What I Think About During Worship...

For those who might be interested, I thought I'd share what my (wacked) brain thinks about during worship. I realize that I'm supposed to think 100% about God during that time, but the truth for worship leaders is that we must spend most of our quality time worshiping God when we aren't on stage. So what am I thinking about? Here are a few questions I'm always asking myself...

1. Are people connecting with God? This is huge for me as a leader. If the answer is no, then I feel like I've failed that day. I know that some people aren't serious about worship, and I can't be responsible for their choice to or not to worship. But I also know that it's my responsibility to create an opportunity for them that they can relate to, and participate in, so this is always on my mind.

2. Are we (the worship team) together right now? Our heart is to do what we do with excellence, but sometimes that can lead to either being more focused on perfection/performance instead of God, or to not paying attention to our responsibility of preparation. Usually a glance or a nod goes a long way to getting everyone back together.

3. Where am I looking? Since I'm not always leading songs vocally, I try to be aware of where I'm looking. It's sometimes awkward to make eye contact with a single person during worship, since our attention should be fixed on Christ. I usually try to look up as I think about God, or look down at my guitar if I'm not singing (during instrumentals or other people's solos), although I try to sing along (far away from the mic) as I worship.

4. How are we getting from this song to the next? This is one of the major issues I see with younger or less experienced worship leaders. Smooth transitions are almost as important as the songs themselves. I try to avoid "dead air" (i.e. awkward unintended silence) or confusion as to who is responsible to get us into the next song. Bad transitions take the focus off of God and, like a good episode of The Office, create really awkward moments.

5. What is the Spirit prompting me to do right now? In my earlier ministry days I talked a lot more during worship. Then for a season I said very little or nothing at all during that time in the service. Lately I've been trying to discern the Spirit's moving during worship and what I'm prompted to do. Sometimes it's a few words said during an instrumental. Other times it's a stop and stay-where we end the song but I don't feel like God is done with the moment, which could mean a prayer or a reprise of a chorus or bridge.
It's tricky because my flesh wants to talk sometimes, and I try really hard to make my words count during worship. I even open my mouth sometimes and then stop myself (try not to watch me-take my word for it!). :D I'm always reminded of Ecclesiastes 5:1-7, which tells us specifically to speak less, if at all in the presence of God. Great wisdom-hard to do sometimes!

I'm not making this list exhaustive, because no one cares most of the time what I'm thinking. But I hope this gives you a little insight, and maybe helps another worship leader out there!

-Andrew