A Worship Leader Learns To Worship
Psalm 96:1-3 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples. I have a confession to make… I don’t really know how to lead worship. Sure, I’m sometimes referred to as a “worship leader”, and once every few Sundays, I stand on stage and “lead worship”. However, in all honesty, making people worship God on Sunday is something that I am powerless to do because I have learnt that worship is not the same as singing. Worship is so much more than that.
Worship is a Response When I started out as a worship leader, I used to feel discouraged when the congregation sometimes seemed unresponsive. I would get irritated or conclude that it was somehow my fault - that if I could just try harder or make the music better, I could somehow encourage them to “really worship”. But then again, even if I could get everyone to behave as I hoped for, could I be sure that that the “ideal worship behaviour” meant that everyone was truly worshipping God?
When Jesus came, He taught us a radical new way to view worship. It is not confined to a “holy” place or time. Instead, it must be “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). With all the trends and our own personal preferences in worship, it is easy to forget who or why we worship. Our deaconess and worship leader, Sharon Ngoo, shares her experience of worship from “the other side”. What has she learnt about worship through its leadership? Let us read her very candid sharing.
I have since learnt a little more about worship. Indeed, singing, clapping and raising our hands at Sunday service is worship, but true worship goes beyond those actions. Romans 12:1 tells us to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to
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