A reflection on worship as one who now sits in the pew!!

 A reflection on worship as one who now sits in the pew.

Sitting in a congregation these past two years I have been struck afresh by how important it is for the person leading worship to inhabit what they are doing. I mean, not just going through the motions or reading a script, as well thought out as it might be.

When a pianist plays they can do so technically correct but that does not mean it conveys feeling or emotion that moves the listener. The musician needs to inhabit the music they play to then provoke within an audience the emotional connection and response.

When a leader of worship preaches or prays they equally need to inhabit the sermon or prayers like a good musician. They need to connect with the congregation.

A really good tv newscaster has the ability to look at the camera and make it feel like they are looking just at you, and are talking to you personally, they inhabit the role. The leader of worship seeks to do the same but in a different context. This does not mean I am looking for a performer, far from it. Rather it is looking for authenticity. My granddad used to say of a preacher ‘“they have the unction” by which he meant they were called to preach/lead worship and the Holy Spirit was upon them and spoke through them.

 

What I have observed in recent times are some priests and ministers who read the prayers but don’t pray them. They give a sermon but it’s like reading an essay. They tick off what they think they should say. I note some treat a congregation at times as having no prior knowledge, and as a consequence, spend a lot of time just repeating the scripture readings which have been read in the service. In so doing everything take place in a vacuum. It’s as if the world we live in has no relation to worship or vice versa. It must be the Methodist in me but surely what we preach must be applicable to the life we live, and the life we live must be the grit upon which we work out what God is saying and doing today.

I am of course biased. I know as I write this reflection that often in worship someone finds something important within the worship when I have not been moved. It’s not neat and tidy when leading a congregation in worship. 

But as I have sat in congregations over the months since retirement I can sense when people have switched off and are not engaging. Interesting to see that from a fresh perspective.

When it comes to worship I am hoping that the individual leading has taken the time to craft quality worship. That they trust God will take all aspects of the service prepared and move people with God’s presence. 

Worship should in my view give us a sense of the other, of one who is unknowable, mysterious and so create a sense of awe and wonder. Yet at the same time allow us to discover afresh how God has made and continues to make known a love for us that is very real, concrete or as we might say incarnate. This is a fine balance and requires diligent preparation. Such preparation will allow for a leader of worship themselves to be so moved that they can adapt their worship as something God given prompts them to do so. In other words you don’t try to wing worship it is to be prepared thoroughly. But the very fact you are prepared allows you the freedom to adapt with the creative movement of the Holy Spirit. 

This creativity or lack of creativity is seen often in prayers. Some people like written prayers others like them to be extemporary. There is a danger in both. In the former they can just be read in a repetitious way without meaning, while the latter can just be a ramble, a shopping list with favourite words. Neither helps the congregation to be aware they are in the presence of God who wants to hear what we have to say. Or they can be prayed with an authentic voice as the one who has prepared the written prayers has carefully crafted the words to pick up the themes of the service and link them to the needs of congregation and world as lived. I would argue that prepared extemporary prayers can have the same effect. The one leading has prepared in their heart and mind what they feel led to say. Their words may not be written down but they flow and so enable  a congregation to connect and get behind them making the prayers their prayers as well.

So I find myself still adjusting to being in the congregation trying not to be critical but aware I have expectations which sometimes are met and at others times not. Having led just a few services these past two years and so having the time to prepare thoroughly I have enjoyed doing so all the more. For me now less is more and I have no intention of getting back on the treadmill of services every Sunday. I just wish some preachers could recognise that as well!!!!