The Work of the People

The word liturgy comes from the Greek words for people and work. A leitourgos in ancient Greece was a public servant. Today, we use liturgy to describe the form and mechanics of our worship. The connection from the root meaning is that liturgy is the work of the people. Too often, it seems to me, we fall into the trap of approaching worship as if it were just like most anything else we might attend in a group, i.e. a form of entertainment. Granted, this is a performance that is intentionally more inspiring than typical entertainment, but it is too easy to approach it as a consumer instead of a participant. So, if we were to compare worship to a performance (remembering that liturgy is the work of the people) we need to be clear that all the congregants are performers, with the preacher, musicians, singers, etc. as perhaps lead performers, but still part of the cast. This means that the congregation is not the audience appreciating the performance, but rather is “performing” worship for God, who is the audience.

So, every worship service is your opportunity to participate in a royal command performance for the ultimate royalty! Do you ever feel that way during worship? As a worship leader, all I can do is provide the opportunity for each congregant to offer praise; I cannot worship God as a proxy for someone else. I struggle to do my best week in and week out to offer the best vehicle for worship that I can muster. Interestingly, it is often the sermon that I think is substandard that delivers just the right message to enhance someone’s worship experience. While I greatly appreciate the compliments I receive about my sermons, I always strive to keep the focus on God and not me. The vital truth about worship is that it doesn’t hinge on the performance of the leaders. Thus, a stinker of a sermon or an off-key anthem should not become an obstacle to praising and worshipping God.
Another limitation I face as a worship leader is that I cannot make anyone worship. You can sit in the pew for an hour and never once offer God your praise. I’ll never know it, your fellow congregants will never know, but you and God will know it! And I don’t mean to make anyone feel guilty. Indeed, I want just the opposite; I want to invite everyone to a deeper, richer experience of God in worship. Yes, it is risky; you will need to be vulnerable. A truly moving worship will likely mean that others might see you cry…or cry out in joy! Now, that won’t happen every time, but if you don’t allow yourself to be open and vulnerable it will never happen.

The Holy Spirit can and will move among us, invigorating and empowering us through our worship if we will allow it. I hope that you are willing to allow that. And you have your first chance to try it on Sunday…and every Sunday that follows.