As a worship leader, I am more anxious about Easter Sunday than any other service of the Church Year. I suspect I am not alone in this.
On Easter, worship leaders and church musicians often feel pressured to perform for once-a-year crowds. Easter services can feel like our one chance to impress visitors in hopes that they will come back.
Similarly, pastors break from their usual sermon series to give special Easter messages, and experience the same pressure that worship leaders do. They feel compelled to make the most of this once-annual opportunity to introduce nominal or agnostic visitors to the Risen Christ.
Now, it is absolutely right to treat Easter with special reverence and rejoicing. Throughout Scripture, we see that God cares about feast days and festivals. It is good to put extra effort into holiday services. (The word “holiday,” after all, comes from “Holy Day.”)
When once-a-year visitors come through our doors on Easter, it is godly to welcome them as Christ as welcomed us (Romans 15:7). Holding extra services to accommodate inflated numbers is an act of gospel generosity. Pausing from regular sermons to introduce these visitors to our Risen Lord is a necessity of the highest order. Playing familiar Easter hymns that even occasional attendees know is a kind thing to do.
Even in the midst of my “Easter anxiety,” I recognize that it is appropriate to put particular care into our Easter preparations. However, let’s not lose sight of the fact that our primary vocation as ministry leaders is to minister to our churches—to the people God has given into our care.
We should show abundant hospitality to the visitors who traipse through our doors on Easter, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the primary celebrants of Easter are those who are already in Christ—members of the household of God.
Remembering this has significantly eased my “Easter anxiety.” I want everyone—visitors and regulars alike—to enjoy the music tomorrow, just as I want them to hear the gospel plainly articulated by their pastors. But my primary motivation will be the same as it always is: to support the people of God as they worship him in song.
My primary motivation as I practice for Easter is not to woo visitors with my musical prowess. Such a goal inevitably leads to stress and disappointment for, of course, I am not ‘all that.’ Rather, as I practiced this week, I intentionally set my mind on the regular congregants of both the church were I work and the church my husband pastors (and where I am a member). My job is not to impress visitors with my performance but to aid members in their participation.
Ultimately, Easter is a Christian holiday. While I pray that every visitor encounters Christ and is welcomed into the faith tomorrow, my primary aim as a worship leader must be to help Christians worship their Risen Lord.
This focus takes away so much pressure and is an immense comfort. These faithful celebrants will return next week and the week after, even if I hit a few wrong notes. They are not attending church to hear my music but to worship God in spirit and in truth; my music is merely a support, not the main attraction. These people are an Easter people; they recognize Easter’s specialness but continue to celebrate every Sunday—not just once a year.
Worship leader, I pray that as you prepare diligently for Easter services, you will also discover the peace of playing, first and foremost, for your Lord and his people.
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Ryanne Molinari 