Worship Leaders vs. Lead Worshipers

This is in response to a question posed about defining worship leaders vs. lead worshipers.

I would say that people can be real technical with terminology, but to me worship leaders are the ones involved in organizing, planning, praying over, and initiating (inviting the H.S.) the worship in a service (not speaking specifically the music portion of the service, mind you). An example would be a worship pastor, praise team, lead vocalist, etc. A lead worshiper however could be one of the pre-mentioned or a lay person of the congregation who helps to motivate those around them or one who can maybe set an example of worship. I would include choir members into this category. When I was in high school I always wanted to be a part of the praise team: the group that weekly led worship from the stage. But now that I look back I realize I had the role of a lead worshiper. I always sat in the front (as did most youth) and did not hold back my physical or emotional reaction to God's moving. I could not help it...i just got into it. It was fun and I felt close to God. Worship through song, especially helped me to feel close to God because of the passions and gifts that He instilled in me. I think one must be careful as there may be a fine line between "showing off" or playing a part vs. leading my example. I was not concerned with what others were thinking nor would I insist someone react physically the same way that I did. The Psalms tell us to shout, dance, and sing for joy...so DO IT! But I think as a younger person who was willing to connect so quickly and to fully engage myself helped others not be intimidated to worship the way that they felt led. I think my energy as a lead worshiper was contagious to others to encourage the "worship experience." All this to say...we were still fairly calm baptist worshipers. :)

I Worship God When I Serve Him!

“I worship God when I serve Him!” With a main point this week of serving God, we found ourselves in the book of Luke. In chapter 7, verses 36-50 Jesus was anointed by a sinful woman at Bethany. Simon had invited Jesus to come to his home to eat. While there, a woman who was known as a sinner and was looked down upon in the town entered the room and knelt at Jesus’ feet and began putting perfume on his feet wiping them dry with her hair. Of course, my first reaction to this, living in the generation that I do, is GROSS! She cleaned his FEET with PERFUME and her HAIR. Now this Pharisee, a bit arrogant and pious must have thought something similar and could not believe a prophet would allow such a woman to “clean” his feet. As I place myself in that cultural context, I realize that his feet did not merely smell of old spice and have stray hairs attached because of her own hair used as a towel. A few things that strike me is that she didn’t just use water, which was cheaper, she didn’t anoint his head, which would have been cleaner, and she dried his feet with all that she had and what was probably precious to her: her hair. When we think of serving, do we automatically think, “go big or go home” or do we do the minimum. This woman definitely demonstrated humility in her service, which is a factor I believe we forget sometimes. I hope many parents are reading this article because students can learn a lot of attributes about Christ while at church, but until they see their parents modeling and demonstrating service, audiation may never develop into realization. Don’t just teach your kids to serve, but show them how through your own service, but don’t just use cheap water, with clean and disposable objects…Go big!

Acting Out World Change: Change through Fighting

For the girls:

Acting Out World Change: Change through Fighting

I Draw Close

How do you draw close to God? Do you ever feel like there are times where if you don't draw close to Him you will bust? If you don't...let me encourage you to chase Him until you have that feeling! I am fiddling around with a new song about drawing close to God. The first few lines are "I draw close, closer than ever now, I need You, Lord to show up some how." I think I've come to the realization in the last few years that in order to be closer to God, I am the one who has to move. God is constant, He never faulters, He doesn't go anywhere, it is us that stray away from Him. Our pastor has been preaching a sermon series about suffering. I have been reflecting about this idea a lot lately and have realized many things, but what I want for you to consider is that when we find ourselves in the midst of trouble or danger, we hopefully will have the right mind to cry out to God for help and for Him to draw near. This is what we were commanded to do...check out James 5:13, "Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray." We should pray to God to voice our concerns (and continuing in James we find where we should pray for one another). But maybe after you pray, you should move. Move to His Word. Move to His teachings. Move to His praises. Move to His people. Draw close to Him...it may not be easy, but He will in turn "draw near" to you.

James 4:7-8 - "Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!"

The kids in Kid's Connect learned this week about prayer and about how to listen in prayer. Their Bible verse was Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." This week, whether your suffering and struggling, or just complacent and living life, find some time to be still, listen, and begin to draw close to God...and don't be surprised if you have to move. :)

"I draw close, closer than ever now
I need You, Lord, to show up somehow

You stand still, yet are ever moving
We fall short, yet you keep on giving

'Let my cry reach You oh Lord
Let my plea reach You
My lips pour out praise to You
My tongue sings of Your promise'

'May Your hand be ready, Lord
for I have chosen You
I long for Your salvation, Lord
Let me live and praise...'

You sent Your Son
to die on a cross
to pay for sin
and save those who are lost

Now we are Yours to live by Your word
We stand affirmed, here now to serve"

Praise first and feel it later...

I Worship When I Sing to Him!

What an awesome week this has been! This week in Kid’s Connect we learned about how we worship God when we sing to Him. The kids found the book of Exodus in their Bibles and we read about Moses breaking into song after freeing the Israelites and swallowing the Egyptian army into the Red Sea. [Check out Exodus 15!] Or check out the Psalms, which continually encourage us to “sing for joy,” and “sing a new song!” [Check out the Kid’s Connect Memory Verse this week, Psalm 33:1 and keep reading through verse 3!] The Lord loves music and He loves it when we sing to Him. God doesn’t care about what your voice sounds like. Singing is an overflow of your spirit and the Lord encourages that overflow! I know there are many times in life when we just don’t feel like singing. Sometimes we just want to sit in His presence quietly. There is definitely a place for that; there are times to “…be still and know.” But check out another story about two men named Paul and Silas. In Acts chapter 16 they have been stripped, beaten with rods and thrown in jail with their feet secured in chains. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but I have a feeling Paul and Silas felt pretty miserable and in lots of pain at this point! Romans are not known for being wimpy floggers! But in verse 25, probably only a few short hours later, they were praying and singing hymns. You know they were still in pain…do you really think they felt like singing? NO! Of course not, but they knew that God was with them regardless of the storm they were currently roughing and they chose to praise God through singing anyway. Beth Moore says it best when she says, “praise first and feel it later.” You may walk into church on Sunday morning and not really dig the music or maybe you just don’t feel like you’re in the mood to sing, but when you obey the scriptures that say to pray and to praise (to SING!) even when you’ve been FLOGGED, friends, you will feel the spirit move and the Lord will be pleased with your worship to Him. So I challenge you this week, sing to Him! Pop in some worshipful music in your car and have a family sing-a-long. Lock the door to your bedroom and sing scripture to Him. (The Psalms are great for that!) And what I have found is that when you sing out louder in a congregational setting, others are willing to sing out a little more, too. Have a great week, but if you’re not…keep singing!

Praising first,

Jordan

I'm so excited & I just can't hide it!

Welcome friends!
You have just entered the blogspot of an excited college student who is actively pursuing spiritual growth for himself as well as kids, youth, and adults of CrossRoads Fellowship. Please continue to stop by and visit to see what's going on with Kids Connect, the upcoming 20-somethings Bible study, VBS, Kid University, and more! I hope that through these visits, you will be encouraged, challenged, entertained, and enticed to invest in the lives of others and your local church...

talk to you soon!