The Worship Leader Trap Nobody Talks About

The Worship Leader Trap Nobody Talks About ![rw-book-cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kUZd6yOacok/maxresdefault.jpg) 🔗 **Source:** [The Worship Leader Trap Nobody Talks About](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUZd6yOacok) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [worship-leadership, church-culture, authenticity] > author: [MISSING] > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUZd6yOacok > date created: 2024-12-28 14:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: The Worship Leader Trap Nobody Talks About >  ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Evaluate current movement expectations vs authenticity — church culture assessment #worship - [H2] Incorporate lament elements into worship sets — balance joy and sorrow #ministry - [H3] Practice stillness and musical breathing space — 30-second pauses #leadership ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [The Worship Leader Trap Nobody Talks About](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUZd6yOacok) ## 📝 Summary - A worship coach challenges the cultural expectation that worship leaders must be highly animated and emotionally demonstrative to be effective - The Western church has emphasized joyful, upbeat worship while largely ignoring biblical themes of lament and sorrow - Authenticity matters more than performance - worship leaders should serve their congregation's spiritual needs rather than conform to social media trends - Both stillness and movement can be appropriate expressions of worship leadership - The ultimate goal is shepherding the congregation, not creating a performance ## 📖 Main Content The speaker, an experienced worship leader and coach, addresses what he sees as a cultural trap affecting modern worship leadership. In the age of social media, there's subtle pressure for worship leaders to be visually engaging - dancing, moving, and displaying obvious emotion. This creates an unspoken success metric where animated worship is considered more spiritual or effective than stillness. However, this perspective ignores significant portions of Scripture. While the Psalms do contain passages about dancing and celebration, they contain far more content about lament, sorrow, and wrestling with difficult circumstances. The Western church has "cherry-picked" the joyful elements while avoiding the harder emotional terrain that many congregants actually experience. The speaker argues that authenticity should trump performance. Some worship leaders are naturally expressive, others are naturally contemplative, and both can effectively shepherd their congregations. The key is serving the spiritual needs of the people rather than conforming to expectations created by viral worship videos. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=0) — [H1] The Movement Expectation Trap - Key idea: Social media creates pressure for worship leaders to be highly animated - Evidence: "Most of the videos that we see today definitely favor the side of dancing moving around a lot" #### ⏱️ [02:30](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=150) — [H2] Success Metrics Problem - Key idea: Congregations rarely praise stillness but often praise energetic worship - Evidence: "Man like worship pastor Bill was really going for it today... versus Bill was just standing still. It was so awesome" #### ⏱️ [04:45](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=285) — [H3] Be Yourself Foundation - Key idea: Authenticity must come before technique or performance expectations - Evidence: "You do not have to move as a worship leader to be successful" #### ⏱️ [07:20](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=440) — [H2] Coaching vs Conformity - Key idea: Some leaders need help being comfortable, not help being someone else - Evidence: Story of pastor saying worship leader was "a dud" but really they were scared #### ⏱️ [10:15](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=615) — [H1] The Cherry-Picking Problem - Key idea: Western churches focus on joyful Psalms while ignoring lament - Evidence: "The Psalms also talk about lamenting and sorrow and trial and miry pits" #### ⏱️ [12:45](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=765) — [H2] Congregational Disconnect - Key idea: Happy worship may not connect with people experiencing real pain - Evidence: "Their son just died of cancer... and we think the remedy is to be dancing" #### ⏱️ [15:30](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=930) — [H3] John Piper's Balance - Key idea: Worship should reflect "sorrowful yet always rejoicing" - Evidence: "I want you to lead them in such a way where there is sorrow but always rejoicing" #### ⏱️ [17:10](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=1030) — [H2] The Charade Problem - Key idea: Congregants may see through forced happiness - Evidence: "Have they seen through the charade... when nothing in them is chipper?" #### ⏱️ [19:45](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=1185) — [H3] CCLI Song Analysis - Key idea: Popular worship songs spend minimal time in lament - Evidence: "Very few spend more than 30 seconds per song in a space of lament" #### ⏱️ [22:20](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=1340) — [H1] Be Still and Know - Key idea: Stillness in worship demonstrates reverence, not passivity - Evidence: "Psalm 46 says 'Be still and know that I'm God'" #### ⏱️ [24:15](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=1455) — [H2] Musical Breathing Space - Key idea: Worship sets need moments of silence and musical space - Evidence: "Can we just stop singing and just let music play for 30 seconds?" #### ⏱️ [26:30](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=1590) — [H3] Heart vs Appearance - Key idea: God values internal authenticity over external performance - Evidence: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at your heart" #### ⏱️ [28:45](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=1725) — [H2] Serving Your Context - Key idea: Worship leaders must work within their church's culture while staying authentic - Evidence: "You are choosing to serve at that church... you're choosing to be in a culture like that" #### ⏱️ [31:20](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=1880) — [H1] Shepherding Through Worship - Key idea: Leading worship is a pastoral act, not just musical performance - Evidence: "Every single Sunday when you get up for 25 minutes... you're pastoring them" ## 📚 References - [Psalm 46:10 - Be Still and Know](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2046%3A10&version=NIV) - [1 Samuel 16:7 - Heart vs Appearance](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2016%3A7&version=NIV) - [John Piper - Sorrowful Yet Always Rejoicing](https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/sorrowful-yet-always-rejoicing) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Modern worship culture pressures leaders to be visually animated and emotionally demonstrative, creating false success metrics based on movement and energy rather than authentic ministry - The Western church has over-emphasized joyful worship expressions while neglecting the significant biblical tradition of lament, potentially disconnecting from congregants experiencing real pain and struggle - Effective worship leadership requires authenticity over performance, serving the congregation's spiritual needs within appropriate cultural contexts rather than conforming to social media expectations ## 📰 Newsletter **Finding Authenticity in Worship Leadership** Hey worship leaders and ministry friends! 👋 This week I came across a thought-provoking discussion about the subtle pressures facing modern worship leaders. In our Instagram-driven culture, there's an unspoken expectation that effective worship leadership must look energetic and emotionally expressive. But here's the challenge: authentic worship leadership isn't about performance metrics. Some of the most powerful worship moments happen in stillness, reflection, and even lament - expressions that rarely go viral but deeply minister to hurting hearts. **Key Takeaway:** Your congregation needs you to be authentically you, not a copy of trending worship videos. Whether you're naturally expressive or contemplative, both can effectively shepherd people into God's presence. **This Week:** Try incorporating 30 seconds of musical space in your next worship set. Let the music breathe without singing or speaking. Notice how your congregation responds to this moment of "be still and know." Resources: [Worship Leader Training](https://learn.wordpress.org/), [Church Tech Resources](https://developer.wordpress.org/), [Ministry Tools](https://wp-cli.org/) ## ✅ Action Items #### Community - Facilitate discussions about authentic worship expression in local worship leader networks - Create mentorship programs pairing experienced leaders with those struggling with performance pressure - Develop resources addressing the balance between joy and lament in corporate worship #### WordPress - Training: Develop lesson plans for worship ministry that address authenticity vs performance pressure - Community: Create safe spaces for worship leaders to discuss cultural pressures and expectations - Documentation: Build resource libraries covering biblical foundations of diverse worship expressions #### The WPCC - Programs: Fellowship opportunities for ministry leaders navigating cultural authenticity challenges - Projects: Documentation of healthy worship culture practices across diverse communities ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Churches that incorporate lament and contemplative elements see increased congregational engagement from people experiencing difficult life circumstances - Worship leaders who prioritize authenticity over performance create more psychologically safe worship environments - Congregations respond positively to musical breathing space and moments of intentional silence during worship sets - Training programs addressing authenticity reduce burnout rates among worship leaders ### 📊 Methodology - Survey congregants about their preferences for worship leadership styles and emotional authenticity - Longitudinal study tracking worship leader satisfaction and burnout across different cultural expectations - Analysis of CCLI song content measuring time spent in various emotional/spiritual themes ### ❓ Questions - How can worship leaders balance authentic expression with serving their congregation's cultural context? - What practical steps help congregations embrace both celebration and lament in corporate worship? - How do generational differences affect expectations around worship leadership authenticity? ### 🔮 Future Research - Comprehensive analysis of biblical worship expressions beyond commonly cited passages - Cross-cultural study of worship leadership expectations across different church traditions - Development of training curricula addressing performance pressure in ministry leadership ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Worship leaders need permission and tools to express authentic worship styles - Policy: Churches may need to examine their unspoken cultural expectations around worship performance - Education: Seminary and ministry training should address social media pressure and authenticity - Community: Worship leader networks need safe spaces to discuss cultural pressures and expectations ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 10th Grade (accessible to most church leaders) #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Video format with speaker visible - Improve: Infographics comparing biblical worship expressions, visual examples of different leadership styles #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Podcast-style delivery, conversational tone - Improve: Audio-only version, discussion questions for small groups #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear definitions, biblical analogies, practical examples - Improve: Study guide with key terms, discussion prompts for ministry teams #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Practical suggestions like 30-second silence exercise - Improve: Workshop activities, role-playing scenarios, practice sessions #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Biblical framework, cause-and-effect analysis of cultural trends - Improve: Decision trees for handling cultural pressure, metrics for authentic leadership #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Stories from coaching relationships, community examples - Improve: Small group discussion guides, peer mentoring frameworks #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Personal reflection prompts, individual authenticity assessment - Improve: Journaling exercises, self-evaluation rubrics #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Biblical imagery, organic growth analogies - Improve: Seasonal worship planning, creation-based worship examples ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure, descriptive content - Improve: Transcript with speaker identification, audio descriptions #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard YouTube player accessibility - Improve: Chapter markers, skip navigation options #### Contrast and readability - Present: Standard video player interface - Improve: High contrast transcript option, adjustable text size #### Media and captions - Present: Audio content available - Improve: Accurate captions, downloadable transcript #### Standards reference - Meets WCAG 2.2 AA for video content with proper captions and transcripts ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Focuses on Western church context - Improve: Include perspectives from global worship traditions, diverse cultural expressions #### Inclusive language - Present: Generally inclusive, avoids exclusionary terms - Improve: Address accessibility needs in worship leadership, neurodiversity considerations #### Representation - Present: Male worship leader perspective - Improve: Include diverse gender, age, and cultural perspectives on worship leadership #### Psychological safety - Present: Creates permission for authentic expression - Improve: Address specific challenges faced by marginalized worship leaders ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: Biblical foundation supports authenticity argument - Inductive strength: Personal coaching experience provides evidence base - Analogical strength: Artist development parallels effectively illustrate growth process #### Fallacies - False dichotomy: Occasionally presents movement vs stillness as either/or rather than both/and - Anecdotal evidence: Relies heavily on personal coaching stories without broader data #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Conversational, pastoral, non-judgmental while challenging cultural norms ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: No denial patterns present - Attack: No attacks on individuals, gentle critique of systemic cultural issues - Reverse victim/offender: Not applicable - Emotional cues: Authentic pastoral concern, desire for healthy ministry culture ## 🎯 Conclusion The core message challenges worship leaders to prioritize authenticity over performance, recognizing that both energetic and contemplative leadership styles can effectively shepherd congregations. The speaker calls for a more balanced approach to worship that includes both celebration and lament, reflecting the full range of human spiritual experience found in Scripture. Ultimately, worship leadership is a pastoral act requiring genuine care for congregational spiritual needs rather than conformity to trending performance expectations. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad Purpose: Stage CEE units that become Literature notes. Split level: H3 ### [H1] Authentic worship leadership trumps performance expectations > [!quote] [The Worship Leader Trap Nobody Talks About](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUZd6yOacok) by an unnamed author via [[YouTube]]. Published 2024. Accessed 2024-12-28. > "You do not have to move as a worship leader to be successful." Challenges cultural pressure for animated worship leadership performance. [view highlight](https://youtu.be/kUZd6yOacok?t=285#H1) #xref #articleseed ID:rw_authentic_worship ### [H2] Western churches cherry- --- ## Full Transcript [00:00] Hey guys, welcome into another episode [00:02] talking to my worship leader friends [00:04] today. Again, feel free to keep [00:05] listening if you're not a worship leader [00:06] because it's going to be a very [00:08] interesting topic that we're going to [00:09] talk about. And it is the reality of as [00:11] a worship leader standing on a platform [00:15] in your congregation. There might be 25 [00:18] people in the room on a Sunday. There [00:19] might be 25,000 in the people uh people [00:21] in the room on a Sunday. And I want to [00:24] specifically look at something that um [00:26] I've been wrestling with for quite some [00:28] time in this this Tik Tok YouTube age [00:30] where you you're seeing worse Peters all [00:31] the time. And I want to bring um kind of [00:34] a point of of clarity, maybe a different [00:36] angle of the prism, if you will, than we [00:37] than we normally see and normally talk [00:39] about. It is this. Should a worship [00:42] leader who's leading that set, how [00:46] boisterous and moving and you know with [00:49] their hands and dancing and all that [00:51] kind of stuff, how much movement do they [00:55] have to have [00:56] verse just standing there and letting [01:00] the chips fall as they will. Okay, so we [01:03] live again in a day and age where [01:05] everything is videoed, everything is [01:06] posted on YouTube or Tik Tok or [01:08] Instagram. We're constantly seeing [01:10] videos and um in my summation most of [01:14] the videos that we see today um [01:16] definitely favor the side of you know um [01:20] dancing moving around a lot um you know [01:23] kind of going crazy is what we want and [01:25] if you're not careful that can subtly [01:27] become the success metric is like man [01:29] like uh worship pastor Bill was really [01:32] going for it today man he was really [01:33] feeling the spirit um and it's less on [01:37] the side of like man, you know, like [01:39] Bill was just standing still. It was so [01:42] awesome. I just loved it. He was just [01:43] standing there like a rock. It was just [01:45] so beautiful. Like, you're probably not [01:47] going to hear that stated by one of your [01:49] congregants, right? So, what what is [01:51] what is the goal? What what should we do [01:53] as worship leaders? Is there one is [01:55] better than the other? Is there one, [01:57] dare I even say, that is biblical, more [01:59] biblical than the other? Um what's the [02:01] point of a Sunday morning congregational [02:03] expression? again, whether it's 25 [02:05] people, you can be in a home group, like [02:07] you you know, it doesn't have to be um [02:09] at a in even a church building, like [02:10] what what do you do as a worship leader? [02:13] What makes you um successful? Is there a [02:15] success? Now, obviously, if you're [02:16] listening to this, you're like, "No, [02:17] there's not." And of course, the first [02:18] thing that we go to is be yourself. Hey [02:21] guys, sorry to interrupt. We'll get you [02:23] back to the episode here in just one [02:24] minute. I'm hosting a conference here in [02:27] Kansas City for 3 days this March 2026 [02:30] for creatives and entrepreneurs. It's [02:33] called Creative Legacy. This is the [02:34] fourth year that I'm hosting this event. [02:36] It's going to be an incredible, [02:37] incredible time. Uh you can get all the [02:39] information at the QR code on your [02:41] screen if you're watching this or go to [02:42] creativeleacy.org. [02:44] It is March 19th through 21st, 2026 here [02:47] in Kansas City. Would love to see you [02:49] there. Right? So, and that that is a [02:51] great place to start, but I'm going to [02:52] look at a couple other things a little [02:53] bit deeper here in a moment. But the [02:55] first and foremost thing is you have to [02:57] be yourself. And everyone has this thing [02:59] called a personality. Okay? And um if [03:03] you're anything like me and a lot of [03:04] different worship leaders that I coach, [03:05] I coach hundreds of worship leaders and [03:07] creatives um most times worship leaders [03:10] or creatives or artists or whatever, one [03:13] of the biggest wrestles that they face [03:15] that one of the biggest humps they have [03:16] to get over is not wanting to be like [03:20] everyone else because this painter, this [03:22] dancer, this worship leader, this [03:23] songwriter is successful. So I should [03:25] probably look like them to be [03:26] successful, right? And there's, you [03:28] know, as a young artist, there's [03:29] something to be said for that. I'm not [03:31] saying that's evil or you know whatever [03:33] that's that's beautiful that's great [03:34] like and I think a lot of artists even [03:36] um you know you you replicate and then [03:38] it becomes your own right and you can [03:39] even look at his history different guys [03:41] like Van Gogh and you know different [03:42] ones who who did that with their masters [03:44] of the day they just sought to replicate [03:46] and then they became to have their own [03:48] craft right as a as a painter or [03:49] sculptor and so that that's a it's not [03:52] an evil thing it's not a bad thing but [03:54] at the end of the day um a a true artist [03:56] or creative and you know it if you if [03:59] you crossed over where it's like you [04:01] what um it's not that you don't care in [04:04] the sense of word like I don't care but [04:06] you you don't care in a freeing [04:09] beautiful way and you say that's how [04:12] that person again I'm I'm h I'm [04:14] hyperfocusing on worship leading [04:16] specifically in local churches um right [04:18] now I'm not talking about any other [04:19] other sphere of artists right now so [04:22] those are the uh analogies and examples [04:24] I'm going to give where you can stand um [04:27] or sit in your home group at your [04:29] college campus leading a at or on a a [04:31] stage of 10,000 people and I am going to [04:34] do what what I feel in my heart to do [04:37] and that might be like man like there's [04:39] so much joy in my heart right now I'm [04:41] going to just dance and like spin around [04:43] and go crazy that is beautiful but it [04:46] also might be you know what I feel so [04:48] much joy in my heart and I don't really [04:50] want to move I just want to stand here [04:52] stock still strumming my guitar with my [04:55] eyes closed right and and I believe both [04:57] of those things are are beautiful so you [04:59] do not have to move as a worship leader [05:02] to be successful. I just want to say [05:03] that really really clearly. You do not [05:06] have to move around as a worship leader [05:08] to be successful. And some somewhere [05:10] along the line, we picked up the lie [05:11] that that you do if you're not jumping, [05:13] swaying, waving your arms, uh visibly [05:16] emoting on stage that you're not really [05:18] leading a congregation. And guys, that's [05:20] that's just not true. Okay. Now, are [05:23] there like practical things like if [05:25] you're a preacher and you just talk like [05:27] this the whole entire time? John chapter [05:29] 1 verse one, in the beginning was the [05:31] word and the word was with God. The word [05:32] was God and you know in him was life. [05:35] Maybe there's like some practical things [05:37] called voice inflection you could use as [05:39] a preacher to you know allow your [05:42] congregation to receive from your [05:43] preaching a little bit more. You know [05:45] there's practical things you can do. I'm [05:47] not saying as a worship leaders like I [05:49] listen to a podcast from a guy who said [05:51] I can just you know do whatever I want [05:52] to do and so I'm going to look like a [05:53] bum on a log or whatever. Um, but [05:55] there's, you know, there's the reality [05:56] of like there's who you are, who you [05:58] got, who God made you to be, and then [06:00] there's, okay, who am I serving in this [06:02] context? So, okay, God's made me to be a [06:05] preacher. That's amazing, man. I preach [06:07] on the street corner. That's amazing, [06:08] man. I love that. You want to be a [06:10] pastor of local congregation. Let's get [06:13] you a couple of like just really simple, [06:16] practical things to teach you as a [06:18] preacher to do it a little bit better, [06:20] to be a little bit more wellreceived by [06:22] the congregation. Okay. So, the same [06:24] applies um for worship leaders. So, I [06:27] don't think you should take a here's how [06:29] to jump class or here's how to sway [06:31] class, but you know, I've worked with [06:33] different warpers in the past where [06:34] their pastor actually hired me uh you [06:37] know, to to watch the web stream and to [06:38] to watch them and say, you know, I just [06:40] feel like they're just a dud literally, [06:42] this is a true story, just like a dud on [06:45] stage and I need more for my [06:46] congregation. And I was like, okay, like [06:48] what what what what's more? or like do [06:50] you want to I'm not going to name names [06:51] but do you want it to be like this [06:52] person or this person whatever like no [06:53] no I don't want them to be any of those [06:55] things I just want them to be them and I [06:57] feel like they're not them and I was [06:58] like okay so I then I went to the worst [07:00] hey are you you on stage do you feel [07:02] peaceful and the truth was they didn't [07:05] they were incredibly scared of just [07:08] moving around even a little bit felt [07:09] like they were going to show off or felt [07:11] like they were going to you know look [07:12] funny or whatever and um you know body [07:14] type comes in comes into this uh you're [07:16] wearing a guitar you're not wearing a [07:18] guitar you're at a piano like there's [07:19] all kinds of different practical things [07:20] that come into this. And so as we began [07:22] to kind, you know, dissect the situation [07:24] with this worship leader and then I'd go [07:25] back to the pastor and we'd work on it [07:26] and then next Sunday we work on next [07:28] Sunday we work on it, whatever. There [07:29] began to just become like a even just a [07:31] simple, you know, sway in the leader [07:34] that just become like, man, he feels [07:36] comfortable now. Whereas before, you [07:38] know, just like this, like, you know, [07:40] it's like you're you're clenched and [07:42] tensed and it's like, man, you're going [07:43] to like pass out. Your knees are locked, [07:44] right, for your whole 25 minute set. So [07:47] um be yourself absolutely but there is a [07:50] a realm and a world in which coaching [07:53] needs to take place. Now that coaching [07:57] yes and I know tons of pastors and [07:59] worship leaders who've heard this from [08:00] their pastors where they bring out these [08:02] the statements from the Psalms. Psalms [08:04] talk about banners, flags, dancing, [08:08] singing, rejoicing, clapping. Okay, it's [08:11] all in the Psalms, right? So and I [08:12] understand we've all taught the class. [08:14] We've all been in the class where it's [08:15] like the seven ways to praise, right? [08:17] And I love that. I love that. That's [08:19] that's beautiful. Um, but that's very [08:22] very one-sided. Okay? So, again, I'm not [08:24] against people doing that. That's [08:25] beautiful. Look at the Psalms as to how [08:26] to become a worshship leader. Beautiful. [08:28] But I ask you to look at the Psalms in [08:30] their entirety. And this is a big chasm [08:33] I want to bring out that the Western [08:35] church here in America has really, in my [08:37] opinion, gone one side on. And it's [08:40] focused on all the joyful things. Um, [08:43] and I get it. Like in one sense I get [08:45] it, in one sense I don't. And um, you [08:48] know, I've even talked about this in [08:49] some of my recent podcast with some of [08:50] my guests like, well, we want people to [08:52] come to church and and and be happy [08:54] because life is so so horrible. It's [08:56] like we we need happiness like the one [08:58] place they can be happy, you know, and [09:01] um and I understand the desire for that. [09:03] But in that desire and of course [09:05] jumping, dancing, smiles, laughing as a [09:08] worship leader means happy. But I asked [09:11] this question and I ask it sincerely and [09:12] honestly. The Psalms also talk about the [09:16] way more actually. They talk about [09:18] lamenting and sorrow and trial and miry [09:24] pits that we are in. Right? And so we [09:27] don't talk a lot about that. Like no [09:29] pastor I've ever known, no worer has [09:31] ever heard this from their pastor. I [09:33] just want people to be very solemn [09:36] Sunday to know that life is fragile and [09:39] they could die at any moment. Are they [09:41] going to go to heaven or hell? I've not [09:43] heard a pastor coach their worship [09:44] leader, you know, to be that way as as a [09:46] worship leader. It's like, hey, pump [09:48] them up. We want to be happy. You know, [09:51] again, I love this sacrifice of praise. [09:53] Well, whether you feel it or not, raise [09:54] your hands because we want them to know [09:55] a sacrifice of praises. Whether you feel [09:57] it or not, you're going to ah by God, he [09:59] God is God is good. Oh, he's so good. [10:01] And my question is this, not that that's [10:03] bad, but in our pendulum swinging way to [10:06] that side, have you actually, pastor, [10:10] worship leader, have you actually lost [10:13] 80 to 90% of your congregation? And are [10:16] they actually thinking that is not real? [10:21] That might not be real. Not because [10:23] they're judging you and saying you dance [10:25] funny, you're probably a faker. not [10:26] that. But because their life experience [10:30] isn't like that, that they come into [10:34] church, their son just died of cancer. [10:39] The woman just got a notification from [10:41] her lawyer that the husband's filing for [10:43] divorce. They just lost their job. And [10:47] we think the remedy to that is to be, [10:49] you know, um John Piper gave this [10:51] amazing sermon called sorrowful yet [10:53] always rejoicing. Quoting the the [10:55] Apostle Paul, sorrowful. And he John was [10:57] actually talking to his worship team [10:59] saying, "I want you to lead them in such [11:01] a way where there is sorrow but always [11:04] rejoicing." What does sorrow but always [11:07] rejoicing look like on a Sunday morning? [11:10] It may not look like we're going to [11:12] dance our way, you know, until we feel [11:15] the joy of God. And I I'm asking this [11:19] sincerely and honestly, have many of our [11:21] congregants seen through [11:24] um not that anyone's intended to be a [11:26] charade, but have have they seen through [11:29] the charade and they're putting up with [11:30] 25 minutes of, you know, happy golucky [11:33] chipperess [11:35] when nothing in them is chipper? when [11:38] all they're longing for is a song about [11:41] lament, you know, and and most of the [11:44] songs on the CCLI top 100 or whatever, [11:46] very very few of them spend more than 30 [11:49] seconds per song in a in a space of [11:51] lament. We might lament for the first 30 [11:53] seconds that we were so dead, but by [11:55] verse two, we're alive in Christ. By the [11:56] bridge, we're building it up and the [11:57] chorus is like Jesus blood. Like, I love [12:00] that. And again, like guys, I write [12:02] songs. I'm in this space, okay? I'm not [12:04] demonizing that. I'm not saying that's [12:05] bad. Um, and there's a beauty to, you [12:08] know, to drawing people out of that and [12:10] into, hey, let's get our our minds on [12:12] truth here, right, through this [12:13] beautiful song. And and I love that. But [12:15] I'm I'm simply posing a question to say [12:18] it's not a a right or wrong type of [12:21] thing. And the pendulum is way over here [12:25] where we're telling worship leaders, [12:27] pastors are saying, "Got to be 150 BPM. [12:31] Got to be happy. We're rejoicing people. [12:33] by God, we're going to rejoice. I just [12:36] don't think that's how uh the human [12:38] psyche works. Again, I'm all for, you [12:40] know, shocking the the shocking yourself [12:44] back into truth and be like, man, what's [12:46] been what's wrong with I had a horrible [12:47] afternoon. I was in a funk at work. You [12:49] come home, you're like, man, I have like [12:50] a spouse and kids or I I I can put food [12:53] on the table or, you know, I get to go [12:54] on a walk in a beautiful day. Why why am [12:56] I feel so garbage today? Like, what's [12:57] going on? Right? That that, you know, [12:59] shock gets gets us out of our funk, [13:01] right? And can songs see do that on [13:03] Sunday morning? Absolutely. But you know [13:04] what else can do that? Looking at a [13:06] mountain, going on a walk, having a dog, [13:10] having a spouse, having a close friend [13:11] who's, you know, loving on you or just [13:14] kind to you or whatever, right? And so, [13:16] um, there is not a success for this is [13:19] the way that it's done. Even though in [13:22] Western church, we want to be smiley. We [13:24] want to keep our eyes open and and, you [13:26] know, make eye contact with the the the [13:28] the congregation. [13:30] And I just think a lot of these people [13:32] over here in the congregation are like, [13:35] I don't feel that way. I don't want to [13:36] make eye contact with you. And it's not [13:38] even that I'm necessarily depressed, but [13:40] maybe when I come into church and see [13:42] this like smiley chipperness, it's just [13:44] harder for me to like kind of become [13:46] smiley and chipper because I don't [13:47] that's not how I am when I'm when I'm [13:49] chipper, right? And so, uh, again, I'm [13:52] not posing some like perfect here's how [13:55] it should be. I'm simply posing problems [13:57] that I see. I think that the pendle [13:59] needs to swing uh just a little bit. [14:01] Again, so many of the psalms talk about [14:05] sorrow and being in a lamenting place. [14:07] So, if you want to look at the the song [14:08] book that's withtood thousands of years, [14:11] well, we're just pretty much [14:12] cherrypicking all the happy golucky [14:14] things to make CCLI type songs. And it's [14:16] like, is that really like what we want [14:18] to be doing? Again, major over overly [14:20] exaggerated statement. I I've never once [14:22] thought I've written dozens of songs [14:24] from the Psalms. I've never once thought [14:26] I'm cherry-picking a verse. Like, so [14:27] that's probably a wrong way to say it, [14:29] but you get you get the the heart of [14:30] what I'm saying. Psalm 46 says, "Be [14:33] still and know that I'm God." I I did a [14:35] post on socials the other day. U just [14:37] like, man, as worship leaders, can we [14:39] just like stop singing and just let [14:42] music play for like 30 sec like for 30 [14:45] seconds? Worship leaders, try this next [14:48] time you lead Wednesday night or Sunday [14:49] morning for 30 seconds of just music and [14:52] you're not looking around. What's what's [14:55] the congregation doing? you're like [14:56] focused on the Lord. Maybe your electric [14:58] player, your keys player is just kind of [15:00] playing a melody line. The whole band's [15:02] playing and let the music breathe. Let [15:05] the set just breathe. We don't always [15:08] have to be just like, you know, God, we [15:10] look to you or God, we do this or like [15:12] um be still and know that I'm God. [15:15] Stillness isn't passivity. It's [15:18] reverence, right? It says, God, you [15:21] don't need me to do nothing but be [15:24] present. Right? [15:25] where we need worship leaders who have [15:27] that kind of reverence for God and they [15:30] trust that God is in the room in each [15:33] person by the Holy Spirit, but at the [15:35] corporate uh encounter level, God is [15:38] there. You don't have to coax God into [15:41] doing something, right? Again, I'm all [15:43] for prayer. I'm all for acknowledging [15:44] him. Again, don't don't hear what I'm [15:46] not saying. I'm trying not to like [15:47] pigeon hole myself in like this one [15:49] little thing because this this is a vast [15:50] issue, okay? This is a very very vast [15:52] issue. a big Bible verse. Um, 1st Samuel [15:56] 16:7. You know this verse if you've been [15:57] a Christian more than a week. Man looks [16:00] at the outward appearance, but the Lord [16:03] looks at your heart. Okay? Now, again, [16:07] this isn't like a license for you to go [16:08] tell your pastor, "Hey, I heard a [16:10] podcast from a guy who's been worshiping [16:11] for 25 years, and he said, "I can just [16:13] do whatever I want, just be still, and [16:14] it's all good." Like, no. There's a [16:16] reality of if you're a worship pastor at [16:19] a church, paid or not paid, you are [16:20] choosing to serve at that church. And so [16:22] if that pastor, if that pastor say, [16:24] "Hey, I need you to smile more. Hey, [16:26] need you to have four singers up front. [16:28] I want him like looking out to the [16:30] congregation and just, you know, being [16:31] whatever." You are choosing to be there. [16:34] Okay? You're choosing to be in a culture [16:36] like that. I'm not saying it's a even a [16:38] bad culture or an evil culture. It's not [16:39] the culture that I uh want to be a part [16:41] of. Um but you're choosing to be there. [16:43] So you can't go in demonizing the very [16:46] culture, even if they're not paying you. [16:48] You're choosing to lead on that stage. [16:50] Okay. um go find a different church [16:52] that's like doesn't you know uh want to [16:55] look at that right um but at the end of [16:57] the day whether you're off and guys I've [16:59] lifted my hands in worship so many times [17:02] when I don't feel it I'm not performing [17:04] I'm I'm offering a sacrifice of praise [17:07] I'm doing Romans chapter 12 offer your [17:09] body as a living sacrifice holy and [17:12] acceptable pleasing to God [17:14] um this is the worship that that my [17:17] heart is seeking to give right so I'm [17:19] not just saying like I don't feel like [17:20] dancing not going to dance. There are [17:22] times when when you begin to dance to [17:24] say, you know what, I'm going to break [17:25] off this funk that I'm in and remember [17:28] the joy of my salvation, restored to me [17:30] the joy of my salvation. And that [17:31] happens through action. So, I'm not I'm [17:33] not encouraging inaction necessarily. [17:35] I'm simply trying to swing the pendulum [17:37] and make us think just a little bit more [17:40] about, you know, worship pastor to 50 [17:42] member church. You're 16, eight years [17:44] old and what you see on YouTube. Like, [17:46] you don't have to be that. That does not [17:48] make it, you know, successful. Be true [17:50] to who you are. Be true to what your [17:53] pastor uh is asking you to serve in the [17:55] way of your congregation. But try and [17:57] remember that the the holisticness, if I [17:59] could use that term in this context, the [18:01] holistic reality of of being a worship [18:04] leader, a worship pastor, and pastoring [18:05] a congregation, [18:07] um you're not just pastoring them when [18:09] you preach, guys. Every single Sunday [18:10] when you get up for 25 minutes to to to [18:13] lead a set, you're pastoring them. [18:15] You're shephering them in more ways than [18:17] you're even aware of. And I just think a [18:19] lot of people would be shepherded and [18:20] pastored if we brought it back to this [18:22] reality of not just having, you know, a [18:24] lament song or a lament moment for like [18:27] 30 seconds, but actually like staying in [18:30] this place of of unrest. It's like, man, [18:33] I'm used to always feeling joyful at [18:34] church. And you know, and again, I [18:36] understand why pastors want it to be [18:37] that way. Pastors will even just say, [18:39] I'm not I'm not here to make you feel [18:41] bad, but you know, it's what the Bible [18:42] says. It's like, okay, I love that. But [18:44] let's be clear, like there's a lot of [18:46] things that that happen and and it's [18:48] okay for us to like wrestle with God, [18:50] right? Um Jesus led from a place of [18:52] stillness. Matthew chapter 26, the last [18:54] supper, he's sang a hymn with his [18:55] disciples. Um Elijah heard a whisper in [18:58] the wind. I could go on. Uh so many [19:00] lament psalms um we could look at and [19:02] talk about. You can just Google that or [19:03] find those on your own. Um and again, [19:05] there are tons of praise psalms as well, [19:08] but there are way more lament type [19:10] songs. Psalms than there are ones that [19:13] tell you just to to dance and leap for [19:15] joy. And so again, my heart in doing [19:17] this podcast is not to to cause [19:19] division. It is to cause conversation to [19:22] happen. And maybe you're like, "Dude, [19:23] you're you're just out of touch. You're [19:24] thinking way too much." Great. Just turn [19:26] this podcast off and go do your thing. I [19:28] bless you. That is awesome. But I I [19:30] coach and work with a lot of worship [19:31] leaders and a lot of local pastors at at [19:33] churches. And um I think there's just [19:36] some some dialing in, some honing in of [19:39] the realities that we've given ourselves [19:40] to. maybe just unknowingly where it's [19:42] like, well, we need to dance. We need to [19:43] do this. We need to do this. It's like, [19:44] well, let's step back. Is that actually [19:46] serving our congregation uh the best way [19:49] that we possibly can?  [[3. Resources/Readwise/Full Document Contents/Articles/The Worship Leader Trap Nobody Talks About|Full Document Contents]] ## Highlights - Hey guys, welcome into another episode talking to my worship leader friends today. Again, feel free to keep listening if you're not a worship leader because it's going to be a very interesting topic that we're going to talk about. And it is the reality of as a worship leader standing on a platform in your congregation. There might be 25 people in the room on a Sunday. There might be 25,000 in the people uh people in the room on a Sunday. And I want to specifically look at something that um I've been wrestling with for quite some time in this this Tik Tok YouTube age ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kfxg0ncscbptvq0qawk1m8cc)) - Tags: 👻 ai highlighted - word and the word was with God. The word was God and you know in him was life. Maybe there's like some practical things called voice inflection you could use as a preacher to you know allow your congregation to receive from your preaching a little bit more. You know there's practical things you can do. I'm not saying as a worship leaders like I listen to a podcast from a guy who said I can just you know do whatever I want to do and so I'm going to look like a bum on a log or whatever. Um, but there's, you know, there's the reality of like there's who you are, who you got, who God made you to be, and then ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kfxg0ndhsxtq7pabdebn8d2b)) - Tags: 👻 ai highlighted - congregation and just, you know, being whatever." You are choosing to be there. Okay? You're choosing to be in a culture like that. I'm not saying it's a even a bad culture or an evil culture. It's not the culture that I uh want to be a part of. Um but you're choosing to be there. So you can't go in demonizing the very culture, even if they're not paying you. You're choosing to lead on that stage. Okay. um go find a different church that's like doesn't you know uh want to look at that right um but at the end of the day whether you're off and guys I've lifted my hands in worship so many times ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kfxg0nfg97ka98fd9jv3jygm)) - Tags: 👻 ai highlighted - happens through action. So, I'm not I'm not encouraging inaction necessarily. I'm simply trying to swing the pendulum and make us think just a little bit more about, you know, worship pastor to 50 member church. You're 16, eight years old and what you see on YouTube. Like, you don't have to be that. That does not make it, you know, successful. Be true to who you are. Be true to what your pastor uh is asking you to serve in the way of your congregation. But try and remember that the the holisticness, if I could use that term in this context, the ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kfxg0njjs6w2v0fj641b8rza)) - Tags: 👻 ai highlighted