Going Double

We are going double in September. As we prepare to double our worship service, we know that more is required of the worship team. The strategy is for the same team to play twice each Sunday.

1. Did I hear 'play twice'. Wow! - playing twice - what an honor. To be able to do the thing you love and are gifted for a second time - what an honor. Its like a double helping of ice-cream, double delicious cakes, double premium Brazilian coffee...or double any food you like to eat.

2. Playing twice - will also result in us getting better. Repetition has a way of improving us.

3. As we stretch to enlarge the congregation, commitment to fellow team members helps build morale. Commitment requires discipline. Yes , the uneasy word 'discipline' comes up again. Discipline is not a joy killer. It is an influence multiplier. It opens the door to greater freedom and expressions. Skills improve and respect for each other goes north. Discipline and commitment expresses our internal values that the ministry is important and that we respect our fellow team members time and sacrifice.

4. Communication - positive chatter will strengthen the glue among members. Cheer your own team members. Be generous with praise. Dont wait for the congregation to pat your back. Do that for each other. It oils the machinery and everyone can play from the same score sheet.

Double service leads to a shorter time in worship. Shorter worship is however not inferior worship. In fact more creativity and ability is needed to accomplish the same goals in a shorter time. A small car engine can reach 100mph in say 10 seconds. A high capacity car, aerodynamic in design can reach the same speed in half that time. I read an interesting book on how to get your point across in 30 seconds. Words need to be precisely minted, throw in good blend of humor, speak with clarity and passion and close the presentation with a knock out punch.

Therefore we need to trim away poor arrangements, banish sloppy endings, work on better transitions, build excitingly to a high climax of celebration and deep intimacy, respond to the softest whispers of the Holy Spirit to throw open the flood gates into His presence and power.

Walk with me the 'second mile'. Double the effort. The 'double anointing' awaits us.

Going Up To The Next Level

When someone complains that a program or presentation is 'boring', what do they actually mean?
They probably mean one or two things listed below...
1. There is nothing new about it.
2. They have seen/heard that before.
3. Nothing has changed or improved over the years. Its the same old thing. The worship structure is set in cement.
4. It is predictable. They can tell the end from the beginning of the program.
5. There are no 'wow' moments.
6. It is sub standard to what they are exposed to.
7. It lacks creativity
8. Mediocrisy is tolerated.

A worship service can easily melt down to a mere maintainance mode where worshippers just drift in and out every weekend without having an encounter with God. When this happens, who should take responsibility? When a TV series drops in its ratings, does the management blame the viewers that they dont know the value of the program. On the contrary, the management, the producers of the program takes a hard look at why they are not drawing the crowds and make the necessary changes to make the program exciting.

So when the worship service becomes 'boring', the worship team and church leadership have to face the issue squarely and humbly and say 'WE ARE RESPONSIBLE AND WE HAVE DO MAKE CHANGES FOR IMPROVEMENT'.
Usually that is easier said than done. Why?
1. Our egos get in the way for us to admit that not everything is ok. Giving excuses is easier than confession.
2. Making changes is difficult because it requires e-f-f-o-r-t. Doing things the old way seem so much easier.
3. It requires stepping on some toes and getting screamed at (silent screams though, because we are supposed to be Christians, yet we know those silent screams are actually deafening). We want peace at the expense of growth. Calm seas never made good sailors.
4. We cannot demand change but rather we have to lead change by changing first. Its easier to try to change others than change ourselves.
5. It may require money. Be the best, but dont use more $$$$. (means you are required to perform a miracle) Create modern sounds from the portasound???

Yet, if we dont change, we are left behind (I dont mean the rapture), we lose our effectiveness. We lose the opportunity to experience the greater works of God and fail in reaching our enormous potential.
It was Thomas Edison who said 'Inspiration is 99% Perspiration'.
Let's make improvements in our worship services a continuous contant.
Its worth our every effort. We are called to make His praise 'glorious'.
May I add "Its a 'sin' that a worship service rendered to the only God, Supreme, Matchless and Source of all creativity, Giver of all gifts, be found (sigh..) boring".

Leading in Worship is a Calling

On Jan 9, a meeting was called by Tim Lee for the Creative Worship to gather and be briefed on the plans, goals, guidelines and the introduction of the new committee for 2010. I shared a short devotion on the above subject.
The worship team members are not
1. Performers - performers are interested in their ability to perform.
2. Entertainers - they are there to make the crowd happy.
3. Actors - they focus only on the role they are assigned to play.

The worship team has a different agenda. The first born was set apart after the Exodus. Later the tribe of Levi were chosen to assist the Aaron priesthood. In the NT, though everyone believer are called to be priests, those with the special gifting and calling will lead in worship. Therfore, worship team members need to understand their call as Priests unto God . As priests...
Our task is spiritual in nature.
Our applause comes from God.
Our aim to direct people to God.
The worship ministry should be highly esteemed by the worship team members themselves and they be properly equipped and prepared for this enormous privilege of standing before the ONLY God to lead ourselves and others in corporate praise and adoration.

When the worship team does their ministry effectively, then the congregation is not distracted from God. It is often when the singers sing off key, musicians play different chords, the sound system lets off a big squeal while the sound man is dozing, the projectionist is two frames behind the singing - those are times, the congregation is thrown off and they land flat on earth instead on being carried into the 3rd heavens.

The worship session can be a defining moment for God encounters to take place. Let's aim to see this happen more and more as we use our talents to lift up the Lord and hide our ego's behind the cross. What should thrill us more is not when the music is great - it shows we have performed well , but that the people say 'The Lord touched me', 'He spoke to my heart', 'I felt His presence' .
Usually, this happens more when our hearts are humbly bowed and great music is done. When skill and the right spirit KISS, heaven is felt and God is manifest.