Worship pastor Josh Maze believes that he and fellow worship leaders have a lot to learn from popular television host Jimmy Fallon, and the way he manages to keep his audiences engaged no matter what the topic might be.
"Isn't it amazing that every single night, Jimmy's 'favorite' person is on the show... and we believe him? I believe him. I follow him. All the way to the desk where he is absolutely enthralled by the special guest," he wrote in the Integrity Music blog.
Maze did not think that he would become a fan of a random C-list celebrity, but Jimmy has his way of getting audiences to participate in his talks, and Maze believes that worship leaders can use his approach on their sermons too.
The first thing Maze noticed about Fallon is that he is always smiling. "This may be the most important and underrated aspect of Jimmy's career. He smiles. A lot," he said.
People want happy and positive people in their lives, and smiles are the magic key to breaking down barriers, he said. Every worship leader who does not smile while singing about God's love, grace, and hope is simply missing the mark and might come across the wrong way.
The next thing he noted was Fallon's bountiful energy, which is rarely hype but always excitement. Because Fallon loves what he does, it shows in his demeanor. "People need a confident leader to bring the energy to the room," said Maze. "Energy is contagious. Get excited about what you're doing!"
The third thing he appreciates about Fallon is that he is sincerely humble. People have heaped praises on the television host but he still manages to laugh at himself and point out his mistakes, and this is what worship leaders need to learn.
"He's self-deprecating. He knows his strengths, he knows his weaknesses. He doesn't take himself too seriously," he noted. "He's quick to laugh at himself. That's endearing."
The next thing is that Fallon is always prepared. He might have a great team helping him to prep, but Fallon does his fair share of the work too, studying monologues, singing, dancing, dialogues, and interviews.
Lastly, Fallon is relevant. He talks about the day's news and gossip, and even touches on tragedies. He knows how to speak the people's language and that is why people relate to him so well.
"So, all in all, while Jimmy is leading us in the worship of the people he adores – like Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Tom Cruise, Justin Timberlake, or Brad Pitt, we still have a lot to learn. And if we are leading people in the worship of JESUS, how much more then should we be smiling, energetic, humbled, prepared, & relevant?" finished Maze.
