Link reblogged from *audrey assad* with 117 notes
*audrey assad*: Religion is not a dirty word. →
Sorry for the nerdity that is about to ensue, but I was homeschooled and I can make fun of myself for it, so bear with me. :)
I like the English language, and I respect it enough to be frustrated by words being used wrong by giant numbers of people, so I’m taking a stand on behalf of the word…
Source: audreyassad
Taken From Worship Leader Magazine…
Worship Leader’s Mythbusting
The top five myths and taboos of the worship service:
1. You must not perform otherwise it’s a concert.
Technically a worship team performs every time they play for people. The way that you perform will elicit a response from those watching. You are also performing for God. How excellent would you strive to be if you were performing for the President of the United States? God deserves much more than any human figure.
2. The overall worship experience of the leader is the same as the people in the congregation.
One of the ways that a worship leader should be worshiping God, is by being a skilled leader. It is similar to the idea that the host of a party has a different experience from someone attending. Always be aware of your guests’ needs, and the experience they are having in the worship journey.
3. Church is not entertaining or entertainment.
To entertain is to hold the attention of someone. Church is certainly more than mere entertainment, but any person trying to get any other person’s attention must entertain. God added music to delight, which is the biblical equivalent to entertainment.
4. Any noise is a joyful noise.
From the stage, this can be a distraction. Anything that draws attention away from God can become an idol. This doesn’t mean that God will smite us if we hit a wrong note, but we should rehearse and strive to become as transparent as possible from the platform.
5. Sound check is a rehearsal.
The sound check is not where you decide the songs or choose to rehearse them. It is a time to check the sound that you have already rehearsed. The proper use of a sound check makes the term “sound check” make much more sense.
Northern Beaches 29 May 2011. Photos taken by Ps Brenden Brown. I look like I don’t have eyes.
So tomorrow marks my first time as the main worship leader at Hillsong Northern Beaches Extension. Have I prepared? Why yes of course. Do I feel ready? Yes, and No.
Leading people into the presence of God is something you can never fully prepare for. There’s so many things I can be intimidated by. The largely non-Asian congregation (hey I’m being honest here), the fact that it is a Hillsong platform (yes I’ll admit, it gets to me), the fact that I’m not that great at all, and of course the fact that one of the worship leaders/songwriters whom I greatly admired as I was just getting into the whole worship deal is actually playing bass on my team. What an honour, but also so flippin’ scary.
Part of me wonders, what am I doing here? Why am I on this platform? Why don’t I just get out of the way and let others who are way more gifted than me just do this? Why me?
I can ask all the questions. I can look for the all the answers. I will find some. Others, I will never find. It doesn’t change the fact that I am where I am, called to do what I am called to do.
I’ll concede that I’ll never be ready. And I have to be alright with that. For He is able.
In everything, I’m just seeking to know Him, and to make Him known. 
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