Another of the core values of the divine nature
is collaboration. Notice again the Genesis
1 story of creation. The Hebrew word
for God here is Elohim which is in the plural form, Gods. So when it comes to creating
humans, God says, “Let us make human kind in our image and in our likeness.” (Genesis
1:26) The rest of Scripture alludes to this reality that all members of the
God-head were intimately involved in the creation process: God the Father was
the creative thought, God the Son was the creative expression, and God the
Spirit was the creative energy. All three personalities-in-one worked in
perfect collaboration to both plan and facilitate creation. And all three
personalities-in-one worked in perfect collaboration for the redemption and restoration
of the creation. The divine image is one of relationship and creative collaboration
to accomplish the divine purposes.
This is why the New Testament (especially 2
Corinthians 12) describes the Church as “the body of Christ,” a body made
of up of many parts, all of equal value and significance, working together for
a common purpose; to bring glory to God. Creative collaboration is at the heart
of God’s image and therefore at the heart of the life of the Church which lives
out the divine life on earth.
So should it be any surprise that when the
church gathers to worship there will be lots of creative collaboration among
the members of that local expression of God’s body to plan for that worship
experience? After all, that’s the nature of the very God we are worshipping
every Sabbath.
So let’s take a practical look at how to
establish worship teams in the church that will enhance the weekly worship experience.
What is a worship team? A worship team is a dedicated group of interdependent,
collaborative people committed to prayerfully plan, coordinate and lead public
worship. Teams may vary in size. Some may be composed of three or four members
who rotate leading music on any given Sabbath. Other teams may consist of 12 to
30 individuals, including coordinators for music, drama, sound and lighting,
props, ushers, etc. The focus of worship teams will vary as well. In some
congregations, the worship team simply provides music each Sabbath. Other
churches spend time planning well in advance, in cooperation with the pastor’s
sermons, to select themes, Scripture readings, music, etc.
What is the difference between a worship committee
and a worship team? Usually a worship committee gives broad guidance to worship
services, developing a standard order of service or liturgy. Worship teams are involved
more in the details of planning weekly services and actually helping to lead
worship. A committee is usually composed of people selected to provide
representation. Teams are built on the gifts and interests of the people
involved. A growing number of church leaders are interested in utilizing a team
to help plan and lead worship on Sabbath.
A worship team can help raise the level of
planning, the excellence, the thematic focus, and the relevance of the music. A
team can help remove distractions. It can nudge people beyond simply “going
through the motions” to provide an uninterrupted and much anticipated focus on
God, which in turn facilitates a deeper human experience of the completeness
and resolution we were created for.
What is the role of the pastor in a worship
team? Leading worship is often relegated to the pastor.
He or she is seen as the “qualified” or “trained” professional to plan and
implement worship services. We often separate clergy and laity in the body of
Christ. Yet the Bible defines pastoring (or shepherding) as one of many
spiritual gifts in the body. Since Peter calls believers a “kingdom of priests”
(1 Peter
2:9), all God’s people have been called to “minister” (serve) in the body
with the unique gifts each has been given. Pastors have unique gifts that vary.
Their gifts, united with other gifted members, provide a blend of abilities to
give a “whole” sense to worship.
Ellen White describes this issue, going so far
as to put “preaching” (often seen as the pinnacle of the worship hour) in
context. She says, “Let ministers devote more of his time to educating than to preaching.”
(Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7, p 20) She condemns pastors who “do the labor instead of educating
others to share the responsibility.” (Review & Herald, Nov. 6, 1888) We deny the New Testament teaching that we are a “body”
of many parts when we expect one person to coordinate and lead worship. As one
senior pastor of a growing church observed, “Worship planning is more than a
one man/one woman job.”
Worship planning and leadership through worship
teams is one of the ways the Church lives out its image of the divine nature.
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