Worship Musician Magazine September 2020 | Page 66

YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
REHEARSAL AS WORSHIP | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
One of the most seemingly non-spiritual things
about leading worship for a church service is
getting the team prepped and ready. It seems
very non-spiritual to have to work through
mechanical and technical details, because
we’re expecting it to be a spiritual experience.
One thing we try to instill in our students and
youth worship teams is that we are not preparing
for a “performance”, but we are working toward
leading others into an encounter with the
living God.
So how should we look at rehearsing and
practicing through a worship set? Sometimes
we can get so bogged down in the technical
details, that it’s hard for us to find the spiritual
side of it. And at other times we feel like we
have to “turn on” our worship heart and “turn
off” our technical brain at the beginning of
the worship service. But what we encourage
our students with is that rehearsal is a form of
worship, and that our practice time during the
week, our rehearsals with the band, and even
our sound checks are all part of that sacrifice
of praise we give to God, so that we can serve
His people well.
Rehearsals are absolutely necessary to allow
the people we are serving to have a distraction
free, rich time of worship. But I’m sure that if
you’ve been around a worship rehearsal or
two, you’ve seen where someone on the team
is just kind of going through the technical
motions, definitely not in a spiritual place… and
then…. BOOM! The lights come on, the 5:00
pre-service countdown has just hit :00, and
that same person now has their hands in the
air, huge smile on their face, and just seems to
magically “turn on” their worship.
This can be confusing for people because we
should not be performing, but it can seem like
that’s what we’re doing when others see that
we can “turn it on and off.”
We should as leaders encourage our worship
teams to come to worship rehearsal with an
attitude of praise and worship - even when
working through the musical details. I know
that for me personally, I always choose to look
at rehearsal time in the same way as a church
service, except there are empty chairs where
there will be people sitting.
I pray for the different sections of the room, and
for the individuals that will fill those seats on
Sunday morning or will be watching remotely
online. Like many churches around the country
right now operating during the pandemic, those
chairs will not be inhabited by people, but you
will instead be leading worship to a camera,
hoping to make that spiritual connection
through the lens.
Focusing on the lyrics of every song, getting
those words down in our spirits, and pondering
the message of the songs makes rehearsal
seem so much more like a spiritual experience
instead of the cold, technical thing it can tend to
be. Because when we lead worship, we are not
singing or playing for ourselves, but to Him. We
have so much to praise Him for, and music is
one of the most powerful ways to worship God
and put all of our senses into doing what we
were created for - to glorify Him in our calling,
and that most certainly includes giving praises
to Him through the vessel of music.
One of my favorite verses regarding worship is
2nd Chronicles 5:13:
“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and
singers were as one, to make one sound to
be heard in praising and thanking the LORD;
and when they lifted up their voice with the
trumpets and cymbals and instruments of
music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he
is good; for his mercy endures forever: that
then the house was filled with a cloud, even
the house of the LORD;” (KJV)
Here’s what I love about this passage: First, in
order to make “one sound”, and to lift up their
voices with the trumpets and cymbals and
instruments of music, they had to know what
they were doing, and when to do it! I’m quite
sure that this required individual practice and
rehearsal as a team to make this happen – they
didn’t all just look at each other and say “Go!”
and something like a beautiful piece of music
just happened.
And second, the house was filled with a cloud.
God’s presence showed up because of their
praise of Him, and their thankfulness. And we
can expect God’s presence to show up in our
houses of worship too.
So this week, choose to look at rehearsal with
your team as a unique opportunity to bond
together in the unique task of leading God’s
people to a closer place with Him, and turn
your rehearsal time into worship. During these
unprecedented and challenging times, our
souls and those we are leading are crying out
for opportunities to connect with the living God,
and feel His presence in our lives.
May you be blessed as you continue to pour
into or become the next generation of worship
leaders and musicians!
Vance & Michelle Shepherd
Founders of The Shepherd School of Music in Las
Vegas, NV, where they work with youth to raise up the
next generation of worship leaders and musicians.
facebook.com/shepherdschoolofmusiclasvegas
www.ShepherdStudiosLV.com
66 September 2020
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