By Gary Anthony
I am a worship leader. I plan and lead worship for a living.
I take my calling to this task very seriously. I believe it is an awesome responsibility to lead others to the foot of the throne of the Great High King.
With that said, I would like to let you in on a secret: I don’t just pick my favorite songs on Sunday so you’ll sing what I want to hear.
I have come to the conclusion that many believe that I simply pick the songs that I like on Sunday morning. The reality is that I pick songs that I believe speak in the midst of the worship experience. Yes, I do like them. But it’s more than just singing a few songs.
Worship is a whole conversation, an experience tied from the beginning to the end. Sadly, many people who show up on a Sunday morning miss the conversation.
As a worship leader, I want to ask you, as a worshiper, to do a couple of things. Here they are:
- Come expecting to meet God. Look for him. He’s promised to be present in your worship. He’s already there, waiting for you.
- Engage in what is happening. Don’t be a spectator. And don’t worry about your singing. The worship experience is so much more than simply singing in tune.
- Come to hear the Spirit speak. We serve a God who is alive and speaks. It’s who He is. This word might come in the midst of a song, a scripture, or through the words of a talk given by a preacher/teacher.
- Look for the connection between the elements in worship. As a worship planner, there’s always a message in what I do. Look for it, listen for it. It will be there. And allow the Spirit to apply it to your life.
Worship is a relationship. This relationship will make a huge difference in your life. And when it makes a difference in your life, it will make a difference in the relationships around you.
That’s just how it works.
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Gary Anthony serves as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church – Temple, Texas. He is a pianist, singer, conductor, composer, and arranger. A native of Texas, he grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. His father was a Southern Baptist pastor and Director of Missions for Chicago Metro Baptist Association. Gary graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Music Education, Piano Concentration. Gary then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and graduated with a Master’s in Music, concentration in Ministry and Conducting. In addition to his role in Temple, Gary has served in ministry positions in Fort Worth, Arlington, and Dallas. He and his wife, Jan, have twin daughters, Rachel Marie and Kylie Elizabeth.
You can follow Gary’s adventures by reading his blog: garyanthony.wordpress.com.