I've been working on tomorrow's worship set for church for the better part of the week. It's been difficult. It usually is for different reasons. This time I can't seem to get straight what I want to say, how I want transitions to go, etc. It's all the stuff people don't really notice, but they don't notice because hours of prep go into it. You never notice when things go smoothly, but if I bumble through a few messy sentences you'll think, "He didn't really prepare this week, did he?"
As I was trying to figure out how to explain Advent, I thought, "Maybe I need to talk less and pray more." It seemed simple enough, and it gave me a sense of peace. I then started thinking about my leading style when it comes to worship, and I think there are several categories that leaders default to.
Teacher Leader - This type of leader likes to give small theological bits that help connect what they're doing with why they're doing it. Chances are you'll learn something new each time this person leads, whether you want to or not. Well, unless you already know what they're saying. But someone will likely learn something new.
Tour Guide Leader - This leader tells you how you're getting from point A to point F by mapping the way. "Today we're singing about God's grace, so we'll start with 'Your Grace is Enough,' because... and as our confession, 'Mercy and Grace' reminds us that even though we have God's grace, we still need it..." and so on. This type of worship leader seldom leaves the congregation feeling lost, but they may overdo the talking.
Praying Leader - This leader doesn't say much at all. They pray between songs, during songs, etc. Some are expert pray-ers, some stumble through but don't know what else to do. They're more comfortable talking with God than to the congregation, so they use that as their transitional medium.
Prophetic Leader - These at times seem more in heaven than on earth because of their heightened intuition of the Holy Spirit. They listen more than speak, and sometimes seem like they're off in the distance instead of on the platform; but when they come back, they normally have a powerful word to share.
Praising Leader - This leader is hyped up about God and wants you to be, too! They're excited about who God is and what God is doing, and their main goal is to bring you along.
Confessing/Weeping Leader - Every time this person leads, you wonder what horrible sin they committed before leading worship. They live in Psalm 51 crying out, "My sin is ever before me!" They argue with Paul that they are, in fact, the chief of sinners, not him. If you don't leave feeling guilty of something, you must've shown up right before the sermon.
Silent Leader - Most of these are untrained. I've experience mostly high schoolers in this realm. They stand in front, start a song, play it through (normally as written), finish the song, pause in awkward silence as they shuffle their music, start the next song, and repeat until the set is over. These leaders are usually willing to be coached, which is fantastic.
Overly-zealous Transitioning Leader - This leader makes transitions, but it's way too obvious to feel authentic. "I was talking to one of my buddies from work about religion, and he was like, 'What's different about your god?' and you know what I said? 'Our God / Is an awesome God! / He reigns...'" You know it when you hear it. Props for trying. The heart is there.
Narrative Leader - This leader will take one story or theme and work their way through it. For example, they may take a Psalm and attach songs to different verses, making it all the way through in a fresh way. Or perhaps they'll take a story like Jesus walking on water and convey different emotions and actions in the story as one set (fear, mystery, confidence, trust, etc.).
Which of these have you experienced?
Which types did I miss?
Do you find any are your favorite?
If you lead, what's your default? What could you try?
All other related thoughts are welcome.
2 comments:
Hmmm... I think there may be some other types of worship leaders, not counting all the hybrid leaders: praying teacher leader or confessing prophetic leaders, etc.
Soloist Leader = Sort of the front man (or woman, to be politically correct). It's the kind of style that is often used in Gospel music. Think Tye Tribbett. "Woo!"
Pay-No-Attention-to-the-Man-Behind-the-Curtain Leader = The opposite of the front man, this leader works from behind the scenes. My praise band director in college was like this. He was clearly in charge and leading us, but we were the visible ones.
Sidecar Leader = Think of this as a mentoring leader. They work alongside the person, training them as they lead.
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