My husband and I are blessed and privileged to lead the worship team at our local church. I am humbled how God can and does meet us where we are at. And how God can overcome our inadequacies.  Pastor Jeff Hanson taught an amazing lesson on how God doesn’t make mistakes.  How all things work together for good, and how some things just happen so God can get the glory. I’ll put the link up when it’s ready.

About a year or so ago our Church bought an iPad to record the sermons and worship to share with the world.  It has been an amazing outreach and God has blessed it. We have been recording the Worship service and the Sermon as separate videos. The sermons are on Vimeo. We have not put up the Praise and Worship Service yet. And right now I don’t think we can. Recently I have been watching the Worship Service Videos  and noticing a few things.  It makes me so sad. I weep over it.

Can I tell you that not everyone who comes to church wants to worship God? Really. There are some who just want to make noise and distract the true worshipers. I have seen it – on the video.

I have been honored to be a part of Christian Praise & Worship for over 10 years now. I have served at 4 different churches during that time. 3 of the four churches have chosen to broadcast video. It has been my experience that every church that chooses to share the Word with a larger audience will have these same challenges.But it breaks my heart.

 12 Distractions During Praise and a Worship Service

1. People talking so loudly while we are worshiping God. Or people will be overly vocal to distract you from an intimate conversation with God.

2. People walking right in front of camera and making funny gestures while you are recording a service. We are recording this to bless others, not to give you a stage for your inappropriate behavior. Grow up – it’s not about you.

3. People walking up to you or someone else and interrupting your worship of God. For me, my worship is intimate. I pour my heart out before my God with my fellow brothers and sisters. I don’t want to hear about your personal things right now – I am talking to God. Please wait until later to tell me whatever you think is so important.

4. Busy bodies going from person to person getting them to talk about whatever. There are those who go from person to person during a worship service and just get them talking to take the focus off God. Just watch. You will see it. All when we are supposed to be talking to God.

5 People who get up and leave when the presence of God is present. This breaks my heart.  He came to meet us here, and they just walk out. I pray they meet Him in the parking lot and He floods them with love and healing.

6. People who run into camera to distract others. It’s on the tape. Really.

7. People who stand in front of camera to distract others. Some will pace back and forth right in front of the camera just to be seen.

8. People who walk up to those who are worshiping God at the alter of His Presence and start talking to them about whatever. They walk right up to the Alter of Grace and Mercy  and interrupt other people’s prayer and conversation with God.

9. Singers who get so caught up in the music and push so hard they go flat. Musicians who play every note – loud.  None of us is perfect. We do the best with what we have. But can we get rid of the ego? None of us should sing every note. None of us should play every note. This is not a performance. It’s worship. We are a team and we should take turns. Let others lead, follow sometimes. Again, it’s not all about you. The best leaders are those who know how to follow.

10. There are people who will run the computer in back and not keep up with the words so the congregation gets lost. Or they will put up the wrong song.  Anything to bring confusion and chaos. Some people  will mess with the sound board to mess things up. Really. It has happened everywhere I have been.

11. Some people will talk all during the Worship Service and they position themselves right by the camera. I wonder if they realize that every idle word they are saying is being recorded?

12. Disrespect is disrespect. Whether it is to me, to our worship team, or to God. God knows. God sees. God hears. And you aren’t stopping me or our team from worshiping the King of Kings. I love my Lord and I will lavish my love on Him, whether others choose to or not. I am not better than you. But I am not worse either. I am a fellow sister in Christ. And just like you, I need this time to talk to God. So please – shut up for a minute ok?

 

P.S. I think the camera will be off during worship now. No more stage for the enemy. No more microphone. I will not magnify that. I rebuke it, in Jesus Name. Let the Lord be magnified, in Jesus Name.