NWLC General Session - Wednesday afternoon July 23, 2008 at 3:30pm. Worship was led by Rita Springer. I've seen Springer lead worship about five years ago at a SoulSurvivor event in Anaheim, California. I do believe she is anointed to lead worship, but I just don't connect with her - go figure :-)The afternoon speaker was Gordon MacDonald, pastor and author of the book Who Stole My Church? I've been checking out his book at the bookstore and thinking about reading it. Most of his message was on multi-generational worship. Here are some of my notes:
- Worship leaders have a pastoral ministry. (I would include all leaders of worship in that statement.) When we lead people into the presence of God, we better know where we're leading them. (In other words, we have to have been there ourselves.)
- We suffer from inaccurate eyesight - it's all changed when we gather in worship.
- When we truly enter into worship, when we come into the presence of God, it removes all the distortions of our vision. Our perspective in renewed.
- We help people gain strength for going back into a dark world. (I would argue with, or perhaps clarify this statement - because I don't wholly agree with it because it is incomplete. Our worship is much more than an "us" time to prepare us for the "them" times.)
- We need to make sure that no one ever leaves a sanctuary without hope (and I would add, without Jesus).
- Know your congregation. What questions are people asking?
