Sweat More- Message to leaders in worship

This last Thursday, after opening the rehearsal with some time in worship, I made a statement to the choir which gave some pretty cool question marks on foreheads. “...This task master is at it again. This isn’t Maryland Mass, and he is NOT Mattie Moss Clark”. The statement was “We need to sweat more.” So now that I’ve got their attention, let me explain. I am always amazed watching athletes, specifically professional football players working on their pre-game routine. While you’re getting your church gear off, and getting your Sunday linner (combination of lunch and dinner) all together is when you’re halfway watching the NFL analysis breaking down the game to come, with a whole lot of opinion smashed in between a lot of player/team history, stats, sprinkled in with a little humor. You get your plate and is all settled when they go to a commercial. Just before the commercial, they go to the field and show Ray Lewis..RIP (Retire In Peace) with a muscle shirt on, no helmet, not pads, and drenched in sweat; and for the next 20 seconds...ok 10 you spend feeling bad about the huge Sunday plate you’ve just made. Ray and the athletes on the field haven’t even played a down yet, and is drenched in sweat like they have already began the game. Generally speaking, many have a mis-conception of what it means when you see sweat. Sweat isn’t necessarily a sign that you’ve worked hard; it is also a sign that you’re about to work hard. See when a body that is use to strenuous exercise begins a work-out, or a warm up routine, that “fit body” wakes up and says “Ut oh. This feels familiar. We’re about to go to work.” Your body then releases sweat to begin the process of keeping your body cool. While an unfit body takes a little while longer to understand what’s going on, and therefore takes longer to hit that “it’s time to sweat” trigger button. Unfortunately, what I’m seeing more and more in ministry, is that many of us are not spending efficient time warming up or working out. We’re just playing the game. Our number 1 goal as worship leaders is to lead the congregation into the presence of God. (When I refer to the term worship leaders, I don’t mean the head musician or singer. I am referring to all musicians, singers, dancers, and artist involved in the leading of worship) In other words, to encourage an awareness of the presence of Jehovah in the house right now; and therefore acknowledging His presence with the appropriate response and posture. We as worship leaders must be worshippers first or we cannot lead others into worship. There are a lot of times when we get off of stage, and long for more time in worship. Or we would get off of stage and not really feel too great about the praise and worship time. There are always many reasons why these feelings rise up; but one main reason is the sweating factor. Like a person who is out of shape, a worshipper who is not spending time in worship outside of church service (the game), it takes that person 1,2,3 songs before they are able to focus on God and His presence. In other words, for that person who doesn’t spend a regular time in worship, the praise and worship time is pretty much over when they’ve just began to break a good sweat. Worship leaders...buckle up... but worship time in our services are not for you. For you, it is a time of serving and giving out. (Giving out) Our time of corporate worship is the result of the overflow of a place you have already been. There is no way to give out of what we don’t have inside of us. Likewise there is no way that we can lead people or a congregations a direction that we are not familiar with ourselves. This time of corporate worship is for the people in front of you who may not understand the power of praise and worship; or needs the reminder of where are focus is during this time. Please don’t misunderstand, as we Praise, as we Worship, we are getting something out of it our own selves, but know that our journey is a journey that moves together. Us leading to a place we know, and us making sure we are pointing the congregation to Christ as we go.