What Rehearsals Have Been Missing

It's really easy to go into a weekly rehearsal with blinders on.  In my situation, I'll do something different each week and sometimes even play 2 or 3 different instruments as well as sing in a single night of rehearsals. And I'm not even the only team member who does this. I can't necessarily speak for anyone else, but I'm often just looking to get through the night on Wednesdays come rehearsal time.  However, there was recently an element added to our rehearsals that's beginning to open me up to something else.  Worship within rehearsal.

It seems like a simple thought, doesn't it?  Worship while you rehearse.  But, when your night of rehearsals and practices are jam-packed full of teams of people, instruments, singing and transitions, sometimes it gets easy to push worship to the side.  That's the ugly truth.  Rehearsals should be about more.  I've talked about this before regarding personal practice and preparation time, but this should also carry over to our rehearsals.

Pastor Brad recently started changing the way we do choir practices and I think it works great and people respond really well.  We'll open up by working on parts for new songs as normal, but then we'll go into a group prayer time, then into an acoustic worship set of the songs for the upcoming Sunday.  Do you know what I appreciate most about this time?  The fact that people worship.  We aren't in front of a congregation, under lights or on a stage but people still worship.  That's what I would love to see in our Praise Team rehearsals.  Until recently, I've never thought about the fact that it is indeed okay to worship at rehearsal. Going even further than that, I'll say we should be worshiping at rehearsal.  Isn't worship the point?  If you're a singer and you're good with raising your hands on a Sunday morning, then why isn't that level of worship happening at rehearsal?  Of course this is a time to work on parts and transitions, but aren't we still singing the same songs?  Aren't we still rehearsing for the same reason?  I'm even talking to myself here.

I feel that a stronger sense of worship within rehearsals could not only bring a tighter unity within our worship teams but even give what we're doing on Wednesday nights a stronger meaning and purpose.  Any chance that we have to worship should not be passed up, and you know what?  Worship is fun.  Upbeat songs are just more fun to sing when you lift your hands and enjoy yourself.  Intimate songs are more personal and fulfilling when you mean and feel what you're singing.  Get into the songs you sing and play.  Don't miss another opportunity to worship...even at rehearsal.

Peace,

Justin