Journey of a Worshiper

Introduction

I walked out onto the stage and looked at the 200 people gathered in this room. People from different walks of life, from different places, with various experiences, with many reasons, here to do this thing we call church.

I was brand new to this church, and as the new worship pastor, I would quickly become acquainted with this congregation. I would become familiar with the incredible and the disgusting, the good and the bad, the thrilling and the surprising. I would meet people who modeled the Christian life well and those who did not. I would interact with those who had an exceptional ability to show amazing grace and those who had harbored unforgiveness for years. I would lead those who served a living Savior and those who served a dead religion.

In this church, like many others, people were going through some serious issues. One woman was being abused by her husband; another was married to a drug addict. One man was battling cancer, while another man would soon discover that he, too, had cancer. Some families had sons fighting in distant wars, while one teenager was questioning the meaning of his existence. Some were desperate to find a job, struggling with their finances, contemplating suicide, or struggling with self-image. Others were lonely, hurting, depressed, and lost. One man was addicted to porn; another addicted to prescription pills. There were marriages that were failing. Some had children rebelling, while others had parents who were dying. The future held tough blows for many of them: the loss of a parent, a child, a job, a friend, their faith.

Here we were gathered and it was my job to lead these people in worship, to the One who could carry their burdens. I was to lead them in doing one of the most significant activities in which humans can participate: the worship of Almighty God.

I wondered about the congregation’s spiritual readiness. Were they ready for such a high responsibility? Had we all prepared our hearts? Did we come with excitement and the expectation that we would get to meet with God, or was this just another thing to check off our to-do list?

I wondered about the worship team’s spiritual readiness. There I stood with a guitar in my hands. I had a worship band behind me, plenty of singers to cover all the parts, and the media team was ready. We were well prepared, able to play and sing and offer beautiful music to the Lord, but would that translate into worship? Would worship be released, not just with our lips, but also with our lives? Worship is not simply a matter of competence or ability or teamwork (though those things are very important); it’s a matter of the heart.

I wondered about my own spiritual readiness. I was nervous and concerned because this would be my first time leading this church. I was nervous because two previous worship leaders were present that day. I was not sure I had faithfully led my new team well, and I was concerned whether the congregation would even participate in worship. After all, I was the new guy. Would they laugh at the jokes, engage with the stories, listen to the Scripture, participate in the singing, and experience the holy moments? Would they commit, for the first time or for the thousandth time, to follow Jesus, no matter what? Would they accept and embrace my leadership? Would they even accept me?

There were those present who disliked new songs, those who disliked the old songs, and those who disliked all songs.

There were those present who preferred more traditional services, and those who craved spontaneous and contemporary services.

There were those present who allowed their preferences to dictate whether or not they worshiped God, and those who knew better.

There were those present who wanted more guitar, more organ, more piano, more four-part harmony, more of what their last church offered, more of what the church on TV offered, or more of something else.

There were those present who had never offered up praise to God, and those who were expressive in their praise.

There were those present who were excited, bored, curious, hardened, alive, dead, cynical, and optimistic.

And it was my job to lead them all in worship. I took a deep breath and looked over at my wife for encouragement. She returned my smile with a beautiful one of her own. “Here we go,” I thought to myself as I stepped up to the microphone. As the first notes rang out, I hoped that what was planned for the service would honor God and be relevant to the congregation. “I desperately need the Lord’s help,” I thought to myself.

That day was nine years ago; the music continues to play, the worship still flows week after week, and along the way, I have learned some lessons in the school of worship and leadership. This book reveals the spiritual journey I have gone through (and continue to go through). Hopefully, it will also reveal the difficult, yet extremely rewarding, job of leading God’s people in worship. Enjoy the journey!