I appreciate the thought and intent behind Rev. Batterson's quote. Nonetheless, as the quote reads, it's too facile, too market/soundbite ready for my tast. The central task of the worship leader is to lead in worship. The central task of the teaching pastor is to teach. The central task of a lead pastor is, old-fashioned and antiquated though it might seem, to pastor.

Keeping things from being routine? That's worth thinking about; it's definitely worth unpacking a bit. I wouldn't want to take it too the extreme--change for change's sake and all that. Routinized or ritual things can be beautiful and enriching as often as they can be made staid and boring.

Put it this way, would the quote have as much impact if the implicit were made explicit, by saying:

"Leading in worship is secondary to the worship leader's central task. Teaching the bible is secondary to the teaching pastor's central task. Pastoring is secondary to the lead pastor's central task. Everything is secondary to the primary need to keep things from being routine."

Hmmm, not so much.

Batterson's comments seems to overlook that people are lost, prone to forget the word of God, and that our soul wanders from the Gospel on a routine basis.

The primary task of a worship leader and preacher is to bring people back to the cross. Other lofty purposes, and Batterson's purpose is indeed lofty and noble, takes a distant second to that. If we identify creativity as our primary purpose, we will neglect the Gospel. We will strive to be creative, which is not a functional substitute savior for the power of the cross.

I agree with Phil. This kind of thinking makes changing style more important than changing lives. While I think it's important to recognize the value of variety in ministry, Jesus being a great example, the end goal is not to keep things fresh but to help people change.

"And who do you say that I am? " is the question that has to be answered by each and every one of us and constitutes the laying of the conerstone on solid bedrock by the hand of God. This question is answered by us at God's timming as with Peter at the last ( leading to continues ) supper. And the answere is not revealed by flesh and blood.

The Lamb that was slain before the foundations of world plainly exhibits His validility as the composer of the language we have come to know Him as, Love.

The worship leader s' pastor s', deacon s" (and so forth) only central task is to relate with the One with whom they say has called them to be so. The One that they preach and sing about that He desires a personal relationship with all.

What if the message was preached that "many are called but few are chosen" to and in the congregation? Would one jepordize the size of the congregation by throwing in a wrench rather than attempting to oil the gears that so far have been spinning?

Jesus said " My yoke is easy and my burden is light." I believe that is 24/7 and I bless the times that He allows me to get glimpses of "my" burden ( and than rises me above them by His Life ) so that I might understand the Hell He rescued me from.

We are ( I believe ) living in excited times of excpectency as the spirit of error is allowed to confuse the world to such a state that even the elect would be lost if the times were not shortened... even so, come Lord Jesus.