For some time now a rally call for our team has been to
play from the heart (a heart that's for God)
not from the chart. I've always loved this phrase and our team has hopefully been challenged by the spirit in which it has been used.
For me, the freedom that results from fixing my eyes on God instead of a chart is immeasurable. Once a chart is practiced enough, when it becomes a part of my musical vocabulary, only then do I really feel free to worship with it. Only then do I feel free enough to allow the song to be delivered on a personal level. I never want my worship to God to be a mechanical creation.
Please know that this is just me speaking of myself. In no way am I condemning any other practice/form of worshipping God. This is not a judgement, just a self-examination that has challenged me to work harder on my preparation each week. The fact that my team uses it frequently does not devalue anyone on the platform who was short on prep time that week. It's just a reminder of where we want our focus to be.
Now I know that the bible tells us our heart can mislead us (Matthew 15:19). But what I've always tried to express to my team was to play using a heart, mind and soul for what it was created to do... worship God. As a leader, it's not only the congregation I lead, but also my team. And since I believe that you can't lead people to a place that you're not at, or have never been,
play from the heart, not the chart will continue to be a rallying call for a deeper more meaningful worship experience.
