What Will You Sacrifice?

A few months ago I was able to catch up with another worship leader for coffee.  He said something that struck me and has been coming up in my mind over and over again ever since.

He was experiencing the push back that many of us have experienced when trying to introduce more modern music into a traditional setting.  He was giving and appreciative of the more traditional side, but the other party was plainly opposed to his more modern taste.  His response, and the heart of his response, was phenomenal.

Instead of getting frustrated, complaining, leaving, or otherwise, he was patient.  And he said to me, “I’d sacrifice my contemporary music in order to be united in worship as a church body any day.”

While many reading this might not be in a situation where two different musical styles are fighting for dominance within the church, his attitude is one we as worship leaders can adopt in almost every situation in which we find ourselves:

• I’ll sacrifice my personal preference for how this song is “supposed” to be arranged in order to give some freedom to another team member.
• I’ll sacrifice always having to control every aspect of the worship ministry in order to allow an up-and-coming leader to be equipped and trained.
• I’ll sacrifice my musical perfectionism in order to allow a less-trained young musician to start to begin to utilize their talents and enthusiasm.
• I’ll sacrifice my reputation as “the leader” in order to serve the rest of the team at any opportunity I’m given.
• I’ll sacrifice picking every single song for every service in order to let a music planning or creative team start to collaborate together.
• I’ll sacrifice my pride and relinquish leadership to a more talented leader and/or musician.