I’d like to spend the next few weeks in this series: A Worship Leader, Songwriter, Music Director and Producer. By doing so, I’m hoping to express some of my own experiences in each role. I don’t claim to know anymore than anyone else with these titles. Rather, I’m simply hoping to share my thoughts, worries, laughs, and prayers over the last several years. Let’s start with leading worship.
When you make yourself vulnerable to the artistic work of The Creator, you might see a lot of unbelievable things. I’ve seen quite a few. In some cases I’ve seen things that I truly believe to be miracles, in other cases I’ve seen things that can easily be interpreted as works of darkness. And then I’ve seen a lot of the in-between.
I started leading worship when I was about 15 years old. A close friend of mine had just died, and it rocked our small community. There was a deep need for spiritual healing and answers to life‘s most difficult questions. I was simply a friend who knew how to play guitar. I had deep spiritual questions of my own, and a strong desire to ask them. It felt natural to go through the healing process with my friends and let music be a source of communication with God. I wasn’t sure about how to draw a group of people into the presence of God with a guitar and a song, so I dove in deep. With a heart on fire for answers to difficult, existential uncertainties, I left my high school garage band behind and poured everything into faith and music.
Today, as I prepare for a summer full of conferences and events, I’m drawn back to those early days of worship. Learning the music is important, yes, but shifting my heart and mind into scripture themes, and listening to what the Lord might be saying that is specific to each event is at the tip of the spear in my mind. It is the communication with God that is key. It reminds me that only one or two people in a crowded room might remember a killer guitar riff, but lives - whole lives - will change at the introduction of Jesus. Wow. That is the nucleus of the service of the worship leader.
We’re planning several events this year. If you’d like to come, we’d welcome you with open arms. If you’d like to plan a stop in your city, we’d love to begin that conversation. If you simply want to follow along for the ride on digital media, we’ll e-wave at you! Ooh - if you wanna take us out for coffee, we will caffeinate with you!
Here’s where we’ll be and what we are BOOKING NOW:
June 19-21 Steubenville Lonestar (Dallas, TX)
June 26-28 Steubenville South (Alexandria, LA)
July 10-12 Steubenville (Atlanta, GA)
August BOOKING NOW: Back to School Concerts
September 19 FestPGH (Pittsburg, PA)
October 12-16 RESOUND Worship Leader Training (St. Louis, MO)
November BOOKING NOW: Thanksgiving Adoration Nights, Concerts
December BOOKING NOW: Advent Tour featuring Tanner Kalina
For booking info or parish partnership inquiries, head to our website or email us at info@joshblakesleymusic.com
We also have NEW MUSIC out now. Check it out and tell me what you think!
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