Last week, immediately following our worship team's rehearsal, I had a great conversation with one of our members. He asked me, "Why do you think God chose me to do all this stuff with music that I'm doing?" What a question and what a humble attitude. I told him I ask the same question just about every Sunday. I don't know why God called me to lead worship. I don't know why called me to be a minister. I don't know why God chose me to be His child. However, while I don't understand why, I'm confident in the calling He has put on my life.
No matter what that calling is in your life, we are to fulfill that calling with all that we are and all that we have. He deserves nothing less. So for us as worship leaders or worship team members, how do we give him our all on Sundays or Wednesdays or any other time we have the opportunity to use our talents in music to usher people into a time of worship?
One of the ways we do so is through practice and rehearsals. I want to offer some of my own opinions and suggestions about practicing and rehearsing that I have learned over my very short time or worship leading.
Why practice or rehearse?
I feel like people in church music many times don't value rehearsal time as they should. I have been told on more than one occasion by more than one worship team that I run tough rehearsals. Rather than criticism, I take those comments more as compliments. I take what we do as a worship team very seriously and I believe God does to. I believe God is honored by hard work. There are 2 main reasons I push myself and my team hard during rehearsals.
1) God deserves our best.
When we stand on Sundays or Wednesdays (or whenever we lead worship) we should be in a place spiritually and musically to offer the Lord our absolute best. He deserves your best in every area of your life. During services, but also during rehearsals, He wants you to give it your all. So, next time your rehearsing with your worship team, stay focused, work hard, and learn your stuff! I believe God is honored and worshiped when we have this kind of attitude even during rehearsals.
2) The main goal for a worship leader/team is to keep people's focus on God.
The number one thing that we should be doing for our congregations is pointing them to the Lord. Shifting their focus to Him through worshipful lyrics and scripture. We've all heard it said that we should disappear on the stage. We all pray that God will be in the forefront of our worship. He is why we do what we do. He deserves our attention. He deserves our focus. He deserves our worship. We, as worship leaders, deserve nothing. Therefore, the congregation should be able to look past us and our instruments and see the Lord. So, let's say the lead guitarist hits several wrong notes during his intro riff, or the drummer comes in at the wrong place, or the alto in the praise team doesn't know her harmony and is singing in who knows what key. Now, where is the congregations attention and focus? It's on the people on stage. It's not on the Lord or the lyrics their singing. Therefore, to truly disappear and let God be in the forefront of our worship we have to be prepared! Make sure you have your intros down, make sure you know the map of the songs, make sure you know your entrances and harmonies. Keep people's focus on Him and not on yourself because you were ill prepared.
Practice for Practice.
Practice for practice? Crazy thought isn't it? I can't tell you how much smoother practices would go and much less stress is on the leader if the team members came to rehearsals already knowing their stuff. Leaders, know your stuff before rehearsal also. Not much is more time wasting and frustrating than the leader trying to figure how he/she wants things done while everybody stands around and waits for the decision. Or for the leader to be waiting around on the guitarists to figure our their chords or riffs or the piano player to figure out an intro. If everybody already knows their stuff ahead of time and are prepared, things go so much smoother. You'll find you'll be able to get more done in you allotted rehearsal time and that stress and frustration levels go way down! Look at and learn your music ahead of time and show to rehearsals prepared and ready to go!
Refresh.
Most worship teams that I know will do a sound check/run through on Sunday morning before the service or Wednesday night before everyone shows up. Set lists have been finalized, rehearsals have already been done, all that's left is double checking your mix and making sure the group is ready to go for the service. This time is not a second or last minute rehearsal! You've already had the time in rehearsal previously that week to stop and go over certain spots or practice the bridge 3-4 times. The expectation is going to be that you remember everything that was already rehearsed (or at least to have taken good notes on your music that will jog your memory). Therefore, in between your rehearsal and sound check on the day of the service, you need to refresh yourself on what was practiced. Go back over the songs and sing your part or practice your instrument. Don't simply say you "listened" to the songs on the way to the church right before sound check. Actually take the time throughout the week to sit down, listen, look at your music, and truly refresh and prepare yourself.
All this is not just to make you a better musician, band, or worship team. Our goal each time leading worship is not for the people to walk away saying what a great band or praise team we have. We don't do what we do for our own glory. We practice, rehearse and prepare so that we can offer God our absolute best and not distract people from focusing on Him and worshiping Him!
"Not to us O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory forever and ever!" -- Psalm 115:1
