- We don't operate within the same, 'normal' boundaries that most people do. Creativity should not have boundaries, so most of the time we don't give it any!
- When we get an idea to try something, or a direction we think we should go, it's difficult to change our minds. (Sometimes its downright impossible.)
- We're weird.
- We believe that art has a HUGE part of worship. When we don't get the opportunity to express ourselves through our form, we take it personally.
- We see and hear things in a different 'realm'. That isn't always the same as reality and that can really scare people.
- Have I mentioned that we're weird?
So here's what I would like to do. Finish the sentence from your perspective - Sr. Pastor or Artist -
- What I wish my Sr. Pastor/Artist understood about me is ...
What I want to do is gather the information and see if we can't put something together to help the church, small to large, get a better handle on this relationship in the church. Let's face it. If the relationship between the Sr. Pastor and the Lead Worshiper/Artist is NOT good, not much will be accomplished on Sunday's for the Kingdom of God. I don't like that scenario, do you?
Looking forward to hearing from you...
3 comments:
For me--it's probably the opposite--I'm the weird one and my worship leader is a little more structured and not quite as flexible. I'm much more comfortable with rolling with the flow [aka--moving of the Holy Spirit]. So, it's all about neither one of us closing our minds to what God just might want to do. So, what I would want my worship pastor to know is that we can change things up at the last minute if we feel God is moving in a different direction. I'd be good with that. That it's okay to do it differently. That I believe in what we are doing to reach the lost for Jesus.
As a Lead Pastor with a great set of artists around me, what I wish they understood about me is: 1) I want them to wildly succeed, both for the Kingdom and in the use and enjoyment of their gifts; 2) I feel pressure that you cannot understand when it comes to the overall direction of the ministry, and the outcome of worship services specifically. Not that you aren't smart or empathetic enough to understand, it's just not possible for anyone who is not in the Lead Pastor seat to know what it feels like. When I was on staff, I didn't get what the Senior Pastor was feeling at all. Now I do. You as an artist can feel deeply, risk greatly, and be way out on the skinny end of the branch and it's still not the same as what a Lead Pastor feels every day; 3) I love you and the gifts you bring more than I can express, and seeing you succeed is powerfully good medicine to my soul; and 4) I want to defend you against all the critics all the time, so make sure I know what you're doing and WHY YOU ARE DOING IT!! so I can defend you properly.
The thing I wish my pastor understood about the lead worshipper (artist) is that we struggle and pray over getting just the right songs with the right words out there to support the message. These words change the singer and using them in the message further links the worshipper to the message. Referencing the songs - using the lyrics in your message - not only validates our efforts to support God's message through your sermon, but captures the people that sang those words more deeply and involves them more completely.
Artists are weird. Worship leaders can be more extreme at times, but those that are there for the right reasons obsess about how to use our musical paintbrush to move people and open their hearts to God's message. Comedians note that they get people to laugh so they open their mouths so they can shove their ideas down our throats. Musicians use music to connect the head to the heart to take down the walls we all have, so the Spirit can reach people where they live. Drawing on the words the people have sung takes them just a bit further toward the openness we all seek.
As a semi-retired worship leader ;-), I get the pleasure of watching this by-play without being responsible for either end and sometimes I note a missed opportunity. But mostly I love watching God's people let down their guard and let the Spirit love them!
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