Worship: Finding the Flow

“Just flow, brother!”

Man, there have been times when I hated hearing that phrase! “Just flow” is one those phrases I’ve often heard used to cover up when someone really doesn’t know what they’re doing! However, when it comes to worshiping God, “flow” is exactly what we want.

What is “the flow”?

Well, the opposite of flow is no flow. No flow is when the song list rules. No flow is when your team gets up there on a Sunday morning and runs through a list of songs. You do this song, and then that song, and then the other song. The order is always the same: three fast songs and two slow songs, or whatever the usual is. Nothing really happens in between the songs. And, truthfully, nothing really happens during the songs either. Because it’s all about the songs. The song list rules.

Flow is when God’s Spirit rules. Flow is when your team gets up there hungry for a move of God’s Spirit. Flow is when you use songs and don’t let songs use you. Flow is when no matter how many songs you use, there is a deep sense of one singular journey, one through-line of action: God’s Spirit moving God’s church towards God’s heart – in worship. Flow is when something powerful and holy is happening before, during and in between every song. The song list is not the vehicle, we are the vehicle, and God’s Spirit is the driver.

Why should we want the flow?

When there is no flow, the atmosphere set for a service is flat and cold. Then we find ourselves relying on the songs to hopefully, maybe, make something happen that is not really happening inside us already. So we launch into the atmosphere songs full of, well, not much, and that’s the atmosphere we set for the day: Not much.

We want the flow because we believe that God is in the midst of us when we gather. The same God who parted the Red Sea, the same God who fed the five thousand, the same God who healed the blind and raised the dead – this God is among us when we worship. We want the flow because God is not just a man-centred feeling or concept, but He is the Father, Son and Spirit and He has personality, desire, preference, agenda and we want Him to have His way. We want the flow because if we find the flow then when the music has stopped the flow will keep going.

Where does the flow lead?

The flow leads wherever God’s Spirit leads. Because He is the flow. We know where He leads because the Word tells us where He leads. According to John 14 God’s Spirit leads to a place where God’s people know the truth, are comforted by His presence and have peace in life. According to 1 Corinthians 12 God’s Spirit leads to a place where God’s people are united in love, with God and each other, powerful in serving, blessed with significance, gifted, anointed and ready to reach the world. And there are loads more scriptures that teach about where the Spirit leads! Get your study Bible out!

When I say “the flow” I’m not talking about goosebumps, emotionalism and shivers down your spine. I’m talking about edification. Edification is when people feel built up because they are built up. That’s when people are strengthened in their faith in God, fed by the Word of God, focused on their mission from God, encouraged that no matter what they may be going through God is at work in and through their lives. When a worship team flows in God’s Spirit, the room becomes full of edification as God’s Spirit leads God’s church to God’s heart.

Emotions are definitely part of the flow because emotions are part of being human in the presence of God. But the flow is not about emotion. The flow is about God settling, strengthening and sending His Church to be great and do great things in the name of Jesus. The Spirit leads us to everything that Jesus stands for.

The exciting thing about the flow of the Spirit is that although you know where He leads (in theory), you don’t always know how He’ll lead you there in the moment! There’s a dynamic in the worship that makes it somehow unpredictable. God has taken centre-stage and though we know He’s gonna do all of the above we don’t know exactly how He’s gonna do it. Who will He heal? Who will He save? Who will He turn from a destructive decision? Who will He deliver from a life-controlling habit? What will He say? What will He accomplish? How…?

Can we expect this atmosphere in every service? Why not? That’s part of the dream. And every service can be one step closer to it.

Where does the flow begin?

Prayer. It begins in prayer. Taking time not only to pour out our souls before God but also to listen to what He’s saying. What does He want us to pray about? How does He want us to pray? Becoming sensitive to these gentle leadings in the prayer time is the beginning of learning how to flow.

Personal life. In the place of prayer God will give us directions for what to do once we get up and continue the walk. He will impress things on our hearts – go call this person, go start doing that thing differently, etc. These are obedience checks. As we walk in obedience to the things we hear God speak in our hearts in the prayer time, we are stepping further into the flow.

Practice time. Be sensitive to those same gentle leadings of God’s Spirit during the practice time. A particular line or verse of a song may seem to carry something special that night, or you may sense a need for encouragement among the people, or the musicians may find a chord progression that seems to take you somewhere. Step out in obedience and faith and follow those leadings. Remember, it’s about building up the people…

Platform. What is birthed in prayer, walked out in the personal life and cultivated in the practice time will eventually overflow on the platform. Just follow those same gentle leadings. Sometimes you’ll get it wrong, but hopefully most of the time you’ll get it right! It’s all a learning process. What’s important is that you’re learning to step out in faith and obedience to the Spirit of God!

Flowing Orderly

When it comes to worship leaders flowing in God’s Spirit, there are certain things that every worship leader must be careful about.

1. God’s Spirit doesn’t lead contrary to God’s character. Study 1 Corinthians 12-14. Without love and order, you’re making a mess. Love God’s people and learn God’s order. Don’t miss an opportunity for God to move by responding in the flesh.

2. Our senior pastors sense God’s leading first. We must believe that. If our flow is not the same as their flow, we may not be in the flow at all. So stay in line by keeping your eyes open and watching the pastors, ready and willing to change direction at any time.

3. Although the proof of the flow can sometimes be experienced immediately, it will definitely be evident over time. Each service is a step along the journey. So commit to serving your church, your leaders and their goals with a long-term mentality. You flow as you grow, and you grow when you’re planted.

Now go take authority over that song list and find the flow!

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