi's brilliance. He says something like, the Pharisees missed an opportunity to ask a follow up question, "What belongs to God?"

Jesus might have said, "Whose image is stamped on you?"

Sisters and brothers, whose image is stamped on you?

"Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us." Genesis 1:26

The image of God, of Jesus, of the Spirit, is on you. Stamped on you. Imprinted on you.

Astounding.

Understanding Who God is and what God does takes on a whole new dimension, doesn't it? Who God is has been stamped on you. What God does has been imprinted on you.

In Zephaniah 3 we experience God as a singer. You've been made in the image of a singer. Not only is God singing over you, God's image is expressed when you sing over someone else.

So sing! With all you are, sing! Sing lullabies to little ones. Sing praises to the holy One. Sing love songs to your beloved one. Sing when you're by yourself, sing when you're with friends, and please, sing when you worship.

Sing to the One who is singing over you. Sing of the One who knit you together--as a singer.

It doesn't matter if you sound good when you sing; it does matter that you do what God made you to do. Life is better when we live it the way God created us to live.

So sing like God made you for it. He did!

So Every Soul Sings

This content is the framework for my first podcast episode, coming next month, hosted by my dear friend and gifted worship leader Bethany Pedigo. I'm excited to share the "bones" here, and really hope you'll hear it fleshed out when the podcast (So Every Soul Sings) debuts in September!

Why do I do the things I do? Why do those of us in worship ministry do what we do? 

So every soul sings.

1. So— Whenever we are reading, listening to a podcast, hearing a sermon in church, having a conversation with a friend, I believe we’re alike in that there comes a time when we say, “So what?” This is my so what: So every soul sings. It penetrates every part of my life, and I want it to be infused into every part of my ministry. Why do we do it that way? So that… every soul sings.
2. Every— Young and old, really young and really old, rich and poor, dark skinned and light skinned, male and female, long-timers and first-timers, singers and non-singers, and—this is essential—those who are not yet walking with Jesus.
3. Soul— Voices sing; souls worship (The old hymn... “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee.” And Matt Redman's classic worship song... “Bless the Lord, O My Soul")
4. Sings— Sometimes our voices can’t sing; a flute player or trumpeter who has a mouthpiece in the way, or someone who has been embarrassed about their singing voice, or someone who is overcome with emotion or is buried in grief. But when your voice can’t sing, your soul still can.

The ancient song writer got it first: “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)

These 4 little words (So Every Soul Sings) affect everything: song selection, key choice, instrumentation, screen backgrounds, amount and color of light, loudness of the sound system.

It isn't so those on the platform sing, or those in the crowd are impressed with our musicianship and talent. We do worship ministry so every soul sings.

If you'd like to get a heads up when the podcast launches, email me at RodEEllis@gmail.com. I'll send you a dozen original devotionals based on song lyrics and scripture!

Are You Abandoning a Tribe?

In the business world, it seems tribes are all the rage. I just finished reading the book Tribes by Seth Godin. In the church space, I've read Tribal Church by Steve Stroope. When I talked with a publisher about a book idea, he encouraged me to build a tribe.

Tribes are not a new idea. You may recall reading throughout the Old Testament that there were twelve tribes of Israel.

Consider the worship war between the prophet of God and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:30-32, "Elijah called to the people, 'Come over here!' They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons."

I'm concerned that many of our churches have shattered altars, figuratively speaking, and they need to be rebuilt in a way that all tribes can worship as one people.

This is no small or simple task. And because the tribes are always growing and changing, it's a bit like nailing Jello to a tree. Those of us privileged to serve in intergenerational churches can never stop looking for, and listening for, the tribes in our churches.

Just last week, one of our retirement age folks sent me a gracious email that I wanted to listen to. They'd been hearing that I wasn't choosing songs that include her tribe. In my gracious response, I mentioned that we virtually always include songs from "the hymnal" but also confessed that if people don't feel like I am, I've failed them. (I was grateful that I'd already chosen a rather traditional setting of one of my favorite hymns, "It Is Well with My Soul" for the next Sunday!)

At the same time, I need to listen to the tribe of students on another part of the spectrum. And the parents who listen to Christian radio. And those on staff with me, especially my pastor. And the list goes on.

By the way, just to make it a little more complex, not all tribes are age-oriented. Some have to do more with musical taste--pop, rock, classical, etc. Some are new believers and others long time Christ-followers. Some has to do with ethnic upbringing, or cultural context.  The deeper you dive, the more you can discover: examine the extroverts and introverts in your worship gathering, learn about Enneagram types, etc.

Be assured: this is about more than musical style, but it is not about less than that.

Let me pass along the counsel of my pastor when I first came to Woodburn -- become a sociologist and study this church and this community. And then serve them well.

So as you plan, as you lead, and as you encourage those who do, let me offer three quick action ideas:
1) Pray for unity. Just putting the stones on the altar won't bring people together. That's the work of the Spirit.
2) Plan for unity. Even though we are utterly dependent on the Spirit to provide unity, the Spirit calls us to action. Like Elijah did, gather the rocks. Assemble the people. Call them--all of them--to worship.
3) Lead for unity. Make choices that unite the tribes in your church. Find new ways to sing old songs (Wherever He Leads I'll Go by Travis Cottrell has been powerful for us) and old sounds with new songs. (All My Hope by David Crowder comes to mind.)

And if you're not the person in charge, may I implore you... help those who are. Fight for unity. (Ephesians 4:4) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. (Romans 12:9)

Let's move from scattered tribes to a unified people.

Leading Worship as Evangelists, Part 3

Again, I love what I do. Standing on the platform and watching people connect with Jesus is a staggering privilege.

Yet I wish I'd been gifted to be an evangelist. Which means I often ask myself, how can a worship leader be an evangelist?

If you share my struggle, here are the 10 things I’ve been trying to do for a while now:

1. I work hard to connect with people in my community who may not be connected to Jesus or His church.
2. I step into non-musical roles when invited and emphasize personal evangelism.
3. I regularly encourage worshipers to invite family, friends, and neighbors to join them.
4. I diligently pursue a worship gathering that is high quality; excellence often translates into credibility.
5. I choose songs that sound more like what is on the Top 40 radio station than my grandparents’ 1940's radio.
6. I use language that isn’t crafted for insiders, but makes what I’m talking about available to everyone.
7. I have pushed hard for our worship gatherings to be streamed on Facebook Live.
8. I teach those our worship ministry about the role of worship in evangelism.
9. I plan services where we sing the gospel.
10. I pray.

I’ve covered the first 6 in my previous posts. Today, 7-10.

Streaming Worship Gatherings— My pastor is simply an amazing communicator. I’ve been privileged to work alongside several strong preachers, but Tim Harris is a unicorn among horses. He has a spectacular gifting. Three and four years ago we did some work on the analytics of his sermon views on Vimeo and I knew we had something unusual going on. There were people watching in dozens of countries and his sermons were being viewed thousands of times every year…from an agricultural community with a population of about 350. When Facebook Live came along, we got to work upgrading our lighting and video to improve our ability to send a “good product” to the online world. There are now about 8 billion people in the world and 1/4 of them are on Facebook. In the US, 75% of us use it. This was a game changer. On a typical Sunday, we’ll have 600-700 people attend one of our services. But we’ll have over 1,000 watch online. The evangelistic potential for this ministry is virtually unlimited.

Deploying Worship Ministry Members— I work consistently to encourage those in the worship ministry to be on the lookout for people they can invite to church, and to Jesus. Specifically I’m thinking a bass guitar player probably knows another bass player who doesn’t attend church right now. Same for drummers, singers, etc. So I regularly ask folks in the ministry to invite folks to the ministry and the church. It’s why we have a church orchestra ever 4-6 weeks, to engage the gifted in our church family and to invite high school and college friends who play. It’s why we have an annual “Faith and Art” Sunday, where we reach out to our local university. If our worship warriors are also on the front lines of inviting people, it’s a win for everyone—especially those who come to faith or come home to Jesus.

Sing the Gospel— Every Sunday I plan services so we sing the gospel. My thinking… if lightning strikes the steeple 25 minutes into the service and we don’t get to hear a sermon, everyone in the room should have already seen and sung the good news of Jesus. This affects song choice in the week-to-week as well as in the bigger picture. 

Pray— I pray for my friends who are disconnected from Jesus and His church. When we do prayer time in rehearsals, or when I get to lead prayer time for our church, I invite people to share the first names of their lost friends and family members. I write a prayer guide for people to use as they pray during services. Part of that includes praying for the lost. I encourage this kind of thinking in conversations with those outside the worship ministry—staff, deacons, etc. 

Having written about all ten as if I’m some sort of high-functioning worship evangelist, I find myself compelled to confess that I need to step it up. In some of these areas I’ve grown lazy or unfocused. In others, I see ways I can grow. I’m no expert. I’m just a fellow traveler trying to be faithful to the calling of God on my life and ministry.

Again, I have no doubt that many of you are better at this than I will ever be. I’d love to read your comments. How do those of you who lead worship (point person or team member) get to exercise your passion for reaching those far from God?