Why Do Worship Leaders Close Their Eyes?
January 12, 2010 10 Comments
For those of you who to go church regularly and participate in contemporary worship, I have a question for you: Have you ever noticed that worship leaders and those who are singing and playing on stage sometimes close their eyes? This occurred to me tonight as I was leading worship at our Convocation service at St. Louis Christian College. I was on stage with the worship team and during the last couple of songs (“Holy, Holy, Holy” and “Revelation Song”) I noticed myself closing my eyes.
This has always seemed to be a natural response for me when leading worship, especially during slower, more intimate songs. But what does closing your eyes really accomplish?
I can’t speak for anyone else, but when I close my eyes or step away from the mic for a few moments it’s a way to focus on God and the meaning of what we’re singing. I guess it’s also an attempt to shut out my view of the people facing me. When you’re on stage with a guitar and a mic, and lots of people are in the congregation, it’s very hard to escape the notion that on some level it’s a performance. When I close my eyes I remember that this is for God, as well as the people.
I don’t claim to be anything special when it comes to leading worship. In fact, I feel a little bit rusty these days and have been longing for the opportunity to do it again week to week. But one thing I do know: it is tempting to overestimate the importance of the human factor in worship. It’s easy to “pump up” the crowd when you know the songs they love and what kind of things will draw a response from that particular group. But the point of worship is not to get people excited, it’s to help us re-tell and re-call the Gospel, which is the content of worship.
Worship leaders are like dinner hosts–we prepare the table and invite the guests, but it’s God who provides the actual nourishment. I think if we faithfully serve what God has provided, it frees us from having to rely on manufactured emotion to make worship worthwhile.
So if you see me on stage and I close my eyes while I’m supposed to be leading, it’s because I’m trying to remember that despite all the appearances of modern worship, it’s not a performance.
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Most of the time, when I close my eyes on stage, be it worship music, or other stuff, it’s either because I’m trying to focus on what I’m singing (ie – remember lyrics, ha ha) or because I’m sweating into my eyes.
We’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it’s the first. (Although there’s nothing wrong with sweating.)
People in the audience close their eyes as well. It helps me cut down on the visual distractions and focus on the God and the words of the song.
I agree. I often time have to close my eyes for all the reasons mentioned. I really enjoyed the comparison of a worship leader to a dinner host. We are there to make sure everything happens without distraction. God is the one who provides the meal and it is the congregation’s job to eat. Good stuff.
Thanks for commenting!
If I close my eyes while leading worship, wrong notes will ensue–quickly and disastrously. So my eyes are open, but that doesn’t mean I’m not worshipping.
I should note too that if you close your eyes too long you make take a wrong step and fall off the stage! (And that would be decidedly “un-worshipful”!)
I have read in “Worship Leader Magazine” that the quickest way to disconnect yourself from the congregation as a worship leader is to close your eyes. Several authors have made this comment. They say that you don’t want the congregation to feel like you are having some kind of higher, intimate worshipping experience with God than they are. Is it a competition? As leaders, are we there to connect with those in worship or lead by example? Yes. It seems there are times when the words I am singing offer times where it’s appropriate to connect with the congregation eye to eye, and other times to just let go and remember that I’m not just there to lead a congregation, I’m there to worship God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Thoughts?
To be fair, though…in most churches (I’m speaking of the ones that don’t have big screens with cameras trained on their worship leaders), if you’re sitting back farther than row 5, you probably can’t really see the worship leader’s eyes, anyway.
Paul, you make a great point. There has to be a balance between connecting/leading, but also being an example. It’s interesting to note how worship leadership has changed over the years. Worship leaders used to be known as “song leaders” or “song evangelists” who would be very assertive in the way they directed the congregation – i.e. keeping a count like a conductor. But that has all changed these days.
I totally agree that the congregation should not feel like the worship leaders is lost in some kind of trance. That is a big turnoff for me also. But I also don’t want to see someone look like they’re going through the motions either, or seeming like it’s a performance. I guess everyone has to find their own balance.
Derek – good point also. I know at my church I spend more time looking at the screen (the lyrics) than the worship team. Sometimes they put the worship leader or others on the screen and that can be a good way for the congregation to feel a connection.