Creating Liturgical Rhythms

in , ,

Last week I wrote about liturgy. All worshipers are in fact liturgists, but worship leaders carry a unique responsibility to intentionally form the liturgy of our gathered time to form worshipers holistically.

How do we begin to think and plan intentionally in regard to the liturgy of our services?

IDENTIFY YOUR CURRENT LITURGY.

Do you have a set flow of service or number of songs? Do you share communion weekly, quarterly? What is the time allotted to each portion of the gathered service? As you think about worship as formation and discipleship, what elements would like to see more/less during the service? Even if your structure changes frequently as you look back you will see specific patterns emerge in the liturgical life of your church.

SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE OF…

…The People. Spiritual formation and discipleship does not happen overnight. Part of moving people in this journey of formation is identifying where they are right now. Is your church full of new Believers? Intellectuals and academics? Young families? What is the overall spiritual maturity and understanding of those you are leading?

…The Service. To begin integrating more liturgical rhythms into a weekly service we have to think outside of the weekly service. What is the current sermon series? What has been taught over the last six months? Where are the leaders headed after this sermon series? What themes are emerging in our churches, cities, cultures, and the world which need time to be absorbed deeply into the weekly rhythms?

…The Church. The Church is a body made up of many individuals. Being actively involved in the life of your church (apart from your role on a Sunday) as well as being in relationship with others in your church will help you have a sense of the overall direction of the Church. What things are your leaders noticing and wanting to pursue for the health of the community? Are there themes or patterns occurring at the moment? Where do the leaders of the church see the church in five, ten, twenty years?

INTEGRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

As you begin to identify your church-specific liturgical rhythms in view of the bigger picture, you can begin filling in the places of formation. Scripture and prayer are two easy entry points for those new to intentional liturgy. With limited service time, worship leaders may be tempted to view Scripture and prayer as mere transitions as you tune an instrument, change a CAPO, or move from one element of the service into another. But crafting an intentional liturgy asks you to view the use of Scripture and prayer with as much thought as song choice.

The following are a few traditional liturgical elements that can begin to give some shape for the way you structure your service:

Welcome/Call to Worship

Instead of just shouting ‘Good morning! Please stand!’ how can you use Scripture, and prayer to invite people to join their lives of worship into the worship of God that is already in progress? We join our hearts, lives, and songs with the saints and angels, the Church global, and all of creation responding to who God is and what He has done.

Confession of Sin/Assurance of Pardon

Our congregations are filled with people who are both casual and flippant toward God’s grace, forgiveness, and mercy, and those who feel their sin has pushed them past God’s ability to save and restore. What a gift to give both of those people - and everyone in between - the ability to acknowledge all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and that God in Christ has forgiven us and called us to go and sin no more? This is the beauty of times of Corporate and Individual Confession, and being assured of our pardon.

Confession of Faith

Corporate confessions of faith are at once a reminder to the believer and clarity for the non-believer about who we are, what we believe about God and self, and why it matters. Whether we are using traditional confessions handed down through the centuries like the Apostle’s or Nicene Creed, or a simple call and response like ‘God is good, all the time, God is good,’ we are forgetful people who need to be reminded of who we are and who God is.

Responsive Readings

Responsive Readings can take many forms - a simple call and response, reading Scripture in unison, having a phrase repeated by the congregation, etc. This is another way to put truth in our mouths, minds, and hearts in a way that allows us to hear and be united together as the people of God.

Scripture Readings

As the Western world grows more and more Biblically-illiterate, our people will never be underserved by intentionally hearing the Old and New Testament, the Psalms, and the Gospels read over and over again in our services. Statistics indicate that for some, what the hear from God’s Word during a weekly church service may be their only interaction with Scripture in the week.

Disciple-making is the long-game. Be thoughtful and intentional, move slow, serve well.

Dive deeper into the role and world of liturgical rhythms through these resources:

The Worship Sourcebook (my go-to resource for following the church calendar, prepared readings, and prayers).

Doxology & Theology Podcast (Their series on ‘Read, Sing, Pray, See the Word’ is incredibly helpful).

Know the Creeds and Councils (A book on Church History and the formation of the Creeds which have been passed down through the centuries).

Ancient Future Worship (A book that looks specifically at the liturgical practices of the Church throughout history and up until present day. An excellent resource for anyone new to the world of liturgical rhythms).

A Handbook to Prayer (Although this is intended for personal devotions, I have found it to be helpful in using these Scripture prayers in the corporate gathering as well).

Becoming A Liturgist

in ,

Worship is formative - we become what we behold. This is a weighty responsibility for those of us choosing songs, creating setlists, and leading worship. What are we putting before the eyes, hearts, and in the mouths of the people we lead and serve?

If worship is indeed formative, we need to think long-term about how our choices are forming and discipling the people we lead. Our vision must be larger than 20 minutes once a week. Selecting a handful of songs for the weekend may get the job done in the short term, but it will create malformed disciples in the long run.

So how do we shape our perspective? How do we attempt the deep work of formation and discipleship if we are responsible for such a small sliver of people’s time? My proposal: become a liturgist.

Liturgy means work of the people.

Although we often associate liturgy with ‘high church’ services (think, incense, robes, and scripted prayers), every church has a liturgy. So even a loose structure of songs and service order for churches who have never followed the Church calendar or cracked a prayer book are still liturgical.

The first step in becoming a liturgist is realizing, you already are. If liturgy is the work of the people, we all contribute to the corporate gathering. But those of us who carry responsibility for what happens as we gather have a unique opportunity to intentionally form our liturgy to form intentional disciples.

As liturgists, we must hold a bigger picture in mind in our planning, preparation, and decisions. Liturgy is no silver bullet or secret weapon, it is a helpful framework for thinking and working toward greater formation among those we lead and serve.

Next week I’ll write about some of the ways we can begin to be more thoughtful and intentional in crafting our liturgies.

Leading Through Transition

in

Change is a part of life. Change can be messy, overwhelming, painful, and exciting, all at once. Whether it is leading worship in the midst of a global pandemic, adding additional services, changes in leadership and staff, reworking the format, or just the natural growing pains of sinners in relationship being conformed to the image of the Son, in significant and subtle ways our teams and churches are changing constantly.

Although change is inevitable, I do not believe that it has to send us spiraling into dread, hand-wringing, and attempts at control. Change and transition can lead us to open our hands, soften our hearts, and be reminded that we, not just leaders, but the led. We are stewards of God’s people, Church, ministry, and resources. I believe there are at least four key elements to navigating change effectively:

NAMING

“We get into trouble whenever we do not name things properly,’ says Ronald Rolheiser. Life and ministry move in seasons, leaders have a responsibility to help name and shepherd through seasons. Pete Scazzero and Emotionally Healthy Discipleship have excellent resources at learning to identify and name seasons.

PRAY

The first response of many to something new is often control, to strategize, or deny, and some become paralyzed. What if our first instinct, our first response was to pray? Pray for wisdom to the ‘…God, who gives generously to all without reproach…’ (James 1:5). Pray continually, pray with people, pray alone, pray as you move, and make decisions. Linger in prayer, don’t just fill up the silence, but create interior silence for God to speak to you as well.

BE STEADY

When the world feels unstable and unsettling, be steady. If there is an outward transition (e.g.: changes in leadership, adding services, changing locations, global pandemics, etc) this is most likely not the time to add - but a time to pair back. Keep things simple, accessible, familiar - in song choice, liturgy, format, and team members.

REST

I mean this in both the physical and spiritual sense. Physically, transitions take so much more effort mentally and emotionally, you will be tired - rest your body. God is trustworthy. Change and transitions give us the opportunity to lean on the truths we sing week-in and week-out. Do we actually believe that God is good? Kind? Faithful? Trustworthy? Loving? In control? We can rest in the reality of the character of God - even in the midst of chaos - trusting along with the Psalmist: ‘You are good and do good.’ (Psalm 119:68).

As leaders, we are not immune to the discomfort of change and transition. We have a responsibility not just to lead our people through these seasons, but ourselves as well. We too must properly name our own season, pray continually, find places of stability, and rest our bodies and spirits.

There is a continual challenge for every leader - regardless of the season - to lead truthfully, and authentically, while also not using our people as the lightning rods or receptacles of our own internal frustrations and fears. This is not a call to stoicism, but to discerning what will build trust and community among those you lead, and what will unduly burden them with additional turmoil.

We all need safe spaces and people with which to bring our full selves - fears, insecurity, and all. Cultivate the posture of heart before God which offers your full self before your world feels like it is falling apart. Find a good counselor, therapist, spiritual director, or wise friend who will listen and walk with you. Change and transition are hard, but they do not have to be terrifying.

Three Prayers of Preparation

in ,

There are many ways to approach Sunday service. Whether you are a part of a team that plans collaboratively, flying solo, following the liturgical Church calendar, or reinventing the wheel weekly. Regardless of the methodology, there are three questions - three prayers - which I have found to be helpful in the time of preparation for a service:

God, what are You saying through Your Word?

Spend time in the text. Read through the passage that will be preached - read the whole chapter, understand the context, fill up your mind and heart with the Word of God before you ever pick up an instrument, or choose songs. Ask God to illuminate His Word through His Spirit to you as you read, meditate, pray, and plan. Speak to your pastor, what are the points of the sermon? If the pastor has one thing they want the people to remember from the sermon, what would it be?

God, what do You want to say to Your people?

Scripture tells us, ‘Who can know the mind of God?’ Romans 11:34. Preparation should never lead to a rigid assumption. ‘God, I’ve got this, I read the passage, I know what You want to say here.’ No. We must continue to be led by the Spirit, listen, and respond to His voice in our preparation as well in the moments during the service. Preparation gives us the freedom to respond to the Spirit, wherever He may lead.

God, what do Your people need to say to You?
The first two prayers should guide the third. What is God saying through His Word and desiring to say to His people? Now, we prayerfully consider how He should lead us as a people to respond. What are the songs we need to sing, the Scripture which needs to be read, the liturgical elements to incorporate, or the ways we need to lead? What is happening within the life of the Body, the community, country, and world? How do we help give language to those who are hurting as well as those who are rejoicing?

Preparing to lead worship is more than choosing songs and keys. Preparation can be just as prayerful and worshipful as the actual worship gathering. If your preparation for Sunday could use some prompting, you can download my free Worship Leader Weekly Checklist here.

Song Leaders Vs. Worship Leaders

in

In 2012 I attended the first LIFT conference and heard Matt Redman say something which shaped the way I saw leading worship. He said there was a difference between a song leader and a worship leader. This line was so significant, I remember almost nothing of that conference apart from this insight.

As I have continued to reflect on this idea, here are a few things I think define the difference between a song leader and a worship leader…

Song leaders lead songs, Worship leaders lead people. Any competent musician can pick up an instrument and lead a congregation in singing - even non-believers would be capable of that. Worship leaders lead themselves, the team, and the congregation - and one of the ways they do that is through song. Bob Kauflin says - if your instrument and platform were taken away, would your church still recognize you as a leader?

Song leaders use relationships, worship leaders are in relationships. For song leaders, people are either an obstacle or a means. They use people and their skills in service of a song leader’s goals. Worship leaders shepherd, come alongside, engage the ready, and pursue the disengaged. Worship leaders have spaces and relationships where they are known apart from what they do, are accountable and vulnerable.

Song leaders focus on external, worship leaders focus on internal. A song leader is primarily focused on the things that people see - the song choice, setlist, sound, and quality of the band. A worship leader focuses on cultivating those things which are less visible: character, leadership, personal holiness, union with God, a heart for the team and congregation, prayer, and devotion in the secret place.

Song leaders disconnect Sunday from all of life, worship leaders see Sunday as a continuation of a life of worship. Song leaders view Sunday morning as the endpoint of their preparation. Worship leaders view Sunday morning as the culmination of a life of worship, the chance to re-center, remind, encourage, and equip the people of God to be sent out on mission as worshipers once again.

Song leaders help people to sing, worship leaders, help people to live lives of worship regardless of the setting. The world and the Church are filled with gifted musicians, but is often lacking for those servant leaders who help us orient our lives toward the only One worthy of our worship.

Although I have spent time contrasting some of the differences between song leaders and worship leaders, these roles are not black and white. They exist on a continuum. Our natural skills, talents, discipleship, personality, and maturity all influence who we are, and who we are becoming in this process. Every one of us attempting to grow and develop as worship leaders are a mix of song leaders and worship leaders.

It has taken me many years of leading worship to realize that formation toward becoming a worship leader happens from the inside out more than the outside in. The more time I spend focusing on the externals - the obvious skills of being a song leader - the more malformed I become, the more malformed my team becomes. But when I invest from the inside out, I grow a team of worship leaders with song leader skills.

What is Worship?

in

The concept of worship can be difficult to describe. Often the word worship is used as short-hand, catch-all phrase to describe a Sunday service, a style of music, or singing together as the Church.

When we try to define or find the edges of worship, we quickly realize there are no borders to worship because no aspect of our life is free of worship. Worship is the right response of our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength to God’s revelation of Himself. It does not turn on and off, nor is it more engaged during singing than any other time of life. Worship is aimed, as Harold Best brilliantly articulates in ‘Unceasing Worship.’

Worship always begins with God.

We do not choose God, He chose us.

We love because He first loved us.

Worship is a rhythm of revelation and response.

God reveals and we have no choice but to respond: ‘Therefore brothers, in view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, this is your spiritual worship.’ Romans 12:1

So if worship is more than a song, and all of life is worship, why do we gather and worship together? There are certainly a number of reasons: God is worthy of our worship, He delights in and inhabits the praises of His people, we are told not to forsake the gathering of the people of God, and as Charles Spurgeon reminds us: ‘Man’s heart is never large enough to hold either its joys or its sorrows.’ We gather to share in the joy, and sorrow of lives lived in worshipful response to God throughout the week. We gather to catch a greater glimpse of who God is and be sent out allowing ‘joy to escape.’

Corporate worship reminds us that all of life is lived before the face of God. And we are invited to behold Him and be conformed more closely to His image in all of the moments which seem less than worshipful.

With every breath, with every nation, for every generation, for all eternity - worship is our lives responding to the beauty of our God and King.