Add Your Voice

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This Viral video has inspired me this week. It gives me goosebumps!

8 year old Elizabeth Hughes is singing the National Anthem at a Hockey Game.  People are standing reverently listening to her performance when all of a sudden at the 1:27 mark - Her Microphone stops working. Elizabeth keeps singing, but she can no longer be heard.

There is a brief moment of awkwardness as the Stadium is now silent. Then there is a slight stir of murmurs and snickers. You can even hear someones annoying cackling laugh (Imagine laughing at this little girl at this moment!  What a loser!!) 

Elizabeth is singing with no amplification. You can just barely, faintly hear her voice when the Mic dies. Then slowly but surely the people in the stadium start in "That our flag was still there..." The people became her amplifier!

This made me think a lot about leading worship. Have you ever been in a situation where the Tech failed you? Or maybe a situation where you yourself where failing with the chords or lyric? It's not a great feeling, and that's as nice as I can say it.  I've left stages feeling like a failure before because of some glitch. It's obvious to me now that my focus wasn't where it should be in those situations.

We had a Christmas Eve Candlelight service recently. I was leading Christmas Praise solo on the piano when all of a sudden I had one of those itches in my throat that wouldn't leave me alone.  It was an immediate struggle trying to not cough, eyes watering, while singing O come all ye faithful. I did something I had never done before.  I stopped...

I could used one of these!

Right in the middle of a refrain I stopped singing and playing. It was suddenly a silent night... a lot like that Hockey stadium in the video. It wasn't a pretty Christmas eve moment for Grandma and the kids. Between Coughs I said to our congregation "I really need your help. I need you to add your voice."  I took a sip of water and started in again and the room felt different. It wasn't me going solo anymore. The room was filled with worshippers adding their voices.

It's not such a bad thing to tell your congregation that you need their help in making God's praise Loud and Glorious! Invite your people... challenge your people to add their voice.

Some Worship Leaders are reluctant to instruct their congregation in worship. I have had some say to me that they don't feel it's their place to speak out... "It's between them and Jesus and I should keep my nose out of it" kinda thing..

Remember! You are a leader, a teacher, a pastor of worship. You have more than a right to speak up... You have a responsibility!

I DARE YOU!  Next service, Challenge your Congregation to ADD THEIR VOICE!