Conference: Bring Me a Minstrel
But now bring me a minstrel.” And it came about, when the minstrel played, the hand of the Lord came upon him. (2 Kings 3:15, NASB)
While the Church has moved into “seeker-sensitive” mode with lattes before services, thirty-minute sermons, and concert worship, it has lost the idea of ministering to the Lord. Yesterday at the conference, the sponsoring pastor did something that I haven’t seen a pastor do in close to 15 years. We sang a few worship songs and then he stood up to do a greeting and give some announcements. That was ordinary, but he said this:
The Lord gave me a revelation a few years ago about worship. As a preacher, I was not a worshipper. Preachers usually don’t worship, they just want to preach. So when the Lord dealt with me about worship, we changed it up. In our church, we sing a song or two and then give announcements. After that, we go back into worship and the speaker, whether it’s me or someone else, then takes the podium at the Lord’s direction.
So, after that, we headed right back into worship and it was glorious. 45 minutes passed like it was 5 and the anointing was tangible. When the guest preacher did take the podium, there was an air of God’s presence in the room and the service included the laying on of hands and prophecy, all of which was done in decency and in order.
I’ll take that over a latte any day.
It sounds like a similiar experience to our church sometimes. Our current teaching pastor used to be a worship leader, so he’s actually more comfortable worshiping than preaching. :) I too am wary of the 30-minutes-coffee-seeyanextSunday approach to church…on the other hand, I know God can use that kind of experiene in profound ways as well if the leadership is really seeking God and the people are hungry.
I prefer the lax schedule and Spirit-soaked atmosphere myself. :)
Chet and Jared, thanks for the comments.
One of the ministers in this conference said that the Body may be turning the corner to more Holy Ghost preaching. I hope that he’s right and I plan to be right in the middle of it. Off to the meeting.
Worship beats coffee anyday and is so sweet it doesn’t need cream and sugar. Great word.
Do you mind telling what church and pastor that was?
When we shift the paradigm regarding worship, we will see a genuine revival in our churches. Worship takes the emphasis off of the church and what it can offer and puts it back on the One worthy to receive all of it.
So happy to find your site. I followed the link from Chet Swearingen’s blog.
Cala, thanks for the comment.
A pastor friend of mine told the story that he left one of his services with a kind of unsettled feeling. He went to the Lord in prayer about it and he said that he was directed to bring back some of the old songs into worship, those about the blood and about redemption. He did so and now worship has taken on another dimension.
We’ll do much better if we have the same focus as the Early Church: Jesus’s resurrection and present ministry.
Thanks again.