Challenging Worship
As a worship leader, I’m always looking for ways we can better our worship. While worship takes place in the heart, God wants to grow our faith inwardly and outwardly. Here are three ways to grow as we sing to God:
Loud and soft songs.
While some churches lean toward loud, anthemic music, others are more folksy, quiet, and contemplative. I think there can be room for both in a worship service. Varying the dynamics can create different opportunities for the congregation to participate, whether that’s singing loudly together or reflecting quietly.
Physical expressiveness.
This is something that has been on my agenda for a while: finding songs that create opportunities for clapping, raising hands, and other forms of physical expression. I think these moments can help the congregation engage with the music in a more active, participatory way.
A cappella singing.
This is probably the most challenging, but I think taking away the instruments for a song or a section of a song helps us really hear the congregation’s voices. Without the instruments, we are reminded that our voices are the main instrument in the worship service. It can be a simple but powerful way to emphasize that worship isn’t something the band does for the congregation, but it’s something we do together.
