When IT is Just Not There

Some days we lead out from a place of commitment and expectancy. Not necessarily to God, but to the position we've been called to.

Yesterday was one of those days for me, sadly. And I couldn't put my finger on what exactly the distraction was. I may have still been thinking of my 19 year old dog I had to put down Friday. I may have been thinking about the impact the billboards are having in our community and in our church family. I may have been concentrating too much on the new/former drummer that was playing for the first time in 3 years.

Either way, I was not all together there. And I didn't know it until I really got into the worship set. Just couldn't 'feel' IT. (IT is that sense that you're connecting to God, the body, the team, and everything is pointing to real worship of the King! Everything just seems to make sense and work to create a place of true, genuine worsihp.)

So what do you do in those moments? How do you still lead when IT is not where you want it to be?

You let your team lead and you let the congregation lead you.

Your Team:

• You spend hours and hours teaching and developing your teams each month. If we, as the lead worshippers, don't allow our teams to take the point once in a while, it will become more about YOU leading the worship instead of the team leading worship. If it ever becomes 'Karl' focused worship, that will be my last day. Our team did a great job yesterday of taking the point, even without them knowing they did. But because we practice leading out in different segments and in different ways, it was natural and comfortable for them to do it.

The congregation:

• Let them sing out and lead YOU once in a while. As the lead worshipper, you don't always have to sing for or to them. Let them take the lead and worship from their hearts. It's an amazing feeling and sound when the congregation grabs hold of a song and raises the roof in praise and worship to the King! Encourage them to do it. They know how...so let them! When we don't have the IT factor going on for whatever reason, let them minister to you and thank God that you have a church family that can bring it for the King.

I don't know when I'll fully understand what the issue(s) was on Sunday. I'll talk with Dad about it and hopefully, if it's His will, He'll let me know. I am just thankful that I am surrounded by some incredibly talented, gifted and humble people who know how to keep the worship moving in the right direction - even if I'm off a bit.

Keep leading and keep learning for Him...and tell your teams that you appreciate them and all they do for God each and every week. That's what I'll be doing today!

See ya in church...