Worshiping as a True Team
- By John Chisum
- Published November 26, 2008
John Chisum
John Chisum is a well known worship leader, conference speaker, recording artist and the founder of Worship4Life and Firm Foundation Ministries. John is a regular contributor to PraiseCharts in the Worship Articles and Resources section. For booking worship concerts, retreats, and Worship4Life Weekends with John Chisum, please contact: Susan Stark 276-236-1085 for scheduling information as well as Worship4Life.org. You can also find John on his new site: doxa360.blogspot.com and doxa360.com
I put together a ladies only praise team this week at my church in
Chicago. We had a great service tonight and I was excited about how
well they worked together. They are all fine singers, but I saw in them
tonight the spark of leadership that can go beyond singing a song.
Singing a song is far removed from authentic worship leading. I have
spent a fair amount of time trying to get them to embrace their
personalities and be free to be who God made them to be. They have
embraced that concept to varying degrees.
It is counter-intuitive to think that the more we use our personalities the more we draw people's attention to God in worship leading, but it is true - God gave us our personalities to use them to attract people through us to Him. If we stand there self-conscious and lacking confidence in ourselves we actually distract people and hinder them from entering into worship because they're wondering if we're going to have a coronary before we finish the song. Think about your favorite artist. They are unique, confident, light years ahead of most of us in their ability to capture the attention and imagination of their audience. Then it is up to them whether or not they direct the praise and glory to God. We must learn to use our God-given personalities, including humor, to capture people's attention and imagination in worship leading and then focus them completely on God's redeeming love.
Shalom. Live. Love. Lead.
It is counter-intuitive to think that the more we use our personalities the more we draw people's attention to God in worship leading, but it is true - God gave us our personalities to use them to attract people through us to Him. If we stand there self-conscious and lacking confidence in ourselves we actually distract people and hinder them from entering into worship because they're wondering if we're going to have a coronary before we finish the song. Think about your favorite artist. They are unique, confident, light years ahead of most of us in their ability to capture the attention and imagination of their audience. Then it is up to them whether or not they direct the praise and glory to God. We must learn to use our God-given personalities, including humor, to capture people's attention and imagination in worship leading and then focus them completely on God's redeeming love.
Shalom. Live. Love. Lead.
