Worship leaders spend hours upon hours preparing their 20-45 minutes of weekly music, but few of us invest time preparing what we say from the stage. We often just shoot from the hip, saying whatever comes to mind. When our people are singing, they are focused on God; but when we begin to speak, we draw their attention to us. The Lord has convicted me to be more purposeful in what I say between the songs I lead. Two good reasons to speak are to exhort and to edify.
• Exhort means to incite by argument or advice.
It’s a stirring up, a calling to action. When I was a kid, our good Southern Baptist music minister would direct us: “Let us stand as we sing the last stanza.” He was encouraging us and giving us both the guidance and the freedom to respond. My friend Aaron Ivey at the Austin Stone Community Church a great exhorter. You’ll hear him urging and pleading and leading his people: “Lift it up!” “Sing it out!” “Praise him!” His quick promptings urge us to respond. Heck, gospel artist Kirk Franklin exhorts before every line of every song! But he is actively leading and guiding the response, not merely following a pattern. A good exhortation leads the people at the same time as it sets them free.
• Edify means to instruct, benefit or uplift.
“When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26b). This is my favorite. I love using language to increase a congregation’s understanding of worship. I don’t mind interrupting what they are doing if doing so will help them worship more deeply, more honestly, or with more insight. For instance, I grew up singing “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” but I never knew what an Ebenezer was. As far as I was concerned, it was a name for an old man. And I was not raising one of those in church! So learning the meaning of that lyric informed my understanding of the song and allowed me to say new and deeper things to God as I sang.
As we prepare to lead our people in worship this week, let’s ask ourselves how the words between our songs can exhort and edify them. Do we need to craft new words or share an older writing? As worship leaders, every word we speak is just as important an element of worship as every note we play and sing. So let all things be done for building up!
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Todd Agnew is a nationally respected songwriter, worship leader, speaker and Ardent Records recording artist. He and his family currently live in Dallas, TX where he is attending Dallas Theological Seminary. He is known for such songs as Grace Like Rain, This Fragile Breath, My Jesus, and Our Great God (w/Rebecca St. James). Find out more at toddagnew.com. Discover Worship is honored to offer popular and new worship muisc by Todd Agnew including: