Scripture:
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115:1
Reading:
I needed water softener salt. My town’s water can turn a black t-shirt charcoal gray in a single wash. A musician needs to protect his black t-shirts.
My wife needed some spices for something she was making. Two diverse items + one trip = Walmart.
Crud.
After getting the spices, I made my journey across the retail labyrinth to where I thought the salt should be. First mistake: thinking. I shoulda’ asked.
After something that resembled the children of Israel wandering in the desert, I finally found a human with a navy blue shirt and asked him to point me to Sinai, er, softener salt.
He said, “The Garden Center,” and went back to ignoring me.
The Garden Center…of course! How did I not make that connection? I actually can see my lawn and garden from the basement window next to my water softener, so I can’t believe I missed this one.
But seriously, it makes perfect sense for Walmart to stock their salt in the Garden Center. There’s plenty of room for Walmart to maneuver the heavy pallets in and out with forklifts and pallet jacks. The heavy duty shelving made for mulch and fertilizer are also an ideal place for Walmart to put the salt. It all makes sense. For Walmart.
How much do worship teams do for the worship team?
- Let’s stick with these songs because we know them.
- Let’s do a bunch of new songs because we’re bored.
- Let’s keep pushing the monitors hotter and hotter because we all need a bit “more me”.
- Let’s keep these music stands high and center so we can see the music. We just don’t have time to learn the song.
More brutal yet…how much do I, as the leader, do for me?
- This key is far more comfortable for me.
- Let’s pursue excellence. (Read: Don’t make me look bad)
- We need to do this song, it really moves me.
- Let’s just let her sing, because telling her the truth would make her (actually, me) uncomfortable.
The leader serves the worship team. The worship team serves the congregation. We all are there for God’s glory. Anything else and we’re putting softener salt in the Garden Center.
Discussion:
“How much do worship teams do for the worship team?” Do you think we’re guilty of any of those examples listed below that question? Which ones, and why do you think that?
What are some other things we’re doing “for the worship team” – for our comfort or convenience?
Which of these things are heart attitude issues for us, and which ones are simply poor habits or practices we’ve gotten into?
After reading Psalm 115:1, how do we rob God’s glory with these attitudes and practices?
What are some things we can do THIS WEEK to turn these behaviors and attitudes around? How about over the next few months?
Optional for the leader – discuss with the team some things that you’ve realized you’re doing “for you” and how you’re working on that. You may even want to open the discussion with that. Openness and vulnerability from you could open your team. Besides, our teams see our issues often before we do.
Prayer:
Not to us, Lord, but to Your Name be all glory.
Forgive us for what we do in Your Name to promote ourselves. We’ve tried to steal the glory due for you.
Forgive us for what we do in your name for our own comfort. We’ve missed the opportunity to serve and minister to others you’ve brought to us, robbing them of a chance to experience Your glory.
Father, thank you for your love and faithfulness that was displayed to us through Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, empower us to show Christ’s love and faithfulness as we lead in worship.
Question: What other topics would you like to see covered for worship team devotionals?
Note: This devotional is derived from the blog post, “Wal-Mart Worship, 1” and first was published at WorshipMinistryDevotionals.com
Stuck?
Learn how to level-up your team with this free video training.