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?
For me worship music hits me right in my soul. It's a good way to communicate with others and with Christ himself. Music in general just screams of a relationship. The singer or musician is trying to relay their message in a way those who are listening will understand. Music is a great form of evangelism. If I am the only playing I believe if I put my heart into it and want to praise God that's considered worship. The more my heart is invested in the music my prayer is that God hears my cries. Music ministry could be for anyone. Pastoring music would be leading the church in one voice of praise to God kinda like a symphony. Lead us brother!
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