I went into this thing expecting an awesome time of worship and a good workshop where I would get some good info and go home. Wow…was I wrong….
On Monday Night Kim lead incredible worship. I was amazed at how easy it was for her to get lost in the Presence of God.
Tuesday morning however was the major killer for me. God messed with my heart for an hour and a half of Kim teaching. Here are the highlights I walked away with:
1. At one point Kim had joined the School of Ministry at Bethel and no one there knew she sang and she was going to audition for a Worship Team and the Lord told her not to audition, not to even tell anyone she could sing and anytime she tried to sing around people she couldn’t! The Lord told her she had found her identity in her gift and he was taking it for a while to give her time to find her identity in Him and not her voice.
That struck me. While she was talking about that experience I immediately started panicking thinking, “Maybe God will take my voice away! What will I do without it?!”
The Lord showed me that I am way to secure in my gift as a singer and not secure enough in my identity as a His Child. This blew me away! Until that moment I thought I was secure in God, but in a moment God showed me where my identity truly was hiding-in my voice and singing ability.
After the session I was able to talk with Kim for a few minutes and she encouraged me (and I encourage you) to really begin to seek Gods heart out. When we realize how much GOD LOVES US, then we can find our security in Him. Its when we fall in love with God that we find our identity in Him. Seek Gods heart out! God has a “Sierra Shaped” hole in in heart where I fit! Its amazing!
2. As a Worship Leader its not about your connection with the “crowd” during worship, but your connection with God! You connect with God and bring them with you as you connect with God!
CONNECTION! ITS ALL ABOUT CONNECTION WITH GOD!
If we make it about the people then our focus if off, if we as Worship Leaders are focused on “me and God” first and foremost and our connection from Heaven to earth then that is what we are accountable for. I’m not accountable to God if the people just stand there and don’t respond to the Holy Spirit moving. I’m responsible to worship until the Presence and Glory of God shows up and lead the people with me into the Presence of God! That’s my job as a leader. Its not my job to try and force people to sing, dance, clap, etc. Its not my job to bring hype to a service and try and make it this emotional experience that is only an inch deep. I would rather have the Glory of God manifested and the Presence of the Holy Spirit present in such a way that we are in awe and adoration and going deep deep deep!!!
I desire to see the Church get to the place that there is no need for Hype! As a Worship Leader we shouldn’t have to hype the Church into Worship! We shouldn’t have to stand there and say, “Press in! Press in!” etc etc.