For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen's University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt.

...and we're back!  Now with even more responsibility!  

A few weeks ago, I talked about the responsibility we have as songwriters and worship leaders to make sure that the lyrics are true, because people get most of their doctrine from songs.  Since then I've begun to understand even more about the role of a worship leader.  

Our job is to "creat[e] spaces for sensory connection"(1).  We are to find out where people are at, and help them to engage in relevant ways.  Worship is a shared experience.  When we express worship with a common voice in individual ways, we are reflecting God as Trinity.(1)  To do so, we need to ask the question, "how best can I plan this worship set so that we, in community, have a sense that we are doing this together?"(1)  

This is not an easy task.  Human beings have this tendency of being very dynamic...so when you get a group of people together, it is inevitable that they will all be in very different places.  My question for the worship leader is "How does one bring together such diversity in one place as an act of worship to God?" 

This is especially huge when we realize how big worship is.  

Worship is our reaction to God’s actions.(3)  

Worship is surrender to the King.

Worship is offering one’s whole life to God.(4)

Worship is letting go of our own desires and taking hold of His.

Worship is laughter that is not at someone else’s expense.

Worship is giving allegiance to the King.

Worship is obedience to God’s commands.

Worship is living the way we were made to live.

Worship is giving glory to God in every thing we do.(3)

Worship is reconciling relationships.

Worship is rejoicing with those who rejoice, and mourning with those who mourn.(4)

Worship is feeding the poor.

Worship is planting a garden.

Worship is praying for the sick.

Worship is introducing someone to Jesus.

Worship is turning the other cheek when someone hits you.(5)

Worship is singing God a song.  

Worship is eating a meal together.

Worship is enjoying God.(6)

Worship is choosing to confirm God's worth.

Worship is sacrificing ourselves to God because of His mercy in sacrificing Himself for us.  

Worship is continual transformation into the likeness of Christ.  It is embracing that we are made in God’s image, and walking in it.  

If this is what worship is, then leading corporate worship at church is such a small part of it.  

How far does the role or responsibility of a worship leader go?  Is it simply leading corporate worship on Sundays, or does it extend to working among the people, providing opportunity and resources for them to be worshiping in their personal daily lives?  At what point does our responsibility end?

Thoughts?

(1)Wilt, Dan.  The Nature of Worship, video.

(2)Ladd, Hilary.  Week 5 Discussion Question, e*b.  

(3)Morphew, Dennis.  Arrival of the King.

(4)Romans 12:1.

(5)Matthew 5:39, Luke 6:29.

(6)Lewis, C. S.  Reflections on the Psalms.