Worship can be boring

Have you ever felt bored as a worship leader? Sometimes, we, or even the people we lead, are just as uninspired. I've been there, feeling inspired one moment and going through the motions the next.

I remember talking to well-known worship leader Ron Kenoly's music director and asking how they played "Ancients of Days" every night without getting bored. He gave me a great answer...

He said that even though it can get tiring, he tried to find the Lord in the song and see Him in a new way. The inspiration didn't come from the music but from seeing Him and encountering the Lord.

Just like angels singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" day and night, we might think it gets boring because we assume inspiration comes from the words. That would be boring, but no - their words "Holy, Holy, Holy" are involuntary guttural reactions to the unceasing insight they got by looking at Him.

We get in trouble when we seek inspiration or "oil" from any other source. And when we don't have that inspiration, and our next service quickly arrives on our doorstep, we turn to the things we can control to bring that 'juice' - the music, our performance, the production level. We get inspired by amazing chords and beautiful, heartfelt singing. We love the technical excellence of seamless lighting, lyrics, and sound levels. We pour our minds, hearts, and money into being great at those things.

But true inspiration comes from revelation and personal encounters with the Lord. Seeing His face and being in His presence is what fuels our worship. Even a song we've sung a million times can come alive when we sing it with the Lord right in front of us.

Our worship should be centered on the person of God, not on performance or material. When I was younger, I often imagined myself leading a massive crowd in worship while I was alone with the Lord in my room. Now, as I stand before that crowd, I try to imagine myself back in my room, alone with Him.

The secret is the secret place. The key to 'oily' worship is found in the secret place - in our moments of rest and sitting face-to-face with the Lord, knowing we are loved and captivating to Him, who sees us as we are.

From this place, we see Him revealed in the Person of Jesus. When our eyes meet His, and our hearts resonate together, deep calling out to deep, worship flows effortlessly. It's like blinking in response to bright sunlight. It just happens because it's natural.

So, if you find worship boring while leading or as part of the congregation, try to step back into that secret place mentally. Remember what it was like when it was just you and the Lord in your bedroom. Worship starts with seeing Him when our hearts respond to His Person.

Don’t measure your ‘worship’ by whether you felt His presence, or inspired, or how the people responded - maybe ask a different question. “Father, Did you feel me today? Jesus, did I see you today?”