If you consider your "calling" to be worship leading, consider this question: What percentage of your time is made up of actually leading worship? If you're a worship leader like Paul, Jordan, Patience, Josh, or Adam on our team at Journey, you may spend three hours out of your week actually "leading worship." And maybe two or three more in preparation. (If you're a part of a church that has 15 services on a weekend, 5 mid-week worship services, 293 yearly "big" worship events, and the Lord only knows what else, congratulations! Way to go! You're in the minority, but this still applies to you.) The question to consider for us who find ourselves ministering from a platform on the weekends is this: Is this all my calling requires? Do 3 hours out of 168 in a week qualify as a "calling?"
Now, to be fair, the intention here is not to split hairs over verbiage. The issue of calling is something that should be taken seriously, to be sure. Nor is it my intention to minimize or discredit the value of what happens from the platform in our churches on the weekends. That would be nothing short of shooting myself in the foot, since that's what I do. But the heart of the issue for anyone in the spotlight of Christian service is that our calling far exceeds what takes place from a platform. It exceeds far beyond even the hours of preparation to get to the platform.
It involves every facet and area of life. Here are a few suggestions for you.
It means taking 60 seconds out of your busy day to hit "reply" to encourage a young worship leader seeking guidance and council.
It means returning phone calls.
It means planting a seed of the Gospel in the heart of the Starbucks barista.
It means checking in on your elderly neighbors during an ice storm (or for no reason at all).
It means teaching the Gospel to your kids.
It means loving your spouse.
It means being patient with your wireless provider (unless it's AT&T:)
It means all of this and more. So, if part of your calling involves ministering to the corporate body of Christ, that's great! But it is just that--a part. So, what's the rest look like for you? What does the other 99% look like? Start fulfilling it today.
