The Motives Behind Our Music

Have you ever wondered why we create and perform? After all, it takes a lot of time and energy. There
is no guarantee of fame, much less fortune. And yet, so many of us devote so much of our lives to music.

Looking back over my life, I've experienced three interrelated motives:

The first is divine GIFTEDNESS. We create because we’re made in the image of a creative God. He made
us like himself and is pleased to bless us with talents and gifts that reflect his character. Like every good
father, he delights in seeing himself in his children.

In Exodus 35:30-35, the Lord filled artisans “with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with
all kinds of skills” to adorn his tabernacle. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit endowed believers with
spiritual gifts with which to serve others and honor God (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12). The Lord is both
the Source and the Object of our creativity. In particular, he gives us music as the language of the soul—
a spiritual gift that allows us to convey thoughts and feelings that are beyond mere words.

When we exercise our God-given gifts within our God-given callings, we not only bring glory to him and
pleasure to others; we also experience great contentment and peace. In this sense, whether the subject
matter is sacred or secular, we create because we’re made to.
But we also perform out of our personal BROKENNESS. Although we’ve been formed in the image of our
Creator, our sinfulness corrupts our capacity to have deep intimacy with him and healthy relationships
with each other.

So rather than using our artistic gifts to honor the Lord and serve one another, we may misuse our
talents by seeking our own fame before God’s. We are tempted to manipulate our audiences rather
than to bless them. We may substitute commercial success for the security that comes from being held
in God’s hand. We seek our significance in our artistry rather than in God’s unconditional acceptance. As
it becomes more and more about us, awe and wonder are replaced by selfish entitlement. In this sense,
we create because we need to.

Or, we can create out of our profound GRATEFULNESS. As we come to realize who we are in Christ, we
are humbled by the awareness that we are--and have always been--Christ’s Beloved. We are the objects
of his affection: a holy people sanctified by his sacrifice. This transforms our minds and our motives.

Our music is no longer a cry for acceptance or an anthem of defiance; rather, we join the song of the
redeemed. We no longer perform to earn the conditional acceptance of men; rather, we sing because
we are unconditionally accepted by God in Christ. True worshipers understand themselves before God
and respond appropriately—not just in the sanctuary, but also in every context of life.

When we offer our art in gratitude, our music celebrates the Light of the World or is illuminated by the
Light of the World. We show his beauty to the world and see the world’s true beauty in him. To
paraphrase the hymnist, “We sing because we’re happy; we sing because we’re free!” Our creativity
becomes a testimony to God’s redemptive work in our lives. As we exercise the gifts he’s given us, we
gratefully point to the Author and Finisher of our Art.

In this case, we create because we love to.

Why do you find yourself creating and performing?

“Five Phases of the Heart” for Worshippers

In 1647, English and Scottish theologians convened to establish The Westminster Confession of Faith.
Considered by many Protestants to be the grandest doctrinal statement to come out of the English
Reformation, the Confession declares that the chief end of man is “to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for
ever.” If we are designing and leading worship effectively, I believe that the end result should be that
our community is invited into deeper and deeper waters of intimacy with God. These depths provide the
space to “glorify and enjoy Him,” as well as to be transformed personally and corporately.

Are there specific modalities that we as worship leaders can utilize to create this sacred space? Are
there some consistent trademarks of a set that lead us into the realms of life-altering worship?

I want to discuss what I’ve heard many worship leaders call the “Five Phases of the Heart,” or five basic
phases that exist in worship. Understanding these phases is helpful in our experience of God. As we pass
through these phases we are headed toward one goal: intimacy with God.

1. Call To Worship:

People come into our meetings from all sorts of places: joy, sorrow, anxiety, business, etc. More often
than not (especially in today’s techno-centric society), people need a wake-up call: a chance to get
centered and focused. As worship leaders, we lead the call by crying out, “I am going to intentionally
and purposefully choose worship right now. Nothing else is more important.”

If we bypass this opening phase of worship, we risk not only leaving worship passengers at the station
on the outside of the heart, but we can actually make people feel alienated from God, wondering why
they’re not “getting it” like we are. As leaders, it is our responsibility to gather the Lord’s flock and move
out with purpose, as one. The “call to worship” can be either an invitation for us to worship, or an
invocation to God to come and “inhabit our praise” (Ps. 22:3).

Song selection for the call to worship is quite important, as this has the potential to set the tone of the
entire gathering. A few examples of songs for this phase might be “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,”
“Bless His Name,” “Blessed Be the Name,” “Here For You,” the traditional “Doxology,” or “Oh Praise
Him.”

Remember, just because we have spent time for weeks preparing this worship set doesn’t mean that the
rest of the church is ready to go right out of the gate. No, we call them (and ourselves) to worship.
Does David not declare in the beginning of Psalm 103: Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being,
praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Does he not declare in
Psalm 57: My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my
soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. If the only saint known in Scripture as “a man after
God’s own heart” needs to be reminded to praise, we might too.

2. Engagement (or Declaration):

As we shift from the call to worship itself, we begin to actually engage with the living God. In this phase,
we begin to express adoration, praise, and boldly declare who God is and what He has promised. Being
in God’s presence should excite our heart and mind, which calls us to praise Him for who He is and what
He is doing.

The heart of worship is to be united with our Creator and with the Church locally, universally, and
historically. Remember, worship is going on all the time in heaven. When we worship, we are joining
that which is already happening, what has been called the “communion of saints.” Thus, there can be a
powerful corporate dynamic.

Pastor John Wimber said that, “an individual may have moments like these in his or her private worship
at home, but when the church comes together, the manifest presence of God is magnified and
multiplied.” Some examples of songs that stir our hearts to engagement may include “Everlasting God,”
“Mighty To Save,” “In Christ Alone,” or “You Never Let Go.” These are songs that praise Him, and tell of
His wonderful attributes and promises. As we move further into the engagement phase, we move into
more and more personal language. Again, it should be said that if we move too quickly into this phase,
we risk alienating folks. Similar to the act of physical intimacy, moving into intimacy with God is a
process; it cannot happen too quickly. We must allow sacred space for our hearts to arrive at this point.

Side note: often this intimacy causes us to meditate (even as we are singing) on our relationship with
God. Sometimes we recall vows we have made, sins we are actively involved in, or disappointments we
are experiencing. Tears may result as we see our disharmony and His harmony; our limitations and His
unlimited possibilities. This phase, in which we have been wakened to His presence, can and should
result in a deeper level of personal and corporate expression.

3. Expression:

Worship that only focuses on God’s attributes or what He has done bears little personal engagement
and leaves us at the shallow end of relationship. Deep, personal worship should bring us to a place of
honest, vulnerable, and intimate engagement. This requires some form of expression! A cursory look at
a few of the Hebraic, Aramaic, and Greek definitions of “worship” reveal active physical and emotional
expression:
Shachah (Shaw-khaw) Hebrew: To bow down, do homage, be down, to prostrate. (Genesis 18:2, Exodus
4:31, Leviticus 26:1)

Segid (Seg-eed) Aramaic: Pay homage to, bend down, bow, stoop low (Daniel 3:5-15, 3:28)

Proskuneo (Pros-koo-neh-O) Greek: Most prevalent New Testament word for worship: to turn toward
and kiss or come close to and kiss; to reverence, worship, to prostrate oneself, adore on one’s knees.
(Matthew 2:2, Luke 4:8, John 4:20-24, Revelation 4:10, 19:10, 22:9)

Any notion that deep worship should not involve creative ways of saying “I love you” to God is not only
shallow and separated from the heart, but is downright un-Biblical. This is not to prescribe specific
action necessarily (raising hands, shouting, whatever), but to say that true worship involves “body, soul,
mind, and strength” (Matthew 22:37).

As we live in the Western world, we must be aware that our culture is one where people often struggle
to express themselves for fear of “standing out,” “looking stupid,” or “being rejected.”

A part of our responsibility as worship leaders is to lovingly shepherd our people into these moments of
expression, providing the sacred, safe atmosphere for them to let go and enter into deeper levels of
engagement. A few examples of expressive songs could include “How He Loves,” “Breathe,” “Forever
Reign,” and “I Love Your Presence.” Expression then moves to a zenith, a climatic point: we have
expressed what is in our hearts and minds and bodies, and now it is time to wait for God to respond. We
wait for him to speak, to move.

4. Visitation:

The almighty God visits his people. Sometimes the visitation is palpable, almost tangible. The Hebrews
spoke of this type of visitation as the kabode of God, the “heavy, weighty, splendor, abundance and
copiousness” of God. It is the light of God, the majesty of God, the greatness of God. To be clear, we do
not worship in order to gain His presence; He is worthy to be worshiped whether or not we experience
anything. But as mentioned earlier, God “dwells in the praises of his people.” We should always come to
worship prepared for an audience with the King. And we should expect the Spirit of God to work among
us. It is important that we consistently allow the space for God to visit and speak to us. This could be
through silence, it could be a break in the lyrics for a while, it could be purposeful transitions, it could be
selecting a song that actually allows this space. There are no rules here! An awareness of and
expectation for God’s presence though, should be on our radars whenever we lead.
5. Giving of Substance:

Ministry is a life of giving. We must live lives of surrender and availability. In other words, God should
have ownership of everything. Remember, whatever we give God control of, He can multiply and bless.
Often, God will call us to give something when we don’t have any of it (whether it is money, love,
hospitality, or information)! Whatever God wants to give through us, He first has to do to us. We are the
first partakers of the fruit. But we are not to eat the seed. We are to sow it, to give it away. The
underlying premise is that whatever we are is multiplied, for good or for bad.

Whatever we have on our tree is what we are going to get in our orchard. Giving is the natural response
of a heart that has been given to. Some song selections for this might be “Take My Life and Let It Be,” “I
Surrender All,” “From the Inside Out,” and “We Fall Down.”

In summation, while every worship set does not necessarily have the follow a script, it is vital that we as
worship leaders recognize the natural order of progression that the heart typically goes through.
Creative planning and “thinking the progression through” ahead of time only allows more freedom for
the Holy Spirit to move and empower our offerings!

5 Keys to Effectively Mentor Worship Leaders

When it comes to mentoring and training worship leaders, there is no single formula to apply, no
manual to follow. Every person you mentor will be different. The methods you use and the techniques
you apply may likely vary greatly from person to person. Having said that, there are some things that will
likely apply across the board:

Be affirming. Musicians should never feel that they are accepted because of what they do, but rather,
because of who they are and to Whom they belong. Their ministries should flow out of their identities in
Him. We, as mentors, should help that to develop more fully.

Critiques are usually better received in private than in a group setting. It is generally less confrontational
– at least, it feels that way – in a one-on-one setting, as opposed to a group setting.

Give some small victory possibilities along the way. Before they lead an entire service, allow them to
lead a song or two during some services. This helps build confidence, and gives you opportunity to
provide follow-up feedback.

Don’t force mentees to turn out just like you. Allow them space to find themselves. They’re not you, so
let them be who God created them to be.

When you’re nearing the finish line in mentoring a worship leader, become the person’s cheerleader.
They no longer need the coach as much as they do the affirmation of the parent. When the worship
leader becomes successful in his own right, share in those triumphs. Be ready to encourage. When the
student is ready to fly on her own, don’t stand on the sidelines with a net. Rather, be on the front row
with hands lifted high. What an encouragement that is to a young worship leader!