WORSHIP LEADERS
PUB CHOIR VS CHURCH : HORIZONTAL CONNECTION | Grant Norsworthy
Would you like to hear your congregation singing better ? Read on .
I travel a lot and connect with a lot of different churches in my work as a guest speaker / musician and as I provide More Than Music Mentor workshops . It seems to me that a lot of churches today are not singing well . The team on the platform usually seem to be pretty into it , but congregations often appear to be struggling , hardly interested , or are just politely mumbling along .
There are many reasons why a less-thanoptimal level of singing is the case . In my opinion , one of the reasons is that those who “ lead worship ” ( as we often call the role ) are neglecting - or at least shortchanging - the horizontal requirements of the job .
Some “ worship leaders ” ( as they are commonly called ) can be so absorbed by what we might refer to as the “ vertical ”, that they forget the horizontal . They might be so focused on their own personal experience of singing worshipfully to God that they can leave the congregation floundering .
The intro to a song plays . With closed eyes , head tilted slightly towards the ceiling , the “ worship leader ” sways gently from side to side . At a moment that can seem quite arbitrary to members of the congregation , the mic is lifted to her lips , and she begins singing her personal prayer to God . ( All too often , the text for what she has already begun singing appears on the screen two or more seconds later ). The congregation aren ’ t sure if they are supposed to be listening or singing . Some join in as they are able , but most stand politely and listen .
Some “ worship leaders ” consider this the right thing to do . Years ago , I attended a breakout class at a major “ worship conference ” in the USA where a well-known “ worship artist ” taught this “ vertical only ” approach . He explained that , when he ’ s on a platform to “ lead worship ”, his focus is on God alone and not at all on the congregation . His job - as he saw it - was to passionately worship God through the songs as an individual in the belief that those he “ leads ” would automatically follow .
Maybe that works for celebrity “ worship artists ” but I strongly disagree with this approach for the rest of us . I don ’ t believe that many regular Sunday morning congregations will automatically follow that type of leadership . While we must never neglect the “ vertical ” ( of course !), we must recognize and serve the horizontal requirements of our role also . We are tasked with creating an environment where every member of our congregation has the opportunity to connect vertically and horizontally .
I ’ m encouraged by this : The two New Testament verses that contain the most direct and clear
teaching about music and singing refer to both the vertical and the horizontal goals . Check this out :
Speak to ONE ANOTHER with psalms , hymns , and songs from the Spirit . Sing and make music from your heart TO THE LORD . Ephesians 5:19 ( NIV )
The capitalized emphases are my addition ( of course ) but did you catch the horizontal “ one another ” and the vertical “ to the Lord ”?
And another :
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish ONE ANOTHER with all wisdom through psalms , hymns , and songs from the Spirit , singing TO GOD with gratitude in your hearts . Colossians 3:16 ( NIV )
Again , we see the clear reminder that both the horizontal “ one another ” and the vertical “ to God ” are important .
So , what does this horizontal component of leading sung worship look like ? For me , it ’ s a number of things :
• Before the first song , or perhaps during the intro to the first song , I will clearly and unmistakably tell the congregation that we - the team on the platform - are inviting them to sing with us . It could be as simple
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