I attempt to live by the principle “any good decision requires front loaded sacrifice”. This sacrifice may includes time, money, labor, planning, patience... whatever. Without it, someone else decides the necessary sacrifice on the back end of a bad decision. Sacrifice always involves something I don’t want to give up. Jack Hayford writes, “The bite in worship presses in, calling for the sacrifice of everything in us that seeks to secure itself in humanly devised systems of thought and practice.” I recently asked a group of leaders if their most treasured systems of thought and practice had changed over the course of their ministry. Not surprisingly, some of the more seasoned leaders in the room candidly said yes, confessing more than one of their treasured approaches needed to be tweaked or even sacrificed altogether. We’ve all been there.
We step into ministry with the promises of God’s word and a vision for the local church. Inevitably, every leader becomes immersed in the struggle for the health of their churches spiritual life. Certainly corporate worship provides opportunity for this to thrive. One necessary hurdle is maintaining the delicate balance between controllable externals and worship’s purpose. The problem is—externals cannot change a single heart. That’s not to say they’re not important. Obviously, external tools like lighting, sound, musicianship, etc. are incredibly helpful and have a profound effect on the vision. But ultimately we realize people primarily need interaction with God not with us or what we’re producing on the platform, no matter how well done it may be.
Effectively leading congregations into God’s presence is an important dynamic. But what does God want to do, once we get there? This seems to be a more pressing question. I like what Worship Leader magazine columnist Mark Roberts said recently about church congregations. “If on their way home they’re talking about how great the music was or how great the sermon was, you have not been successful. If they’re talking about how great God is and how they’re going to live in response to God’s greatness, then… bingo!”
Be careful. Don’t let (seemingly harmless) “humanly devised systems of thought and practice” sneak in and stand in the way.
God is good,
Tim Covert
