This year God has used you in your leading of corporate worship. Other people have been blessed by the way you have served.
But, what has God taught you about leading corporate worship? It’s important from time to time to pause and reflect. Moses reminded the people of Israel that they must not forget what God had taught them:
“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” (Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV11)
God knew how important it was that his people did not forget what he had done and that they were prepared to pass those lessons on to the next generation. How can we make sure we have noticed what God has done this year in teaching us about leading corporate worship? Let me offer free suggestions:
1. Highs and lows. What would you consider to be your most effective worship event this year? And what would you consider to be your least effective worship event this year? The “popularity” or otherwise of the way you led worship is not the point. Whether people liked it or not is not the point here. Many of Jesus’s most effective lessons were not popular! What I’m talking about here is impact. That’s nothing to do with volume, energy or slickness of performance. It’s to do with God’s Spirit working through your leading worship and striking the hearts and minds of those present. If you’re not sure, go back and look at your service outlines. Ask God in prayer to remind you of your most effective and least effective worship events of the year. Having done that, ask yourself what it was in your opinion but made that particular event so effective, or ineffective. Resolve to bear those lessons in mind to prepare to lead worship in 2020.
2. Feedback. What have people told you at church events or afterwards? What comments have been left if you put materials online? What have you noticed in the way the congregation has responded to your leading of worship? Have they been participating? Have you felt or heard the hearts of people absorbing what they are singing?
3. Heart. How has leading corporate worship touched your own heart this year? You might need to pray about this. What have you learned about your own discipleship to Jesus from the way that you prepared and presented worship?
Could you share some of your learnings here? Leave a comment and let us know your main lessons from 2019. You never know, God might be about to teach us the lessons he’s taught you in the last 12 months. Help us to get a head start!
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.
If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.
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“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
PS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John
