Do You Like Hypothetical Questions?

(Please don't answer that.)

Participating in worship, I find myself reacting in two specific ways:

1. Analyzing the Natural

I analyze the music, musicians, quality of sound, singing and clapping in the congregation and how everyone around me is responding whether equal or opposite to me.

2. Measuring the Spiritual

By engaging my imagination, memories and emotions I can measure how the Holy Spirit is moving me into a state of worship. I can then respond in whatever way I choose based on my personal state of being and convictions.

Simply put: What's going on and how do I feel about it?

I've participated in worship both as a member in the congregation and as a worship leader. In both roles I've had many chances to analyze what's going on and measure how it impacts me. Worship has uplifted me and strengthened my soul. Worship has helped me feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. In worship I've been moved to repent, to rejoice, to mourn and to be still. Worship reminds me to take comfort in the acknowledgement that Jesus Christ is Lord.

And sometimes I've felt that worship makes me think that Jesus Christ is bored.

What prevents quality worship? It could be an apathetic congregation; it could be awful, awful music; or it could be that you're just not "feelin' it." In fact, it could be that absolutely nothing is wrong with the music and nothing is wrong with the people around you. It could be that the problem lies within yourself. This is when pride gets wounded (And I believe wounding your pride is not only healthy, but one of the main purposes for worship... but more on that later).

My question is, how do you know when you should speak up and say, "Something is wrong and it's not me," and when should you consider that, well... it might just be you? I made up two terms: M.Q. & S.Q. (your musical or spiritual quotient). Employing these non-existent measurements, it would be nice to be able to reference your quotient as a kind of set of credentials:

"My S.Q. may not be very high but I have the highest M.Q. in this church and when the bass player never plays in the right key no one can sing right and it detracts from focusing on what we're supposed to be doing!"

Although the S.Q. and M.Q. may not exist as scientific measurement systems, the leaders in the church are charged with making decisions that, for lack of a better definition, rely heavily on their S.Q. The person in the church who may boast having both high S.Q. and M.Q. scores is the worship leader or minister of music and it is this person who must decide which opinions matter (including their own).

Before talking about the worship leader, some history should first be covered.