Worship?

I cannot express enough how much I love what I get to do. Playing guitar is the place I feel most at home. I feel like I was wired to create sound with a guitar and I love doing it. I can sit for hours at a time just creating sound that sparks something inside of me.  However, the reason I love what we do so much is not because we simply play music but because of the power that is in worship. 

Worship is not just music, it is a lifestyle. As Christ followers, we are called to give our entire lives to him and do everything with our entire hearts as if it is for the Lord because it is (Colossians 3:23)! We have been given new life and the Spirit of God dwells in us. That should overflow and be expressed in everything we do day in and day out. Worship leaders are not just the musicians and vocalists that are on stage. They are the production volunteers, the lighting technicians, the audio technicians, the pastor, the door holders, the host team, the children’s volunteers, etc. Everyone that serves someone who walks in this building on a Sunday is a worship leader and has the opportunity to usher people in a direction to connect a little more closely with the Holy Spirit. What I love about playing guitar is that it is exactly what I have been wired for. I truly believe that I have been created at some level to create sound to help usher people into a place to worship. When I am playing on stage, I love seeing people abandon themselves in the presence of God. Some of the most powerful memories in my life have been in these times where the musical atmosphere is total awe, wonder and love for a God who loves us so much. There is so much power in the gathering of believers worshiping. We are called to submission and surrender before a God who is so good, loving, and worthy of our praise. This is why we hold a door, serve coffee, play guitar, etc. We do this because God is worthy and we want to help people see that He is worthy of their praise. The reason that every worship leader in this building should want to serve in their spot is because God is worthy of helping every person in this building and outside see His love for them a little more clearly. We are also called to give our best. We cannot diminish any one of our spots to anything less than helping people encounter the love and presence of a living God. If we view our worship like this, it changes a lot! This is why I value practice, preparation and a high level of execution in a song. I want to play that song with every fiber of my being and with my whole heart. If I am in the congregation on a Sunday, I want to sing with every fiber of my being because God is worthy and there is power in the truths of the lyrics that we sing. Let us view our production spots not simply as a volunteer opportunity but as a worship leader that has the power to help people see that God loves them and is worthy of their praise.

Hunter Scanlan