In churches all over the world in multiple languages people sing "Heart of Worship" by Matt Redman. The song has become something that thousands of Christians feel they can relate to. It has an honest, open and plain tune to it that leaves nothing other than an opportunity to worship the Lord.
In the late 1990's Matt Redman's hometown church was having a dry spell with their praise and worship. The Soul Survivor church located in Watford, England decided to get rid of it's high tech sound equipment for a season. Things had become so repetitious the members and leaders of the church were looking for something to spark the life back into the worship.
Matt Redman recalls "He decided (Pastor Mike Pilavachi) to get rid of the sound system and band for a season, and we gathered together with just our voices. His point was that we'd lost our way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart would be to strip everything away." Mike Pilavachi asked those in the congregation, "When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?"
Pastor Mike Pilavachi jokingly says he fired Redman "We needed to take drastic action. For a while, in order to truly learn this lesson, we banned the band. We fired Redman!" Pilavachi didn't know what needed to be done, but was desperate to stop what he felt like what the judging of the worship going on. "In our hearts, we were giving the worship team grades on a scale from one to ten: 'Not that song again,' 'I can't hear the bass,' 'I like the way she sings better.' We had made the band the performers of worship and ourselves the audience."
Matt Redman stated that at first everyone in the church was hesitant but slowly began singing without the music to back it up. Heartfelt prayers began all over the church. Everything was stripped away. Redman remembers writing the song coming to him quickly in his bedroom.
The song was not meant to be a Christian anthem. Redman says the song was simply to explain what had happened personally to him. Pastor Pilavachi suggested a few word changes so that it would fit the members of the congregation and the song was born.
The song appeared on Matt Redman's 1999 album "Heart of Worship". Redman recalls the song was made to sound much like the scene in the church. Nothing fancy added, just an honest song of praise. Since the song's release it has been rerecorded by numerous artists and sang in Churches all over the world.
The Soul Survivor church itself has spread as well as the song has. The church started in 1993 has spread to Canada, Holland, South Africa, Australia and The United States.
Download : The Heart of Worship sung by Michael W Smith
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
Verse 2:
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath
Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
Verse 2:
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath
Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
(NBG's: Jesus is looking into our heart when we are serving Him. Are we humble servants which could lead others to worship God or are we attracting others for our glory? I ever did such mistakes but Praise the Lord, HE changes me all the times. Let all the glory go the Holy one cause the worship is about Jesus alone)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------How does a worship leader lead people into worship?
Why is it that in some meetings the worship just flows and at other times the phrase 'You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink' seems to echo inside the worship leader's brain? I am afraid that I don't have any quick and easy answers but here are what I consider to be some of the requirements for leading God's people in worship.
Prepared
The worship leader must be prepared. Perhaps that sounds obvious but I'm sure I'm not the only person who has rushed into a meeting desperately trying to think of an opening chorus and hoping that, while we're singing this half a dozen times, I'll come up with some more choruses. Freedom in worship doesn't mean that we turn up and see what happens. Yes, it is important that the Holy Spirit is in charge of the worship but the Holy Spirit will work with us in preparation for the meeting as well as in the meeting itself. Having said this we must, of course, be open to His leading during the meeting and be prepared to move away from what we have chosen if the Holy Spirit so leads.
Prayerful
The preparation of the worship leader must go beyond picking the choruses and deciding on the order in which they are to be sung. The worship leader must spend time with God, talking to Him about the worship, listening to God's voice and, of course, worshipping. A worship leader needs God's anointing on his or her ministry. Anyone can flick through a chorus book or a box of acetates and pick a few songs but, without the Holy Spirit's anointing, this will not lead to worship. The anointing will come upon us as worship leaders as we spend time in His presence and receive from Him all that He has for us. God has given us the ministry of leading His people into worship but we can not do it in our own strength or by our own abilities; it is only as we hand back that ministry to Him that He can fully use us as channels for His purposes and to the glory of His Name.
Part of a team
This may be only you and one other singer or musician, it may be a number of musicians and singers (although it's best to avoid having more people out the front in the worship team than are left in the rest of the congregation!). Don't forget to include in the team the person who puts the acetates on to the projector. They have a thankless task; nobody notices until they get it wrong and that's often the fault of the worship leader. The members of the team must practice together but, more importantly, they must pray and worship together.
Protected
Satan hates it when God's people worship and he will seek to disrupt the worship in whatever way he can. It is essential that the worship leader and other members of the team are protected, not only in the meeting but also before the meeting and during preparation. You can and must pray for each other but it is good to get specific people from outside the worship team to pray for you. Keep them informed of practice sessions and other times when covering prayer is particularly needed.
Servant heart
The worship team is there to serve the rest of the church, not to dominate them. The worship leader is there to serve the worship team and the rest of the church. Avoid chorus marathons (as an antidote to hymn sandwiches) and leave time for free worship, but the worship leader and his team will need to lead in this, particularly if your congregation is not used to this type of worship. It is wonderful to have all the correct notes, some nice 'fiddly bits', four-part harmony etc. but, most importantly, the worship team should be seen to be worshipping and praising God ("not entertaining", NBGs). Above all else, a worship leader must be a worshipper. Like the Biblical shepherd a leader must lead from the front and so can not lead others where he has not already been.
(edited from Mike Forrest's article)