A personal worship philosophy

Hey worship musicians this blog is for you.
You have an awesome responsibility week in and week out to lead worshippers before the Throne of Christ! To prepare the hearts and minds of the worshiper to be open to God’s Word. The message whether it be one week to be encouraged! Another to repent! Another to endure! Another to forgive as He forgives! Another week we are given tools to witness Jesus Christ practically to our neighbors and friends. You are not pre-game warm-up, or filler time until the sermon, therefore do not approach your ministry as an after thought. You are not entertainers either. You lead worshippers, which mean you worship as well. It is an awesome responsibility but Oh what a privilege and an honor! I want to give you four areas to commit yourselves to. The rest of you are not off the hook. Theses principles could easily be applied to you in whatever ministry you are in. You may want to see if your ministry in the church has these attributes!
They are; Servant hood, Faithfulness, Encouragement, and Humility with respect to personal growth.

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul says, “We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

Here we see ministry defined. Whatever God calls us to do in the church; our purpose is to exalt Him through serving others. Servant hood has been defined as “spontaneously seeking to fulfill the needs we see in others”. Certainly one of our greatest needs is to see more of the greatness of God. Musicians serve their congregations by providing skillfully played, well-prepared, sensitively arranged, and wisely chosen music that will enable people to cherish the worth of God. This motivation to serve
Helps keep musicians from pursuing the paths of self- promotion and self-gratification.

Secondly, Faithfulness Along with other deficiencies, musicians have a reputation for being scatter-brained and chronically late. I know because I’ve been a musician for almost 36 years. During that time, however, I’ve realized that God has a different label for my problems: selfishness and laziness. 1st Corinthians 4:2 reminds us that “it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” I believe that being a musician in the church is an assignment from God. Being on time, calling to let someone know you won’t make a rehearsal, and keeping an organized songbook are all signs that we take our position seriously. In the end, faithfulness is an issue of obedience, not temperament.

Along with Servant hood and Faithfulness, God is seeking musicians whose lives are filled with Encouragement. Hebrews 3:13 reminds us to “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness”. If we truly want to provoke worship and praise in people’s hearts, we will regularly point out evidences of God’s grace in their lives. That is the essence of encouragement. “I appreciate your thoughtful leadership…Thank you for coming early to help set up…Your humble confession of sin last night really convicted me. Thanks for allowing God to use you.” Encouragement is to be directed toward the whole church, but it should begin with other members of the music ministry or each specific ministry within the church. Worship team members must make it a priority to encourage each other. It’s one of the most effective antidotes to complaining and comparison we have!

Finally, Humility .Proverbs 3:34 says “God resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble” Worship musicians should be characterized by a continual desire to grow, both musically and spiritually. They should see themselves as perpetual learners. Never stop searching for songs that spur the congregation to grow spiritually. Find music that says something! Not all new music fits these criteria and neither do some Hymns or Choruses. If a musician or a worship ministry feels he or she or they have “arrived,” it’s probably true — but in this case, the place arrived at is called deception.

The more mature a musician is, the more he or she realizes how much there is still to learn. We will always be growing in our understanding of God and worship, as well as in our grasp of musical issues such as harmony, arranging, and style. We don’t want our pride to keep us from experiencing the joy of worshiping God with sounds and combinations we’ve yet to learn!
Servant hood, Faithfulness, Encouragement, and Humility being a church musician is not an easy role. But the eternal rewards are well worth the pursuit. Because we can be part of worship that gives us a taste of what it is going to be like in Heaven.

Philippians 2:1-11

1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose.
3Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. 4Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.
5Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7He made himself nothing;[1] he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form.[2] 8And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. 9Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NLT)

Blessings
Ric