Is This What I Signed Up For?

Don't get me wrong. I think leading God's people in worship is one of the mostfulfilling, enjoyable, exciting, sobering, life-changing jobs on the planet. We're helping people connect with the purpose for which they were created—to glorify the living God. We're pointing their hearts toward the Sovereign One who is greater than their trials and kinder than they could ever imagine. Weget to display the matchless Savior who died in our place, conquering sin,death, and hell in the process.

We watch in amazement as the Spirit of God transforms lives and givespeople a fresh encounter with God's faithfulness, love, and power.

At times like these we think, I can't believe I get to do this. (And if you're on a church staff, you might add, “I can't believe I get paid to do this.”)

But then come the times we'd be happy to pay someone else to do this.

Your lead vocalist is sick, your bass player's out of town, and your keyboardist slept in. And no one called to find a sub.

A small but influential group in the church just informed the pastor they don't like the songs you've been teaching.

After two years in your new church, you still don't have a drummer who can keep steady time.

Your best singer just told you she's not coming to this week's rehearsal unless she gets to sing the solo.
For the fifth week in a row, your pastor e-mailed to say the music wenttoo long and you talked too much. Moments like these make you think that leading worship would be a joy if it didn't involve working with others.  But just as often we struggle with our own hearts:

No one seems to appreciate or even notice that on top of a full-time job you put in at least ten hours each week for the worship team.

The last time you taught a new song was eight months ago, and CDs a repiled on your desk that you still haven't listened to.

You put off confronting a guitarist whose critical and proud attitude is affecting the whole team.

You can't remember the last time you prayed more than five minutes,and you feel like a hypocrite as you lead on Sundays.

You never have enough hours to plan, prepare, study, practice, or workwith the music team. Which makes you wonder what in the world you're doing with your time.

And yet .. .

Despite these and other difficulties, you believe the joys of leading worship far outweigh the challenges. You wouldn't think of giving it up.

You just want to do it better. More effectively. More skillfully. More faithfully.

I'm guessing that's why you picked up this book. I hope so because that's why I wrote it.

But I have to confess something.

I didn't write this book simply to help you be a better worship leader. There's more at stake here.

After thirty years of leading worship, I've realized that worship isn't just an opportunity to use my musical gifts. It's more than a heightened emotionalexperience or a way to make a living. It's way more than what we do on Sunday morning.

Worship is about what we love. What we live for.

It's about who we are before God.

This book is filled with practical ideas for leading worship. But we don't start there. These initial chapters are about the way we think and live. I wantto challenge, encourage, and inspire you to live your life for the glory andpraise of Jesus Christ. Holding nothing back. Giving no ground. It's the only kind of life that makes sense for someone who leads worship.