Worship Pastor as Prophet: 5 Element Worship Set

Let’s talk about that 5 element worship set. I use the term “element” here because the worship set is not limited to songs. Elements are forms and can include but are not limited to Scripture readings, testimonies, confessional element, personal or corporate prayer, etc. This 5 element set is intended to bring the heart of worship from horizontal to vertical. The first element will be horizontal, the third element is diagonal and the fifth element culminates the journey with vertical. The heart is now eager and excited to hear God speak in a sermon from His word. The second and fourth elements are simply those “in-between” elements that we discussed earlier that help smooth the flow from horizontal to vertical. A second element may be a gathering song that has fairly testimonial in portions of it. A fourth element may be a song that is testimonial in the verse but extremely ascriptive and vertical in the choruses. These elements are not always musical. The second element could be a time where people greet each other and share why they want to worship the Lord this morning. A fourth element could be a time of confession where after the testimonial element the people are led through a confessional exercise that is responsive to a reminder of the sacrifice of Christ and bringing our sins to the foot of the cross. This could be in the form of actually writing sins down and having the people bring them to the foot of a cross in the room. The elements are creatively endless, and with ever-evolving technology, there will be new elements of which we currently aren’t even aware. For example, I have even seen text messaging being used powerfully in a worship set.

There are elements that emphasize different functions of worship that can be used quite powerfully. Open mic scripture reading is an effective way that we have seen in terms of the diagonal or testimonial portion of the worship set. Open mic scripture reading is an element that is carefully and strategically set up by the worship leader calling the congregation to find and share short passages of scripture that the Lord has used to impact their lives that particular week. This can be themed and act as a powerful time of worship by reading God’s word, book-ended and spliced in with verses of a particular hymn or other song that fits with the theme.

Regardless of the element, the journey should go from horizontal to vertical, from the hillside of the temple to the holy of holies. When this is done, you will notice a drastic change in the culture of worship at your church. The heart is conditioned by the Word of God through the Holy Spirit to leave the baggage and stresses of life at the door and focus on recognizing and responding to the greatness and overwhelming presence of God. As a worship pastor, train your volunteers on your team to understand the philosophy behind the songs you choose and the order in which you sing them. Come up with some elements that fit in those categories and try them out in your worship services. Take notes on how you could lead these elements better or how the people might better respond to them. Please keep in mind that the numbers are arbitrary. This method works with 3 elements instead of 5. It can be changed to an entirely different order of service but still follow the goal of the heart of worship
getting to a vertical direction focused entirely on the glory that is only God’s. Being a worship pastor is founded on a prophetic basis where you ought to be able to rightfully handle the word of truth and protect your congregation from false teaching. There is plenty of false teaching you need to be protecting them from in the music industry, even the Christian music industry. Study God’s word and see for yourself the mandate we have in responding in worship to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Do not take lightly theology and doctrine. Make it a priority in your responsibilities as a worship pastor so that you can better lead people in doxology because of your own heart’s overflowing of theology and the greatness of God!