This is an excerpt from GBCC music pastor Bobby Coverston's blog "Crusty Old Worship Leader:"

Worship cannot be controlled, manipulated or even inspired. Worship is something unique to the human being in God’s design to be in relationship with him. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can change a heart, break through sin, inspire, instruct and redeem. He doesn’t need a worship leader to do that. So who do we think we are when we call ourselves leaders of worship?

Let’s be honest. Most of us are just scared musicians that love God and are trying to do our very best in making music that’s honest, pleasing, palatable, error-free, accessible, and participatory to the majority of people that make up our gatherings. And yet we are given these titles that have implied authority that part of our job is to make other people worship.

It is a bit of a joke about how much I hate being called “Pastor Bobby.” My name is Bobby. I am a musician who works at Green Bay Community Church, believes in God but fumbles through living that out.

I have a Master’s Degree in Christian Education from Azusa Pacific University. It hangs on the wall in my office right next to my Telecaster (my Telecaster is more helpful in my job than that degree). I am proud that I graduated and that piece of paper certainly helped me in landing my job at my church. 

But it does not make me a pastor or a worship leader. If anything it is a liar. People see that and assume that I know more about God than they do. That I have been a better student of God’s word than them and therefore I have authority over them and they should listen when I speak. 

Maybe that’s why I keep it on my wall because I secretly long for that kind of validation. The truth is, I feel like I know less about God today than I did when they handed me that diploma.  I am more aware of my brokenness and my wrong strategies to try and fulfill the longings of my heart that only God can fill.

What I do know is I love playing music. It helps me identify with God as a creator. He created heavens, earth and humans, and when I create music I reflect that image of him as a creator. I suppose you could say that is worship.

That drives me in my job, more than the hope or desire that people will really be “moved to worship” because of the art I am creating (or copying, as most of our songs are covers). Art is subjective. Not everyone will like me or my art. Is the measure of a worship leader likability or creativity? I don’t know.

I propose we change the landscape of music in our churches. Let’s give more room for the Holy Spirit to do what he is capable of doing, and stop expecting him to show up during improvisational, unscripted moments. Let’s stop asking our church to worship with us and let’s call it what it is. We are playing songs that speak to our hope, faith and devotion to Christ. Whether someone is actually worshipping in their hearts is not up to us or even in our realm of control. Let our appreciation of this incredible gift of music be the vehicle and tool that can point to the truth of who God is, how he works and how much he loves us. Let people be the ones to decide that he is worthy to be worshipped, not wait for the moment of the song where they can “really worship.”

I love my family. I love my job. I love music. I love people. I love God (not necessarily in that order). All of the above are not easy, but messy. The messier they get, the more my love has a chance to grow. Let’s invite messy into our jobs and see what happens.