Every week, pastors, worship leaders, praise team members, and other people get the rare opportunity to look back at the mass of people in the congregation. I’ve got a few people on our praise team that I know make a point to connect well with the congregation. Sometimes, we have found ourselves joking around about the facial expressions being made.
Now, we obviously don’t know what’s going on in your head. We don’t know the mentality or spirituality going on with you. You may not even know what your face looks like. You might be praying, trying to figure out if you left the lights on, or thinking about lunch. However, those facial expressions can easily give us a springboard to talk about the spiritual condition of a congregation. So let’s take a look at some.
The Scowl:
Generally, this person is unhappy (obviously). Maybe it’s the song we’re playing. Maybe it’s too slow, too fast, or just those stinking drums again. Either way, this face could represent a deep-seated spiritual problem. The act of worship is never, under any circumstances, to be withheld from God. By saying “I’m not going to worship God because of this song, this worship leader, or this pastor,” you’re really saying “God, you are not worthy of my worship because my preferences are bigger than you.”
The Disconnected:
This one is usually distracted, but sometimes is just a nicer form of a scowl. At least you look like you’re trying. I can even see your lips moving from the stage, which is cool! However, you seem like you’re not really excited about this Jesus guy. A lot of times I hear that this is just you being “reserved.” I don’t know. Maybe “reserved” is just another way to say that you are scared of what people might think.
The Funny Face:
Sometimes this one happens to me. Something funny happened. Some funny thought popped into your head, and you just can’t quite control it. That’s OK. It happens to everyone. There’s another one, though. This is the one that is just paying attention to the funny things that happen. You’re disconnected. You’re looking at a praise team singer and laughing. You are putting way more focus on what is going on than God.
The Engaged:
I love our congregation, but I really love seeing your faces. It is obvious that you care about what God has to say to you. You’re engaged in what is going on. You’re excited about Jesus and what we are presenting. You’re trying to figure out how you can apply this story to your life. You’re genuinely interested in giving God as much glory as you possibly can.
