RSS

Author Archives: Heath Butler

Life Lesson #2: Expectations, First Impressions, and the Importance of Being Realistic

It was a sweltering hot night in Matamoros, Mexico. I was in the middle of a three-week stint leading worship for a missions organization based in Georgia. Their base in Matamoros housed a large number of summer staff, translators, and visiting mission teams. It was about halfway through the summer when some new staffers arrived after dinner. Some of the veteran staff members were talking with them at the door of the dining hall when I walked up.

One of my staff friends introduced me to the new group. “…and this is Heath. He’s our worship leader and speaker for a few more days. His jokes are the funniest. Go ahead and tell one.” Read the rest of this entry »

 
 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Life lesson #1: Don’t lie, especially if you aren’t good at it

I remember my first lie. I was a toddler. My idea of fun at the time was running a circle through our lovely 70’s style Ranch. I made a track from the living room, to the hallway, then the kitchen, and back to the other side of the living room. I was fast too. Just fast enough to brush a lamp off an end table. I didn’t realize it fell until I made the circuit again.

Lap 20. “Hmm,” I thought. “ I don’t remember that lamp being on the floor.” Like Forrest Gump I kept running. While running I contemplated the consequences of the broken lamp on the floor. “Maybe it won’t be there this time through.”

Lap 21. “Hmm, still there. Maybe it isn’t really broken.”

Lap 22. “Definitely broken.”

Lap 23. Path blocked by mom. “Uh oh.” Read the rest of this entry »

 
1 Comment

Posted by on January 10, 2012 in Childhood Memories, Life Lessons

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Weddings & Worship Leading

When the only thing you remember about the minister officiating a wedding is “We are gathered here today…” he has done a great job.  His role is to get the ceremony started, help the bride and groom connect to each other, and go unnoticed. Rarely do we remember anything about his role unless something goes terribly wrong (like forgetting the names of the bride and groom or passing out).

In a lot of ways, worship leaders should be like that. Our role is to help the audience begin to worship, connect them to the One we worship, and go unnoticed. It’s not about us at all.

To lead in worship we need to be humble. We need to live a life that honors God even when we aren’t on stage. We need to care enough about the people we are leading to reach out to them and invite them to worship with us. Then, the focus turns from the stage to the One we worship. And we disappear. And that is a great thing.

As a worship leader, how do you move out of the way? As a worshipper, what helps you connect with God?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 14, 2011 in Uncategorized

 
 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 72 other followers