Before You Pick Up a Microphone…
Before You Pick Up a Microphone copy
…be sure you have put it down first.
You don’t see carpenters without a hammer, and you don’t see shepherds without a staff or fishermen without a fishing pole. In worship ministries these days you don’t o>en see worship leaders without a microphone in their hands.
The secret of spiritual worship leadership is the understanding of the process of leAng go of the parts of it that feed our own ego, the ways we make it about ourselves. Before we know it, it becomes “our song” and “our mix” and “our microphone” and there are plenty of reminders that it’s all ours everywhere we look.
A few years ago, Teresa and I went to the Michael Bublé concert in Nashville. His face was on the Lcket. There were giant “MB” banners and backgrounds everywhere. Even the orchestra had a placard on their music stands with his iniLals on them. Four follow spots were trained on him every step he took all over the massive stage. There was no doubt who this evening was about.
I’m afraid worship ministries can unintenLonally be built that way too. We have the talent, the baton, and the plaPorm. People consider us as a main aRracLon when they describe our church to others. We are the logical soloist, conductor, planner, songwriter, and creator of everything. The church has become our worship castle where we are king.
In Exodus 4, God asks Moses the quesLon, “What is that in your hand?” as if God didn’t know. Moses answers, “A staff.” And God retorts with something I believe He says to every worship leader who walks out in front of the church to lead.
“Throw it down.”
Throw down your ego, your ambiLon, your need to be affirmed, your talent, your appearance, your posiLon, your insecuriLes, your fear, your moLves, your songs, your skills, your choir, your band…and on and on we could go. If we don’t constantly plaPorm others, step back so others can lead, and focus on the needs and development of others, preRy soon we have built it all around ourselves.
The next time you walk onto a stage and start to pick up a microphone, make sure you have put it – and everything else – down first.
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