Own It.

I think that something just may revolutionize the way that you worship. It's true. You may not believe me; but I think that there is something really simple that you can do when you come into a corporate setting that will absolutely revolutionize your worship. It's a simple two words: own it. Here's the thing that you need to know- nobody can make you worship. Nobody can move you into God's presence. I'm sorry to burst your bubble- not your favorite worship leader: not Chris Tomlin. Not Kim Walker. No song can get you there- sure a song can help, your favorite worship leader can help lead you; but they can't personally bring you into God's presence. It's not their job.

It's your job. So many times in "church", people are apt to criticize the worship time or worship team/leader because they feel that worship was "flat" or wasn't "on point" or "didn't move them"- but it's not our job to move you. It's your job to move closer to God. We all say that "worship isn't about songs or music" so if it's not about songs or music- then why is so much emphasis placed on the songs and the music in our own minds? HEY- and I'm not saying that people shouldn't have good music- I'm a musician- I like good music. I like to make good music. I love good songs. I like to sing good songs- but sometimes- yep, even I am guilty of this:

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught- Isaiah 29:13 

We've got to watch it- because we can fall into this trap of just going through the motions: singing whatever is projected on the screen- and not singing what's in our hearts- because we've gotten in "This is what we do" mode of worshiping. It happens. I absolutely love technology and I love technology in worship- so I will say that right off the bat- but I think that projectors and motion backgrounds and having the lyrics on screens- sometimes detracts from worship- BECAUSE WE NO LONGER WORSHIP- WE READ.

I can't tell you how many times I've led worship where I've seen people so intently focused on that screen that they no longer are worshiping- They're reading. There's a big difference

To read- you don't need your heart. You don't need your spirit. You need eyes. You need a brain.
To worship- you do need your your heart, your spirit, your eyes, your brain- you need it all.

and so because we don't really worship (we read)- we wonder why we leave feeling the same way when we came in- It's because we didn't ever get into God's presence. God's presence was there- but we never stepped into it. Kinda like being at a swimming pool- You can be around the swimming pool but never experience being in the pool UNLESS you get in. Let's not miss the whole REASON WHY WE WERE CREATED!

When we start to own the songs that we sing- when we start to make them OUR songs. When we OWN those songs- instead of just singing songs that someone else wrote- it changes the way we worship. We start to apply it to our lives. Familiarity or OVER-use of a song can sometimes make it more difficult to worship and own it- because we get tired of it- For example: How Great Is Our God- such a great song- but for awhile it was played EVERYWHERE. At church, on the radio, everywhere- so it kinda lost some of it's appeal to me- but that's me focusing on the "SONG", not seeing the truth behind the song, not owning the song- not realizing that He wraps himself in light and darkness tries to hide (What a powerful God that darkness will have to flee- can't stay!) and when I start to think about my "dark times" and when I felt hopeless- and how Christ brings me hope and peace and that darkness has gotta go- I can truly start to say HOW GREAT.... no matter how many times I've sang the song- Because then it doesn't become about the song anymore- it becomes a expression of my love, awe, and appreciation for all that God's done in my life. and the way that I sing it will be different. The way that I worship will be different- because I've taken the truth of that song- thought about it- applied to my life- and owned it.

I'm telling you it will change the way you worship.
Don't know the lyrics to the songs at church? I'm sure that your worship leader wouldn't mind giving you lyrics so that you can become familiar with them- so that you can OWN your worship- if you ask him/her.
Don't want to ask your worship leader? You're reading this blog- which means you've got the internet- GOOGLE the lyrics.

Take your worship to the next level. Take ownership of your worship. It's your offering and response to who God is and what He's done for YOU in YOUR life. Nobody else can worship like you. Don't fall into that trap of having a head knowledge of worship but never connecting it with your heart So do me (and yourself) a favor with worship: OWN IT.