What nobody tells you worship leading is like...

Nobody really tells you what leading worship is actually like.

They might warn you about early call times or tricky soundchecks, but they rarely mention that it’s a bit like…

1. Hosting a Dinner Party for 200 People, None of Whom Told You What They’re Allergic To

You’ve set the table, the food’s ready, and you’re praying they like it. Some guests are excited, some are skeptical, half are returning their food, nobody's paying for the bill, and one guy’s just here for dessert.

2. Herding Butterflies in a Hurricane

Everyone’s fluttering in a different direction: your team, the congregation, your in-ears, your own emotions... and you’re just trying to keep a few of them flying the same way for long enough to call it unity.

3. Trying to Conduct an Orchestra While Riding a Rollercoaster

You’re managing musicians, lyrics, lighting cues, and someone’s in the wrong key (again!), but the congregation just raised their hands, so hang on, we’re going up again!

4. Listening to 400 Phone Calls at Once

You’re scanning the room, reading posture, tone, and energy, trying to decode facial expressions, while also trying to tune your heart to the single quiet voice that matters most.
It’s holy multitasking: watching the room without losing the whisper.

5. Preaching a Silent Sermon in a Foreign Language

You try to imbue deep theological meaning and teaching about how to worship, without actually saying it. You’re communicating theology through tone, tempo, and tenderness. You’re teaching people how to pray out loud without ever saying a word.

6. Trying to Start a Bonfire with a Box of Wet Matches

Some Sundays the spark just doesn’t catch. The songs are good, the heart is right, but it feels like everything’s damp. And yet, you keep striking, believing the next one might light the flame.

7. And Occasionally—Like Standing Barefoot on Holy Ground

There are moments when the noise fades, the congregation sings with one voice, and you realise you’re standing in something sacred.
In that moment, the metaphors fall away.
You remember why you do this.

Because leading worship isn’t about managing the chaos.
It’s about cultivating wonder.
It’s about holding the space where heaven brushes earth,
and inviting people to notice.