TWLL #32: Christmas Service Craziness And The 5 Minute Pause

read time: Under 5 minutes

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Multiple services, extra practices, extra preparation, last-minute changes, communication fumbles…

It’s the Christmas season, and if you’re a worship leader it can be super busy.

Stress levels can go up as the days tick down, and emotions can be all over the place!

I want to share something that I think can be a help to us, in the midst of the craziness, and provide a place and source of peace that we can carry through it all.

The 5-Minute Pause

With all that’s going in your worship ministry during the Christmas season, what if you took regular pauses here and there, to slow down and sit before Jesus in silence for 5 minutes?

What if you put your phone on airplane mode, got to a quiet space, and literally just sat there?

You’re not reading the Word, you’re not journaling, you’re not even verbally praying— you’re sitting before the Lord in silence, and the goal is simply to be present to Jesus.

The Fruit

It takes focus, and you have to re-center your attention when your mind begins to wander, but when you become present to Him, you begin to realize that He is present to you.

And the fruit of communing with Jesus like this, is a deep peace that not only impacts you in the moment, but affects the rest of your day.  (I wrote more about sitting in stillness and silence with Jesus here)

Living In Peace During A Stressful Season

Now insert this idea— this 5-minute pause to sit with Jesus in silence— into the craziness of the Christmas season that you might experience as a worship leader.

So many different stressful scenarios can come up as you prepare for multiple Christmas worship gatherings at church— and that’s exactly when you need to hit pause and sit with Jesus in silence for a few minutes.

After the last-minute set list change, after the hard conversation, after the tiring extra worship team practice— that’s when you need to slow down, get quiet, sit with Jesus, and experience His peace.

And then you carry that peace with you into the next stressful moment, so that you’re not as rattled or reactive but instead are able to function out of that place of peace.

Conclusion

This Christmas season, as things are starting to amp up, try to build in a 5-minute pause during your regular devotional time with Jesus.  

But then also aim to pause when you hit those speed bumps that could send you into the stress zone, and instead find that solace and solitude with Jesus. 

He loves you, and is ready to help you live from a place of peace as you navigate the Christmas season leading worship.

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