Get Out of the Green Room

I watched a fantastic video via The Verge Network this morning.  It was a talk surrounding the fact, yes FACT, that worship leaders need to get off their butts, get out of the green room, and go connect with people!  I'm wrapping myself in here as well because I have absolutely been one of those leaders who goes and does his thing, and then gets a coffee, plops down on the couch and proceeds to "listen" to the sermon via the web stream.

Jesse Stone, of Austin Stone Worship, lays this out so perfectly and it fires me up!  Do you realize that you have an incredible platform?  You have the opportunity as a worship leader to connect with, love on, lift up, encourage, teach, and so many other things, the people in the congregation you serve.  Listen to the word I just used one more time... "Serve".

I'll be the first to admit that I used to use my platform as a spotlight for my gifts.  I was in college, playing professionally all over the Seattle area and saw it as an opportunity to do more music.  I was squandering the abilities God gave me and was incredibly fortunate to have leaders over me who recognized the potential in me and took time out of their own lives to mentor and teach. 

The bottom line here is this,
the green room is not a lounge, it's a place a preparation and prayer.  Use it as that, and then get out so you can connect with the amazing people around you!  Pray with them, encourage them.  Maybe God has a mentor opportunity just waiting for you.

Watch Jesse Stone's video via The Verge Network here! I loved it and I think you will too.

Their Emotional Response: A Worship Leader's Idol

We are emotional beings.  God created us that way because emotions are powerful and can launch us in to action.  But, worship leaders, did you know that an emotional response from your church does not equal success?

I have worshipped in many different settings with various types of congregations.  Some have been seemingly excited and passionate in their worship, but then turned out to be dried up and only emoting a response from the song they were singing at the time, or acting as the worship leader directed.  I've been with congregations that seemed dry and uninterested in participating in worship but then ended up having an incredible touch from God because they were invested in what was happening.  The difference?  One is only skin deep while the other was all in, emotions and heart.

Right now is a very busy season for my family and I.  We've been in the midst of moving and I'm working at World Vision full time, teaching voice lessons, and leading worship for a youth group near here every Wednesday.  So yeah, its a little cray cray to say the least.  The youth group I am leading for right now is awesome and I have genuinely fallen in love with these kids.  I must admit though, when I first arrived and was asked to step in and start helping I got a bit frustrated with them.  I couldn't get them to respond to anything, and then I remembered something... "I" am not responsible for their response.  Once I readjusted my focus, realizing that all I need to worry about is worshiping God with MY heart, a shade was pulled back and I saw something happen.  I started to see these kids for who they are and who God designed them to be.  This charged my batteries and all I had to do was sit back and watch as the Holy Spirit began reaching in to start transformation.  Hearts were, and are, being struck by the incredible love and presence of God!

There is a shell that is being chipped away here and I cant accurately measure that with emotional response.  I believe this is the same for every church service really.  We cannot continue to see success as just another excited shout, hand clap, or raised hand, though they may manifest themselves in those ways.  Our success is in our worship of the Lord.  We succeed when our heart is fully invested in worshiping Him.

1 Chronicles 16 tells us to sing our praises to the Lord daily, proclaiming His deeds among all people.  It also says that "all the gods of the nations are idols".  I think we can label that success meter as an idol in our lives.  We can become so absorbed with squeezing that response from the people in front of us that we lose sight of the true reason we're there.

We are worship leaders, and so our responsibility is to lead with our worship.
I want to suggest you pick up a book called "The Invisible Worshiper", by David Binion.  The book dives in to the meat of this concept and is, in truth, where I pulled the idea.

What do you guys think?  Share some of your thoughts on this subject in the comments section!