Worship leader vs. Lead worshiper

I think we’ve all been in church services where we the music was so good that it was almost a concert. The singers were fantastic, the musicians were great. But as they lead, the worship services seem to be more of a music service or even a concert. If it is a performance; call it that, but what I am referring to here is a worship service.

Years ago a friend of mine was credited for the term “lead worshipper”. We all totally got what he was saying; we need less performers and more worshipers from our worship teams. The “music director” of the past not only needs to be a worship leader but they need to be a worshipper themselves; a ”lead worshiper”. I totally get that and certainly appreciate it. Worship leaders can’t take people to where he or she, haven’t been. I want a worship leader who has experienced God, still smelling of the aroma of God’s presence and not just telling me that I need to go there.

But as more found this to be true and lead worshipers continue to arise there is another issue that needs to be addressed; and that is “are you going to lead us into the presence of God or are you going alone”?

I’ve seen worship leaders who have been so consumed in the presence of God that they totally forgot that there was an entire crowd of people wanting to enter in as well. It appeared to me that these leaders had gone into the holy of holys alone. They move from song to song that might be flowing in their mind but the crowd is left behind not knowing what was taking place. “He sure looks like he is having a great time in God’s presence”. It was as though they were in their bedroom having a worship time with God, and I love that! Be a worshipper, but at the same time you need to be a “worship leader”, in other words; lead US into His presence as well. We may not know the song that is welling up in you that you are singing to the Father. There is a time and place for everything; there IS a time for each of us to be alone with the Father, to sing from the deep places of our heart, mind and experiences. But when a worship lead steps into the position of leading others they have a added responsibility; and that is to not only meet the Father, but to lead the people. Don’t forget that there are those who are looking to you to lead us not just watch you worship. There’s a beautiful balance between a

Lead worshipper; someone who is in the presence of God and a

Worship Leader; someone who is leading the people into the presence of God, a place that they themselves have been and are going again but this time taking everyone along with them.

I long for worship leaders who are familiar with the intimacy of God in worship but also know how to lead the people, the masses into that same place.