Lucas
Lucas. Now you know how to say Luke in Spanish. Well, only if you pronounce it Spanishy.
But do we know what to do when a messenger from God shows up when we’re just doing our weekly service?
I was in my daily scripture reading in Luke 1. I felt a resonance with Zechariah and Elizabeth who were from…shall we say “a long line of worship leaders.” And Zach had just showed up to lead his weekly worship set. He was a good man, and godly.
And “God showed up.” Or perhaps I should say there was heavenly activity.
And he flipped out and didn’t know how to respond. He was “shaken and overwhelmed with fear.”
Granted, an encounter with the Holy is overwhelming, affecting our whole being - spirit, soul, and body.
But Zach’s response seems to be unbelief. He questions, which on face value could seem perfectly appropriate. The message was naturally impossible. But the angel’s response tells me there was something in his heart. It wasn’t innocent curiosity like Mary’s would be later in the chapter. There was something untrusting, resisting, resting-on-logic in his question. Something that lacked faith.
And without faith, it is impossible to do the heart of worship, aka please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
So I’m reading this story and I think about us as worship leaders and pastors. There’s no question that along a long enough timeline of us showing up to perform our appointed duties that God has interrupted us. He has spoken. He has revealed His heart.
Have we been ready? Are we ready?
I know most of us, if we are leading right now, are recording or live streaming from homes and empty sanctuaries.
But are we expectant?
Do we yearn and pray for more than just proverbially burning incense?
And when God’s Spirit breathes and moves on us, how do we respond?
Zechariah said, “How can I be sure?” Like “I don’t want to be a fool for proclaiming or believing this.”
Mary said, “How will this be?” Like “Give me some details about Your plan, Lord…this is exciting!”
Our response to when heaven invades earth seems to have bearing on what happens next.
Do we believe that as we record, as we stream, that God wants to say something, that God wants to meet us?
I say “Give me some details about Your plan, Lord…this is exciting!” His life will follow!
-Dave Helmuth
Author of the Five Faders and Founder of Ad Lib Music
Lucas (Nº 231)
Five Faders w/ Dave Helmuth
Don't be another passionate, unhealthy leader (who doesn't know they are unhealthy) who misses their calling, has a moral failure, burns out, or burns others. (dang, that's dark!)
Be a Five Faders leader who is the best version of yourself and helps your team to do the same!
We'll explore the motivations we each have:
Artists notice nuance.
Shepherds consider the individual.
Priests overflow with simple love and pure devotion to Jesus.
Educators bring out the best in others.
Producers plan, in order to exceed usual limits.
The Five Faders model is not just a tool, it's a game-changer. It will help you understand your motivations and those of your team, paving the way for healthier and more effective leadership. The good news is that a Five Faders team is fantastic! The bad news is that if we don't know what motivates us, our passion often blinds us and we are an unhealthy expression of our Fader.
In this small group, we'll not just learn about the Five Faders, but also put them into action. We'll explore how to apply the concepts to our teams in a practical way, and learn from each other, which is one of the best ways to grow in your lowest Fader.
DATES AND TIMES
Mondays from 9 to 10:30 AM Central, from January 6 to February 24 (8 weeks)
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WHO IS DAVE HELMUTH
I'm a coach who leads Ad Lib Music, the worship coaching organization I started in 2002. We have coaches in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas, and South Dakota. I'm the author of the Five Faders book. I serve as a missionary in Costa Rica, where my family of nine and I have lived since 2019.