One of the terms that is very rarely used anymore to describe my role in ministry is song leader. Maybe it's not used much anymore because it smells of hymn books and church pews but the more and more I wrestle with what I do, the more comfortable I am with that term.
When I think of the title "Song Leader" I think of my grandfather, Papa (pronounced PawPaw). Papa was the song leader in his church. He would get up every Sunday and lead the congregation; singing songs out of the hymnal. He had a good voice but not a great voice. He didn't play an instrument but was able to rely on the church pianist (or maybe organist..I don't remember) to accompany his singing. Papa wasn't on the church staff but was there at the church almost as much as the Pastor simply because he loved serving. Papa didn't have a seminary education (his education experience only went as far as fifth grade because he was forced to work in a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp to help feed his family) but he offered what gifts he had to serve the church.
I think what Papa did is the purest expression of what a worship leader/pastor is...a song leader. Papa was on the stage to facilitate worship but the congregation knew that the act of worship through singing was their responsibility (maybe that is one of the great aspects of a hymn book. By it's physical presence in each row, there is an implication that each person is obliged to carry out their act of worship through song). There was not a choir or a praise team to worship on behalf of the congregation, that responsibility was the church's and the song leader was just there to keep everything moving and encourage the people on those mornings where it was just hard to sing.
At my church, we utilize a choir and a praise team and a full band and all of the technical bells and whistles that many churches are utilizing these day so I am not speaking judgementally towards the "megachurch" worship style (whatever that is) because we are one. In fact, when used properly, all of those things greatly facilitate an environment that is conducive to worship. But I also see a very subtle mindset that can slip in where those of us who are in the worship ministry (which technically, the congregation is the worship ministry..thanks Jeremiah Halstead for that) begin to think that we are the modern day Levites who worship on behalf of the congregation even though the New Testament clearly tells us that we are a priesthood of believers and we all have the responsibility of worshipping and ministering to our God.
In a culture where song leaders have become worship leaders who have become 'worship artists', I think we can travel a great distance from the purest form of worship facilitation.
I think the question that nags me most is "do I have a place for someone like Papa (in his Polyester suit and coke bottle bottom thick glasses) in my worship ministry?" or would I require him to wear skinny jeans and an unnecessary neck scarf (thanks to http://www.stuffchristianslike.net/ for that imagery) to fit into the worship culture at my church...
When I think of the title "Song Leader" I think of my grandfather, Papa (pronounced PawPaw). Papa was the song leader in his church. He would get up every Sunday and lead the congregation; singing songs out of the hymnal. He had a good voice but not a great voice. He didn't play an instrument but was able to rely on the church pianist (or maybe organist..I don't remember) to accompany his singing. Papa wasn't on the church staff but was there at the church almost as much as the Pastor simply because he loved serving. Papa didn't have a seminary education (his education experience only went as far as fifth grade because he was forced to work in a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp to help feed his family) but he offered what gifts he had to serve the church.
I think what Papa did is the purest expression of what a worship leader/pastor is...a song leader. Papa was on the stage to facilitate worship but the congregation knew that the act of worship through singing was their responsibility (maybe that is one of the great aspects of a hymn book. By it's physical presence in each row, there is an implication that each person is obliged to carry out their act of worship through song). There was not a choir or a praise team to worship on behalf of the congregation, that responsibility was the church's and the song leader was just there to keep everything moving and encourage the people on those mornings where it was just hard to sing.
At my church, we utilize a choir and a praise team and a full band and all of the technical bells and whistles that many churches are utilizing these day so I am not speaking judgementally towards the "megachurch" worship style (whatever that is) because we are one. In fact, when used properly, all of those things greatly facilitate an environment that is conducive to worship. But I also see a very subtle mindset that can slip in where those of us who are in the worship ministry (which technically, the congregation is the worship ministry..thanks Jeremiah Halstead for that) begin to think that we are the modern day Levites who worship on behalf of the congregation even though the New Testament clearly tells us that we are a priesthood of believers and we all have the responsibility of worshipping and ministering to our God.
In a culture where song leaders have become worship leaders who have become 'worship artists', I think we can travel a great distance from the purest form of worship facilitation.
I think the question that nags me most is "do I have a place for someone like Papa (in his Polyester suit and coke bottle bottom thick glasses) in my worship ministry?" or would I require him to wear skinny jeans and an unnecessary neck scarf (thanks to http://www.stuffchristianslike.net/ for that imagery) to fit into the worship culture at my church...
1 comment:
Ben, you are so right about the N.T. confirming us as priests and doing away with a mediator necessary to offer sacrifices or worship for us. If you come up with a way to convince the rest of the church about this, let me know. I'm waiting for the day when people in the congregation realize they far outnumber people on a stage and blast us from the rows with THEIR worship.
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