Every leader of congregational worship dreads those meetings when everything seems to be going wrong. Vocals are out of tune, strings break, everyone but the drummer finishes the song, you forget the words, sing the wrong verse, or play the wrong chords…the list is endless.
Last August at the WorshipGod06 conference, we presented the skit I-MAGnify to encourage everyone who has encountered or someday soon will encounter that situation. We watch a struggling worship leader receive instruction from his “alter-ego” about how he can get people more involved. Ironically, the song he’s attempting to lead is “Receive the Glory,” based on Psalm 115Psalm 115
[115:1]Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name
give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your
faithfulness!
[2]Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
[3]Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
[4]Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
[5]They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
[6]They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
[7]They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
[8]Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
[9]O Israel, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
[10]O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
[11]You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
[12]The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
[13]he will bless those who fear the LORD,
both the small and the great.
[14]May the LORD give you increase,
you and your children!
[15]May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!
[16]The heavens are the LORD's heavens,
but the earth he has given to the children of man.
[17]The dead do not praise the LORD,
nor do any who go down into silence.
[18]But we will bless the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!
Not to us but to your name alone
Be all the glory, the glory forever.
For your faithfulness and steadfast love
Receive the glory, the glory belongs to you.
The skit was written by Drew Jones and performed by David Galbraith, both members of my church.
As we approach a new year, may we remember that our confidence rests in the finished work of Christ, not our sin-stained efforts to impress those we lead. And most importantly, only Jesus can lead us into God’s presence ( Heb. 10:19-22Hebrews 10:19-22
[19]Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to
enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, [20]by the new
and living way that he opened for us through the curtain,
that is, through his flesh, [21]and since we have a great
priest over the house of God, [22]let us draw near with a
true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts
sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water. (ESV)
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on Wednesday, December 27th, 2006 at 12:14 pm and is filed under For Pastors, For Worship Leaders.
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i loved the skit! made me realize how much i miss going to church.
found your blog through pastor joshua harris’ own.
your entries are inspiring and very encouraging. keep on writing!
Comment by kurokuroko ("my thoughts" translated from my language) — December 28, 2006 @ 11:02 pm
I enjoyed the skit (and the blog) so much I posted a reference to it in my own blog. Thanks for sharing it.
Comment by Cal Wallace — January 11, 2007 @ 10:35 pm