[WM] You’ve been teaching and training
ministry, should then be practicing our guitar
who likes rock music! I think most are trying,
worship leaders for a long time. You actually
scales, our piano, or vocalizing daily - whatever
and I’m not trying to point fingers at all. I think
gave me my own worship leader “training
your primary instrument is - to become trained
sometimes we can unwittingly project this sort
wheels” about 19 years ago… What do you
and skilled in that instrument. That is actually a
of rock-concert-Sunday-morning-experience. I
find that you CONTINUE to teach?
spiritual discipline. It needs to be taken seriously
think that in this generation, there is a cry for
authenticity. I think more importantly, we want
PAUL: The classic image of scales. The scales
I think that the scales of worship leadership are
our music to be professional (in tune, in time,
of justice, if you will. If we have the scales of
understanding our primary ministry to the Lord,
and played well), but we don’t want to come
worship leadership, I would say that #1 is
ministering to Him as Mary did at the feet of
across as super slick and Vegas-like. At the end
understanding what “Ministry to the Lord”
Jesus when Jesus said, “This is the better part.”
of the day, regardless of what our expression
means. Really understanding that our first and
As opposed to running around like Martha (I’m
looks like, we need to continue to press into
primary ministry is TO the Lord. 1 Chronicles
a recovering ‘Martha’ for sure!). And the other
God authentically. That’s why I think ‘ministry
16 describes the role of the priests that would
thing is to work hard at cultivating your primary
to the Lord’ is so important because, as we
go into the temple and minister before the Ark
skill as we’re commanded to if we’re going to
keep our hearts tethered to His and we actually
of the Lord. They would minister to the Lord
be part of a worship team, and continuing to
cultivate a healthy devotional life, that will be
and that was their first and primary ministry.
grow throughout the year in our devotional life
the difference between pastoring people and
So, I love to unpack that and talk about that
and in our musical expression.
entertainment. That is where our heart is. I say
whenever I have a chance to because it’s
all this as someone who tries to look in the
helped sustain my heart over the years. That is,
[WM] You travel the country over and over…
mirror daily to try to keep my own heart leaning
ministering to the Lord in private, in the secret
what changes have you seen in American
in the right direction.
place (to use the language of Psalms) becomes
church worship today? Is there anything you
our public ministry.
find troublesome?
[WM] Let’s talk about gear for a minute. Tell us
about the guitars you use.
The other side of that scale is found in 1
PAUL: I certainly don’t want to have my
Chronicles 25. It says that ALL of the musicians
judgmental glasses on. I think one thing we
PAUL: Guitars…I have too many! I’m about to
-referring back to the first worship teams on
need to keep an eye on is that we tend to
sell several of them. The bottom line is, over
earth and is the paradigm that God gave to
have this American Idol culture that can bleed
the years I have just collected too many guitars
David - “all of the musicians” were trained and
over into the church. Sometimes it’s hard to
and since we’ve moved to a one-bedroom
skilled in music for the Lord. That’s the other
tell a difference between a rock concert and a
apartment in NYC, it changes things. I look
side of this is that all of us, if we feel called to
worship celebration, and I say that as someone
around and think, “Man, I don’t need all these
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Nov Dec 2016
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