Life Group Worship - Practical Considerations
Body
Practical Considerations in Worship
These are ideals to aim at bearing in mind our goals. They may not always be possible to achieve, but that doesn't mean we should abandon them.
1. Ownership
We need to encourage "ownership" within the group. This is where people take their share of responsibility for the group and don't leave the leader to do everything. It's that attitude that says, "This is my group as much as everybody else's. I'm going to do all I can to make it a good group." So if you see something that needs to be done, you don't necessarily wait for someone else to do it, you do it yourself.
2. Seating
a) Ideally, get the chairs in a circle.
This encourages a sense of doing this together.
It encourages ownership.
It encourages participation.
Everyone can hear more easily.
b) Avoid putting the chairs in rows.
c) Beware of "Through-lounges", where you have some people at one end of the room, and the rest at the other. Most Through-lounges have some of the original wall still there, and it tends to divide the group in two.
d) Beware too, of latecomers being left out of the circle. Make space for them.
All these last arrangements tend to work against the merits gained by being in a circle.
3. Temperature
If the temperature is too cold or too hot, people will be distracted, and won't be able to concentrate so easily on what God's doing in the group. If you're the host, think about what will be most comfortable for those in the group. This is good hospitality.
4. Use of CD's
Beware of an over-dependence on the use of CD's. Remember the goals:
1. To learn to flow in the Holy Spirit.
2. To encourage people to use their gifts.
3. To "lift up holy hands", and "offer a sacrifice of praise" (1Tim 2:8, & Heb 13:15)
Using CD's makes that flow very difficult. You're immediately limited to singing what's on the CD. If we sensed the Holy Spirit wanted us to go on singing that song, but the recording's finished, it would be difficult to go on. Using CD's removes that flexibility.
Changing from one song to another, while using CD's can be very clumsy business, especially if the person leading the worship that evening isn't familiar with the equipment. Any continuity we may have had as we started to flow with the Spirit is broken up, as the worship leader fiddles with the equipment, takes one CD out, puts another in, tries to find the right track, gets the wrong one, tries again etc....
Some people try to get round this by making up compilations on their home computers. We need to realise THESE COMPILATIONS ARE ILLEGAL. We are in breach of copyright law when we copy a song from an original copyrighted recording onto another disk, MP3 player, whatever. Our Church Copyright Licence does not permit us to make such copies. It may be true that "everybody does it", but that doesn't mean that as Christians we can, and it certainly doesn't make a very good starting point from which to be lifting up holy hands of worship to a holy God!
Some songs by popular worship leaders are recorded in keys much higher than are comfortable for the average singer. Again this doesn't help us focus on the words of what we're singing.
If you have a musician, use them. If you have somebody who is not very confident, encourage them to develop their playing. There are chord versions of the song-sheet available.
If you're unable to play an instrument, but would like to and can afford to buy one, look at the Q-Chord. Go to http://www.suzukimusic.co.uk/qchord/qchord.htm This is the instrument that anyone can play in 10 minutes!
If you haven't got anyone at all who can accompany you, you may find that singing unaccompanied is actually very releasing in the Spirit. You haven't got to worry about instruments, keys, CD players, you can concentrate simply on lifting your hearts to God.
It's not actually how well we sing, or how loudly we sing that is important. It's really about what's in our hearts. Those who feel their singing ability may be more of a distraction than a blessing may find it helpful to explore other ways of worshipping - of which there are many (prayers, readings, poetry, dance, .....)
5. Sitting or Standing
There can be no rules about this. Some people find they can sing, or concentrate better standing up. Others find they can concentrate better sitting down. Don't forget kneeling, or even prostrating yourself before the Lord (if there's room!)!
One thing to remember though, is that Living Rooms are by nature full of comfortable armchairs, and it's very easy, especially after a hard-day's work, to sink into one and relax - too much! Sometimes we need to stir ourselves out of comfortable armchairs, and offer that sacrifice of praise from a position where we're alert and focussed on God, and what the Holy Spirit wants to do in the meeting. If you're leading worship, don't afraid to ask people to stand, so that we can be better focussed on worshipping the Lord Jesus.
6. Hospitality
This is a ministry in itself, and one in which we should want to excel. So:
Don't keep people waiting on the doorstep. Make sure the bell works, and can be heard.
Have someone whose job it is to let people in, welcome them, and, if they're new, introduce them around the group.
Make sure they know where to put their coat, and where the toilet is.
Have another person making the drinks.
Include people as they come in, in the conversation.
Let all this be seen as a joy to you, not a chore!
The Cone Nebula - NGC 2264
Distance from Earth = 2,500 light years
Cone Diameter = 2.3 light years
The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1
