HOW TO IDENTIFY THE WORSHIP JUNKIE
I call them “worship junkies”.
Essentially, they’re the people are completely consumed with worship music. You could drop the preaching and the fellowship and the testimonies and play music for hours and they’d be happy.
I know a lot about these people because I am one. Or at least I used to be.
By His kindness, God is delivering from this. And as it turns out, I now have the amazing skill of spotting them from far away. Consider me the freak whisperer.
Identifying the worship junkies in your crowd will help you prepare for the inevitable conversations you’re going to have. If you know it’s coming, you can be prepared. Here’s how to spot them, and if you can endure my silly thoughts, you’ll find a little ode to the worship junkie at the end of the post.
THEY SIT UP FRONT
This doesn’t mean that everyone who sits up front is a worship junkie, but there’s a good chance most of your junkies will be found there. They just want to be close to the action, you know? They want to feel those subs rattling their bones. They want to feel the drops of holy sweat that drip of the worship leader’s face. (Did you know you had holy sweat? YOU DON’T.)
There’s actually a subset of front-sitting worship junkies that are there for more than just close contact. Sometimes they do it so they can be seen. This is actually a real thing and it’s terrible. I’m not much of a dancer/shouter, but I’ve got serious respect for physical worshippers who find a place out of the way so that they don’t become the focus.
IT’S NEVER ENOUGH
You have one of those Sundays where worship goes longer than planned. Your congregation is responding Biblically and passionately, the band was synced the whole time and you were able to lead comfortably and at peace. After the service, you’re standing around saying goodbye and somebody walks up to you.
“Worship was so powerful today! That was awesome. I wish we could just do that for hours!”
That, my friends, is a worship junkie. They are insatiable.
THEY BELIEVE IN MAGIC SONGS
This one is a bit more serious than silly, but I’ll try to stay rant-free. Worship junkies believe there are magic songs – these are special songs wherein they can really praise God. Songs like this are usually referred to as “anointed”.
While the concept of “anointing” doesn’t really apply to songs, I do believe that certain tunes are blessed by God for certain seasons. So, I’m with them on the whole some-songs-are-just-awesome idea.
But we get into trouble when we stand around doing nothing until our favorite song is played. God deserves praise all the time. ALL. THE. TIME. A worship junkie might just stare blankly until the magic songs are played.
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Before we’re done here, let me add this:
I love worship junkies. There are many Sundays when they’re the only ones who’ll respond with zeal and focus and stick with the band and me every step of the way. If it’s up to me, I’d rather err on the side of too excited about worship than not enough.
We can learn a lot from worship junkies. If you’re a pastor, it’s your job to find what’s good and imitable about these crazy-passionate folks and to figure out how those things can mold and bless your congregation.
I LIKE BLOGGING 
Guilty as charged on 2 out of 3. 🙂
Would always love more/longer music/worship time. But we’re blessed with awesome teaching, too!
And we sit up front because I’m too A.D.D. to sit elsewhere without getting totally distracted. Ya know…if there are people in front of me to look at, I’m thinking “Her dress is so cute!” or “That guy is drinking Starbucks. I wonder if that’s a vanilla bean or strawberry frappacino.” or “I love that red shirt. I need to ask her where she got it. People always tell me I look good in red. I wonder why that is? I mean, red isn’t a jewel tone & according to the color chart thing, I’m supposed to look best in jewel tones.”………and on & on. ha ha! Gotta either sit up front or get some blinders for me.