Presence

What the Lakers showed me about worship, part 2

If we hold a wider view of what a worship team is, we realize we’re on the team whether we are musical, technical, oratorial, hospitable, or running late to service. Not one single fan interviewed looked like a potential NBA player, but they came anyway and claimed their place in the organization’s 16th win. They might not have added to the final score, but they came with everything they had, ready to do things we need to do in corporate worship.

Be there

I’ve only been to one Laker game in person: Feb 2003, vs. Houston Rockets. That was a good game. Triple overtime finally ending in a Laker win. It didn’t matter we were in the second to the last row in the top tier of Staples Center…even watching the live broadcast of last Thursday’s game 7 win couldn’t compare to being there that night. (Thanks to my brother for inviting me and to his friends for giving us the tickets!) Same goes for the parade. It was nice to observe at home while chipping away at the task list, but the energy level wasn’t quite as high at home as I’m sure it was on Figueroa St. Watching from a distance just isn’t the same as being there.

Almost always, music is better in concert than on CD. So much more so when the music is for worship. There’s a tangible spiritual energy in the air that facilitates entry into a state of worship. This isn’t limited to music. The same is true with a really good message. Hearing it given live is not quite the same as listening to a podcast or watching streaming video. All of this can happen at home during personal times with the Lord, too, but there is something different about experiencing worship in community that just can’t be matched in solitude and vice versa. We need both.

Be all there

Laker fans are a pretty passionate bunch, some waiting overnight to catch a short glimpse of their “heroes” passing by in person. Even 15 miles away through the magical box in our living room, I could sense some of their excitement and anticipation. I rarely sense that on a Sunday morning…hopefully not for the people up front, but definitely for God. The burden is not all on the congregation, either! I have to confess I rarely bring that excitement and anticipation for God on a Sunday morning, even when our team is up. Instead, I bring coffee. It’s true, you can check.

An estimated 2 million showed up at the victory parade, and many more probably watched the live broadcast. None of them looked like they would rather be somewhere else. Knowing there would be crazy traffic when it was all over and getting out would take hours, many of them planned ahead and took the entire day off. They were prepared to be fully present. (I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the day of smart phones, people still conducted business during down times. Ain’t it great?!)

With the growing trend of interactive technology being employed during worship services and conferences, more people can get involved with what’s happening “on stage.” In some ways, this helps us to be more engaged in what God is doing, but those tools can also become a distraction. Don’t blame technology, though! Experience proves we don’t need those tools to be distracted in worship. Sometimes it’s the Holy Spirit speaking to us on a particular point, and that’s a great distraction! Unfortunately, it can also be a relationship in distress or an over-packed schedule that steals my attention. I don’t have a smart phone, but I do have pen and paper. It just looks like I’m intently taking notes on the sermon instead of updating my facebook status. (That’s what PowerBooks by the keyboard on stage are for!)¹  I’m there, but I’m not all there.

Some of my favorite times of worship have been while friends and I show up completely unprepared into our sanctuary to worship God when no one else is there. A handful of people in front of hundreds of empty chairs might look empty to the naked eye, but our worship during those times is just as full, and sometimes even more so because 100% of the people there are fully engaged in worshiping God.

Be ready to celebrate!

Imagine, though, if the same number of Laker fans that showed up at the victory parade came to your weekly worship service, just as passionately anticipating and excited about catching a glimpse of their Hero, not merely for a passing moment but as part of an extended multi-media² up-close-and-personal experience. Would we be ready? Would we panic about crowd control and maintaining order? Or would we allow ourselves to join the party and enjoy the growing momentum of worship? “Always be prepared” is a great rule of thumb for both Boy Scouts and church/event leaders. Nonetheless, wouldn’t it be nice to on some level throw caution to the wind (or to God) and ride the swelling wave of His worship? It will look different for each group and each setting, but their would be a common spirit identifying them as “worship.”

Even little details can express a lot. Our physical position during worship — whether sitting, standing, jumping, kneeling, hands raised, eyes closed, lying prostrate, or anything else — is not always an accurate representation of our heart’s worship, and that’s true. We can lift our hands, but our hearts and minds are on meetings scheduled that afternoon. I can sing a song I know “by heart” and mentally review my task list at the same time, especially when my eyes are closed. Sometimes I need to open my eyes to the words to help me focus more on what we’re expressing. Sometimes I need to stop singing to reign my thoughts back in. Presentation isn’t everything.

But intentionally positioning our bodies in different postures can facilitate worship from our heart.³ It’s hard to sing, “I lift my hands” and really mean it when your arms are folded in front of you. God has been challenging me over the last few years to, whenever I can, physically position myself to match the words I’m singing. Sometimes it’s awkward, and sometimes I just don’t feel like it, but when I obey, I am always more aware of His presence and pleasure.

Choose to be

It’s not all about the numbers, but the numbers do mean something beyond a tangible means of evaluation. As Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church points out, the numbers are important because each number represents a person. Not caring about numbers is tantamount to not caring about people and valuing programs more highly than people.⁴ A large group has a different energy level than a small group. Each worshiper is a person whom Jesus has rescued from the Enemy. There is no greater victory that has ever or will ever be won than the one Christ claimed over sin and death. There is no greater reason to celebrate! I want to be a part of that worship team. And the choice to join is all mine.

1. Totally joking! I learned that from a WATS workshop. I’m still not entirely sure what they’re doing up there on their Apples, but I can tell you what they’re not doing: checking email! That’s what their smart phones are for… [↩]
2. Not just in the technical sense, but also through multiple mediums of music, prayer, announcements, personal interaction, and exposition of Scripture. [↩]
3. I’ve also been wondering if physically rearranging our entire services differently would facilitate our worship. Rather than stage-facing-congregation, what if we positioned ourselves in a circle — or concentric circles, if it’s a really large group — with the musicians being a part of the round? Technologically, I’m not sure that would work with all our contemporary media, but I have ideas in my head. And with God, all things are possible. [↩]
4. He made this point during his talk at Catalyst West Coast, 2009. [↩]