In the middle of the 20th century a psychologist names Carl Rogers coined a term you may have heard of, "The Ideal Self." This is the ideal version of yourself, the person you want to be. When you "hit it," it feels like you are finally being the you that you were meant to be. This works in your financial life, your time management, your work performance, your role in your family, etc. And when you fall short of your "ideal self," you have to choose to give yourself a break of give yourself a hard time. It's an interesting filter, I believe, to think about becoming the person God crafted you to be. (Ephesians 2:10)
As worship leaders, we probably have a vague idea of what an "ideal worshiper" is. I'll share some of what I imagine that person to be. Let's call him William the worshiper. I'd guess it could be helpful for those of you who lead worship to do this exercise too. If you tike time to do it, I would LOVE to read yours. Send it over to RodEEllis@gmail.com.
WILLIAM THE WORSHIPER
Will is physically fit. He's not a body builder, but is able to enter into worship physically. Fully.
Will is intellectually engaged and honest. He isn't afraid to employ all of his intellect with vigor. He dials in to the sermon, of course, but also the lyrics, the scripture readings, the prayers, even the announcements!
Will is soulfully surrendered. He is humble to a fault according to those who know him best. He doesn't seek to get his way, his songs, his volume from the sound system, etc. His posture reflects that he lives his life on his knees. Open handed.
Will is emotionally tender. He has a soft heart toward the things of God, the movement of the Spirit. But he remembers well that his heart can be deceived, so he always runs his feelings through his mind. Will thinks with his heart and feels with his mind.
Will lives Jesus-centered. He loves the Trinity--even ponders that mystery often--but he really loves to walk the way of Jesus.
Will sings. I don't mean that he should audition for "The Voice," but that regardless of how his voice sounds, he will always sing. He simply can't help it.
Will worships daily. It's not that he attends church daily, but that he finds a way to worship. He knows that Sunday is both the launch of a new week, filled with possibilities, and the end of an old week, filled with a mix of obedience and sin. So he tells Jesus that he loves Him every day. He does this with his words in prayer. He does it by singing worship songs in the shower... or on his commute.
Will prays. He prays for his family, for his pastor, for his friends, and for the world.
Will loves the Bible. He doesn't have to make himself read it, he looks forward to reading it.
Will is generous. He gives faithfully, joyfully, and often beyond the scripturally required tithe. It's in his heart and reflected in his bank account.
Will is in an accountability relationship. He knows that the Sunday gathering is precious, and priceless, but that more is needed to stay faithful.
Now... with William the worshiper in mind, I'd like to toss out 3 questions for you today:
1) If you're not like Will--or your version of an ideal worshiper--what could you do to become more like him? What is your first, next step?
2) If you're not worshiping like Will, how can you expect those you lead to do it? (I know that's blunt; I don't mean it to be "judgy." I simply believe it is an important question... as represented effectively in the old movie Facing the Giants, "attitude reflect leadership.")
3) Did you notice how none of these descriptions have anything to do with musical-worship style? They are, however, rooted in scripture. Perhaps if we focus more on helping people worship like this, in a way that resonates with their hearts, we'd have fewer skirmishes over the minor issues of worship like when a song was written, what the accompaniment sounds like, or who stands in front to lead.
I hope this post is especially provocative. And I really would love to hear back from you! Leave a comment or shoot me a message.