I hesitate to write on the subject of the Cross and Worship, not because I am daunted by it (though I am to some degree), but because it would take an entire book to begin to scratch the surface of this subject – and one book would barely do it justice. Why? The cross and Christ’s sacrifice there, as well as his subsequent resurrection, are central to worship. It is the ‘why’ of worship. It is the heart and soul of what worship pastors and leaders across the nation and the world must engage continually and embrace fully to adequately worship God.

The Cross is important because it is by Christ’s sacrifice on that cross that we are able to come to God. One of the primary reasons we worship God is that He, in his great grace and mercy, has reconciled us sinners to himself.

Why is this important to the Worship Leader/Pastor? As we develop and shape services, especially the thematic element of what songs we sing and in what order, as well as the scriptures being read, it is essential to be mindful of places or points in the service where the Cross can be highlighted or emphasized. Some songs do this, other times a few well-chosen words between songs or before or after a scripture reading can do the trick.

This is doubly important if the passage or theme of the service is not overtly salvific. If you, as a worship leader, can connect that theme/passage to the Cross (or our salvation in Christ), then you are enabling the congregation to develop a mindset early in the service which is approaching that theme/passage in the perspective of the Cross.

This is also essential as a leader in the church, in general. You must live and example a mindset which is continually coming back to the Cross. Shaping and developing the worship services to at least highlight a connection to the cross will “condition” (in a sense) your people to continually make that connection. This is a connection found over and over again in the letters of the New Testament – the Apostles definitely had a mindset which could never dissasociate from the Cross.

So let em challenge you, as you develop your worship services, to always be mindful of where the Cross is in respect to what is being taught and sung. And let it be a major warning sign if you can find no trace of it there!