Thursday, August 6, 2009

Welcome to Worship Sherpa

Worship Sherpa is a gathering place for worship leaders, Christian musicians, industry peeps, fans and anyone else who is a part of the modern worship movement. It is a place to share ideas, inspire and encourage each other and occasionally vent our grievances as well.

As we begin and then develop our ministries, it can be difficult to balance the necessary self-promotion without falling prey to the narcissism that is so rampant in our society. In the '80's Bono quipped that you could almost write a rule book on how to be a rock and roll rebel. Now almost thirty years later, it seems that the same could be said for those seeking a career in Christian music. I wouldn't be surprised to find "Worship for Dummies" in print.

This site is designed to help us keep each other in check while propelling each other forward. To accomplish this, we must always remember that the very essence of a worship leader, the very essence of a disciple for that matter, is the attitude of a servant that our Lord displayed for us in Philippians 2:5-11.

That is why I chose the symbol of a Sherpa. To most of us, a Sherpa is someone with advanced mountaineering skills who is sought after to guide expeditions to the top of a mountain. They have the skills and they know the trails but usually, they don't get credit for reaching the summit. Who was the first person to summit Mt. Everest, for example? Most people answer Sir Edmund Hillary, but few ever mention Tenzing Norgay, his Sherpa.

The Sherpa is a picture of who we are supposed to be as worship leaders. We are to develop our gifts and learn the ways of ascending into the presence of the Lord, and then show others how to do it. When they get to the top we should have the attitude that says "You made it! Good job! Let me step out of the way and take your picture so you can remember this."

So think about that as you get ready for worship this weekend and please share your thoughts.

Jeff

2 comments:

  1. As one of my favourite songwriters and definitely a true friend, Jeff...u've done it again with the sherpa symbol! I was in Nepal last summer and very close to the himalayas and getting to know the meek Nepalese people. I dont think many other analogies come close to this one in describing the essence of worship. You've got me thinking about doing some extensive googling on the climbing exprience. Im sure the Sherpa's path is laiden with more treasures to ponder. Love u bro.

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  2. Thank you Sarah. You and Chandy are such an inspiration to me and I can honestly say that not a day goes by that I don't think of you two. Care to join us in Iceland next summer for Gospelfest?

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