The Heart and Art of Worship

God is Able

2012-02-06T09:30:00.003-05:00

This Sunday we are introducing another new song called "God is Able." P. Brian Rice will be preaching from Philippians 4:13, where Paul says that "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." I think this song will help us 1) prepare our hearts to hear from God's Word, and 2) respond to what we have heard through declaring this truth together.

Like any worship song, it is a means by which we might connect with God - or, as Constance Cherry says in her book Worship Architect - have a dialogue with Him.

On this Monday morning, I encourage you to take 5 minutes of your day and watch this video of Hillsongs performing "God is Able". Sure, you could check out what the musicians are doing, or the platform presence aspect - but I want you to just receive the message of this song. I want our hearts to be filled with this truth - that God is with us, for us, able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine.

Sin Has No Hold on Me

2012-02-03T15:13:00.019-05:00

We recently introduced a song called "Victory" from Gateway Worship to our congregation. It's a simple, singable song that focuses on the freedom we have in Christ - specifically, our freedom from sin. It was beautiful to hear so many voices singing out this truth on a Sunday morning. I love that every time we gather as the church we have a fresh opportunity to remind one another of who we are in Christ. This is what the Apostle Paul was getting at when he commanded the Ephesians to "speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" (Eph. 5:20). He understood that corporate singing would be an effective means of affirming and cementing core truths.

As I was working through the lyrics of “Victory” I came to the bridge:

Sin has no hold on me
Sin has no hold on me

It’s a simple line that gets repeated several times. And it’s as if, the more I sang it, the more my heart was gripped by the reality it was affirming. I think my voice grew stronger every time I sang it out in my office. I flipped my Bible to Romans, chapter 6:

…For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. (Rom. 6:6-7)

The phrase “sin has no hold on me” summarizes the reality that Paul spells out in Romans 6. Being crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20) we now, through the Holy Spirit, are able to say “no” to sin and “yes” to God. How I need to hear this over and over again, especially in the face of those sins that so easily entangle. I need to be reminded that, in Christ, sin’s stranglehold has been dealt a mighty blow. I need to embrace this reality on a daily basis – putting off the old, putting on the new. Where once I was bound to sin (enslaved is what Paul says), I am no longer its captive.

The reality is, on this side of eternity, you and I will still struggle with sin. But when we cooperate with the Spirit’s work in our lives we can increasingly experience victory over those besetting sins. We ask for His grace and strength to keep growing in holiness as a grateful response to God’s mercy. And we know that when we fail, His mercies are new every morning.

I leave you with the words of Puritan pastor Thomas Brooks:

“The Lord has stripped sin of all its ruling, reigning, domineering, and tyrannizing power. O Christian, look upon sin as dead! It is not to be obeyed, and not to be acknowledged. The Lord Jesus has given sin a mortal wound by his death and Spirit…thus sin shall never recover its strength and shall die a lingering death in the souls of the saints.”

Worship Signals (Non-Denominational)

2012-01-27T10:00:00.004-05:00

You have to laugh at this...

Platform Presence - What We Communicate Non-Verbally

2012-01-21T09:00:00.003-05:00

Last fall we introduced this concept of "platform presence" - what we are communicating non-verbally when we are leading others in worship. We've been showing you a series of videos from Gateway Church in Texas, and I've been sending you links to watch our services on livestream. I want to see us grow as lead worshippers - and part of that growth will involve growing in our physical expressiveness.

The truth is, talking about "platform presence" might strike you as overkill, or uncomfortable, or unnecessary. C'mon, we're here to sing and play and call it a day, right? But here's the reality - half of what we communicate is non-verbal. If we were in a studio laying down tracks it wouldn't matter one bit...we could be yawning, slouching, look like we're flatlining. But we're not in a studio - we are out front, visible, and we have the responsibility of modeling what it means to be an engaged worshipper. This includes us instrumentalists as well as the vocalists.

We are always communicating something when it comes to our "platform presence" - nervousness, joy, apathy, intensity, etc. I may think I am communicating joy or engagement, but in reality it may be something else entirely (hence why reviewing video is helpful). Most of us have spent years singing and/or playing, working on our craft, to get to our current state of musical skill. It makes sense to think that it will take some time & work to improve our non-verbal skills. And I believe that the time and energy we invest in this area will pay dividends.

If we desire to worship God in a way that brings Him honor and fame we can't ignore what we are saying with our physical being. I want to do everything to make sure your (our) hearts are shining through. I don't want anyone to look up at us and question whether we are engaged with God. I love seeing our worship team exude authentic passion and joy. It is contagious and invitational.

Below are the Gateway Videos we have shown (most) of the team so far...if you haven't seen one or more of these please take a few minutes to watch them. In the spring we'll be asking you to do some self-evaluation and we'll be basing it on the concepts in these videos.

~Line of Sight

~Listening Positions

~Facial Expressions

~Working with Equipment

Scripture and the Life of Worship

2012-01-18T11:27:00.019-05:00

So here we are a few weeks into 2012. I'm still having trouble thinking of this year as "2012" - even more so than the usual delay. Wasn't it just 2010?

Anyway, since the new year has dawned, a theme that God keeps bringing to my attention is the need to be in His Word. I will confess that I often struggle to maintain a consistent rhythm of Scripture reading and meditation. There are many excuses (including my own sinful nature), but one thing that I've realized is that for far too long I have approached Scripture reading with more of a sense of duty than delight. Like taking your vitamins. Duty mixed with a fair bit of the "familiarity breeds contempt" syndrome. A toxic combination as it concerns my heart and truly expecting to encounter the living God when opening His Word.

But recently I've been thinking about something I heard from a good friend and former pastor. He said that when we open the Bible we should picture the very breath of God emanating from the pages. I'll admit, when I first heard that I thought, that sounds a little kooky. However, the Apostle Paul does indeed say that Scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16). He goes on to say that Scripture is "useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Wow, those are all great things that I want to be in on...but in order to be in on them I need to be in the divinely-inspired Word of God. And I need to believe that when I open the Bible I am indeed encountering the Author, not just of Scripture, but of Life.

But beyond that, God wants me to know Him...intimately.

One of my goals this year is to read through the Bible. I want to approach it not just as another thing to check off my list, but with genuine expectation and anticipation. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit would illuminate my mind and enflame my heart as I am reading to want to know Him more.

I want to encourage you to look at Scripture reading ("quiet time", etc.) not as a chore but as a blessing and privilege. To love reading the Bible because it reveals God's plan of redemption, culminating in Jesus, and because God wants to have a personal relationship with us. He has given us His Word as the primary means for us to know Him in this life.

Let's keep each other accountable in this area. If we aspire to lead others in worship, we can't expect to lead them into a place of knowing and loving God unless we've been there ourselves.

Tips to Keep Your Voice Healthy

2011-12-14T21:11:00.003-05:00

Tim Carson is a vocal coach whose warm-up CDs I've used for several years. I've attended one of his vocal workshops and have appreciated his instruction.

Tim just posted a video on keeping your voice healthy during the holiday season. Check it out!

Why We Should Celebrate Christmas

2011-12-06T09:38:00.003-05:00

On celebrating Christmas, by George Whitefield: "Let us celebrate and keep this festival of our church with joy in our hearts: let the birth of a Redeemer, which redeemed us from sin, from wrath, from death, from hell, be always remembered; may this Savior's love never be forgotten! But may we sing forth all his love and glory as long as life shall last here, and through an endless eternity in the world above!"

It Could Always Be Worse

2011-12-01T12:28:00.005-05:00

As musicians we know there's always the potential for a "train wreck" on any given Sunday morning - of course we do our best to minimize the potential, but things happen. And when you're involved in one of those not-so-beautiful musical collisions, you just wish there was a drop door somewhere where you could go MIA for a few hours. Been there.

Well, in this Christmas season, take heart - it could always be worse! Check out examples A & B at this MUSICADEMY link!

Oh man, the video is a riot but I think the audio of the "Hallelujah Chorus" is more painful to hear!

When Do You Feel Most Alive?

2011-08-03T13:31:00.011-04:00

Happened across an interview with John Stott, the Englishman well-known for his teachings, writings and influence within the evangelical world. One of his most classic books is The Cross of Christ. Stott went to be with Jesus on July 27.

What struck me about this interview was Stott's response to the following question: "When do you feel the most alive?" Note especially the first part of his reply:

For Stott, the experience of corporate worship made him feel ALIVE. Being with fellow believers, adoring, thanking, extolling, magnifying God was brought his spirit to life. To quote a line from the interview: "Almost nothing convinces me more of the reality of God than in public worship".

As regular folks called and gifted by God to help lead others in worship we ought to be encouraged by Stott's comments! What a privilege it is to be a part of something transcendent, something that will continue into eternity.

Being Happy in the Lord

2011-07-14T10:17:00.005-04:00

From George Mueller:

It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benefit of which I have not lost, for more than fourteen years. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distressed, I might in other ways seek to behave myself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit… I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God, and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, by means of the Word of God, while meditating on it, my heart might be brought into experiential communion with the Lord…. How different, when the soul is refreshed and made happy early in the morning, from what it is when without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials, and the temptations of the day come upon one.

He's Alive!

2011-04-24T10:14:00.002-04:00

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
His steadfast love endures forever.
The Lord is my strength and my song
And he has become my salvation.

The right hand of the Lord has triumphed,
The right hand of the Lord is exalted!
The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone;
This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.

This very day the Lord has acted:
Let us rejoice!
God’s name be praised!

From Psalm 118

For the Guitar Players...

2011-02-07T15:46:00.006-05:00

Given that I've been playing guitar way less than I've been playing piano, I'm always looking to further refine and develop my skills on the six-string. So whenever I come across a helpful article I want to pass it along to my fellow guitar playing brethern.

Bob Kauflin recently posted an interview with Greg Hagan, a session player and worship leader. The article was posted in two parts:

http://www.worshipmatters.com/2011/01/25/interview-with-greg-hagan-on-becoming-a-better-guitarist-pt-1/

http://www.worshipmatters.com/2011/01/26/interview-with-greg-hagan-on-becoming-a-better-guitarist-pt-2/

Take a few moments to read over Greg's comments...without stealing his thunder, there was a few things that really stood out to me:

The importance of keeping good time - we tend to think of this as more the drummer's role, but anyone playing a rhythm instrument needs to keep the groove steady. You'll tire of me saying this, but working with a click is THE best way to keep it locked in.
This is a great quote: "If you play acoustic guitar, you really need to make sure your strumming pattern very closely resembles the kick and snare pattern of the song and make it your goal to not get ahead of the drummer. Ease up on the intensity of your strumming and focus on groove."
Record (audio and/or video) yourself playing - we grow through intentional evaluation and adjustment

A.W. Tozer and Our View of God

2011-02-02T17:10:00.051-05:00

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us….Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like." - A.W. Tozer

I came across this Tozer quote in the first chapter of Francis Chan's Crazy Love (the book my small group will be chewing on the next few months). If you're not familiar with Tozer, he was a pastor in the Christian Missionary Alliance church and well-known for his two devotional classics, The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy. I can remember reading through Pursuit in college and highlighting a ton of things. It had an impact on me.

I haven't really read any Tozer since my college days - but stumbling upon this quote made me stop and think: How well can I love God (with all our heart, soul, mind, strength) if my knowledge of Him is shallow, stale, secondary?

How well can we love someone if we really don't know them - know what they're like, what their heart beats for, what they're for and what they're against?

I think about my wife Beth. I can tell you facts about her - where and when she was born, the color of her eyes, what she studied in college, etc. But I can also tell you what she is passionate about, what inspires her, what gets her upset, what she dreams of doing. That kind of knowledge can't be gleaned by just reading a simple bio sheet or resume. It comes through the day-in, day-out process of “doing life” together as husband and wife.

God is God, so any analogy we make is by definition qualified and limited. However, just as knowing our spouse goes beyond reading some facts about them, so knowing God does as well. I love my wife for who she is, but the depth of my love for her grows as we walk through life together.

I think this is how it works in our relationship with God. After crossing the line of faith we discover more and more about God’s character, ways, work in the pages of Scripture. Any of our thoughts about God must be measured against what is revealed in the Bible.

But what we find in Scripture is meant to deepen our love, trust and commitment to the God who saved us. We know Him as we pray, as we worship in song, as we serve. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we walk in increasing obedience and faithfulness. We ask Him for forgiveness when we have wandered from His ways.

What we conceive God to be like comes from our time in the Word, but it also comes from living out our relationship with Him on a daily basis. The more we know God, the more our affection for Him should grow. Pure worship – offered up daily (Rom. 12:1) as well as on Sundays – is the overflow of a genuine relationship with the triune God.

Parable of the Talents & Calling

2011-01-21T21:42:00.021-05:00

Recently I've been thinking a lot about the idea of calling, and how we can more fully live into the things into which God has called you and me.

It began with P. Steve's message the first Sunday of the new year when he talked about the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30). The way I interpret this story can be summed up in the statement "to whom much is given much is required." P. Steve pointed out that in the NT, a "talent" was a monetary measurement roughly equivalent to a million dollars. The master was entrusting a very large sum of money to his servants.

Although the parable speaks in terms of monetary wealth, I do think it's OK to interpret "talent" more generally, in the sense of special skills and gifts we've received from God (who is the Ultimate Giver - James 1:17). In our culture we think of talent more in terms of specialized abilities - such as, he has a real talent for playing football, or she is a talented teacher. If you are on the worship team you possess a certain talent, or perhaps multiple talents. You play an instrument(s), or you sing (maybe both). You've developed this talent to a point where it can be used to lead others into God's presence.

As P. Brian put it in his message this past Sunday, you "feel God's pleasure" when you use your talent in music to lead others in worship.

So how does this fit in with calling?

Jesus expects His followers to be faithful stewards of the "talents" that his Father so freely distributes. I believe He wants us to be maximize these talents to 1) glorify God and worship Him, and 2) minister to those around us. If you think about it, this is the essence of our calling. Sure, we each have specific "roles", be they vocational (to be a stay-at-home mom, or counselor, or investment banker), relational (to be a father or mother, husband or wife) or in ministry. But in each of these roles the calling is the same - to glorify God and minister to the people He's surrounded us with. Or, to put it another way, to live out the two greatest commandments: to love God and love others as yourself (Matt. 22:34-40).

So the question is, how well are we living out our calling with a capital C? How well are we stewarding the gifts, abilities, resources, influence that God has given us?

Here are some thoughts to ponder - particularly in the realm of continuing to grow as worship musicians:

What area do I need to grow in from a musical standpoint?
What skill would I like to improve in the coming year?
What areas are showing signs of rust or are beginning to stagnate?
How can I better connect my singing/playing with the goal of leading others in singing and worship?
Is there a way I can my musical gift outside of Sunday morning?

That's just a short list...and by no means do I want to make talents & calling all about your singing and playing on the worship team. That's just one way God has specifically gifted and called us - but there may be - there are - many others.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this subject!

Gordon's Dad Went to be with Jesus

2011-01-12T16:28:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone,

I wanted to thank you all for praying for my dad over these past few years. At approximately 2:01 pm today Henry Gordon Carpenter was added to the great cloud of witnesses and is face to face with Jesus. This is his coronation day! I was able to say goodbye to him over the phone right before he died. He will be greatly missed. He was truly part of the Greatest Generation. But most of all he was a man who deeply loved God, his family, his friends, and others. He left a real legacy. When he died I could hear Jesus say “Well done good and faithful servant. Welcome home.” So please celebrate with me in knowing that we serve a faithful and loving God who fulfills all of his promises to us. Let us rejoice in knowing that he who began a good work in Henry Carpenter has completed it today and we look forward to the time when we are all with Jesus for eternity. “To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen” (Jude 25).

Gratefully yours,

Gordon

Peace on Earth

2010-12-23T10:28:00.021-05:00

Now that we’re just days away from Christmas (and our 4 Christmas Eve services) I’m realizing more than ever how much I NEED to just slow down and reflect. To “be still and know” (Ps. 46:10). But the idea of slowing down just doesn’t come naturally for me – if anything I find myself looking for the next task or project to be done. I can begin to feel anxious when I haven’t crossed something off my Outlook tasks list. I know, I need help.

For some of us the Christmas season can feel like one big “to-do” list – get the right gifts, decorate the house just so, write a meaningful Christmas letter, stock the fridge, prepare for family gatherings. The mere rattling off of that list may have raised your blood pressure. For those of us involved in music ministry there’s the added dimension of perfecting our seasonal arrangements, worship sets and specials. We begin to suffer Christmas Carol Fatigue Syndrome (CCFS) way before December the 25th. I find that as I strive to arrange and orchestrate everything so that things are “just right” I experience less and less peace.

So it is in the slowing down that I encounter the Prince of Peace. The One who not only brings peace, makes peace, but is Peace himself.

Jesus makes peace with God possible.
Our greatest need for peace is with God. The clearest statement on this is found in Romans 5, where Paul says “since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v.1). Each of us were, by nature, enemies of God – “deserving of wrath” as Paul says in Eph. 2:3 – corrupted by sin and living as rebels. We were under God’s righteous judgment, alienated because of sin. But through Jesus we can be reconciled. His atoning sacrifice made it possible for God to be both just and merciful. ‘The punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Jesus makes peace with each other possible.
Think of the Christmas carol “I Heard the Bells” and some of the lyrics – “In despair I bowed my head/There is no peace on earth I said/For hate is strong and mocks the song/Of peace on earth goodwill to me”. There is conflict all around us – both locally and globally. But Jesus came to undo the cycle of violence and hatred; he inaugurated a new kingdom of peace, and created a "new humanity" (see Ephesians 2:14-17) where Jews and Gentiles (in other words, every tribe, tongue) live together as brothers and sisters. We no longer think of ourselves first as this nationality, or ethnicity, or members of a particular socio-political class. We are Christ-followers. And because this is our PRIMARY identity we are ourselves reconcilers, bringing his shalom (reign of peace) into our communities.
Jesus makes peace within possible
Because he has taken care of our greatest need - reconciliation with the Father by making payment for our sins - Jesus makes peace within our souls a new reality. Listen to these promises from Jesus to us:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

As I think about the ways in which Jesus truly is my Prince of Peace my soul finds rest. My prayer is that each of us experience the peace of Christ in this Christmas season. It's never too late to take time to reflect - and even in the midst of the busy-ness, to remember the promise and reality of peace.

Take a few minutes to listen to the song "Peace on Earth" by Chris Rice. He beautifully captures the three ways Jesus makes "peace on earth" possible.

Peace on Earth

Peace on earth
Peace on earth
Did the angels waste their words?
Everywhere, raise this prayer
Let there be peace on earth
Let there be peace on earth

Peace with God
Peace with God
Offered through one holy child
Even when this life is hard
There can be peace with God
There can be peace with God

Peace on earth
Peace on earth
Did the angels waste their words
Everywhere, raise this prayer
Let there be peace on earth
Let there be peace on earth

Peace within
Peace within
Where true peace on earth begins
Every heart finding Him
Has perfect peace within
Finds perfect peace within

Peace on earth
Peace on earth
Did the angels waste their words?
Everywhere,
raise this prayer
Let there be peace on earth
Let there be peace on earth

This One is for the Drummers...

2010-12-12T21:50:00.004-05:00

Since I posted a link to an article for bass players a few days ago I felt it was only right to give something to the other half of the band's foundation, the drummers.

http://www.worshipmatters.com/2010/05/21/three-keys-to-becoming-a-better-studio-or-any-kind-of-drummer/

It goes without saying that the bass and drums go together like peanut butter and jelly - they are the glue that holds the band together and keeps the groove tight.

Helpful Post for Bass Players

2010-12-07T15:30:00.004-05:00

If you know me you know I'm a big fan of Sovereign Grace Ministries and their worship director Bob Kauflin. The latest post on his blog (worshipmatters.com - link on the right) is titled "Becoming a Better Bass Player". If you are a bass player you should check out this post:

http://www.worshipmatters.com/2010/12/03/becoming-a-better-bass-player/

Good thoughts on continuing to develop your skills as a bass player. I feel blessed to work with such skilled players (that goes for the whole team too).

Something to Ponder

2010-12-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

“Music is the river on which the Church’s worship is carried. It offers us not only the God-glorifying experience of ear-pleasure; but more importantly, singing unites our minds and bodies and spirits in a way that enables us to bring our whole selves into worship, both individually and corporately, communicating at the deepest levels with our Creator. Those who lead the Church in song are called to this fulfilling work: to invite God’s people to use the breath of our bodies to commune with the One who gives us breath” – Calvin College Pamphlet

Give Thanks

2010-11-25T15:34:00.002-05:00

"When we learn to read the story of Jesus and see it as the story of the love of God, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves--that insight produces, again and again, a sense of astonished gratitude which is very near the heart of authentic Christian experience."
— N.T. Wright

"I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving."

Psalm 69:30

Video from this past Sunday's Cardboard Testimonies:

Let us give thanks to Him who has so richly blessed us in Christ Jesus!

Top 10 Do's and Dont's for Worship Drummers

2010-11-11T21:51:00.002-05:00

For my drumming brethern...this article is both insightful and funny...worth a look

http://www.musicademy.com/2010/10/top-ten-do%e2%80%99s-and-don%e2%80%99ts-%e2%80%93-drummers/

Psalm 27:4

2010-11-01T22:06:00.006-04:00

"One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple." (Psalm 24:7, NIV)

This is one of those verses with which most of us are familiar; Matt Redman's musical adaption of this verse in "Better is One Day" brings me back to my college days. I am struck by the Psalmist's singular request - to dwell in God's house. In the Old Testament the people of Israel understood that God was especially present in the tabernacle or temple. David, being a man after God's own heart, longs to be with His Maker.

I am reminded of the newer song we are singing "Just to Be With You" - "All I want, All I need/Is just to be with You, just to be with You". I can hear David singing words like this. He needed to experience God's presence firsthand. There was a sense of desperation.

How desperate are we to be in God's presence? Is there a sense of urgency in our hearts to meet with Him? What does seeing Him, sensing Him, enjoying Him mean in our everyday lives?

How thankful am I that I can be in a personal relationship with my Maker through Jesus' sacrifice and continued intercession? Whereas those in the Old Covenant went to a place to experience God, I am able to to experience His presence anywhere because His Spirit lives in me - wow.

LORD, give me a heart like David's, a heart that longs to be with you. Not just to know things about You, or to sing pretty words about You, but to really see and savor You in creation, in my children, in the Word - in all things. Amen.

Vocal Blend - The Spice Analogy

2010-10-27T09:43:00.028-04:00

You may recall that I took a few moments at our Sept. worship team meeting to talk about the "continuum of style", illustrated by a diagram I drew on a whiteboard (actually, it's still up there, and believe me, that says a lot more about how often we use the whiteboard than the profundity of my diagram). When I say "style" I mean a genre of music, like pop, jazz, gospel, etc.

When it come to "style" each of us have different backgrounds and influences. Some of us lean more towards jazz or R&B; others more rock and independent. Clint loves drip-hop (inside joke). So the reality of being a part of a larger team is that there are any number of various styles of singing & playing "in the mix" when we come together to lead others in worship.

Why is this important to understand? Because, by definition, singing & playing as a "team" assumes that we are striving to create a unified sound on any given song/set. Not uniform (meaning no room for interpretation, personal touches, etc.) but unified. So, with the awareness that we all fall somewhere on the style continuum, you can see that achieving a unified sound doesn't just happen. It requires awareness, intentionality, and humility.

Acknowledging that we all have different influences, instincts and sensibilities, how do we come together as singers and players? At some point all of our various instincts must boil down to a blend that's appealing - much like all of the spices that go into a soup have to blend together well enough to be appetizing. Too much of any one spice will overpower the soup. Likewise, put in the wrong spices for a certain recipe and you may have a culinary disaster on your hands!

Some thoughts on achieving the unified sound:

Awareness - being aware of our musical influences and sensibilities is so important. Maybe you've never thought much about your own - but you have them. Having an awareness of these will allow us to appreciate what we bring vs. what someone else might be bringing. We can't assume that the other person will interpret something the same way.
Intentionality - with an awareness of our style, we become that much more intentional on what we will be contributing to the "mix". As the band leader communicates what he/she is looking for - something close to the original recording, or something altogether different - I need to (as a singer and player) consider how I can support that vision. For instance, I like to add the spice of a triplet piano feel (a style made popular by bands like Coldplay) - but this probably won't work on "Only a God Like You"! So, I switch to more B3 sounds to support the style that the leader is shooting for. Or, if you're a drummer, you may love tom rolls, but unless we're doing a cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" it may not be appropriate. I'm having fun here :)

Each band/team gravitates towards a musical center...you can see a hypothetical illustration in the above diagram. Being aware of our team's musical center - at this time and place, pop/contemporary/rock - we thus tailor our contributions to support the musical center. Does what I'm singing/playing compliment the center?

ALSO - This has significant implications for those of us who are vocalists - see below.
Humility
When we're trying to achieve a unified sound we will - if we're doing it right - be consistently asked to lay aside our own personal instincts, influences, styles for the sake of the common goal. Let me again be careful to say that it's not a matter of leaving all sense of your musical identity on the sidelines! We each have a unique musical story worth celebrating. But, if all of us think our own interpretation needs to be heard we are going to end with a sound that is, at best conflicted, at worst, schizophrenic. So we listen to what the leader is asking for. We listen to each other. Above all, we SERVE THE SONG!

VOCALS
This idea of being "unified" is especially important for vocalists. It's the difference between having 3 soloists or 1 unified voice. You can't have one person singing soulfully, the other person singing straight and the other with a folksy approach - well, you can, but it won't be a pleasant experience. We need to strive for a unified sound.

Came across a helpful video that goes into some detail on how vocalists can blend better - thinking about tone vs. breath, active listening. It's not just a matter of supporting vocalists making their voice jive with the worship leader, it's everybody being aware of their styles and adjusting to serve the song!

CCLI TV video clip

Something to Chew On

2010-10-25T10:59:00.002-04:00

"The problem with the church today is not that there are too many people who are passionately in love with heaven. Name three! The problem is not that professing Christians are retreating from the world, spending half their days reading Scripture and the other half singing about their pleasures in God all the while indifferent to the needs of the world. The problem is that professing Christians are spending ten minutes reading Scripture and then half their day making money and the other half enjoying and repairing what they spend it on"
John Piper from message "The Fruit of Hope: Love"

Psalms Update, "How Great is the Love"

2010-10-21T16:26:00.003-04:00

Hello friends...

I sent out an email yesterday in which I reminded some folks that we are just about 9 weeks away from Christmas. I'm already starting to listen to the "sounds of the season" and I'm worried I'll be sick of Christmas music by Dec. 24th! Actually, it's hard for me to be sick of good Christmas music (not the cheesy stuff they constantly play on the radio) as I love Christmas and the music that goes along with it.

But back to the present...this week we are reading through Psalms 21-25. I'll be posting a reflection on these in the next day or so. Please continue to share your thoughts, insights, interactions with the text as you spend some time reading and meditating.

Yesterday morning I attended Men's Fraternity here at Living Word. When we broke into small group time our leader Gary started it by having us listen to Paul Baloche's song "How Great is the Love". This song has ministered to my heart as a beautiful response to the gospel. We sang it as a special at last year's Thanksgiving service, and I've been meaning to introduce it as a worship song. But hearing it again, I sat in my chair, surrounded by several other men, and tears began to pour down my face. It was a great reminder of His love, His sacrifice.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to this song - perhaps with the lights lower, or in a prayerful state - and let its message speak to your soul.

Sunday Setlist - Oct. 17th

2010-10-20T14:06:00.002-04:00

Here was the setlist for Sunday, Oct. 17:

You are Good (with brass)
Yesterday, Today and Forever
Our God
Mighty to Save
King of the Broken-Humble King
To Be Like You

http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-117/

Bonfire TONIGHT!

2010-10-16T10:36:00.004-04:00

A quick reminder that TONIGHT @ 7 pm is the Bonfire @ Brian & Bonnie Lauer's home. You should have received an email with all the details. It is windy today, so if it's too windy to have a bonfire we'll head inside and play games, chat, etc. Hope to see many of you there, bring the fam!

Here are directions from the church to the Lauer's home:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=2530+Cape+Horn+Road,+York,+PA&daddr=Gun+Club+Rd&geocode=Fah2YQIdoG5u-ynbCSOiOYbIiTHu-TI2-4Jfmw%3BFXe6YQId27pv-w&gl=us&hl=en&mra=ltm&sll=39.949975,-76.60632&sspn=0.040334,0.090551&ie=UTF8&z=14

Psalms 6-10, 11-15 Rewind; This week, Psalm 16-20

2010-10-14T16:23:00.000-04:00

OK, so, a few observations from the past couple weeks:

1) Time flies. This is an especially busy season of ministry and life (for me).

2) Being a consistent "blogger" does not come naturally for me (my wife is much better)

3) It's been great to hear (and read) about your interactions with the Psalms!

So, this week we are technically on Psalms 16-20...what I think works best is for me to post a reflection on the previous week's Psalms the week after we read them. I need time to process and reflect - sometimes I'll read something and then only later realize how God was (is) speaking to me. Or I'll find myself praying the words of a Psalm that I recently read.

So, since I haven't reflected on Psalms 6-15, here are a couple things that stood out to me...and PLEASE, feel free to share your own thoughts, observations, etc., by posting a comment below this blog entry (you need to click on the "comments" link).

God's justice. The psalmist declares in multiple psalms that the "Lord judges" (7:8; 9:8). And not only does He judge, but He judges with uprightness and perfect understanding. If you look at the context, it's clear that the psalmist takes refuge in this fact. The question is, why would David (or you and I) take heart in knowing that our God is a righteous Judge? I think there's at least a few reasons why this attribute of God is reassuring.

One, David believed that God would ultimately vindicate those who trusted and obeyed in Him. The prayer of the psalmist is that God would judge those who oppressed the poor, the righteous - that he would "right the wrongs" done against them. But judging is also used in the sense of testing "minds and hearts" (7:9), and rewarding those who are upright, who fear the Lord. Thus, David puts his confidence in the fact that the Lord will judge - both the righteous and unrighteous - and intervene on behalf of the righteous.

Another reason to take heart in God's judgments is that God can be our justifier. Looking back to the time before Christ, the Apostle Paul explains that God had, in divine forbearance, "passed over former sins" (Rom. 3:25). But now, we know that through Christ's "atoning sacrifice" God is shown to be both just and merciful. Jesus experienced God's righteous wrath so that you and I did not have to. God cannot ignore sin ("sweep it under the rug"), for that would make Him unjust (and unworthy of our worship). But at the cross justice and mercy kiss.
There is room for lament in the vocabulary of worship. Psalm 13 is a well-known lament. We can express our heartaches, our disappointments, our anger to God, all the time knowing He cares for us and wants to hear our heart's cries. I can recall some specific seasons of my life (loss of a family member, sickness, waiting for the house) where the laments became the language of my prayers. I would love to see us make more room for "laments" in our worship services, knowing that so many who come to our services are experiencing various trials and sorrows.

If you have been reading Psalms 16-20, you've discovered that Psalms 17, 18, 19 are lengthier. Spend some time reflecting on these psalms, they cover different themes.

This Week - Psalm 6 thru 10

2010-09-28T15:08:00.027-04:00

We are in the 2nd week of our journey through the Psalms. Last week we were to read Psalms 1 through 5. This week we are reading Psalms 6 through 10.

Last night at rehearsal I shared that as we read through the Psalms (really any Scripture passage) the Holy Spirit can often direct our attention to a particular word or phrase. That's not to invalidate the need to read Scripture in context (both the immediate and overall) or to ignore what the text meant in its original setting. But it is to say that when we ask the Spirit to illuminate God's Word (shed light, bring understanding, make alive) we often find a certain word or phrase will capture our hearts and minds.

This was the case for me last week as I was reading Psalms 4 & 5. In Psalm 4:7 David says, "You have given me greater joy/than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine" (NLT). When I read that I thought, wow, Lord...is this true of me? Are You what brings me the most joy and satisfaction? I remembered Pastor Aaron's message on idolatry and the question he posed to us: "What - at this moment - are you trusting in?" I believe the Spirit brought my attention to that verse so as to provoke me to examine my own heart.

In Psalm 5: 7 David says, "Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house" (NLT). When I read the word "house" I thought of God's house - the tabernacle/temple in the OT, the church in the NT. As lead worshippers we "enter" God's house every Sunday (think of the Psalms that say "I will enter His gates with thanksgiving...his courts with praise"). But if we think that we can come into God's presence based on our own merits, talents, righteousness - we are sadly mistaken. If I'm honest, I know in my own heart I've been guilty of this faulty thinking.

For me, the thinking goes like this - if I've fulfilled my spiritual "do's" and avoided the spiritual "dont's" I'm worthy to come before Him. But David says it right - it is only because of God's unfailing love that we can enter into His house and experience His presence. A thousand or so years after David wrote this psalm the true heir to His throne - Jesus - would become the fullest expression of God's unfailing love towards us. 1 Timothy 2:5 -"For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus" (NLT). There's nothing I can do to make myself presentable before God - it's only through Jesus that I (we) can come.

As you read in the Psalms take note of those words, phrases, or verses that grab a hold of you. Spend some time reflecting on why those words are sticking out to you - perhaps a situation you are in, or a prayer request, or a sin you are struggling with - a place where God wants to meet with you. Also, I've found it helpful to read from a few different translations as different translations often bring out nuances and give fresh renderings to these ancient texts. Biblegateway.com is a great resource to compare translations.

NOTE on COMMENTS:
I've modified the layout so that comments now appear below the actual posts. To leave a comment click on the comments link and type away. You don't need to have a Google account or ID to remark, it's open to everyone.

Recap of Fall Kickoff Mtg.

2010-09-20T16:20:00.013-04:00

This past Sunday we had our fall kickoff lunch mtg. for the worship team - thanks to those of you who attended. I especially appreciated the time of sharing we had at the end, and the opportunity to pray for one another. It's rare that we have most of the team at one place at one time, so it was good to reconnect, however brief our time was.

Wanted to post a quick recap of what we covered, as well as some upcoming dates:

Thank you for your continued faithfulness, excellence and commitment to this ministry. It's a joy to serve alongside each of you in the high calling of leading others in worship.
This should go without saying, but it's important to be dialed into the teaching when we're on the worship team. It's a good thing to catch up with each other. But, as much as possible, let's refrain from a lot of chatter during the message so we can maintain an environment (in the backstage area) that is conducive to active listening. If you plan on going out to sit with your spouse during the service, please be aware that for the other service there will still be people following along with the message on the TV. Consider the time before and between services for conversation.

I know many see the worship team as a primary source for fellowship, care, etc. - and we're certainly glad that we are creating an environment where we can all feel free to share openly and honestly. But, we (myself, Gordon, Connie) would strongly encourage you to participate in a growth group or mid-sized community (if you are not already). I know we all have busy schedules, but we need to do "life together" with other believers. I know how much I need it, and how much I benefit from it in the long run. Check out the groups and communities Living Word has to offer.

I’m encouraging us to read through the Psalms together. The goal is to read 5 Psalms a week, going through all 150 in order. Most of us (at one point or another) struggle with maintaining regular time in God’s Word. So, knowing the rest of the team is going through the same passages might help us be more consistent. There’s no better book to be familiar with as a lead worshipper than the Psalms. Below you'll see more info on the Psalms reading schedule.

In terms of upcoming events...

Oct. 8th (Fri) - Encounter Worship - "The Names of Jesus"

Oct. 16th (Sat) - Bonfire at Bonnie Lauer's - begins at dusk - details to follow

Regarding the Psalms...

The goal is to read through 5 Psalms (in sequence) a week...so this week (week of Sept. 19th), we'll read Psalms 1-5. You can find the text here at Bible Gateway (NIV). Here's a handy-dandy Bible iPhone app.

I handed out some introductory notes (from the ESV Study Bible) on Sunday. They can be downloaded here.

PLEASE feel free to interact with the posts I'll be making on the Psalms. My goal is to do one post a week on how I'm interacting with the Psalms in my own devotional time. It'd be great to hear how God is speaking and revealing Himself to you as you are reading along.

Looking forward to the Fall!

Desert Song

2010-09-09T09:13:00.013-04:00

Last Sunday we introduced Brooke Fraser's "Desert Song" to our congregation. This is an example of a song that I think works on multiple levels - memorable melody, great Scriptural truths, poetic lyrics and timely message. In a season when many are experiencing financial difficulty, job losses and the ripple effects those can have on families, this is the kind of song that the church needs to be singing.

Before we went out for services we spent some time as a team reflecting on the lyrics of "Desert Song".

Verse 1
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

Verse 2
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame
Verse 3
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Chorus
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Bridge
All of my life in every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

CCLI Song No. 5060793 © 2008 Hillsong Publishing (Admin. in U.S. & Canada by Integrity's Hosanna! Music) Brooke Fraser CCLI License No. 10491

As I meditate on these words several Scripture passages come to mind...

Ps. 63 - David's words (in the context of his own desert experience) speak of thirst and praise
1 Peter 1:7 - Peter speaks of being refined by the trials, and on V2 Brooke directly quotes in the line "a faith proved of more worth than gold"
Isaiah 54:17 - the prophet speaks of the day when God will restore His people, with the promise that "no weapon forged against you will prevail" - a line from the chorus
Romans 8 - V3 speaks of us being "conquerors" (Rom. 8:37) and "co-heirs" (Rom. 8:17) in and through Jesus Christ

Now that you know that this song contains some precious biblical truths, let's sing and play it with a passion and awareness of God's presence!

Bonus:
Came across this powerful video - Jill McCloghry, one of Hillsong's worship leaders, shares a personal story involving "Desert Song". It's worth your time.

Preview of Next Encounter - Names of Jesus

2010-08-30T12:47:00.010-04:00

I always look forward to our times of corporate worship - but I especially look forward to our Encounter services. The opportunity to spend extended time in God's presence singing, reflecting and responding - and to do so with folks who've made a point of being there - is sweet indeed.

The theme for the October Encounter is "The Names of Jesus." As I was looking at possible songs for the evening, I came across a Delirious song called "How Sweet the Name" from their Kingdom of Comfort album. I loved the melody and piano instrumentation - and I immediately identified with the song's personal lyric. We'll be doing the song during a more intimate of worship.

Enjoy the preview...

What would I have become
If you’d never stopped to pull me through
What would this life had done
If you’d never whispered liberty
I heard you sing so sweetly a song of love

Jesus how sweet the name
The name that saves
Jesus how sweet the sound
The sound of grace
The sound of praise
The sound that saves

So many songs I’ve sung
But there’s none more beautiful than you
And here I’ve found myself
So I’m happy to be lost in you
I hear you sing so sweetly, a song called love

Every soul needs a saviour

Rhythms

2010-08-26T15:25:00.005-04:00

Back in June we had an Encounter worship service. For those of you unfamiliar with what Encounter is all about, the tagline for every Encounter service is "slow down-savor-worship." We want people to come and enjoy God's presence as they "unplug" from the pace of modern life. More singing, more creativity - it's a totally unique experience.

The theme for the evening was "Sacred Rhythms" and the main Scripture text was Gal. 5:25: "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit". One way we illustrated the idea of "keeping in step" with God's Spirit was through the use of percussion - a lot of percussion!

John Hogan, a professional drummer/instructor, came up from NC to lead the routines (as well as a workshop). His wife Melody is a visual artist, and her artwork was featured the last couple of months in our church coffee bar (you can check it out here). It was a pleasure to get to know both of them back in June, and I'm glad they'll be returning this weekend.

John will once again be leading some of our drummers in a reprisal of the floor tom routine that ended the Encounter service. Don't miss it - it will start both services this Sunday, Aug. 29!

Below is a video of the percussion routine (think STOMP) that opened the Encounter service. Enjoy!

Hello...It's Me Again

2010-08-25T17:30:00.000-04:00

So yes, it's been a LONG time since I've posted anything new on this blog. Those on the Living Word worship team know that I've had quite an eventful summer - the cancer diagnosis, treatment, relocating to a new house. Throughout God has proven Himself faithful, especially in my weakness. I have been humbled by the prayers and support of our extended family at Living Word.

All that being said, I'm ready to start a new chapter of life and ministry.

And, I'm committing to posting something on this blog at least once a week.

For the worship team members - you'll be hearing more at our all-team mtg. on Sept. 19, but I'm excited about the opportunity to examine the Psalms together. I'm hoping this blogsite will play a significant role in the study and application of this ancient hymnbook.

So, this is a new beginning. I'm excited about what God is doing and will be doing in the worship ministry here at Living Word.

Buckle up!

Trampling Over Death by Death

2010-04-17T20:03:00.019-04:00

Yesterday I was getting a little exercise in by running around the church parking lot (I know, not exactly the most inspiring scenery, but hard to beat in terms of proximity) and the song "Christ is Risen" came up on my iPod. The song was recorded by Matt Maher, a singer/songwriter/worship leader; our worship team performed it a couple weeks ago for our Easter services. It's one of those songs that builds, both lyrically and musically, and by the time you get to the end of bridge you want to jump out your seats and shout "Amen!" OK, at least that's what I want to do.

The chorus starts with "Christ is risen from the dead/trampling over death by death" - a line inspired by the Paschal Troparion, the characteristic Easter hymn of the Eastern Orthodox Church. That phrase - "trampling over death by death" - is arresting and unexpected upon first listen. But the more I've thought about the it more I've come to appreciate the beautiful, surprising, scandalous truth that these words proclaim. One of the great ironies of the crucifixion is that in pronouncing Jesus' death sentence Pilate (and the religious powers-to-be) indirectly silenced the power of death forever. What Satan thought to be his crowning achievement turned out to be the very means by which his fate is forever sealed (Col. 2:15).

N.T. Wright puts it this way:

"...the cross is...not the world's victory over Jesus, but Jesus' victory over the world. Here is the mystery, the cunning, of the deep love of God: that it is bound to draw on to itself the hatred and pain and shame and anger and bitterness and rejection of the world, but to draw all those things on to itself is precisely the means, chosen from all eternity by the generous, loving God, by which to rid his world of the evils which have resulted from human abuse of God-given freedom."

The truth of what Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection came rushing back to me as I was running laps - I'm pretty sure I picked up my pace a bit! I'm grateful that Matt Maher and Mia Fieldes (the co-writer) have given the church a song that powerfully reminds us of how our subversive Savior conquered death and opened the possibility of the "abundant life" (John 10:10) to us all.

You can listen to the song and check out the lyrics over at Worship Together.

"I Praise You for this Resurrection Madness"

2010-04-04T11:34:00.004-04:00

Lord of such amazing surprises

as put a catch in my breath

and wings on my heart,

I praise you for this joy,

too great for words,

but not for tears and songs and sharing;

for this mercy

that blots out my betrayals

and bids me begin again

to limp on,

to hop-skip-and-jump on,

to mend what is broken

in and around me,

and to forgive the breakers;

for this YES

to life and laughter,

to love and lovers,

and to my unwinding self;

for this kingdom

unleashed in me and I in it forever,

and no dead ends to growing,

to choices,

to chances,

to calls to be just;

no dead ends to living,

to making peace,

to dreaming dreams,

to being glad of heart;

for this resurrection madness

which is wiser than I

and in which I see

how great you are,

and how full of grace.

Alleluia!

Ted Loder, Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle, Innisfree Press, Inc. 1984

Keyboards in Worship

2010-03-31T10:43:00.005-04:00

Hope your week is going well...and that you're able to spend some time reflecting on our Savior's passion. As a dad of two young kids I am keenly aware of how important is to continue to tell and re-tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection to each other and to the next generation.

Now, on a completely different note (no pun intended) - here's a great article from MusicAcademy on using keyboard sounds in worship...a lot of what he shares is exactly what I would share - only he says it better.

http://www.musicademy.com/2010/03/keyboard-effects-in-worship-soft-pads-and-string-sounds/

Would appreciate your prayers for our multiple services this weekend...looking forward to seeing most of you at one point or another.

Blessings - Chris

Electric Guitar Lead Riff on "You Have Saved Us"

2010-02-24T08:29:00.005-05:00

Another post for the electric players - wow, two in a row!

As you know, we introduced a new song, "You Have Saved Us" by Paul Baloche, back in January. I remember an afternoon when one of our electric guitar players called me and shared that he was trying to figure out the lead riff the electric does at the beginning of the song. He had an idea of how to play it but it didn't quite sound like the recording. I could tell he was (initially) a little frustrated with how challenging it was to replicate this deceptively simple riff.

I actually contacted the guy who plays electric on the recording (Ben Gowell) and although he didn't respond to me directly he happened to post an instructional video on YouTube just four days ago. In the video he shows you how he plays the riff and how he incorporates the delay pedal. Needless to say delay is something you hear A LOT of in modern worship songs - a nod to the tremendous influence of bands like U2 and Coldplay.

Anyway, here's the video - remember, he is playing it in the key of A, whereas we do it in G.

Electric Guitars

2010-02-18T14:33:00.005-05:00

Came across a helpful article for electric guitar players over at MusicAcademy.

http://www.musicademy.com/2010/02/top-10-dos-donts-lead-guitarists

You'll notice that MusicAcademy is one of the links on the right side of the page. MusicAcademy is a British-based organization dedicated to equipping and training lead worshippers. They have some excellent resources, articles, videos for every instrument - including the voice. In fact, we have training videos from them for keyboards, bass, drums, orchestral instruments and a vocal warm-up CD as well. You are ALWAYS welcome to borrow these resources - there's some great tips and technique stuff.

Speaking of electric guitar, one of our own, Mark Kahler, has been featured in a recent publication. No, it's not Rolling Stone or Guitar World - it's ADVANCE for Nurses, and our man Mark is totally rocking it on the front cover. Just had to share this one with you all!

Experiencing God

2010-02-08T14:00:00.040-05:00

It has been an amazing week hasn't it? Life interrupted, plans put on hold, a lot of time spent indoors. The amount of snow that surrounds us is absolutely amazing, beautiful, and yes, even a little scary - especially when you are two years old and looking up at a five foot drift (that would be my daughter Anna). As I've spent the past several days inside I have caught myself admiring the sheer magnitude of what has taken place all around me - and being awestruck by the One who superintends it all. God has definitely opened the "storehouses of snow" (Job 38:22)!

In the midst of all this snow we managed to open the doors for church this past Sunday (kudos to our maintenance crew). Those who were able to make it heard Pastor Brian preach on "Experiencing God" - the idea that we were designed to be in an intimate, growing relationship with the triune God. Although many of us know things about God, understand the gospel and espouse biblical beliefs and convictions, experiencing His presence - listening, conversing, meditating, communing - well, that seems a little more elusive, at least for me. But that's what Christ has secured for you and for me - a genuine, living, dynamic friendship with Himself.

One of my favorite Psalms says "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8). I love how the psalmist invites us to experience God's presence - which is what we are doing when we are truly worshipping God. Pastor Brian had Connie & Janell powerfully demonstrate the difference between "reading" and "tasting" a cheesecake recipe. You and I shouldn't settle for just second-hand experience with God - we have been offered a personal relationship with God. The question is, what does that relationship look like? How do we experience His presence?

Over the past few years I have slowly come to the realization that I need to both "practice the presence of God" in my daily life as well as set aside time to read the Scriptures, pray, journal, etc. It's not a case of either/or but rather both/and. Yes, I am a slow learner. But God is gracious.

As I go throughout my day, I want to be aware to how God is present all around me. I want to be dialoguing with Him - praying, listening - as situations present themselves. As I was walking to the church the other day I was experiencing His presence as I noticed a couple cardinals chirping a way in the trees, and it reminded me of the line from the song "This is My Father's World" ("the birds their carols sing"). As I talk to my brothers in Christ I experience God as they speak the truth-in-love, sharpen and encourage me. As I lead others in worship I especially experience His presence - and feel His pleasure.

But I know I also need to be intentional - highly intentional as Pastor Brian would say - about my devotional time with Him. Right now this takes the form of reading the Bible, perhaps another devotional/Christian living book, praying and journaling. I am still learning what this looks like, but I know that if I want to experience the "abundant life" I need to regularly be engaged in these disciplines - along with "practicing the presence". If I don't take time to slow down, reflect, recover (!) I begin to lose some of that deep connected-ness with God. My intentional living factor goes way down.

So, those are my reflections on this past week's message - kind of raw and unfiltered. I hope you have a chance to think about this idea of experiencing God, and consider in what ways that is happening or can happen for you. If you missed Pastor Brian's message you can catch on the church website.

Weighing In on Potential New Songs

2010-02-02T14:45:00.026-05:00

Hey Worship Team,

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I would be putting together a page on Planning Center with potential new worship songs. The initial idea came from Gordon, and I thought it was an excellent idea indeed!

We thought it'd be great to get some feedback from you, the worship team member who could potentially be playing one of these "new" songs in the near future. Was the song memorable and catchy? Was it singable? What was your initial impression? This is the kind of feedback I would be looking for.

So, I invite you, encourage you to visit the "new songs" page and let me know what you think. The link to the page is below. You'll need a Planning Center account to access this page - but if you're on the worship team you'll already have one one.

http://www.planningcenteronline.com/plans/1145285

I've set everyone on the worship team up as an "editor" for this page only. This will allow you to leave feedback on the feedback tab. Here's how: If you click on the pencil icon to the right of the song title a box will pop up and you'll see an area called "feedback notes". Here is where you can input your thoughts on the song. Just be careful not to delete anyone else's thoughts!

You are also welcome to post feedback on the new songs in the form of comments to this blog post. Or, if all else fails, just shoot me an email with your thoughts.

You may be wondering what criteria I use when considering new songs to introduce. Here are several considerations (in no particular order):

Theological Content - what does the song say about God, His character, His redemptive work? Is the song declaring, affirming something about God that calls for a response? Is what the song is saying theologically sound?
Musicality - does it have a memorable melody? Does the melodic structure fit the lyric or theme?
Singability - can the average person sing it after hearing it a couple times? Is the melodic pattern easy enough to follow, and is the melodic range (lowest to highest note) within the range of the average person?
Lyrical Quality - does the song avoid cliches? If the song has a rhyme pattern, are the rhymes solid? Are the metaphors consistent or mixed?
Singular vs. Plural - are the pronouns in the song personal or corporate? I tend to prefer songs that use the "we/us" language in corporate worship settings.
Repertoire - when looking at the songs already in our repertoire, does the new song cover a topic that is lacking representation in the repertoire?

I hope you can take a listen to some of the new songs...

Paul Baloche's "You Have Saved Us" and Spiritual Adoption

2010-01-27T08:46:00.019-05:00

It has often been said that when people leave the church on Sunday mornings, they'll remember the songs more than the sermon. What this says about our attention span and wiring I'm not sure, but I do believe there is some truth to this. Something you can hum to yourself will tend to stick in your collective consciousness longer than a bullet point, because music resonates with our emotions and senses in a way that often eclipses the spoken word.

NT scholar Gordon Fee puts it this way: "Show me a church's songs and I'll show you their theology". Bob Kauflin has also blogged about the importance of the songs we sing.

Since the songs we sing do leave a mark on the hearts and minds of those we are leading, it's important that the content of our songs are theologically sound and robust. One of the great yet often overlooked themes of the NT is adoption - the idea that God the Father has made us His spiritual sons and daughters through Christ.

J.I. Packer dedicates a whole chapter of Knowing God to this theme of adoption. When I read through this section last year it renewed my love and awe for the way in which God relates to us:

Adoption is a family idea, conceived in terms of love, and viewing God as father. In adoption, God takes us into His family and fellowship, and establishes us as His children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the father is a greater.

Packer's contention is that adoption is more exalted than justification, for it implies intimacy and fellowship. Yes, God forgave us - incredible and amazing. But on top of that, He welcomes us into His family and invites us to call upon Him as "Abba." Packer argues that the whole Christian life should be understood through the lens of adoption.

The new worship song we've been singing hits upon this theme of adoption. The first verse of Paul Baloche's "You Have Saved Us" says

Who am I that You would know me
Who are we to You Lord
You have shown
Your love and mercy
We are strangers no more
We are daughters, we are sons
All because of what You've done

I love how the verse begins with the sentiments of the Psalm 8:3-4 and then hits upon the truths found in Gal. 4:4-7. It's really sweet when a song combines great theology with a fresh groove and memorable hooks. As we sing and play this song may we enjoy the presence of God our Father and rest in the assurance that we are His sons and daughters.

Check out Paul's band playing the song live below.

Playing Piano in a Band - Good Example

2010-01-25T11:44:00.010-05:00

This post is for the keyboard players...

As you know, playing piano/keys in a contemporary band setting can be - to put it mildly - a sticky proposition (and I'm not referring to how some keys can stick on a grand). Some of us come from backgrounds where we are used to carrying the load of the song - the rhythm, melody, bass, harmonic structure, etc. When it's just one instrument (a piano or organ) leading the song than that's appropriate. However, when you are joined by an acoustic rhythm player, a bass player, an electric guitar player, some harmonists - then the whole equation changes. It's not that the piano/keyboard doesn't have a role to play - it definitely does - but the role takes on a new look and approach.

I came across the video below that basically shows a keyboardist how to play a particular song ("A Mighty Fortress" by Christy Nockels). We actually performed this song last year. I wanted to share the video with you, not so that you would learn how to play the song, but more because it demonstrates principles that apply to playing keys in a contemporary band setting. I appreciate how Nathan Nockels talks about keys and the challenge of "fitting into" the modern band.

If you want to play along with the video the score for the song can be downloaded here. NOTE that he is playing it a half-step higher (in the key of Db).

Mark Your Calendars - Married Life Live on 11/13

2009-10-06T15:39:00.001-04:00

The Family Life & Worship Arts teams always do a phenomenal job with this event.

David Crowder Band Concert - Sunday, Nov. 8

2009-10-05T11:10:00.002-04:00

Anyone want to go?

http://www.itickets.com/events/230427.html

Summary of our All-Team Meeting

2009-10-01T16:34:00.004-04:00

Hello Worship Family,

It’s been a couple weeks since our Fall Kickoff Luncheon and I wanted to sum up what was shared – both as a reminder to those who were there and to “clue in” those of you who weren’t. I also wanted to bring to your attention some upcoming events.

Planning Center Online
At our 9/13 mtg. I shared about the decision to shift our scheduling/planning to an online tool, Planning Center Online. By now all of you have your own accounts and should be getting familiar with the interface. The goal is to eventually go exclusively digital – not just scheduling but with distribution of charts and mp3s. However, we understand that, for the time being, some of you will prefer to still get a CD and hard copies of music. I asked those @ the mtg. to indicate their preference on getting/not getting a CD – so if you weren’t at the mtg. please let Carol know of your preference. We also had everyone jot down their preferred email address.

All of your accounts are set where you can view any plan, not just your week. THE BIGGEST THING we need everyone to do is to block out dates you will be unavailable for worship team when you sign-in to your account. This is extremely important as it will eliminate having to tweak the schedule once we finalize it. Of course we understand they’ll always be those unexpected things come up…

Focusing on the Fundamentals
The other main thing that I shared was the importance of going “back to the basics” (i.e. the fundamentals). There are 2 dimensions to this. The first has to with our spiritual lives – making sure we are attentive to our walk with Jesus and the spiritual rhythms & pathways that allow us to enjoy God. In order to be servants on Sundays we need to be “filled” during the week – and, speaking from personal experience, that requires intentionality!

The other dimension of focusing on the fundamentals concerns our skills as musicians. If our PRIMARY TASK is leading the congregation in singing, what we need to strive for is simplicity, clarity, and consistency. I’d like us all to consider – what areas do I want to grow in as a lead worshipper? What do I need to do on a regular basis to be the best that I can be as a _________?

Resources
We have a lot of great resources that can help in your skill development – all sorts of cool videos, CDs and articles. Please avail yourself of these! Also, we video record every Sunday service – these can be a great feedback tool.

Covenants
I shared briefly about how we are shifting the way we have you sign the team covenants. Instead of signing them “en masse” at a Sunday mtg. we’re going to invite each of you to meet with us one-on-one in Jan. ’10. We want to honor each of you by giving us time to talk about where you are at on the journey – spiritually, musically, just life in general. You matter to us!

Upcoming Events
· THIS FRIDAY – Oct. 2 – 7:30 pm – Encounter
We strongly encourage you to come out to this service – it will be an excellent opportunity for you to pause, reflect and worship – PLEASE PRAY for those participating
· Vocal Workshop – Nov. 7 – 9:30 am
More details forthcoming…
· David Crowder Band Concert – Nov. 8 in Lancaster
Please let Carol know if you would like to go – we can a group rate of $16.50 if 15 or more want to go

Thanks for being on the journey with us,

Chris

How to Be Confident as a Vocalist

2009-08-26T08:51:00.002-04:00

Hello Vocalists!

Came across a basic but helpful article on "How to Be a Confident Singer" over at the WorshipCommunity website (they have lots of great articles for us worship musicians). If you have a chance check it out -

http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/how-to-be-a-confident-singer/

In my opinion the most important thing we can do as vocalists is to regularly warm-up and exercise our voices. You've all heard the analogies of the runner who attempts to run a marathon without proper preparation and training - well, it's cliched but true - we can't sing for a couple hours on Sunday (when you count rehearsal) and hope to be in peak form without warming and stretching our vocal chords and the supporting muscles.

As vocalists we are in it for the long haul - so let's do everything we can to keep our voices strong and healthy!

Worship & Sendafa

2009-07-28T22:15:00.009-04:00

As most of you know, I (Chris) had the incredible privilege and opportunity of being a part of a team from Living Word that went to Sendafa, Ethiopia from July 11th to the 19th. Being invited onto the team was a surprise and blessing. Being able to see, firsthand, what God is doing through His church universal was humbling and inspiring. The kingdom of God reaches beyond borders, be they ethnic, racial, political, social. So many stories, memories and highlights that I will no doubt be processing for weeks to come.

One of the highlights for me was the opportunity I had to bring a guitar donated by a member of the Living Word community. I used the guitar primarily to teach kids songs about handwashing. I found out that Michael Jackson is very popular in Sendafa (I adapted his song "Beat It" to help the kids say "goodbye" to Mr. Germ). But probably the best part about bringing the guitar was the fact that we were able to give it to a pastor/evangelist/church planter in Sendafa. This brother in Christ was overwhelmed by the gift, and at a pastor's lunch he led everyone in a rather spontaneous time of worship through song. I captured a part of this worship time below and thought you might enjoy hearing our brothers & sisters in Ethiopia worshipping our great God.

The picture I had in my mind as I was listening to these beautiful songs of praise was of every tribe and tongue gathering before the throne of the Lamb, worshipping as the redeemed only can. I shared this thought this past Sunday in our worship services before introducing a new song that speaks of the scene in Revelation 9: "Now unto the Lamb, who sits on the throne/Be glory and honor and praise/All of eternity echoes the song/Worship and praise Him, the Lord of lords". The lyrics are from Brooke Fraser's "Lord of Lords" off Hillsong's Saviour King.

Hearing and seeing people worship in Sendafa gave me a glimpse of what worship will look like on that day when heaven comes to earth.

Reflections on Christ's Suffering

2009-04-11T12:23:00.003-04:00

Last night we had our Good Friday service - the passion with which people were singing was an awesome sight to behold. Pastor Steve shared from Hebrews and explained why and how Jesus' blood secured our eternal REDEMPTION. As I was reading this morning I came across this quote from J.C. Ryle (Commentary on Matthew):

...We must not be content with a vague general belief that Christ's sufferings on the cross were vicarious. We are intended to see this truth in every part of his passion. We may follow him all through, from the bar of Pilate to the minute of his death, and see him at every step as our mighty substitute, our representative, our head, our surety, our proxy - the divine friend who undertook to stand in our place and, by the priceless merit of his sufferings, to purchase our REDEMPTION. Was he flogged? It was done so that "by his wounds we are healed" (Isa. 53:5). Was he condemned, though innocent? It was done so that we might be acquitted, though guilty. Did he wear a crown of thorns? It was done so that we might wear the crown of glory. Was he stripped of his clothes? It was done so that we might be clothed in everlasting righteousness. Was he mocked and reviled? It was done so that we might be honored and blessed...

"The Power of the Cross" by Gettys

2009-04-10T12:45:00.000-04:00

One of the songs we are using at our Good Friday service is "The Power of the Cross," composed by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend (they also co-wrote "In Christ Alone"). Check out this live performance:

"Let Your Kingdom Come"

2009-03-26T09:51:00.006-04:00

This Sunday concludes our three-week Global Missions focus at Living Word. I know I have personally been encouraged, challenged and convicted as I have heard "kingdom" stories from Peter Greer (Hope International) and Jeff Phillips, serving God in Chile. This week we will hear from Paul Borthwick concerning the biblical basis for missions - I am looking forward to hearing from God's Word as it concerns His heart for all people.

In tandem with this 3-week Global Focus we have been singing a song called "Let Your Kingdom Come" - a prayer of expectation that finds its biblical inspiration in the Lord's Prayer. Bob Kauflin, whose blog I frequent quite a bit (worshipmatters.com), is the composer, and if you want to know more about the full story behind the song check out this entry of his. Bob is Director of Worship for Sovereign Grace Ministries.

Not only is "Let Your Kingdcome Come" a prayer but it's also a song of commitment, as verse two says "Lord, use us as You want/whatever the test..." Whenever we sing songs that have such words of commitment I almost want to back up and say, whoa, wait a second...got to think this through. It's easy for me to sing this rather glibly without counting the cost of what it's really communicating - mainly, Lord, wherever, whenever, however, use me. USE me. I am Yours. I am not my own. Worth thinking this point through, and I know when we introduced it a couple weeks ago I mentioned this to the congregation.

May YOUR Kingdom come, May YOUR will be done...on earth as it is in heaven. In whatever way you want to use me to extend Your kingdom, Lord, find in me a heart that is yielded and humble. May this song be more than just words and music on a page, but it may it become a conduit for authentic desire, prayer and anticipation.

The Words of Thomas a Kempis on Praise

2009-03-13T17:12:00.005-04:00

I have been reading the Lent devotional Bread and Wine and came across an entry from Thomas a Kempis that addresses the idea of "praising God" without self-interest. In light of what I shared this past Sunday this quote challenged and deepened my own convictions:

Many love Him (Christ) as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while, they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection. Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Him thanks. What power there is in pure love for Jesus—love that is free from all self-interest and self-love!

You can read Thomas a Kempis' 11th entry in The Imitation of Christ here.

What I Shared Yesterday about Praise

2009-03-09T15:30:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Pastor Steve asked me to share a few brief thoughts on praise...he was speaking from Deut. 8, where Moses is speaking the words of God to His people Israel concering their need to praise, not forget and remember God and His saving deeds and provision. I really wrestled with what to share, but ultimately I wanted to make it more personal than abstract. Well, Gordon encouraged me with that as well....thanks bro!

So below is what I shared...apparently I left out (unintentionally, believe me!) the part about my wife & kids in the 2nd service. So here is the full enchilada...

What does “praising God” look like for me? More to the point, how does “praising God” work itself out in my daily life? What does it mean for me to praise the Lord at all times and in all seasons, to have His praise continually on my lips, as David says in Psalm 34:1? These things have been fresh on my mind this past week as Pastor Steve asked me to share some brief thoughts on praise. Let me share with you where I’m at this morning.

It is natural for a lot of us to associate PRAISE with singing during a Sunday morning service. After all the Bible talks a good deal about “singing praises” to God in the assembly of His people. Indeed it is commanded. But PRAISE goes well beyond an hour or so on Sunday morning and is meant to encompass all of our life.

When I consider what it means to praise God in my daily life, I think of those moments when God’s goodness, greatness and presence demand a response from the deepest part of my being. As I respond in praise I find that He draws near to me, and, as a result, I am transformed. But, for me, praise also becomes a test of my obedience – will I choose to praise God even when the circumstances of my life are difficult, burdensome and (from a human standpoint) unfair? Do I allow my circumstances to determine whether God is still worthy of my praise? That’s where praise goes way beyond saying the right words and singing the right songs. It’s praising God with tears in your eyes and an ache in your heart.

There are many things that naturally call me to praise my Savior and my God. In these moments the command to praise God seems a rather easy one to obey. I read of His love for me in the Bible, how Jesus’ death has bought me life, and my heart is moved to thank Him with a song. Lord, your love is amazing! Jesus, through your sacrifice I can offer up these praises to my Father – because of Your love I can draw near to the living, holy, sovereign God of the universe. I think about His protection (Lord, deliver me from evil), His provision (give me this day my daily bread) and His guidance & strength (lead me not into temptation). Lord, thank You for giving me the strength to fight that battle, to love that person as You would have me love him. I marvel at the beauty of freshly fallen snow, feel the warmth of a March breeze, am dazzled by the brilliant colors of a rare bird in my front yard (SEE BELOW!) – and my heart is full of thanksgiving for the God of creation. Then I consider my wife, how she loves me and our children, and I praise Him for how He has blessed me with such a beautiful, life-giving friend and partner. I see the image of God reflected in my son and daughter as they play, laugh and create – and I turn it back to Him in joyful, awestruck praise. These things move me to praise the Giver of all good things through prayer, song and deed.

What is much more difficult, and where I have struggled and continue to struggle the most, is praising God when His presence doesn’t seem so near, or when my prayers go unanswered. A few years ago my wife and I experienced an intense period of loss, heartache and confusion. My wife was involved in an accident that totaled our one car, my son was hospitalized with a serious illness and my father-in-law, a pastor, was diagnosed with and quickly succumbed to an aggressive form of melanoma cancer. The last circumstance shook us to the core, and every raw emotion imaginable was expressed to God. Why would God allow this to happen to a man who had so much life ahead of him, who had a heart for the broken and had just begun to enjoy being a granddad? But through the tears and the sorrow we were able to sing, “You give and take away,/You give and take away,/My heart will choose to say,/ Lord blessed be Your name.” We look back and see that God was using that experience to refine us and to shape us, according to His purposes.

Some of you know, and some of you do not, that my wife and I are still in the process of trying to sell our house in AZ. You all have seen the news, the statistics, what is happening with the housing market. It hasn't been an easy journey for us, and there have been dark moments. The question for us is, will we praise You God even when things look so bleak from a human perspective? When the housing market is going down the tubes? We have felt Him draw close as he teaching about us contentment, patience, faith and what is eternal.

It seems that God is constantly asking me the question, “Am I still worthy of your praise?” even when you are walking in the wilderness. To quote from another Matt Redman song, “Let Everything That Has Breath,” can I “Praise Him when I am laughing…(and) when I am grieving”? It can be so easy for me to sing these songs but to live them out is an entirely different story. PRAISE is a daily sacrifice that acknowledges that God is the One in control and ALL that is good is from Him. We can see the moments He has tested us and disciplined us and how He has used those experiences to refine us and strip us bare of all our false dependencies and instead cling to Him.

In closing, I want to say, it is an honor, privilege and blessing to serve as a worship leader here at Living Word. Music is a wonderful aid in praising God – it has a unique ability to help our hearts and minds to encounter God. But praising God is meant to be a 24/7 activity. As a worship leader I am constantly reminded – sometimes painfully – that God is calling me to PRAISE him in every situation, Sunday to Sunday.

Keith Getty on the Substance of Worship Songs

2009-02-25T09:35:00.005-05:00

Nothing to add to this...just had to laugh!

"If I've got non-Christian friends coming to church, I'd rather give them four verses of comparatively heavy theology with some theological words which explains the gospel, than give them twenty repeated words that could be said to your pet horse or girlfriend." - Keith Getty, co-writer of In Christ Alone

Coldplay, Excellence and Ultimate Things

2009-02-23T11:54:00.045-05:00

A few weeks ago 60 Minutes ran a fascinating story on the band Coldplay as a sort of lead-in to the Grammy Awards on CBS. I've been meaning to post about the last couple weeks but a bout with asthmatic bronchitis shelved a lot of good intetions.

Coldplay has become one of the biggest bands on the planet - their signature sound has been imitated by other artists and bands, including those who produce worship music for the church. They've sold millions of records (and a few more since the Grammys). On their MySpace page Chris Martin, the lead singer, describes the band's sound as "very heavy soft rock". At the church where I used to lead worship my drummer would know what I meant when I said "give me a Coldplay beat" - that instantly recognizable drum riff. Or, sometimes when I play piano I find myself grativating towards the Chris Martin riff (check out their song "Clocks").

I was struck by two things in particular when watching the 60 Minutes feature (you'll find the YouTube videos below if you want to check it out):

1) The band's commitment to excellence
The four guys in Coldplay take their music seriously - it was fascinating to see inside their "studio" and the list of rules they have when creating albums. As a band they take regular time to write and work out ideas. Their commitment to their craft has paid dividends. Martin puts it this way: "We can do the best with what we've got". He admits that he is not as talented as other performers or musicians (although I think he is being modest) but that what he lacks in ability he makes up for in passion and perseverance.

The excellence and diligence with which Coldplay pursues their craft is worthy of emulation, especially for those of us who serve on worship teams in the church. Coldplay is motivated by a desire to be the best they can be, to create something that is sonically interesting, to gain the respect of their peers, and, well, making a profit. As lead worshippers our motivation is to glorify God through the use of our talents so as to help others encounter and enjoy His greatness and presence. Therefore, how much more should we seek to honor God by offering Him our best? How we could not want to GROW FORWARD when God has endowed us with talents we'll one day be accountable for? (Matt. 25:14-30 & 1 Cor. 3:10-15).

Paul had this to say about giving God our best:

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Col. 3:17

A few verses later,

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a
reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Col. 3:23-24

In everything we do we look to honor God by offering Him our very best - as my pastor use to say, "How we can offer anything less than our best when God offered His best - His Son?" Now, we all know excellence can become an idol at the expense of authenticity, heart and the like. But the ideal is to offer the best of both our HEART and ART - it shouldn't be an either/or but and/both.

2) Their undying quest for the "perfect song"
In the interview Chris Martin shares that he and his bandmates are ultimately looking to write the "perfect song." Again their singleminded focus is commendable in one respect, however elusive their goal might be! There is a sense that Martin's first joy and passion is THE song, THE music. Finding that perfect combination of melody, chords and lyrics. It's what drives him.

As lead worshippers our ultimate passion should be for knowing Christ and for making Him known. Music is a means to that end, but music can't replace the joy of knowing Jesus. Music is a wonderful gift from God, and His Word tells us that it can aid us in worshipping Him. However, the danger for any of us involved in leading corporate worship is that the music can subtly become the end rather than the means. Or, we see the music as a quasi-magical mediator of God's presence - like we need the "perfect" songs to conjure up God's presence. We all know better than to think that but sometimes our (my) attitudes and decisions say otherwise.

We should strive to write and use the songs that best help our congregations worship God in spirit and truth. But our ultimate passion is to know and enjoy God.

Here's the 60 Minutes video:

Some have noted Christian overtones (implicit rather than explicit) in Coldplay's latest album Viva La Vida - I found the following comment on these overtones helpful:
http://www.protestantpontifications.com/?p=650#comment-871

Chris Tomlin live

2009-01-27T20:10:00.008-05:00

This past Thursday a group of us went to see Chris Tomlin at the Giant Center in Hershey. He was accompanied by Israel Houghton and New Breed. For those of us who decided to grab dinner before the concert...well, let's just say it was an experience that will not soon be forgotten (and that's not a good thing). But at least we could laugh about it and still enjoy an incredible time of worship through music.

The unique thing about seeing someone like Chris Tomlin in concert is that it really isn't so much a concert as it is a worship service with several thousand other worshippers. Sure, there are plenty of lights, the obligatory smoke machines, and great musicianship - but at its core its about all of us singing to our great God and Savior. I relished the opportunity to just sing and worship - this image of Jesus smiling over us kept coming into my mind's eye.

Chris did a fair number of songs off his latest album, Hello Love - to be expected since this was the "Hello Love" tour after all (and artists are always pushing the new material!). I'll be honest, my initial impression was that this latest batch of Tomlin songs felt a little recycled, overproduced and not quite as memorable. Upon further review - and having heard them live - I do think there are some solid songs on the album that could potentially find their way into our repertoire. I particularly like "Jesus Messiah" (great communion song), "I Will Rise" and "Praise the Father, Praise the Son". In the case of Tomlin and worship songs, more of the same is not necessarily a bad thing.

Along with the new tunes we sang songs like "Indescribable," "How Great is Our God" and "Forever". A special treat was the presence of Christy Nockels (previously of Watermark), who has been singing with Tomlin for years and is on just about every Passion worship release. Of course, if you have ever been to a Christian concert you know they'll be a point where the artist makes a pitch to give money for some charitable organization - it's a given! And sure enough Tomlin did, put I have to say, his cause - One Million Can - is pretty compelling stuff.

After two plus hours of worship it was time to call it a night. I appreciated being able to spend time with some of you outside of our regular worship practices!

Christmas Carols and Theology

2008-12-04T11:22:00.003-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like...well, you know the rest. The Worship Arts world here at Living Word has been very busy the past month as we transform the auditorium in significant ways - color, wall treatments, and, at this very moment, stagebuilds. It's been a thrill to see how the improvements made have already enhanced our worship environment, and over the next few weeks the enhancements will become ever more noticeable. The opportunity to bring beauty and artistry into this "sacred space" is truly exciting as we approach Christmas.

Our world has been a flurry of activity but I haven't forgotten about our humble blog! I came across an article this morning about the theology behind the sacred Christmas hymns we sing at this time of year. Check it out over at LeaderU. As much as I get sentimental about singing Christmas songs I am also amazed at the redemptive truths in so many of these wonderful carols. It's amazing, you can be at Walmart, or Target or even Starbucks and here these explicitly Christian songs being played over the speakers - it's the gospel being sung! And yet most people hear these songs as a background track for their holiday shopping and merriment without pausing to consider what they are really saying.

There is an opporunity in the hustle and bustle of this season to reflect on the truths behind the songs and to invite others - specifically non-Christ followers - to services or events that incorporate these familiar tunes.

Just thinking...I wonder if we can draw any theological truths out of other beloved Christmas songs like "Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer" or "Run Run Rudolph"?

The Importance of Lyrical Quality

2008-10-23T15:28:00.005-04:00

OK, so it's been WAY too long since I wrote or shared something for the old blog here. Chalk it up to the busy-ness of the fall ministry calendar, two young kids and the Phillies playoff run - but enough is enough. It's time for something new on this page!

I've been thinking off and on about the importance of lyrical quality - and "quality" encompasses several things (beauty, theological accuracy, depth, avoidance of cliches). It seems obvious to us that the songs we use for our worship services ought to have quality lyrics (OK, most people would agree with that statement). Gordon Fee, a NT scholar, has said this with regards to the worship music of the church: "Show me a church's songs and I'll show you their theology."

What really brought this truth home for me was a conversation I had at a recent Intro to Living Word class. A woman who has been coming to Living Word for a few months remarked to me (she knew I was a worship leader) that she makes a point of really remembering the lyrics of the songs we sing on Sundays. She says she hums the songs we sing during the week - in other words, they really stay with her (I hope this means that our songs our somewhat memorable!). When she said this, my immediate thought was, WOW - she really is tuned into the words of these songs...and that's good! But upon further reflection I wondered to myself, are the songs in our repertoire lyrically rich, varied, and theologically sound?

This is a good question to ask yourself, not just as a lead worshipper, but as a congregant: If our songs were my sole means to understanding God and my relationship to Him and His Church, what I would know about him after worshipping at LWCC one year? Or five years? Or twenty years? Bob Kauflin, worship director for Sovereign Grace Ministries (and whose blog. Worship Matters, you can check out to my right), says "We remember what we sing, and nothing is more important to remember than God's Word."

We can say we value the lyrical depth and quality of our songs but sometimes (I'm as guilty as anyone) we get enamored with the tune, the melody, the sound...and only think secondarily (or worse yet, not at all) about the lyrics. May we all take another look at the words we sing and strive to sing songs that tell the story of redemption in beautiful, truthful and powerful ways.

For a Good Laugh...

2008-09-23T14:36:00.002-04:00

Check out the Veritcal Creativity blog and DeAnn's post on "corporate" worship:

http://verticalcreativity.blogspot.com/2008/09/corporate-worship-music.html

Great stuff!

Recap of Yesterday's Worship Pow-Wow

2008-09-15T12:17:00.003-04:00

Since some of us were not able to attend the worship team meeting yesterday (we missed ya!) I wanted to give you a quick recap of what we covered…

The focus was on Doing Life & Ministry Together…and how that involves the heart and art of us as lead worshippers. Gordon shared about Beyond Sundays and how that will be starting this Weds, Sept. 17. He also shared about how his role as Pastoral Worship Leader has really opened the door for the worship team to see him and this ministry area as safe outlets to share, confide and ask for prayer and help. We want you to continue to know how much we value being on this journey of LIFE with you – not just what you offer musically but you as a person made whole. He also covered the team covenants and suggested we keep them in a visible place as a reminder of what we are mutually striving towards and desiring together. Finally, he shared how being a servant leader is at the heart of what it means to be a worshipper. Jesus is the ultimate model for us (Philippians 2).

I shared more on the ART side of the equation…I began by thanking all of you for your love and fellowship as I continue to become a part of the “family”. It has been a joy to lead and serve all of you. Then I hit on a bunch of different ways we can serve each other:

By bringing the best of our gifts & talents to the table each time we serve – never “mailing” it in!
By continuing to maximize the gifts & talents God has given us (see 1 Chron. 25:7 for inspiration)
By “releasing” our gifts to be used in whatever way best serves the needs of the team and congregation – this is a HUGE point and one I think we’ll need to keep revisiting. Nancy Beach refers to this as "holding our gifts loosely" in An Hour on Sunday
By looking to encourage one another each time we are on the team
By being willing to receive constructive feedback (Bonnie brought this up!) – in other words, recognizing we are all working towards the same goal (pointing each other towards our great God) and that we inspire each other to be the best we can
By NOT wishing we were playing with different people…
By making an effort to know who is running sound and PowerPoint and respecting their tasks
By coming to rehearsal on time and prepared…again, respecting your teammates and their time
FINALLY…by listening to each other. This is probably THE #1 thing every worship team I’ve ever worked with has to keep working on. I showed a clip from a Paul Baloche training DVD we are going to use in a workshop.

We ended with prayer. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Beyond Sundays starts this Weds. Please pray!
Sat., Nov. 1, 9 to noon – All-Team Workshop & New Song Jam (more details forthcoming)

Have a great week…

Catch the Regulators with Ken Smith

2008-09-11T09:04:00.005-04:00

Ken Smith, who plays bass on our worship team, is in band called the Regulators. His band will be playing at the Roosevelt Tavern (click here for map) on Friday, October 17 and Friday, November 14 - both are from 8-11pm. I've heard a little bit of some of the band's music and it's got a great jazz groove - go out with the spouse or friends and support our brother Ken!

Today's Dose of Oswald Chambers

2008-09-10T10:40:00.004-04:00

Some of you are no doubt familiar with Oswald Chambers and his daily devotional classic My Utmost for His Highest. Actually the daily entries are adapted from various lectures and talks that Chambers gave in the early 20th century.

Every time I read one of the entries in My Utmost for His Highest I come across a line that provokes and inspires me...and today was no different:

"If you have not been worshipping as occasion serves, when you get into work you will not only be useless yourself, but a tremendous hindrance to those who are associated with you."

The way I interpreted this was that if we are not worshipping God in our unseen lives we will have nothing to offer as we minister on Sunday mornings. Not only will we be unfit to genuinely lead people in worship but we will actually be a hindrance to our fellow team members.

The good news is that God is always there to forgive us and will draw near to us as we draw near to Him (James 4:8). It is a question of acknowledging our need for Him and being intentional about cultivating a lifestyle of worship. But none of should be fooled into thinking that there is an on/off switch as a worshipper. We can't just manufacture sincerity on Sunday mornings; it is the overflow of hearts that have worshipped in the small moments - the "offstage" moments.

May we all strive to be "unseen" worshippers as much as we are "seen" on Sundays.

"Kicking Off" another season of ministry

2008-09-09T16:35:00.018-04:00

September is upon us which means schools are back in session, the days are getting shorter, the air a little crisper and the wait is over for pro football (America's game...sorry baseball fans, but it's true). My wife and I were just commenting today on how much we are looking forward to autumn since we haven't had a real autumn for the past 8 years (living in Arizona). Although we loved many things about living in Arizona we always missed the progression of the seasons...and particularly the leaves changing in the fall. But enough about us...

Just as football is kicking off its season so we - in many ways - are kicking off a new season of ministry in the Worship Arts World. The first thing we'll be doing is getting together THIS SUNDAY, Sept. 14, after the services for a Worship Team Meeting. It will begin at 12:30 in Rooms A103 G&H (adjacent to the coffee bar). We'll provide a healthy & delicious pizza lunch along with drinks. Gordon and I will be sharing some thoughts about this next season of ministry and specifically the idea of doing LIFE TOGETHER. As you know by now we have a new mid-sized community group called Beyond Sundays that is launching Weds., Sept. 17. But we will also be giving everyone a taste of a workshop we'd like to do in early November on playing as a TEAM.

So you won't want to miss this Sunday's meeting...

I realize we haven't been updating this blog a lot during the summer but I think a flurry of activity will begin as we kick off things here in September. We are excited to be on this journey with all of you as together we look to grow in our love & faithfulness towards God and one another.

Isaiah 6 and Surrender

2008-09-04T15:04:00.006-04:00

At last night's rehearsal we looked at Isaiah 6, where the prophet Isaiah has a vision of God seated on His heavenly throne. As I was thinking about the issue of yielding to the Lordship of Christ - the theme of this week's Urban Legends message - I considered the connection between seeing the greatness of God and surrending to His control. There is a progression at work in Isaiah 6, a sequence that has vast implications for how we understand our role as lead worshippers.

First, Isaiah looks UPWARD - he is ushered into the very presence of Almighty God - and sees the unfathomable greatness and inescapable holiness of Yahweh. Angels are tirelessly worshipping before the throne of God. Imagine for a moment what Isaiah must have been thinking...is this really happening? Am I still alive? It would be an understatement to say that at that moment Isaiah was in awe of God.

Isaiah then immediately looks INWARD and realizes that in the presence of a Holy God he is utterly un-holy. He says "woe is me!" for he knows that no one sees God and lives to tell about it. He is at point of great despair and absolute terror. He is in need of forgiveness, but where will it come from? In a beautifully symbolic picture and prefiguring of Christ's atonement an angelic being brings a hot coal from the heavenly altar and touches Isaiah's uncleap lips. The angel pronounces Isaiah forgiven: "your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for" (v.7). God has made a way for Isaiah to stand before His throne without Isaiah being completely annihilated.

The last and almost surprising part of the story is the OUTWARD focus - Isaiah responds to God's question of "who will go for us?" with a resounding "Here am I! Send me" (v.8). Having witnessed the greatness of God and received forgiveness he is at point where he is ready to be commissioned as God's ambassador. His willingness to go is in stark contrast to his previous fear! What has made the difference? Isaiah has received forgiveness and understands that God's grace forgives and empowers.

The UPWARD-INWARD-OUTWARD focus is a biblical template for planning worship services. But it also should be our daily experience - that we catch a fresh vision of God's greatness, love, power; that we confess our sins and trust His provision for them through Christ's death; and that we surrender ourselves once again to God's purposes.

We don't arrive at surrender from the get go - it is the response to God's mercy and the overflow of a heart that has been transformed by it.

A Series on the Psalms

2008-07-29T14:34:00.006-04:00

Our brother Mark Jones wanted to let us all know about a powerful series that pastor & author John Piper recently finished entitled "Psalms: Thinking and Feeling with God." You can access audio, video and more from the series here:

Psalms: Thinking and Feeling with God

John has been the teaching pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis for nearly 30 years and has written more than 30 books. He is known for his passion for God's glory and his commitment to expository teaching (case in point, he preached his way through the book of Romans over a 10-year period!). My first encounter with Dr. Piper was his book Desiring God and I have been benefiting from this teaching ever since.

I would encourage you to check out his series on the Psalms. As "lead worshippers" I think it's important that we engage our minds in studying Scripture - especially the Psalms, as they are the hymnbook of the Bible. Paul puts it this way: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2a). As we listen to God's Word being preached we invite the Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds and touch our hearts. Because we are all involved in helping lead others in worship a series on the Psalms would be one to check out...

Here's what Mark says...

Long story short, he recently did a series on the book of Psalms and the last sermon in the series (6/29/08) was on Psalm 96 and titled "Declare His Glory Among the Nations". John ties in the role of singing and worship towards the later half of the sermon. The sermons are about 40 minutes long but are worth the time invested.

Thanks again to the man, Mr. MJ for the recommendation. By the way, if you guys have anything you think the whole team should see or would benefit from please drop me a line. I'm always happy to give credit where credit is due!

Vibrato - Video from Tim Carson

2008-07-03T14:27:00.000-04:00

This post is for the vocalists - the sopranos, altos, tenors, baritones...

Vibrato: a repeated fluctuation of pitch; the slightly wavering quality that a singer has in his voice while sustaining a tone.

One of the issues that many worship teams face is the use of vibrato - how much it should be used, whether it should be used at all and the proper way to use it. One thing I have observed since coming to Living Word is that vocalists on our team are sort of all over the map when it comes to the issue of vibrato. For some of us it is our default - we use it more than we don't use it. For others we use it sparingly, if at all. When you have two or more vocalists approaching vibrato differently there is a high probability that things will collide - and not in a good way.

So, in light of the fact that vibrato is not only an important issue but one very relevant to our team I thought it might be helpful if all of us as vocalists would revisit it in the next months. Tim Carson, a vocal coach and former staff member at Willow Creek, has an excellent training video for vocalists. We'll be scheduling a time in September where ALL of us can watch it together in a workshop format. But, since that's a couple months away I wanted to whet your appetite by having you watch the following video. Note a few key ideas - especially what Tim has to say about vibrato in ensemble settings and whether or not he ever has to encourage more vibrato on teams.

It's a fact that as vocalists we pick-up both good and bad habits as we move through the years. I hope each of us can approach this issue of vibrato with an open mind and a willingness to assess our own tendencies. Thanks for taking the time to process this with me!

New Song by Chris Tomlin - "Jesus Messiah"

2008-06-30T12:16:00.006-04:00

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last decade or so you know Chris Tomlin's songs have had a significant influence on contemporary evangelical worship services. He has a God-given knack for writing catchy, melodic, God-glorifying songs that soar when sung congregationally ("Forever," "Holy is the Lord," "How Great is Our God"). One look at the top songs from CCLI (the Christian copyright organization) will confirm that Tomlin has rightfully earned a place among the top songwriters of our generation.

The other phenomenon that has propelled Tomlin (and his songs) to the forefront is the huge shift in Christian music from "message" songs to "worship" songs. In other words, over the last decade the top Christian artists & albums (both in sales and awards) have been more and more in the "worship" genre - for example, bedrock artists like Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and Third Day have released multiple worship albums to critical and commercial acclaim. At the same time evangelical churches have been focusing more and more on the quality and relevancy of their musical repetoire - it's not uncommon for the music to occupy half of a modern worship service. So it's no surprise to me that Chris Tomlin is one of the hottest commodities in the Christian music industry given the convergence of multiple phenomena.

However, in spite of (or maybe because of) his popularity Tomlin's music has not been without criticism. Some have noted that Tomlin tends to write rather generically and (at times) simplistically. Many have rightly said that the keys in which he records his songs are not congregationally-friendly - but that can easily be addressed through services like SongSelect. I will say that a lot Tomlin's songs have the same feel and the same four chords - but then again a lot of contemporary worship songs are guilty of the same thing. What we have to keep in mind is that Tomlin is writing for the church and the primary concerns are 1) is it theologically sound, 2) is it singable for the average Joe & Mary, and 3) can most worship bands play it? I think on those accounts a good many of Tomlin's songs are worthy candidates for congregational singing.

And such is the case with Chris' new song entitled "Jesus Messiah". The focus of the song is on Jesus' substitionary death ("He became sin who knew no sin" - from 2 Cor. 5:21) and the various titles of Jesus. Musically it's nothing specatular but it is singable (when you lower the key a couple whole steps) and it addresses the HEART of the gospel and our worship - Jesus' death and life on our behalf. Take a listen and see what you think...I say, thanks Chris for another song that magnifies the greatness of Jesus' sacrifice and beauty.

Being a Servant

2008-06-26T10:40:00.009-04:00

Lately I have been thinking about what it means to be a worshipper - not only in the context of Sunday morning services - but with the entirety of our lives. As Harold Best puts it in his book Unceasing Worship, worship is "the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do and all that I can ever become in light of a chosen or choosing God." So if we are worshipping something at all times - and hopefully that something, or, namely Someone, is the Triune God (the only worthy Object of our affections) then what distinguishes a genuine, Christ-exalting worshipper from the millions who worship other gods? In other words, what are the marks of a bonafide worshipper of the triune God?

I think one of the defining marks of a genuine worshipper is possessing and exuding a servant's heart. In being servant-minded we are following in the footsteps of the Suffering Servant:

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!

-the Apostle Paul, Philippians 2:4-8

By becoming like us and by submitting to His Father's plan and the cross ("not my will but yours be done") Jesus exemplifies the HEART of a servant. He didn't put himself first - He put others first. He wasn't looking for the star treatment - although He is certainly entitled to it! He exuded a humility, looking for ways to serve the lowliest and least.

How does being a servant play out for us as worshippers? In the big picture we look to become more and more like Christ - to become, first and foremost, God-centered. But the natural overflow of being God-centered is to be others-centered. Do you remember the Greatest Commandments that Jesus spoke of in the gospels? "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:37-40). As servants we serve both God and then others. In fact, if we claim to love God and don't love others we invalidate our claim to love God (1 John 4:20-21). So being a servant means loving and serving our brothers and sisters.

Now let's really narrow this down - what does it look like to be a servant in the context of the worship arts ministry, specifically as vocalists & instrumentalists? Well, here are some preliminary thoughts...

If you are on the worship team, it means being considerate to fellow ministry partners serving on the video and audio teams. We should make the effort to not just the know the name of whoever is serving "behind the scenes" but also their story. If we ask for a change to a slide, or for more of this instrument in our mix, we do it not in a demanding tone but with grace. If they need us to run through a song again, or to go a little lighter on the drums (had to get a poke in at them!) then we strive to honor their requests.
Each of us arrives on time for rehearsal and comes prepared - having already organized and looked over the arrangements, listened to the rehearsal CD and - as vocalists - warmed up our voices.
As instrumentalists we understand that we are primarily accompanying the vocals. The major emphasis in Scripture is on singing, so as guitar players, keyboardists, etc., we want to play in such a way as to not overpower the vocals but support. It also means that if we need to go over vocal parts at rehearsal we don't roll our eyes or wish we would move things along!
As vocalists we respect that getting all of the instruments to blend and play together takes practice, so there may be times where we have to wait until things are smoothed out. We recognize that the MELODY always takes precedence over harmony parts and we are OK if we don't get to sing that awesome harmony part we really wanted to nail
We LISTEN to one another during rehearsal and on Sundays. We make sure we have enough of each vocal/instrument in our Aviom mix so that we can actually hear what others are singing/playing. We don't just play whatever and whenever we want to but rather play with a sensitivity towards what the song needs and how we can best contribute. Sometimes it means singing/playing very little or not at all. We are OK with that, because the song/service is always bigger than my individual needs/demands.

Those are just initial thoughts on how having a servant's heart would play out as worship team musicians. One of the defining characteristics of a genuine worshipper is a servant's heart.

Shine Like Stars

2008-05-28T10:13:00.007-04:00

N.T. Wright, Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and a leading New Testament scholar, put out a devotional a few years ago titled Reflecting the Glory: Meditations for Living Christ's Life in the World. Gordon encouraged me to pick up a copy during Lent and I have been greatly encouraged and enriched by Wright's thoughts on various Scriptures. In one particular chapter Wright reflects on 1 Pt. 2:9-12, which just happens to tie in to the "City on a Hill" series Living Word has been in for the past several weeks:

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Wright makes the following comment regarding our new IDENTITY and how it should be lived out in this world: "The reason (we) are so privileged is not so that (we) can sit back and enjoy (our) new status for its own sake. Rather, it is in order that (we) may 'proclaim the mighty acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.'...If you are the holy nation, you are the ones who are set apart for God's purposes in the world."

When Jesus says that his followers are "the light of the world" and a "city on a hill" he is making a declarative, definitive statement...it's not as if we are maybe those things, or perhaps on our best days resemble those things. No, we ARE a city on a hill. And it is all due to God's redemptive purposes - He was the One who called us. Now we are to go and be who Christ says we are. In v.12 Peter says that when we as believers conduct ourselves with integrity some on the outside will see our deeds and glorify God. I believe what non-believers see is the light of Christ in us - and as we REFLECT His light they are motivated to worship the One who can transform sinners into saints.

This Sunday we will conclude the "City on a Hill" series with a Matt Redman song called "Shine." Gordon sang this at the end of the first week; we will do it as a congregational song at the end of this week's service (kind of a nice bookend!). The lyrics are below, along with an audio player where you can hear the song and a video from the Passion 07 Conference where Redman sang it live.

Lord we have seen the rising sun,
awakening the early dawn,
And we´re rising up to give you praise.
Lord we have seen the stars and moon, see how they shine,
They shine for you,
And You´re calling us to do the same.
So we rise up with a song, and we rise up with a cry
And we´re giving you our lives.

We will shine like stars in the universe,
Holding out Your truth in the darkest place.
We´ll be living for Your glory,
Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.
We will burn so bright with Your praise O God,
And declare Your light to this broken world.
We´ll be living for Your glory,
Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.

Like the sun so radiantly
Sending light for all to see,
Let your holy church arise
Exploding into life,
Like a supernova´s light,
Set your holy church on fire;
We will shine.

Good Friday Opening Video

2008-05-18T21:34:00.004-04:00

Passion week has come and gone - it's almost been two months - but in case you didn't get to attend Living Word's Good Friday service this year check out this opening video that our Production Coordinator Kevin Henderson put together. I loved the haunting music and Gordon found this great Augustine quote regarding the need for Christ's incarnation. I still get chills seeing it...

CompassionArt

2008-04-23T09:58:00.004-04:00

Earlier this year a group of well-known songwriters got together with the purpose of writing songs for the church - nice enough in and of itself. However, the cool thing about this global gathering is that 100% of the proceeds of these songs (revenues) will be going towards various charities that help the poorest and neediest around the world. The idea was spawned by Martin Smith and his wife Anna - Martin is the lead singer for the band Delirious ("I Could Sing of Your Love Forever," "Majesty," "Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?").

The songwriters involved are just ho-hum names like Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Israel Houghton, Steven Curtis Chapman, Darlene Zschech...you know, just average writers and musicians (ha!). It should be interesting to see what songs will come out of their joint efforts - the first one is available at iTunes:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=277114534&s=143441

You can learn more about CompassionArt by visiting the top link to your left. It's encouraging to see artists use their talents and industry leverage to take worship from the pews to the most impoverished among us.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:27

O Come Let Us Adore Him

2008-04-14T10:53:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we began our worship services with a call to worship - "O Come Let Us Adore Him". Before we started singing the song I shared an exhortation that (hopefully) underscores the reason we have come to adore Christ - a narrative overview of His life and work.

O come, let us adore Him…
He who was before time began,
Through whom all things were created
Every power, every person, every creature
And in whom all things are sustained

O come, let us adore Him…
The God who took on flesh and bone,
Who stepped into time to live in our neighborhood.
Who humbled himself, and came to serve and not be served

O come, let us adore Him…
Him who identified with the outcasts of society,
Who loved the lowly and despised
And spoke against the self-righteous

O come, let us adore Him…
A man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.
Despised and rejected by men,
The Crucified One, crushed for our sin
So that we might walk with God once again.

O come, let us adore Him…
The Resurrection and the Life,
The Savior who defeated sin, death and Satan
Who destroyed the dividing wall of hostility
So that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free,
Male nor female, but rather
One global family of God, united by His blood

O come, let us adore Him…Christ the Lord

To Blog or Not to Blog?

2008-04-03T11:57:00.003-04:00

So we (Gordon Carpenter & I) decided to create a blog...and we are calling it "The Heart and Art of Worship". There are several reasons we are entering the "blogosphere": 1) To encourage, edify, and (occasionally) provoke those serving on the worship team at Living Word through various musings and insights on worship, 2) To create an online community where we as a "team" can dialogue about life, worship, and current events, 3) To facilitate connectedness through voluntary prayer requests and praises, and last but not least, 4) Blogs are just cool.

Since this blog will feature posts from both Gordon and I you will get to hear both of our voices on matters concerning worship - and we believe this is a good thing! The reason we are calling this blog "The Heart and Art of Worship" is because we want to highlight the importance of both components as lead worshippers. Out of a heart of worship comes a desire to use the artistic gifts God has given us for His glory and church - HE -> ART. As most of you know by now, Gordon's primary focus will on the HEART (spiritual life), whereas my primary focus will on the ART (musical skills) of the worshipper. Together we want to serve you by underscoring the truth that God is re-creating us into WHOLE beings - serving Him with our hearts, minds, soul, gifts, etc.

As you know by now, next week we are beginning our CONNECTIONS process where we'll be spending time with each of you. We are prayerfully looking forward to this time! It will be an opportunity to assess where each of us is at concerning our competency, character and chemistry. Most of all we want you to know how much we value each of you and your servant's hearts as we move forward.