Ok. So you have been asked to create a song set to lead people in worship this week. Where do you start?
Each week, the job of selecting songs falls to one person or a team. It’s a significant responsibility that no one should take lightly, and yet, if we are leading worship, we can be confident that God will lead us too. Whether you select songs as a team, as a single lead person, or maybe even lead songs that someone else has chosen for you (which I find personally, somewhat difficult), the choosing and leading remains a challenge .
If you have the privilege and responsibility of selecting songs that take people on a journey in worship, there are so many varied aspects to consider that the task may seem quite daunting. And after all, most of you are “volunteers” and have other responsibilities like work, family and friends. So to all those who embrace this task week in and week out, on behalf of all pastors (of which I am one) a huge THANK YOU!!
Let me give you some preliminary thoughts that might not just facilitate your preparation, but inject you with confidence as your prepare.
- Begin your preparation early in the week. Everyone has their own way of choosing songs – some pick their personal favourites, some arbitrarily wait till the night before, and some believe in waiting for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as the service begins!! Remember – The Holy Spirit speaks all the time, so on that basis…
- Trust what you hear. If you find yourself whistling a tune (preferably a worship tune and not some catchy jingle or TV ad), or singing a song and it won’t go away, write it down. It might just be God putting that song into your spirit. Trust it.
- Listen as you do devotionals. Is there a theme that God is showing as you listen through reading His word, being still in prayer, or as you’re simply driving along the road.
- Be aware of where your church is at. Worship songs should, if possible, reflect the journey of the whole body. It may be a theme your church is going through a sermon series or topic, but try to have your finger on the pulse of what God is doing amongst His people.
- Write down a list of possible songs – a large list – from which you can cull the ones you sense that won’t be helpful for the people. This can feel arbitrary, but again, trust the process. I will often go through every song on the list each time I lead (our list is about 30 songs give or take).
- Worship through the songs yourself during the week in your own worship times. This will help you flow with the list, and to determine exactly what stays, goes, or remains in the mix till the final choosing. The songs are more than a list on a piece of paper. They can reflect the journey you sense God wants to take His people on.
There is so much more to consider when selecting songs. It’s not always cut and dried, and there are many factors that go together to make a service transformative.
Next time, I will consider what I believe is the most important song to select in any given service.
Let us know what your frustrations are in selecting songs or what your process is.
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