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Welcome back to this series called “What Regimen Training Taught Me as a Worship Leader”.

Part 1 is here.

Part 2:  “Rest as Needed”

R.A.N.  It’s an acronym for “rest as needed” that our trainers constantly use.  They want us to be pushed past our comfort zones but they don’t want anyone hurt.  Every person that arrives at “Regimen Training” is at a different place in their fitness ability.

It’s profound how true this is when we gather to worship.  Every person that arrives is in a different place spiritually.  Some are super-charged and ready to go.  Others are broken, hurt, devastated, or discouraged.  Some are full of confidence while others are beaten down with guilt.

These are examples of one’s spiritual condition – but we have to account for one’s physical condition as well.  Have we ever considered that not every person in our congregation is comfortable standing for 25 minutes?  That clapping actually hurts the hands of the person suffering from arthritis?

As worship leaders we should encourage our congregations to press past their comfort zones.  At the same time, we have to give them freedom to “rest as needed”.  Perhaps communicating this to congregations will liberate them from the fear of being judged if they take a break.

Here’s the truth.  There are some who come from church cultures where it’s not uncommon to praise and worship through song/music for 45 minutes to over an hour.  There are others who have never engaged in a flow of 2 or more songs back-to-back.  Worship is a spiritual discipline – and I might add, isn’t always defined by standing and singing.

So what do we do?  Communicate that worshipers can “rest as needed”.  Communicate it frequently.  Communicate it lovingly.  At the same time, encourage your congregations to push further and deeper into their expressions of worship than before.  Encourage them past their comfort zones.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!  Comment below.

About the Picture:
Photo by Chris Moncus Photography, for Taylor Made Training.  After a series of “bear crawls” and “crab walks” through the surf  of the Atlantic Ocean on St. Simons Island’s East Beach, my arms and legs decided that “R.A.N.” was in order.  No pain, no gain.  And of course, Mr. Moncus was right there to capture my defeating moment.