Dear congregation,
It's hard being a worship leader, but also rewarding. It can be discouraging, but refreshing at the same time. I spend hours in prayer for you. When I think about it, I pray for you more than I pray for myself. I pray for your hearts and minds. I pray that you experience God in a real, tangible way. I pray that you see the importance of worship. I pray that you engage God WITH me; not just listen to me sing. I spend hours pouring over music to find songs that are appropriate for our house. I spend hours rehearsing with our worship department to make sure that we present well and don't cause a distraction to your worship by singing wrong parts and words. The hours I spend doing that for you are hours away from my family; hours away from much needed rest. Nevertheless, I do it weekly because I care so much for your soul. I care about you having an encounter with the Lord each week. I care about you being healed and delivered. I care about you not leaving the same way you came.
It's saddening when I stand before you knowing all the work I've put in to serve you well and I'm met with straight faces and folded arms. There's no attempt to engage in worship. I ask you to stand and you stay seated. I ask you to lift your hands and your hands stay in your lap. I ask you to open your mouth and worship, and you whisper "Thank you Jesus" one time and stop. I'm not asking you to do anything I wouldn't and don't do. I ask you to do these things because these are ways we engage God in worship. I liken it to the saying, "closed mouths don't get fed." I know you need the Lord as much as I do so why not go after Him? You may say, "I don't have to do all that to worship. Just because I'm sitting doesn't mean I'm not worshipping." The woman with the issue of blood pressed her way, reached to touch the hem of His garment, and was made whole. She didn't sit back and just watch Jesus pass her by. She showed her need for Him by her actions.
I had a person tell me that they didn't feel like engaging in worship because they didn't know the songs, and their feet hurt from being at work all night. Maybe there are others of you who feel the same way. My response is: even if you don't know the songs, don't you know the God we're singing about? There are innumerable shouts of "Amen" when a preacher says, "worship is more than a song, it's a lifestyle," but then you say you can't worship because you don't know the song. Worship comes from your heart. So, what does your heart want to say the Lord? You don't have to know and/or sing the words to a song in order to worship from your heart.
Your feet hurt? I'm sure Jesus' feet hurt when He was carrying the cross up Calvary's hill but that didn't stop Him from dying for your sins. So, why does it stop you from worshipping Him? The fact you have feet and can feel them is a blessing and enough to worship. Even if you physically can't stand, like no ability at all, there are other ways to actively engage in worship as I mentioned above. Pick one and go for it.
Lastly, I can't worship for you. Only you can worship for you. You know your story. You know what God has done for you. You know all He has been for you. He wants to hear from you. He doesn't want to hear from me on your behalf. That's why Jesus came so that there would be no need for a high priest to go into the holies of holies on our behalf. There is no more veil. The Bible says it was ripped from top to bottom. We can go into the holies of holies for ourselves. So, go. Let nothing stop you!
Sincerely,
A Worship Leader
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