As a regular contributor to the Worship Community, I miss very little that is posted there. During a recent online conversation there, I began to consider the various spiritual gifts that make up an excellent worship leader.
I’ll lay my cards on the table: I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit - all of them. That includes potential gifts that aren’t even listed in the Scriptures! For many of my “reformational” brothers, that may set them on edge, but there are three - often overlapping, but sometimes unique - lists of Spiritual Gifts in the New Testament (Romans 12, Ephesians 4, & 1 Corinthians 13-15), and many other unique gifts listed throughout the Old Testament and the New. In most cases these gifts seem to related to general tasks to which we are ALL called to take part as Christians - exhortation, mercy, teaching, wisdom, evangelism. These are things that every Christian is called to, within their sphere, but which some individuals are especially gifted in, to a degree that their work in that task can be called nothing short of a “Spiritual Gift” - the results of their evangelism, or the degree to which they display wisdom, the circumstances in which they are able to show mercy, set their work in those areas apart as something especially God-drenched, and unique.
Given how these various lists differ, it implies, and most Bible scholars now agree, that these lists are in no way exclusive - there are very well gifts not listed in the Scripture which are equally God-inspired. In fact, anything which God calls someone to that He chooses to “Spirit-Empower” is, in reality, a “Spiritual Gift”. Doesn’t that mean that there is not only a general call to worship for all Christians, and even a special call on some to lead worship, but doesn’t it also suggest that there is likely also a Spiritual Gift of Worship Leading? Exodus 28:3 states "You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill..." - a clear reference to a Spiritual Gift of Craftsmanship, so is it not at least likely that 1 Samuel 16:14-23 (Where young David’s harp playing calms the demons tormenting King Saul) is suggesting that music can be a spiritual gift?
However, let’s say that there is no specific Spiritual Gift of “worship leading”, the Bible speaks of the gifts of leadership, and exhortation, both of which are at the heart of leading worship.
What do you think? What other Spiritual Gifts could really benefit an effective worship leader?