Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. Exodus 3:1-3
For over four decades my congregational viewpoint was from the platform. Week after week I stood there attempting to proclaim a word from the Lord. Even when I sat on the front pew waiting for my time to lead in worship, I was still in platform mode. I guess it goes with the territory of being a preacher.
However over the last year, my vantage point has changed. I now sit in a pew. As the months have progressed, I’ve tried to pay attention to what was going on around me and inside me. Although nothing as spectacular as a burning bush took place, I do think the Lord has shown me some things as I’ve taken the time to turn aside and think about them. Here are just a few of my observations.
I have to be intentional about focusing on God in worship and not on evaluating it.
When Moses saw that a bush was burning but not being consumed by the flames, he turned aside to see the great sight. In that moment he wasn’t so much focused on what was happening as he was on why it was happening. That act of turning aside opened the door for him to encounter God.
After so many years of being responsible for the planning and leading of worship, its easy for me to get in critique mode. Was the sermon the right length? Engaging? Biblical grounded? Impactful? Was the music connected to the theme? Did the multi-media keep pace with the singing? Were the words spelled correctly? Was the sound mix balanced? Did the musicians stay on pitch? On it goes.
But I am not there to evaluate. I am there to meet God. That was true even when I was on the platform. But it doesn’t happen automatically at least for me. My task is to have an open heart to whatever God might have for me that day and respond accordingly. While worship leaders do have to pay attention to the issues I mentioned previously, they must never become consumed by them. They too are there to have an encounter with the living God. The same is the case for all worshipers.
God has something for me in worship each week that may or may not be the same for others.
Many messages in the Bible are for a wide audience. However, when God spoke to Moses, it wasn’t just a general theological message that could apply to any number of people. It was a specific message for Moses. He was being called to lead the people out of bondage.
As a proponent of thematic worship, I always hoped that the congregation would get something out of the service that was somehow related to the theme of the day. While that certainly did happen, I was always struck by how something that seemed more on the periphery spoke to people. In some cases it was a line from a song or a phrase from a prayer. In other cases it was a minor point in the sermon or even something intangible that spoke to them. Whatever it was God was at work speaking to His people the word that they each needed to hear.
In these last few months I’ve found myself struck by a phrase in a sermon or a particular song that was presented. Sometimes I just had the sense that God was present and was being honored in the moment. Certainly, there have been many things that spoke to the congregation as a whole, but I’m learning to pay attention to the specific thing that God has for me. It enriches the experience for me.
I have my worship preferences but God is met in worship in many different ways.
With all due respect to Henry Blackaby and Experiencing God, there are no other people in the Bible who had a burning bush experience other than Moses. Likewise, only Paul met the Lord on the road to Damascus. Only the unnamed woman in Samaria was transformed at a well. I could go on, but I think you get the point. God is not limited to one way of operating. Nor is worship limited to one correct way.
During the first six months of my retirement, my pew was the recliner in my house due to Covid concerns. Week after week I participated with several churches in a variety of different approaches to worship. While some of them were more to my liking than others, I can honestly say that in most cases it seemed that the people were having genuine connections with God. This reminds me that I don’t need to impose my worship preferences on the congregation I’m attending. The people around me are connecting with God. I need to engage with them to see what God has for me.
I am very grateful for worship leaders who plan and direct worship each week.
As the years progressed, there were many occasions when Moses attempted to help God’s people encounter and serve Him with greater commitment. Sometimes they were faithful, but many times they weren’t. Nevertheless, Moses tried. Even in his imperfections his desire was to turn the hearts of the people toward God. I hope they appreciated his efforts.
The time of corporate worship is central to the life of a congregation, and it is dependent on the dedicated efforts of worship leaders who labor to plan and direct it each week. Having been in that role for over four decades, I know what’s involved in making it happen. It is a monumental responsibility.
In these last months of sitting in a pew, I have found myself grateful for the efforts of those who are now planning and leading on my behalf. What they are doing matters supremely. I pray for them and desire to encourage them as much as possible. I hope that all of God’s people will do the same.