A Worship Leader's Journey

What is worship worth

2011-05-24T19:41:00.000-06:00

I've spent a great deal of time praying for someone who means the world to me. In the midst of this, I've also been intised to buy a new car. ( I wont name names Ryan) as I was doing both, this thaought came to me.

It’s time to buy a new car.
Sometimes the idea is met with excitement and anticipation and sometimes with a sense of dread, depending on the situation. Rarely is it a stress free experience to walk onto a car lot, especially when the salesperson walks out with that classic smile to greet you.

Suppose you walk onto a car lot and before you sits a brand new Camaro. It looks amazing. It handles like a dream. It is a picture of perfection. It is sleek. It is fast. It is beautiful. …and it is very expensive, sporting a price tag of a whopping $65,000. Not that I really know what they sell for, I just picked the number out of my head.

If money were no object, this might be the ultimate dream car, and the price tag would not matter. However, if you are on a budget, you might admire it for a bit but it would never come home with you and spend any time in your garage.

Off to the side of the lot and tucked almost out of view, you notice a rusted out, beat up 68 Mustang Fastback. The seats are torn. It smells. All the windows are broken. The tires are flat. It is an absolute eyesore. To most people this would be a piece of junk, ready for the scrap yard.

But wait… what if you're not most people? What if you happen to be a fan of classic cars? What if you catch this hunk of metal out of the corner of your eye and it ignites a thrill in your soul? What if you’ve been looking for this particular car for years and it’s been your dream to find one and to restore it to how it was intended to be? When you look at it, you don’t see the mess that it is. You see its potential. You see beauty. You see value. You see all that it can be.

To you, this car is worth far more than a hunk of scrap. As a matter of fact, you don’t care about how much it costs because you are willing to pay anything for it. It is worth it to you
.
Two cars on the same lot. They sit at extreme opposites of the value spectrum, yet, until someone walks in and chooses to pay for them, neither of them is worth anything. They do not hold any value in and of themselves, they only have the value that you place on them. Their worth is found in what you, the buyer, are willing to pay for them.

God chose to pay the ultimate price for us. He has assigned onto us a value beyond measure. It is not dependent on us any more than the value of a car sitting on a lot has to do with itself. If no one chooses to pay for it, it just sits there.

The next time you feel worthless and good for nothing, remember, you have been bought with a price that is beyond anything you could ever dream or imagine. The One who bought you has placed immeasurable value on you. He thinks you’re worth it!

True worshippers???

2010-09-18T19:35:00.000-06:00

John 4:23-24

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Those of us who are saved worship God. But how many of us worship Him the way He requires us to worship Him? According the scripture, God clearly wants us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

To worship in spirit, we must stay connected to The Holy Spirit through prayer and communion with Him. To worship Him in Truth, we must know the truth. To know the truth, we must read His Word and Pray daily so He may reveal to us the truth we need to worship Him.

Wow! Are you showing up on Sundays to sing, praise and worship God after a week of not reading the bible, listening to or talking to God?

Today, make a commitment to stay connected to The Holy Spirit through prayer, and to know His truth by reading God's Word.

So Where's the Fruit or Sneaking apples from another man's orchard

2010-09-07T20:43:00.002-06:00

So here it is... Fall is upon us once more. I must confess that it is my least favorite season. I always approach it like a defendant waiting for his sentence to be handed down from the judge. "I sentence you to 6 months of cold dreary dark, dank winter. You will spend your winter shoveling snow until you suffer a heart attack and die". YUCK.
But there are a number of things that I do enjoy. the colors, the sunsets that I'm still awake to enjoy, and the sun rising as I go to work to name a few.

    After our nightly walk today, Ali and I were sitting in the backyard admiring the fall colors when we noticed the neighbor's apple tree. After sneaking half a dozen tasty apples (they were hanging over my fence after all) we were commenting on how fruitful the tree was.
    Ali: Isn't it amazing how from one tiny apple seed a tree grows and matures and produces an abundance of fruit. It produces it for years. All it's life in fact. right up until it's death.
    At this we both couldn't help but feel that we have a lot to learn from nature. How much fruit do we produce? do we (I) look like that tree? Hundreds of apples every year. Year after year. For 30-40 years.
    Make me like that tree lord. I bear fruit, but not as a fruit tree. Not by a long shot.

Expecting Worship

2010-09-06T19:32:00.000-06:00

How's your week been? Great? Bad? Somewhere in-between?

Each week when we gather together in church for worship, I'd venture a guess to say that maybe only half of us are "ready" to come in and give God thanks. There's so many factors that can lead to how we feel on a given Sunday, aren't there?

I mean, I can think through my Sunday morning process, and there's so many variables that can determine how I feel when I get to church. Did I cut myself shaving? Did I sleep well? Did I get my morning caffeine? It would be interesting to see how many different things affect our attitudes not just on Sunday, but throughout the week.

So if we multiplied the number of variables throughout the week that we all experience by the number of people we have in church on a Sunday, then we're talking about an astronomical number of things that can change the "feeling" of the room once we all get to church.

And then you have someone like me get up on stage and say that we need to be excited about being with God!

I remember that it was generally thought that worship wasn't about emotions--that we should be able to take whatever we're feeling and push it all aside and focus solely on God. That never sat right with me, to be frank. To me, that always felt that we were disconnecting a part of ourselves from experiencing God's presence.

I think that a large part of our worship is made up of our emotions--it has to be, doesn't it? If worship (how do you define worship? When it comes to worshipping God, to me is expressing love and thanks for who he is and what he's done...) is an expression of our love back to God, then emotions have to play into it. Otherwise, it's an intellectual experience only.

When you read the Psalms, you can see how the writers there poured out their emotions to God. I can't read those passages and not hear the vocal inflection in people's writing. I can't read it monotone as if Spock was reading them. They are filled with emotion: honest, open, raw, and even violent emotions at times.

So when you come to worship on Sunday, bring your emotions with you. God's not afraid of how you feel--he'd much rather have you be honest and frustrated with him than put on a show--that "everything's happy" church face.

And your worship does not have to be singing along with me and the band. Yes, we sing a lot of songs that are celebratory--that's intentional. We want to express thanks and adoration back up to God. But we also sing a lot of songs that have deeper meaning than that. Maybe one of those songs helps you connect with God this week.

You know you don't even have to sing and you can still be worshipping your hearts out. On weeks when I'm not leading, There's some conversations that I've had with God in my head that are the most honest and open that I've been with Him (or anybody!).

At any rate, worship is more than just group singing. Our times of worship are designed to be moments where we can connect with the heart of God--we want to be open in front of him, regardless, no maybe because, of how we feel. Maybe in those moments of complete honesty with him something life changing happens to us.

What are you expecting from worship this week?

Change the Key boys

2010-09-06T16:54:00.000-06:00

As many of you are aware I sometimes like to worship God through praise and worship songs. Now this is a reoccurring theme that keeps creeping up between the worship teams.Some songs that I do are too high for Brenda, and some songs Brenda does are too low for my team. I have also become aware of the fact that for some of you the key in which we sing is a hindrance to your vocal chords. So let me impart a few tips to make your praise and worship time in church more vocal, and and a little easier.

Now let me start way back when a lot of our old hymns were written.. I am thinking of Hymns by the gifted composers such as Fanny Crosby and Charles Wesley.

Did you know that the majority of tunes for these wonderful hymns were written by some of the most gifted men in history. Why? Well, because the men were the ones who were educated in the writing of music.
So why are these hymns and the modern hymns so difficult for men to sing in church..
Let me give you an example or two…
Blessed assurance Jesus is mine.. This wonderful hymn is so high to sing that men are standing on their toes to reach the high notes. How Great thou Art.. now this stumps me at times and I sing pretty high.. SO. .. let me give you a few tips here my friends…

Men.. you are not intended to sing these hymns in the same octave as the women… you my brothers at times try to sing at exactly the same pitch as the women, but your voices are different .. therefore it cannot be done! So what do you do? Well, you sing the song an octave lower than the women. If you struggle, relax your voice and move down an octave. Now it is the same note, just an octave lower.
I am going to defend the music writer here my friends.. The worship music is not written for women’s voices. If you take the time to study some of the higher worship songs you will find they are written by men and originally sung by men.
I can only Imagine” A truly wonderful song of adoration sung by MercyMe… Now have you ever tried to sing this? It is almost impossible for a woman to sing this as it is written for a tenor voice, therefore for girls to sing it in the key in which it is written and in our octave, we would need a hot air balloon to get to the heights required.

Of course, there are times when the person in control of the team should consider lowering the music a key or two. I certainly don't want you to stand in church and feel robbed of the ability to worship through song because you just can’t reach the notes.
So my friends what I am really trying to say is this.. Music is NOT written for the female voice. It's not written for the Male voice.It is written for THE voice, what men and women need to do is forget how it sounds.. sing it high, sing it low,, start singing from your heart and not your head.

Having Some Fun

2010-08-15T16:29:00.000-06:00

I'm having such a blast listening to this song by Don Francisco. I love his lyric writing. Very nice… not hugely a fan of his music style, but then, I know it's awesome!
You should check these lyrics out! It's so great… in case you want to download the mp3, it's free, and I'm attaching the link at the end of this post. Please listen to it! It's fun! The lyrics are here:
The Package
by Don Francisco

I was wakened in the morning' by a knockin' on the door
So I got up and went to see what all the knockin' was for
There stood the Devil with a box addressed to me
He said "Boy, I've got something here I think you oughta see

I said, I know that I don't want it if it's anything from you
'Cause I hate everything you say and don't like anything you do
But then he pointed with his finger and he smiled kinda sly
'Cause the package said "from God" there in the corner, way up high

So I said, "if it's from God, then why'd He send it here by you"
He said, "He always sends me when there's dirty work to do"
And this box is full of misery, poverty and shame
To perfect you thru your suffering 'till you're worthy of His name

Well, I'd been pretty patient, but that last line took the cake
I just couldn't take no more, I'd taken all that I could take
So I told him what I thought of him and all his filthy lies
Then I fired a shot that got him right between the eyes

I told him "Jesus took my sickness and my poverty away
You nailed Him to the cross yourself when you murdered Him that day
The suf'ring that I do will be for love and not for shame
I'm already worthy by His blood, to wear His name

And I know my Father loves me and has only good in store
So you just take that jive and get away from my front door
You can write my name on packages until I'm ninety two
But every single one I'm sending back to Hell with you"
Go on get out of here

http://songoffaith.com/mp3s/Albums/ThePackage/TP_ThePackage_DonFrancisco.mp3

“Does anyone care?”

2010-05-03T18:35:00.000-06:00

Those who have suffered severe loss often lament that their day of tragedy seemed like a normal day for everyone else. On the day they were fired, learned of their cancer, discovered their spouse was unfaithful, or held a child as she died—on that very day other people went about their business as usual. My divorce is final! My mom is dieing! they silently scream. How can you go to work, eat out, and catch a movie as if nothing has changed? Don’t you care?

Worse, this lousy day seems normal to God as well. The sun shines, clouds roll by, night falls, stars appear. Doesn’t God care either?

The book of Lamentations captured Jeremiah’s anguished cry as he considered the suffering of his people. Life was bad. Jerusalem had been destroyed and its citizens carried off to Babylon. Those left behind had resorted to cannibalism—mothers eating their own children to survive (2:20). Jeremiah laments that his suffering “is bitter beyond words,” but he grasps a glimmer of hope when he remembers that “the faithful love of the Lord never ends” and “His mercies begin afresh each morning” (3:19-23).

Actually, the Lord’s mercies don’t merely begin each morning, they are each morning. Psalm 104 praises God for faithfully tending His diverse creation. The routine events of nature—are all directed by God’s powerful hand. “When You give them Your breath, life is created, and You renew the face of the earth” (v.30).

The clockwork consistency of nature on your worst day is a reminder that God cares. Take it as a sign that God loves you. He’s not debilitated by His grief for you, but is preserving your life until the morning when His mercies will begin afresh.

I know that as I walk through a difficult time in my life, I can only do it through the knowledge that "yes, my God does care for me, Yes, He will walk with me as I mourn, and as I try to be the dad my kids need me to be while they walk through troubled waters of their own."

The Meaning Of Life

2010-04-02T11:21:00.000-06:00

Good Friday. Let's always remember the meaning of life

1 Peter 2:21-25 (The Message)
21-25This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. He never did one thing wrong, Not once said anything amiss.They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls

Worship with your heart

2010-03-12T18:20:00.004-06:00

Many people think that praise and worship is only singing songs at church, but it is so much more! It is also a condition of your heart -- a willingness to exalt God and yield to his will. Worship is an expression of love and awe to the God who gives us more than we deserve. Whether you express your worship by singing, playing music, dancing or in some other way, remember that you are called to worship God with your every action, every day of your life. God is holy, loving, and worthy of all our worship and devotion.

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deut. 6:5)

Worship in 2010

2010-01-05T05:58:00.000-06:00

As we move into 2010 with Jesus in view, I'm trusting that it will be a year in where we each deepen in wonder and heighten in worship.
Here are a few practical things we can do to make this happen. Keep in mind that doing these things won’t make any difference unless we’re depending on the Holy Spirit and praying for Him to change us!

1. Arrange a daily meeting with Jesus. Set aside time daily to listen and respond to God. Get a Bible reading plan, but don’t just read to read; read to hear what God is speaking to you. Don’t read for mere information, read for life transformation! And don’t over-read. Meditating on (and soaking in) a short passage each day is far better than quickly reading over an entire chapter (and forgetting everything). Jesus wants to change our lives and will do so through His Word. So open the Book in 2010!

2. Incorporate Psalm reading (and singing!) into your daily meeting with Jesus. God has given us the Psalms to help voice our praise, frustration, pain, hurt, longing, desire, etc. They’re there to be used…so use them to speak to God!

3. Study topics pertaining to Worship, Music, and Leadership. Get some good books (if you need suggestions, let me know!). Read, study, learn, and apply. If you don’t like to read, pray and ask Jesus to change you! He will. Also check out good websites for articles, audio teachings and more. I highly recommend Sovereign Grace Ministries.

4. Set aside a few dollars each month to purchase quality music. If we want to develop and grow in musicianship and leadership we must be listening to the best musicians and learning from the most humble and seasoned worship leaders out there.

I hope we’ll each put ONE or more of these into action!

Happy new year

2010-01-01T18:37:00.001-06:00

Today, we start a new year. We have dreams and expectations, Some good, some not so good. Gen 26:24...the LORD appeared to him on the night of his arrival. "I am the God of your father, Abraham," he said. "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant."

When I read that today, it really stood out to me." I am with you and will bless you." God has a good record of taking care of those who put their trust in Him. He took care of Israel for more than 40 years as they wandered in the wilderness headed to the Promised Land. He provided them with food, water, shelter and protection. This same God is our help in times of trouble and will be with us. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He doesn't change.

The other day, I was sitting and thinking about this coming year and asking the Lord what He desired from us and these are some of the things that came into my heart. God desires for those that call him their God to return unto his house (the Church). If you have been away from church, it's time to make the time and commitment to get back.

Another thing that the Lord spoke to my heart about is those that do not know him. His desire is that all men would turn their life over to him and let him become your provider, protection and friend. There is no one greater, or more important in this life.

What this year holds, I don't know. But the one thing I do know is that Jesus is going to be with me and help me face what lies ahead. I don't put my faith in governments, people or promises that people make. My trust is in the one who knows what lies ahead and is able to provide, protect and meet my every need. His name is Jesus, and I encourage you to follow Him with me

No perfect people allowed

2009-12-13T15:28:00.001-06:00

I am beginning to read this great book by John Burke. It's about creating a culture within the church that is welcoming and accepting to even the worst of sinners. John told a story in the book that really got me thinking. Here is a condensed version of the story

"In 1986 I was traveling through Asia with a couple friends when we decided to tour a Buddhist temple. Every sight and sound provoked a new question.Why was there a tree with money all around it? where we supposed to throw money down? would they be offended if we didn't? Why was there a woman standing by the gate with her head shaved? What was she doing with the beads in her hand?

as we stood by the wall listening to the mesmerizing hum of the chants rise and fall a million questions began to form in my head. why do they do this? What does it do for them? Am I an intrusion or will I be welcome here? Will they be mad at an "outsider" an "unenlightened one" has invaded their space?

Then everything changed. A gong sounded and everyone got up. Some went over and kissed the statues. My heart raced as I looked around the room for clues as to what to do. Were we supposed to bow? why were they bowing? Will I be insulting them if i don't bow?.... I wanted to escape the awkwardness that I felt.

Just then a kind-looking young man came to us signaling us with a smile to follow him. we made our way out to the courtyard as the lamas resumed their chants. He spoke to us in plain English, but his words were still foreign to us, as he tried his best to explain the things we saw and heard."
From "No Perfect People allowed" pg 55

This story really got me thinking. Every time new people come into our church, it can seem as strange to them as going to a Buddhist temple would be for us. They don't know the rules, so they automatically feel out of place. They don't know if they should sit or stand, will we be offended if they don't sing? They don't know the bible, or how to decipher the christian lingo that we speak. and they don't know if their questions will offend us, or if we'll still accept them if they voice their skepticism.

so it's up to us to be patient, and lovingly explain our culture to those who come into our doors, and to be accepting of everyone who comes in, despite our prejudices, and expectations. In fact, I think we need to get rid of any expectations that we have. Christ came and spent time with the worst society had to offer. Thieves and sinners, even a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery. The law said she should be stoned to death, but Jesus chose to forgive.

So my question is... If the very scum of the earth started to attend the church that you attend, how would you react? Would our response be to conform them to our image, or could we accept them as they are and let God work in their lives?

Peace in our time

2009-12-05T19:17:00.000-06:00

Peace. The second Sunday of Advent.

I was looking at my facebook page today, and noticed someone talking about needing peace. Christ came into the world to bring peace. His name is prince of peace. So why do we live in a world that seems to be without it. Wars in the middle east. famine and genocide. Unhappy and broken marriages. Troubled children, dysfunctional family units, trouble with the in-laws.

Christ came to bring peace. We need to let it rule in our lives. Collossian 3:15 says "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

Advent: Hope

2009-11-26T14:59:00.004-06:00

Stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
-Luke 21:28 (NRSV)

Wow, here it is, Advent season again. A time when the church basically remembers to be watching for Christs return. A few years ago, I decided to give up something for Advent, I tried to give up rich foods and desserts until Christmas, hoping that my heart might be more open to the presence of Christ. It was a challenging sacrifice, and I didn't fair so well.

When suffering, hardship, or disaster come, are we ready to stand firm and place our hope God? I recently read an article online about a South African who spoke about her families history, they lived during the beginning of apartheid. Families were taken in trucks from their homes and towns and taken into exile to the so-called homelands. Singing arose on those trucks as loving parents comforted their children and offered songs of hope.

In dark times gifts of memory and hope comfort us, bringing strength to stand in the face of cruel injustice. God give us the strength to stand for you. To hope in you, and to find strength in You during this Christmas advent season. Remember to reach out to those around you who find this time of year difficult. Show them the Hope of Christ

Live it out

2009-11-21T19:06:00.004-06:00

Today is the time to begin to live Worship! Not tomorrow, not yesterday, not the new year.

Everyday we have to choose. We can choose to live the same old way or we can start to live it to our best through living a life of worship. Does this mean we need to go around singing, dancing and praising every minute of the day? By no means. What I mean is living in integrity and being thankful for what God has done, and is doing.

So how do we begin to live a life of worship? Forgiveness is a place to start. If we hold anything against anyone or towards God we can't live our lives in worship.

Next, give honor and glory to God. God does so much for us each day that we don't give Him credit for, So take time to thank God for the simple things.

Next, pray. The word says to pray without ceasing. This doesn’t mean that every word from your mouth should be a prayer, it simply means that we need to stay in contact with God through our thoughts. When we do, we have less time to think about distractions that try to take us out of our lives of worship. We tend to forget about distractions and difficulties when we are focused on prayer!

Then we should take time each day to read the bible. when we do this we are actually hiding God's word in our heart. God will help us to understand His word and hide it in our hearts. You don’t have to memorize large parts of scripture. But if you take verses and meditate on them you can absorb these truths. They will help you to make better decisions while you are living your life of worship.

Last but not least you must take time to worship and praise. take the time to worship God in the way he designed for you. Whether it's on your face, or bouncing around the room, just take the time. You will find your freedom in praise when you are by yourself, but I encourage you to bring it to the sanctuary on Sunday. It is contagious. the more people who begin to feel free on Sunday, the more others will join, and soon we will all be worshiping freely in many different expressions

In Hard Times

2009-10-10T17:56:00.002-06:00

In Loving Memory of a beautiful person. You will be missed.

Sometimes we wonder, "Why me???" or "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God allow this to happen to me?" I came across this article in an e-mail I received. It kinda hits home and it is a thought provoking explanation...

A teenage daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.
"Yuck" says her daughter.
"How about a couple raw eggs?" "Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! "

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times.
But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

2009-10-04T21:33:00.002-06:00

"Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." Nehemiah 4:14b

Isn’t this a powerful statement! You can almost feel the zeal of Nehemiah. Watching Kevin say the words, was almost like seeing Nehemiah speaking. He had authority, he had power. He was ticked because people around him were starting to fall to the lies of the enemy. Now we all know from what we have heard and read in our Bibles that God is, as the text says “great and awesome”, but do you know that for yourself? When you personally think about God, do the words great and awesome come to mind? If they don’t, I assure it is not because God has ceased to be great and awesome.
Author Henry Blackaby says in experiencing God. “Right now God is working all around you. One of the greatest tragedies among God’s people is that even though they long to experience Him they do not know how to recognize him at work in their midst”
If this has been the case for you, take some time to pray for God to reveal to you where he is working so that YOU may be able to say, with all sincerity of heart, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome”.

2009-09-23T16:09:00.004-06:00

Thanks to advance notice from Kevin (our pastor for those of you who follow this blog from elsewhere) I've been reading nehemiah with the attitude "God, what are you saying in this book that you want to say through me, and what songs can I play that you will use to help us remember." So while I've been doing this, I've had a couple of thoughts that I thought I'd share.

What impresses me about Nehemiah is his humility and wisdom in this chapter. When Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem, he must have made an impressive entrance. The king had sent army officers and cavalry with him, so I’m sure everyone was curious why he was in Jerusalem. But he doesn’t tell them right away. He tells us that he “had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 2:12). He stays for three days and then–at night–he inspects the Jerusalem walls. He keeps his own counsel and instead makes a full inspection before announcing his purpose. He is thorough. He gathers all the “facts” before making a decision.

If I’d been Nehemiah, I’d have ridden into Jerusalem proudly, announced my plans right away. I’d have done this before I’d inspected the situation and had a good grasp of the whole situation. Good thing Nehemiah wasn’t like me, which is probably why God picked him for the task. Instead, Nehemiah is humble. the fact that he quietly examines the walls before making any decisions or plans shows me his wisdom. He is careful in his planning and wants to have first-hand knowledge of the situation before he proceeds any further into his mission.

I could stand to learn a lot from Nehemiah’s actions. How many times do I make plans without considering all the “facts” beforehand? How many times do I barge into a situation, proudly thinking I can make it right, when I don’t know the full situation to begin with?

Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth. See you on Sunday when Kevin speaks from Nehemiah 3. I don't know about you, but this series is definatly got me paying attention, and it's got me digging into the word a little deeper than I have in awhile.

Be Ready

2009-04-24T18:13:00.001-06:00

You know, what’s so good about our God is how He can deliver to us exactly what we need exactly when we need it. Matthew 25 has proven to me again that He knows exactly what I’m going through and knows exactly how to handle the situation.

There are three powerful parables in this chapter:

1) The story of the ten bridesmaids
2) The story of the traveling man with 2 wise and 1 foolish servant
3) The sheep and the goats

All of these have to do with being prepared and being good stewards with our time, our treasure, and our talent. As I read this chapter over a few times, it really hit me how important it is to have things in order; to be ready at all times.

See you Sunday

Raise your hands

2009-03-22T19:56:00.003-06:00

Do you raise your hand during worship at church? I do! I love doing it. Let me share why...

For me, raising my hands means surrender...several different surrenders:...like when a police officer tells a suspect "hands up" surrender - I am guilty, please pardon me surrender......or "these burdens are too heavy for me..take it", surrender...or I don't know what else to do surrender....

For me, it also means adoration. I once watched the Beatles Anthology...I saw these girls screaming, crying, and raising their hands while they were listening to Beatles sing their song in a concert. They adored Beatles! And it struck me that we don't express our adoration to Jesus as much as we express our adoration to our favorite rock band! When i worship and I feel like expressing my adoration to God, I raise my hand freely.

I know I cannot be still during worship. I mean, I have to express my worship through my hands while I sing. I even dance (ok, sway) and cry....

I am not saying that I am more spiritual by raising my hands...no...that's not what it means. It just means that that's how express my love and adoration...to the one I love the most!

A Life Of Worship

2009-01-21T16:47:00.001-06:00

The longer I lead worship, the more I realize just how much of an incomplete idea we have of what it means to worship God.

I don’t believe that worship occurs solely in a moment in time but is more of a lifelong pursuit of God and glorifying His name in all we do and say. It's not just singing songs on a Sunday morning but is moment by moment obedience to God. Jesus said that all the law and the prophets were summed up in two laws, one of which is to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.” This is at the very core of what it means to worship God. The Lord desires that I worship him not just at specific times in specific places, although it is important that I do this, but that my whole life would be devoted to him.

Here are some definitions that have helped me understand worship better:

To love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength is to completely devote our lives to Him and, in so doing, consider every thought and action to be to the glory of God, (cf. 1 Cor.10:31; Col. 3:23)

“Worship is a posture of life that takes as its primary purpose the understanding of what it really means to love and revere God.” (Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods, Pg.91)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6v5)

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans12v1)

“ The complete devotion of our lives to God while considering every thought and action, through submission to the Holy Spirit, to be done to the glory of God, (cf. 1 Cor.10: 31; Col. 3:23)

The way I think about worship will affect how I worship. Sometimes, I think Sunday morning is the only time we worship God. Why? The answer lies in what we think it means to worship God.

The greatest switch that ever took place in the history of the universe was when a holy God chose to make human beings His dwelling place. Since I am a ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 6:19), worship can and must move beyond time and place. Worship is grounded solidly in real life and begins and ends with my daily life where attitude is crucial (see Philippians 2vs5-11).

The degree to which I carry out my daily activities with a heart of gratitude (1 Cor. 10:31) and thankfulness towards God will determine the depth of my worship on a daily basis which will, in turn, greatly impact my weekly gathering with the body when I can offer my week – my life, to God in worship.

Which areas of your life could you consider as acts of worship?

Do you want Him enough?

2009-01-20T19:52:00.000-06:00

As I look around and sense the season we are in I can’t help but wonder how people live without Jesus. How do they survive the pressure of this world and all its disappointments, temptations and empty promises? Even as a believer it is a challenge to keep my eyes focused on Jesus and His promises to me and not on what is going on in the world. Our eyes fool us at times. We see things as they appear and not as they really are. The perspective we have is limited by our humanity and our culture but God sees the end from the beginning. Scripture says that He will keep us, that even if our mothers abandon us He won’t let us go, that He will be with us in the fire and in the flood but He does not say that it will be easy. The vision of being a Christ follower in our western culture seems to be one of comfort and convenience. I wonder how long we would last in Eastern Europe or in China where life is hard and being a Christian means loosing your family, being imprisoned or giving up your life. How many American Christians would have made it through Nazi Germany or the arenas of Rome? I wonder how long I would last in a Muslim country where giving your heart to Jesus could cost you your head?

I remember leading worship at church one day and sensing God saying “ You don’t want me enough.” I thought He was talking about the congregation I was leading in song but weeks later I realized He was speaking to me directly. I wanted the things of Jesus, the healing the good feeling the protection but He wants me to want Him. I pray we will learn to want Him with everything in us for every moment and every thought for every day.

back to basics

2009-01-01T19:42:00.002-06:00

It's good for us to go back to basics and question why we do what we do. One of my favourite Bible verses, Romans 12:1, says "...in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of
worship."

I don't think God necessarily wants or needs our worship. What we sing or do does nothing for God in the same way that the burning carcases in the Old Testament did nothing for God either (see Isaiah 1:11-17).

Worship to me is what we do naturally in response when we grasp God mercy, his grace, all that He is and all that He has done for us.

And how do we honour God and acknowledge His worth when He everything we could try to give him is already owned by him? I believe it is by honouring those who he made in his image (1 Tim 5:4, James 1:27).

Character Quality

2009-01-01T13:15:00.002-06:00

I've never been one to make resolutions at the beginning of the year. I've always felt that if the Lord challenged or convicted me in an area, I should respond in obedience right then and there. Of course, setting goals and striving to attain those goals is a good thing whether it is renewing a spiritual discipline, getting in better shape, eating more healthily, etc.

What I like to do with a new year is take the opportunity to pause, listen to God, and hear what He is calling me to pursue. This is one that has been ongoing for me, and hopefully for you too. Character development should always be uppermost in our walk with God

Character Quality
Philippians 2:1-8 says,

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yoursleves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross?

WOW! Paul begins by encouraging the Philippian church to be like-minded and selfless. He then moves us to put the interests of others above our own. Then he throws in the pinnacle of example - Jesus Christ.

He says that our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Obviously, I have a long way to go here. Christ sets the perfect example of humility and humbleness by becoming a servant and dying on a cross.

By God's grace and the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, I seek to pursue in my life the character of humility and humbleness. I will seek to live it out personally with my family and friends, but also to demonstrate it with my neighbors and those out of my circle of relationship.

I have to admit that this last year has had a more than fair share of struggles, and a couple of the big ones we are still struggling with as a family, and inside of those struggles is the battle to do all things in love toward those that I feel are in the wrong. This is a perfect example of what this passage is telling me (us) to do.

2008-12-22T19:22:00.002-06:00

This is about the funniest thing I have come accross in awhile. This is a facebook group. Enjoy

You play a worship leader of a big time Church in downtown Calgary. As with all worship teams, you must recruit a band (or two) composed entirely of Churched individuals who think they are skilled in their instrument, when really, they are mediocre at best.

You must develop a repetoire of worship songs. You will train your transposition and arranging skills as you must make sure that every song has no more than four chords (fewer is better). Also, every song must be in either E or G, because any other key is much too hard for guitarists.

The game takes you through an exciting journey of worship leading as you develop and promote your ministry.

Feel free to engage and allow your instrumentalists to experiment with solos, but take caution, because any excessive soloing will cause an uprise amongst the old ladies in your congregation.

You must make sure your guitarists do not turn their amp past a .5 volume level! This will result in dissension from the sound techs in the back of the Church!

All worship sets must include a minimum of one hymn. This does not include modern hymnal remakes. You must learn to balance contemporary and classical worship music. This is to keep all ages of your congregation happy.

Hymns are only accessible in higher levels, due to the faster chord changes.

The final level will be a song in the key of A. However, it is impossible to beat, because none of your guitarists can play an F#m

You must have a minimum of three guitarists on your team. One bass, one electric, and one acoustic. Also, your acoustic must always be out of tune.

Your electric guitarist must play 90% of what the acoustic player is playing. Any derivation should be dealt with by turning the amp down. Also, the amp must be run through a DI Box. Do not mic the amp. Heaven forbid you have good tone.

Every song, every time in between the pre-chorus and chorus, must include a random band member shouting 'Jesus', 'Lord' or other indistinguishable noises.

75% of your vocalists must sing the melody. A maximum of two harmonies are allowed. These harmonies must be at 50% the volume of the melody. They must also be dragged out longer than the melody, to allow the congregation to hear them.

All worship sets must include a minimum of one (1) Chris Tomlin song.

If you are playing for a youth or young adult audience, song selection is strictly limited to United, Starfield and/or Skillet. Do not introduce more than 2 songs that are not known, as this will confuse and drive out the youth.

Once a month, the head pastor must join your worship team with a tamborine.

Your head pastor will always join you on stage for the last song. At this point, you will step down and let him sing. No matter how badly this sounds, remember God is still pleased.

Every song, fast or slow, must have a keyboard pad as the background. They keyboardist must work hard to make it look like they are contributing. (This is usually achieved by dramatic facial expressions, swaying, or yelling in between prechoruses and choruses.)

Members cannot practice daily, nor have any understanding of modes, chord-scale relationship.

Even if is only going from soft to mind-blowingly loud in half a measure, your drummer requires only one skill: and that is to build.

Drummers must resort to "Hot Rods" and/or plastic sticks because wood sticks make too much noise, which is never a good thing.

As well, the drummer is strictly the only member of the team with a sense of style. This style must be along the lines of or some modification of "scruffy".

The bassist will always be the only member of the band with actual talent. To ensure that no one hears him, make sure he is turned down at all times except for simple, one-note intros.

As with all worship teams, you're arch-nemesis "satan" will randomly incorporate his evil into your worship team. This will inevitably include failing power supplies, vocal mishaps, instrument destruction, etc..

Occasionally, one of your guitarists will require a capo. This will result in utter chaos as you will now have two sets of chord sheets, which will inevitably be mixed up and now none of your band members will know which key to play in.

Hero mode will include a song which requires a key change. Naturally, this will result in a melody way too high for ANYONE in the congregation to sing.

One of the boss levels will require you to bring the whole band in at the same time following a song which the Pastor requires to be sung a capella.

You will have to master a few commonly used gestures between musicians - especially between leaders and the remaining band. These will be met with a confused look and a shrug. Points are awarded for getting your band-mates to properly execute the section, using any means necessary (not excluding, dirty looks, frantic arm waving and/or yelling).

Practice Mode. Practice mode will always be fantastic and include many elements foreign to Sunday morning. ie: drum fills, shots, accapellas, interludes, worship, and the Holy Spirit. Also, every song's tempo will be increased by 30bpm to increase anxiety levels.

Bonus points if everyone in your band (including vocalists) shows up on time. However, double MINUS those points because the sound techs are MIA.

Occasionally during practice or performance you will encounter a challenge entitled "How does this song go?" Your guitarist, or pianist, who is starting the intro for your next song is frantically mouthing words to you. Can you make sense of their mumblings and remind them how it goes?

All drum kits must be completely engulfed by plexi glass. No one will know or ever understand the reasoning for this.

Occasionally, all instruments must play the exact same lick as the bass for a portion of a song. This will be known as "bass repetition"

Any and all guitar solos MUST begin with the melody of the song's chorus. Derivation will be allowed (but not recommended) after 4 bars.

You, as the worship leader, must conduct the entire congregation. You will not keep tempo however. You must force the band to follow your seizure-like speed changes.

Metronome/click track use during practice is strictly prohibited as it may unnecessarily make the musician too regimented. Could also lead to interference with "Spirit-led" (aka, wildly varying tempo) worship.

The game will also include a Stage Design mode, in which you will be able to add your own personal and more realistic touches to your environment. ie. tacky plastic flowers, inspirational banners, etc.

There will be a Character Design mode where you can dress your player. Your choices for clothing will range from the "earthy" worship leader (ie: birkenstocks and fuzzy sweaters) to the wannabe rockstar style (ie: ripped up jeans, layered shirts, messy fauhawk-mullet) to the conservative (full suit or ankle lenght black skirt, turtleneck etc.). Any choice of "inappropriate" clothing will result in an uprising of old ladies and threatening elders.

Patience Mode.
Patience Mode will include various aspects of worship, such as a member of the congregation who believes that they have amazing talent in playing an unusual musical instrument (90% of the time, it will be a classical instrument.) They will also clearly lack any talent whatsoever. You will have to clear stages with people playing recorders, flutes, trumpets, and a xylophone. The final level will include a bagpipe player who feels that he must contribute to the Praise & Worship songs....good luck.

Bonus points if all acoustic players, especially the singer-songwriter-worship leader, break a G string as they adrelanize while singing. More bonus points if any under-30 members of the band keep their mouths shut once they find out what just happened.

If your worship team can make it big, you will encounter a level in which your worship ministry produces it's own album of all cover songs that have already been covered by multiple artists. Bonus points for including a massively over-produced version of "Heart of Worship." You gain points if you can succesfully justify not licensing the album with the logic "it's for the Lord's glory."

Choosing worship set lists will be required at each level. Remember, inconsistancy and indecision are key. You will rehearse your set and then change three songs on Sunday and then change two more between services. Bonus points for having team setup where worship leader, bassist, and drummer are such good friends they can read each others minds. Just don't give them a cue or they'll run with it.

Song arrangement is key in a successful worship team. You must be sure to always have a song selection of 2 fast, 1 and/or 2 mid-tempo and 2 slow songs, in this order. Failure to do so will cause disengagement from the congregation.
In addition, the final slow song must be dominated by an angelic synth sound. This activates the Holy Spirit.

Be sure not to leave more than 4 seconds of awkward silence while transitioning songs, as the Holy Spirit Level Indicator (HSLI) will take a sudden drop.
If the HSLI remains in the red for more than 15 seconds, your team will be asked to leave the stage, and you will be told gently that there are other teams who would like to use their gifts for God as well. You will not be invited back to lead.

Points will also be lost when you request "just the voices", and your drummer keeps playing. Or, when the vast majority of the congregation raises their hands and sings only during the chorus, while staring blankly at you or the projection screen during the verses.

It is possible (although difficult) to unlock a bonus level by successfully turning off the volume for "the bad singer"; leaving their voice only coming through their own monitor, yet convinced that everyone in the congregation can hear them.

Oh, and its: Verses, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Verse...there is NO reason to change this, obvious, God-given order.

Lose points if you say "God is good", and nobody says "all the time".

At the end of a set (level), a middle-aged woman who knows your name but doesn't introduce herself will say, "You're SO anointed!"
Then the FHLI will blink, indicating the false humility you're about to use to respond. 5000 extra points and a free set of in-ears if you can figure out how to respond well.

Every so often you, as the leader, will take it upon yourself to do an acoustic set; which will face great and silent opposition from your electrics, keyboard and bass. No matter how boring this is, no one is allowed to or will ever complain because we all know that we do not come to church to be entertained. Proper completion of this level will contribute to a higher than normal FHLI, and a smaller turn out of youth the following Sunday.

and yes, it has to be played EXACTLY as Hillsong would play it.

Singing with the Angels

2008-12-17T15:54:00.000-06:00

Today I read through Revelation 4 and 5 where John describes a little bit of the Throne Room he sees in heaven. It had to be an indescribable sight, but he does his best to give us a glimpse of what he sees.

Around the throne of God John sees the twenty four thrones on which sit twenty four elders wearing crowns. In front of the throne are the four creatures, each resembling a different animal, but all having six wings and being covered with eyes. A strange sight, to say the least. But these creatures sing a song that I'm sure you're familiar with. It goes like this:

"Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!"

They sing this song constantly, without ever taking a break. The scripture says, "They do not rest day or night." It goes on to say,"Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.'"

Can you imagine singing this same song over and over again without resting, forever?! How long would it take us to get bored? But these creatures are not human, and were created for this very purpose. I'm sure they have immense joy, if they feel joy, simply because they are doing the very thing they were created for!

So what about us? Could it be that we would find unfathomable joy if only we were doing what we were created for? So often we fight God when He requires something of us. Money, time, our families, our very lives… Yet, God knows us so intimately. He created us and knows exactly what we need. If only we would surrender ourselves completely. I looked up the word "surrender" in the dictionary. Here's what I found:

–verb
1. to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress: to surrender the fort to the enemy; to surrender the stolen goods to the police.
2. to give (oneself) up, as to the police.
3. to give (oneself) up to some influence, course, emotion, etc.: He surrendered himself to a life of hardship.
4. to give up, abandon, or relinquish (comfort, hope, etc.).
5. to yield or resign (an office, privilege, etc.) in favor of another.
6. to give oneself up, as into the power of another; submit or yield.

Think about how these definitions apply to our relationship with Christ. Have we really surrendered?

As a worship leader I find it discouraging to look out at a congregation and so often see very little participation in the praise of our loving Father. I want so badly to see God's people united in adoration and worship, but instead, I see people waiting, expecting God to move before they will engage. I don't know if anyone else is experiencing this, but it's something that started in our church long before I ever got here. And it's a struggle to get people to move beyond that point of waiting for God to do something before they worship. It's discouraging to see such a lack of participation in our worship services, but today God brought something to my attention that almost brought me to tears. On a personal level, I was deeply encouraged by this. Every time I praise God, I am joining the angels' roar of praise in heaven. Because of that, I know I am never alone in giving my praise and thanks to God.

Could it really be this easy?

2008-12-16T15:40:00.000-06:00

"When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them...The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." Luke 2:16-18;20

Could getting people to church really be this easy? Maybe it could be. Maybe it should be. What is your church doing to "spread the word concerning what you have been told about this child..."

Drive already

2008-08-30T18:24:00.001-06:00

I am a good driver. No accidents. No moving violations in the past year. Not only have I not caused any accidents, but I’ve prevented several accidents with my evasive stealth maneuvers and cat like reflexes.

People are really bad on the road. I was stuck behind a red jeep last week that was swerving from lane to lane and moving very slowly. One by one, the cars that were stuck behind the jeep made the daring move to pass it as it swerved from side to side. As it was my turn to pass, I glanced over to see what category of bad driver this particular one fit in. (Yes, I confess that I have labeled certain groups of people as bad drivers) What I saw as I passed the jeep was a teenage girl, holding her cell phone up, right in front of her face and she was attempting to send a text message to one of her friends.

There are people on the news who say that we should ban cell phones while we drive. Or ban eating while we drive. Or ban all sorts of behaviors while driving. I have a better idea: Ban dumb drivers.

I propose a global ‘survivor’-like competition where if you cause an accident, you’re out. No more driving for you. Eventually as the bad drivers get weeded out, traffic flow would be great, accidents would be down and every time there was an accident that would mean one less driver. Of course the competition would eventually lead to the final showdown between the world’s final two drivers… probably somebody from Germany and of course myself.

How to write mediocre worship songs

2008-08-18T21:21:00.000-06:00

In my parusal of the net this week I came accross this hilarious look at songwriting. Have a look and enjoy

A Comical Look At Common Pitfalls To Avoid In Song Writing

By Bob Kilpatrick

In most cases, one can use these three qualitative judgments- good, mediocre, bad- in descending orders. Good is better than mediocre. Mediocre is better than bad. But, in my humble opinion, it’s different in song writing; good is best, bad is good and mediocre is bad. As an example of proof I would reference the Shaggs “Philosophy of the World” album. Recorded (I believe) in the late Sixties by three sisters who (from what I have read) were forced into it by their father, this is one of the truly bad records of all time. It sounds like they could see each other but couldn’t hear each other while they played their instruments. And the songs! - Yikes! What terrible songs! Listening to this album is like watching as a minor traffic accident unfolds in front of you; not too hurtful and immensely enjoyable to have experienced. It is so bad; it ranks right up there just under good. Mediocrity, on the other hand, is excruciating. It has the desire for excellence without the talent to make it happen. It’s the loser of the playoff game, the billiard ball that almost went into the corner pocket, the salutatorian of the graduating class.

Having written hundreds of mediocre songs, I consider myself an expert. Consequently, I have deigned to share with you my tips on how to write a really mediocre song. These are road tested and guaranteed to work.

Number One- Start with a melody that sounds like another melody. This is especially effective if you model it after another mediocre melody. Make your melody only different enough to keep you out of a copyright infringement suit. Otherwise, hew as close as possible to what has been done before. “My Sweet Lord” was a good example of this at one time.

Number Two- To make up for the derivative melody; wrap it around some very odd chords. If you’re in the key of C, say, try throwing in a C, G#maj7, B6, F#m combination. This is what I call the “search for the lost chord” and is popular among high school boys working on their first songs.

Number Three- Free yourself from the restrictive song structures of the past. Move away from the verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, and chorus form into something that wanders without repeating itself. If you must have a chorus, change the words or the timing every time you repeat it.

Number Four- Say something in the lyric that others have said many times before and better. Borrow lyric ideas, if you can. Songs that refer to “amazing grace” or “the king in majesty” are especially good starting points. Reading through hymnals and chorus books will help you cull/steal ideas from other writers that you can dull down and repeat mindlessly.

Number Five- Use Christian phrases in common usage in the English-speaking world. Don’t change them (millions of happy Christian can’t be wrong.) Here’s a list to get you started; - washed my sins away - He lifts me up - I just came to praise the Lord - saved - born again - glory

Number Six- the reverse of Number Five- Don’t use any phrases that Christians would recognize. Make your metaphors so esoteric that only you and your closest friend from junior high get the meaning. This approach also helps if you want to reach a wider audience with your song. The less your lyrics can be construed to talk explicitly about God the better.

Number Seven- Don’t say just one thing in a song. Say two, or three, or even four things. Wander from idea to idea. Start by singing about your past sinful life, then move on to how wonderful nature is, then sing about the people of God and end up at the Second Coming. If you can make it all sound like it could be either, a) a worship song or, b) a love song, even better.

Number Eight- Mix and match your metaphors. Let rivers run over mountains in your song. Let the hand of God rain down on you. Stand before the throne on your knees. If you find this mixing and matching difficult to do, reading through modern chorus books or many recent Christian novels will help.

Number Nine- If you’re writing a worship song, talk TO God sometimes and ABOUT God at other times. If you can squeeze them both into the same line, especially in the chorus (if you must have one), all the more mediocre.

Number Ten- Never; ever rewrite your song after the first draft. If you hit a lyrical block, you can use the words “really” or hallelujah” or “to the Lord” very effectively to keep the song moving. If you must rewrite, do it when you’re tired, depressed or angry. Don’t throw away the first draft, just in case the song inadvertently improves.

Number Eleven- Give the song a title that never appears in the lyric. Make it obtuse or completely meaningless in relation to the song. One-word titles patterned after concepts or naturally occurring phenomenon are good. Some ideas are; - Rainy Day Worship Song #19 - Sun - The Three Of Us - Wind - Mountains And Sea - anything about shouting - You - Before The Throne.

There you have it. I’ve topped David Letterman’s list and, like Spinal Tap, have gone “one more higher.” If these guidelines don’t help you write truly, remarkably mediocre songs, then you should consider giving the effort up. Be careful, too, that you stay away from the reverse of these simple rules. If you don’t, you might start writing bad songs, or even good ones.

Bigfoot he he he

2008-08-14T20:50:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it. After years of mystery and pranks, 2 guys claim to have found the legendary big foot. Here's a pic. excuse me for a sec. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. O.K. I'm back. I hate to get all sucked into this, but I can't help it. My only problem is that I'll be working during their press conference on Friday.

I found a much better picture of one while I was down by the river. Check it out

Way to pick 'em

2008-08-07T17:58:00.000-06:00

Today I’m listening to a bunch of worship cds and also browsing iTunes, listening to 30 second snippets of worship songs. There are so many things I look for to find a “good” song for Mac to worship with. Music in general is a topic that is plagued with baggage - styles, volume preferences, etc.

There has always been an honesty factor in music that we work with at the MAC. Back when I first started doing this, I determined that the music we do needs tyo be meaningful, and singable by everyone in the church. In the last few years, "church music" has gotten more diverse - it’s not as cut and dry as it used to be. The rock stations play so much more than rock music - the lines between genres themselves have blurred to a point where it’s hard to classify songs. The emphasis on genere has switched to an emphasis on reality, sincerity, and epic. today's worship music takes people on a musical journey. It is important to pick songs, that when tied together, reveal something of the charactor of our God.

So with that, here’s the general ideas around my song picking criteria:

The song allows people to worship God by: -”Hooking” their hearts with the music - music that complements the lyrics, innovative, not cookie-cutter. -Intellectually connecting with God through the lyrics, which must be clear, relevant, and sincere. (Real!)
The lyrics must be theologically sound.
“God” focused songs, rather than “me” focused. I tend to agree with this quote:

“If you doubt what I’m saying, listen next time you’re singing in worship. It’s about how Jesus forgives me, embraces me, makes me feel his presence, strengthens me, forgives me, holds me close, touches me, revives me, etc., etc. Now this is all fine. But if an extraterrestrial outsider from Mars were to observe us, I think he would say either a) that these people are all mildly dysfunctional and need a lot of hug therapy . . . or b) that they don’t give a rip about the rest of the world, that their religion/spirituality makes them as selfish as any non Christian, but just in spiritual things rather than material ones.” -Brian Mclaren
Now, this isn’t a 100% rule, (there are MANY great “me” focused songs out there that really glorify God) but it’s a good guideline to follow, to help avoid that “consumerist-experiental” American trap we so often fall into.
Songs about a mission have been taking off like crazy in our church, like “Take My Life” - songs that could get you “in trouble” if you really are sincere the words you are singing! Just think about what you’re giving God permission to do! He’ll probably do it. Side note - have you ever been in prayer before a service and invited God to humble you for that particular service? He will. You’ll break a string, or forget all the lyrics, something will fall out of the ceiling and break your equipment, or SOMETHING. Dangerous. I love it.
Relevant lyrics. Words like “Zion,” “Israel,” “Jubilee,” “Ancient Of Days,” etc don’t mean much to our audience unless they’ve grown up in church. I’m not saying we should simplify our message or water it down, just keep current with today’s language - it’ll resonate with people’s hearts a LOT more.
After a song gets picked, I listen to it and play it by myself a ton of times and think of new things to do with it musically, or whether it needs things added to the lyrics - then take it to the band. We practice it a few times, then think of ways to make it better as a group, and then bring it to the church. When we’ve done it three times or so at the church, we’ve got the “feel” of it, and can really fine tune it to a new standard. It’s a fun process to be a part of!

OR . . . you could skip the weeding out process and write your own worship songs. More on that later.

Don' Just stand there. Kick over a chair or something

2008-08-07T17:15:00.000-06:00

I suspect every worship leader has faced one--even Crowder and Tomlin have surely walked onto a stage in a room full of people who were too quiet and not planning on getting engaged in worship (although probably not recently). You're the worship leader. Your mission statement says something about "engaging, dynamic, authentic worship, yada, yada, yada," and it ain't happenin' today, my friend.

I heard a recording of Tim Hughes at a Passion conference breakout several years ago, suggesting that the usual way of dealing with those times when the people just don't seem to be engaged is to "play 'Shout to the Lord'," and if they still don't respond, play it LOUDER. (And, yes, he was joking.)

I can think of times in my own worship ministry when we've just played our hearts out--we can't possibly squeeze another ounce of passion out of the players and singers--and...blah. It feels like nobody cares that we're worshiping a risen Savior.

It just happens that way, sometimes. I suspect it happens less in larger churches, where it's much easier to reach the critical mass with a large crowd, where the energy seems to create itself. In smaller churches, it can be tough to convince enough people that they have good reason to clap their hands and join in exuberant worship.

Lest the reader think I have this all figured out, know that I am asking these questions of myself, hoping that maybe I'll be able to come up with some reasonably reliable way to help people become engaged in worship. In the meantime, I offer some suggestions, some of which I believe have actually made a bit of a difference from time to time.

Don't get on the crowd's case about being unenthusiastic. It just might be that YOU haven't done much to engage them. Look at what you're doing. Ask trusted team members for critique and feedback. As someone you trust in the congregation to level with you.
ASK them to engage. Tell them it's okay to clap, to applaud (some people come from church backgrounds where applause is frowned upon), to worship in whatever manner is meaningful to them.
Mix it up. If you say exactly the same sorts of things from the stage every single week, people may go into autopilot mode the moment you step to the mic. Call them to worship with Scripture, or with a song, or with media in some way. Keep 'em guessing from week to week.
Make sure your team looks alive. Worship is contagious. So is boredom. Do we lead worship as if we really care about it, or are we nervous, or tired, or bored? Whatever our attitude or mood, it's probably coming through.
Pray for your congregation and your team. Getting prepared for leading worship is a lot of work. But even if every other little job is done, if you haven't prayed for your people, you're not ready.
Evaluate. Whether things go well or fall flat, it might help to sit down with the team from time to time (and/or the senior pastor) and assess how we're doing.

As I noted earlier, I'm not saying we do all of this stuff right. Maybe you've got some other ideas? I'd love to hear them.