Worship Matters

Not too long ago I came across the work of Chris Powers, who put together an animated video of one of our songs, The Prodigal. I was moved by the way he used simple animation to illustrate the song in a powerful way.

Recently Chris told me he had animated another one of our songs, The Gospel Song.

Here are the lyrics:

Holy God in love became
Perfect man to bear my blame
On the cross he took my sin
By his death I live again.

In the video, Chris also added a portion of a message by John Piper where he pleads with unbelievers to trust in the finished work of Christ for their sins.

The Gospel Song was first written for a musical my church put on in 2002 for our 25th anniversary. Drew Jones, who led the production, wanted to musically communicate how over the years the church is always tempted to make primary what is secondary. But it is the gospel that remains constant and preeminent. When secondary issues (relationships, serving, mission, spiritual gifts, evangelism, etc.) are given equal weight, the gospel has the potential of getting obscured, assumed, or lost altogether.

Drew asked me to put music to seven different sets of lyrics that could all be sung together. Out of the cacophony the simple gospel song emerges as the only hope for those lost in their sin. In the production, a father also sings The Gospel Song each night to his daughter before she goes to bed.

I had a blast writing the music, and think we were able to pull off Drew’s idea. The other songs stayed with the show, but we’ve continued to sing The Gospel Song on Sunday mornings.

You can download the song for free here. Here’s the guitar chart, and a four part hymn arrangement.

I just finished reading The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us, by Christopher Chablis and Daniel Simons. No, it’s not a Christian book, nor is it a book for people responsible for leading congregational worship (the target audience of my blog). But I think it’s relevant to both.

The book was named for the video above. If you haven’t watched it, you should now. The authors describe the purpose of their book in the introduction:

The Invisible Gorilla is a book about six everyday illusions that profoundly influence our lives: the illusions of attention, memory, confidence, knowledge, cause, and potential. These are distorted beliefs we hold about our minds that are not just wrong, but wrong in dangerous ways…We call them everyday illusions because they affect our behavior literally every day. Every time we talk on a cell phone while driving, believing we’re still paying enough attention to the road, we’ve been affected by one of these illusions. Every time we assume that someone who misremembers their past must be lying, we’ve succumbed to an illusion. Every time we pick a leader for a team because that person expresses the most confidence, we’ve been influenced by an illusion. Every time we start a new project convinced that we know how long it will take to complete, we are under an illusion. Indeed, virtually no realm of human behavior is untouched by everyday illusions.

In other words, the authors claim (backed up with studies as well as some familiar anecdotes) that all of us are prone to think we see more, remember more, discern more, know more, and have the potential to improve more than we really do. In biblical terms, we’re proud and don’t know how proud we actually are. What a surprise.

Chablis and Simons are simply confirming what God has already told us in his Word:

Prov. 26:12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Prov. 28:26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
Prov. 18:17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
Prov. 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
Prov. 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Prov. 29:20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Jer. 17:9    The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Matt. 7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Being overly confident of our perceptions and abilities can affect countless areas of our lives, but I’m just going to highlight three here.

Discussions about music in the church. Most of us are confident that we completely and accurately understand the effect of music in the church, especially our church. Some equate contemporary music, projected lyrics, and drums with worldliness, while others connect hymns and formal liturgies with a dying church (the illusion of cause). Older saints completely trust their memory of how things used to be while younger people overestimate how much they really know. Both groups are unafraid to share their opinions. We can be quick to say a certain song is overdone, not done enough, or should never be done, without any substantive evidence for our perspective.

Evaluating my own abilities and actions. The authors note “a general tendency we all have to interpret feedback about our abilities in the most positive possible light. We tend to think that our good performances reflect our superior abilities, while our mistakes are ‘accidental,’ ‘inadvertent,’ or a result of circumstances beyond our control, and we do our best to ignore evidence that contradicts these conclusions.” (Chap. 3)  When a pastor or member of the church approaches me with a question about something I said or did in a meeting or rehearsal, I often begin by trying to justify myself. Over time, if I’m not humble, I grow more confident in my perspective and the potential for relational offense grows. Maybe I’m not as good as I think I am on guitar/piano/vocal and need to spend more time practicing and preparing rather than defending and rationalizing. Maybe I need the thoughts of others, both leaders and church members, to give me a more realistic view of how well I’m serving the church.

Relational conflicts and tensions. This is where the conclusions of The Invisible Gorilla can be most helpful. If I trusted my own opinions and perspectives less, and sought to understand others more, how would my relationships be different? How much more compassion, empathy, understanding, and concern would I show to the pastor or members of my team ? Most importantly, how might my life more consistently reflect God’s command to “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil. 3:3)?

I didn’t have to read The Invisible Gorilla to know that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. But it was encouraging and eye-opening to read a book that so specifically and pervasively exposed my tendency to think more highly of myself than I ought.

When you think about the world with an awareness of everyday illusions, you won’t be as sure of yourself as you used to be, but you will have new insights into how your mind works, and new ways of understanding why people act the way they do. Often, it’s not because of stupidity, arrogance, ignorance, or lack of focus [or sin!]. It’s because of the everyday illusions that affect us all. Our final hope is that you will always consider this possibility before you jump to a harsher conclusion. (From the Conclusion)

Reading The Invisible Gorilla might make us less confident in our own perceptions and opinons. But ultimately, we need God’s Spirit to work the grace of humility into hearts. And he does that as we remember that Jesus came to redeem and reconcile rebellious sinners who had no idea they needed saving. We were completely blind to the reality we most needed to see. As we pursue a gospel-rooted humility, it will not only make us wiser, but God will use us to demonstrate his grace and mercy to those around us.

Do you have any examples of finding out your perceptions, memory, and/or opinions were completely wrong? If not, maybe you should read this book. Better yet, just ask your friends.

A while back I received an email from Paul asking:

One of the central roles of a worship band is to help the congregation to sing. Do you have advice on how a worship band can best cue the congregation? What kinds of things could I tell my instrumentalists and singers to do to help the people come in on the first words of a song or verse? How would you in general encourage congregational singing?

Paul’s question highlights one of the differences between leading a group of people to praise God from their hearts and simply playing and singing music for them. While people can certainly join along as we play our songs, it’s helpful when we make it obvious we expect them to sing. If you sing songs the exact same way every time, cuing the congregation isn’t as much of an issue. But if you regularly switch things up as you sing a song (repeat a verse, sing the chorus twice, go back to a different part of the song, etc.) people need to know where you’re going. Cuing them is one way to do that. Here are a few thoughts.

Give cues clearly.
In discussing the benefits of prophecy vs. tongues, Paul writes in 1 Cor. 14:7-8: 1Cor. 14:7 “If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?” In other words, clarity matters. The less time people spend trying to figure out where we’re going in a song, the more time they’ll be able to give to exalting Christ in their minds and affections. That means I don’t want to mumble or speak too quickly. It also means that if different parts of a song begin with the same phrase, I have to say something other than the initial words to let people know what we’re going to sing. Generally, if I don’t say anything, people (including the projectionist) should anticipate me going to the next part of the song.

Make sure you have enough time to give cues.
Trying to squeeze in a verbal direction at the last minute not only makes me sound frantic, but it doesn’t really help anyone. I should have a feel for how long the spaces in the song are. Also, I don’t have to say the whole first line to let people know what we’ll be singing. Saying two or three words works, or even simply, “Verse 2.”

Don’t give cues too early.
I’ve been guilty of giving direction immediately after a section of a song has ended, leaving people 8 bars to figure out when they should come in. By that time they’re usually already tried to come in or forgotten what I said.

Don’t cue the band without cuing the congregation.
Some leaders develop elaborate signals to let the band know what’s next, while leaving the congregation clueless. That’s why I generally give verbal cues rather than visual ones. An exception is when I’m signaling to the band we’re going to sing a cappella or end the song, neither of which the congregation has to know in advance.

Vary the music to indicate when you want people to sing or not sing.
Instrumental cues can work as well as verbal cues. You can increase the volume of the band, ritard slightly, or vary the harmonic changes to indicate it’s time to sing. For instance, you can lead into first chord with a walk-up on the bass. If you want people to wait to come in, keep the instrumentation subdued and sparse.

Vary your cues.
Most of us tend to do what’s most efficient. ”Efficiency” can suck the life out of a congregation’s singing. To vary it up, you can make a comment on what you’re about to sing. Before the fourth verse of In Christ Alone (No guilt in life, no fear in death), I might say, “This is the effect of the gospel.” You can also sing a cue rather than speak it. Or just move up to the microphone.

Think tone as well as content.
Some leaders sound like they’re barking out military commands when they give cues. Cuing a congregation can be an opportunity to impart faith and understanding to people as well as give direction.

Don’t cue too much.
Leading is like giving directions on a trip. You only need to say something when there’s a turn. You don’t need to highlight every store, gas station, or landmark that you pass by. Give people a break from your interruptions (a lesson I continue to learn). But be sure you’re there when they need to make a turn.

What have you learned about giving cues to the congregation? Have any funny stories of times it didn’t go so well?

Recently I’ve been listening to Matthew Smith’s new CD Watch the Rising Day. Matthew has been contributing to the contemporary hymn-based music of Indelible Grace for years, but has also produced a few of his own albums. He asked me to preview his new CD which I was more than happy to do.

Like Indelible Grace, all the songs on Watch the Rising Day are drawn from hymn texts, although not ones you’d necessarily be familiar with. As I’ve read through a few words-only hymnals I’ve been amazed at the wealth that still remains to be explored in old hymn lyrics. Matthew is seeking to mine those treasures and modernize the settings.

LYRICS
Drawing from hymns inevitably leads to lyrics that stand out from much contemporary lyric writing. The songs on Watch the Rising Day touch on the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ (Redeemed, Restored, Forgiven), the challenges of living a victorious Christian life (The War), rejecting the world’s allurement (I Have Seen the Lord), suffering (At Eve It Shall be Light),thoughts for dying well (Goodnight), and more.

Modernizing hymns can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the lyrics. These are great:

As by the light of opening day the stars are all concealed
So earthly pleasures fade away when Jesus is revealed (I Have Seen the Lord)

Dear Lord receive the glory of each recovered soul
Oh who can tell the story of love that made us whole?
Not our, not ours, the merit– be Yours alone the praise
And ours a thankful spirit to serve You all our days (Redeemed, Restored, Forgiven)

On the other hand, these were a little distracting:

“With your meek Spirit arm our breast”
“Hands and feet with nails through bored”
“They said the threats were coward bluster”

But those were minor distractions. Overall, the album is filled with lyrics that encourage, instruct, and impart faith to the listener/singer. I so respect what Matthew and the folks from Indelible Grace have been doing the past ten years in revitalizing hymns texts.

MUSIC
Musically, the album was very enjoyable, even though it didn’t break new ground in terms of arranging and sounds. But there are few albums that do. Matthew has a strong voice, and it’s well suited to the mostly acoustic and elecrtric guitar driven tracks. WTRD contains songs both for congregational worship and personal edification. My favorites for a church setting are I Need Thee Today (acknowledging our need for Christ in everything), Redeemed, Restored, Forgiven (celebrating our salvation in Christ), Greater Than Our Hearts (assurance of forgiveness), and Lord Jesus, Comfort Me (great communion meditation).

The Deluxe edition contains four extra tracks - All Must Be Well, In Christ Alone (a beautiful and simple acoustic version with a mandolin solo), On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand, and a re-mix of You Are the Light. My favorite song on the album on the album happens to be All Must Be Well. It’s a simple and singable 6/8 song that speaks faith into our hearts. The lyrics:

Through the love of God our Savior, all will be well
Free and changeless is His favor, all is well
Precious is the blood that healed us
Perfect is the grace that sealed us
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us
All must be well

Though we pass through tribulation, all will be well
Ours is such a full salvation, all is well
Happy still in God confiding
Fruitful if in Christ abiding
Steadfast through the Spirit’s guiding
All must be well

We expect a bright tomorrow; all will be well
Faith can sing through days of sorrow, all is well
On our Father’s love relying
Jesus every need supplying
Yes in living or in dying
All must be well
Written by Matthew S. Smith ©2007 Detuned Radio Music
Based in part on a hymn text by Mary Bowly Peters

You can listen to it here:

GET IT
The album will start shipping around August 23, but pre-orders have started here. If you order one now you’ll receive an immediate full download of the record. The entire record is streaming for free there as well.

Matthew has made it possible for you to get 25% off the Deluxe edition. Just use the code “Bob”. Creative, I know. You can also get 10% off the Limited Edition Vinyl LP + Download. Use the code “BobLP”. The codes expire Aug. 23.

For more info, check out Matthew on Facebook and Twitter.

As a follow up to what I posted on Monday, here’s an example of focusing on the content without ignoring the container. This is a video from the WorshipGod08 conference, where Ryan Ferguson is reciting Psalm 25, using the English Standard Version (ESV) translation.  It’s about 4 minutes and very moving.

If you want to see more, you can watch Ryan’s interpretations of  Psalm 145, Psalm 22, and Hebrews 9 and 10.

If you’re interested, you can contact Ryan at ryanf@nhcconline.com.

What would happen if we always heard/read/thought about Scripture with this kind of emotion and thoughtfulness?

A few months ago I had the privilege of speaking to a few classes at Southern Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. During a Q&A, someone asked me what things we can do to keep our meetings from becoming dull, rote, and routine.

Although there are probably a number of ways to answer that question, what came to my mind was the difference between containers and content in our meetings. “Container” describes what’s going on during a particular portion of the meeting. In a more formal church the containers might be listed out in a bulletin and include things like Call to Worship, Prayer of Confession, Assurance of Pardon, Worship in Song, Pastoral Prayer, Giving of Tithes and Offerings, Lord’s Prayer, Sermon, the Lord’s Supper, and Benediction. In a less formal church containers still exist, but are generally assumed. They could include the “worship time,” “ministry time,” announcements, sermon, testimony time, special song, prayer for the sick, welcoming of guests, communion, and the closing song.

In either case, we can get caught up in focusing on the “containers.” How they fit together, how much time each one requires, whether or not we’re approaching them with creativity, and other administrative and aesthetic questions. We think the meeting has gone well when we fit all the “containers” in to the allotted box of time, or when things flow smoothly. “Worship didn’t take too long.” “Smooth transition from announcements to the special song.” If we’re really on top of things, we assign a theme to the containers so that they all relate to the same topic or have a similar focus.

The problem with this thinking, as helpful as it may be in some ways, is that we can neglect what actually fills those containers. In other words, the content. No liturgy in itself - traditional, contemporary, emerging, orthodox, or otherwise - has the power to change a person’s life. Yes, God instructs us to do everything “decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40), and liturgies and forms make a difference, but our greatest concern should be using every opportunity in our meetings to magnify the greatness of God in Jesus Christ in people’s minds and hearts. To rehearse, celebrate, and be changed by the gospel. (For an in depth treatment of this topic, check out Bryan Chappell’s Christ-Centered Worship.)

When we focus on content more than containers, no part of the meeting has to be “routine.” Each container becomes an opportunity to experience the glory of Christ in a unique way. Here’s what I mean.

The “call to worship” becomes more than a perfunctory few words to start the meeting. It’s a personal invitation from God himself to encounter his presence in the midst of his people, to dwell on his greatness and goodness, and to remind ourselves that we have been called out of darkness to proclaim his excellencies.

“Worship in song” becomes more than a set list, a pre-sermon filler, or a time to try out a new song or arrangement. It’s an opportunity to revel in the glorious gospel, to display the unity Jesus has made possible through his substitutionary death, to watch the Holy Spirit stir up deeper affections for God’s worth and works, and to teach and admonish one another.

“Tithes and Offerings” becomes more than an awkward moment where we make sure the church has enough money to make it through the week. It’s a time to remember that God always does more than we could ask or think (Eph. 3:20), that our giving is always a response to his overwhelming generosity toward us, and that we have experienced the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who though he was rich, yet for our sake became poor, so that we by his poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9).

The “sermon” becomes more than a pastor proving his relevance or persuading people they should come back next week. It’s a transcendent, sacred moment when God addresses his people God’s eternal and unchanging Word, when hearts are opened before the living God, Holy Spirit surgery is done, and life-changing gospel hope is imparted. It’s also a time to educate people on how to read, study, interpret, and apply Scripture.

The Lord’s Supper becomes more than an interruption to the meeting or a dutiful, uninformed response to Jesus’ command. It’s seeing the gospel in visible form, experiencing real spiritual union with Christ and each other, and declaring to ourselves and each other that the Lord really is coming again.

Prayer provides more than an opportunity for the tech crew and musicians to move things around and get in place. It’s conversing with our heavenly Father, expressing our desperate need, expecting him to do abundantly more than we could ask or think (Eph. 3:20), asking him to conform our hearts and wills to his own, and teaching the church how to pray.

Even the announcements are an opportunity to demonstrate how the gospel motivates us to do what we do, provide testimonies of how individuals are joyfully laying down their lives, make known what God’s grace is accomplishing, and highlight ways people can live out their faith before a watching world.

Whenever we do something repeatedly, week after week, we have two tendencies. One is to revert to a formalism that requires no faith or Spirit-given power. It’s easier. It’s more efficient. And it’s deadening.

The other tendency is to become more creative with the containers at the expense of what’s being said. That too is deadening. Focusing on content over containers doesn’t negate creativity. It just gives it the right focus, direction, and purpose.

As we think about, plan for, and lead our meetings, let’s never lose sight of the fact that gathering as the church is one of the most significant events on earth. More dramatic than any movie, more exciting than any sporting event, and more life-changing than any political rally. We are the people of God, met together in his presence, joining with innumerable saints and angels in heaven, proclaiming the greatness of the Lamb who was slain, edifying each other through the use of spiritual gifts, and being transformed into his image as we feed on his Word and behold his glory (1 Pet. 2:9-10; Mt. 18:20; Heb. 12:22-24; Rev. 5:9-10; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Cor. 3:18).

How can that ever be dull or routine?

UPDATE: We’ve now reached our goal of 100 requests for a free copy of Alli en la Cruz. Thanks for helping us get the word out to our Spanish brothers and sisters!

I’m excited to announce the newest release from Sovereign Grace Music: Allí en la Cruz. Translated, that means There at the Cross. I’m so excited that I want to give 100 of them away (details below).

In 2002 we produced our first Spanish CD, Sea la Gloria solo a Ti, twelve Sovereign Grace songs translated from the English versions. We were happy we could produce something to serve our Spanish churches, but as you might guess, the songs sounded like what they were - translations. On top of that, we used the original instrumental tracks. Definitely not Hispanic.

In contrast, the 10 songs on Allí en la Cruz were all written in Spanish for Spanish speaking churches. And similar to other Sovereign Grace songs, they’re congregation friendly and focus on the gospel, our need for Christ, God’s character, God’s Word, and our faith-filled response. Titles include Only by Your Grace, How Great is Your Love, Majestic God, and We Are Your Children (Solo por Tu Gracia, Que Grande Es Tu Amor, Dios Majestuoso, y Somos Tus Hijos).

The primary writer and main vocalist is Mauricio Velarde, a young musician who came to Christ a few years ago at my church. When he first came, he was playing in his own band and writing love songs. But as Mauricio attended our Spanish congregation, Iglesia Gracia Soberana De Gaithersburg, he began to catch a vision from his pastor, Joselo Mercado, and Ken Boer, music director at Covenant Life, for writing songs that would serve the church and glorify Jesus.

The album started out as a local church EP. But when I heard the songs, I told Ken that I wanted to take it on as a Sovereign Grace project. With the additions of a few other writers (Jose Torres, Jose Troche, and Miguel Medina) we soon had a full length album.

For the most part we used vocalists and musicians from my church. John Behrens, a gem of an intern, did most of the engineering. Mauricio oversaw the project and made sure different Hispanic styles were authentically represented. He even let me display my massive accordion chops on one song. The album was mixed and mastered in Nashville and I’m really pleased with the final product.

I realize most of you reading this won’t be able to understand the lyrics (although I think you’d dig the music). But maybe you know someone who would not only understand the songs, but actually be able to sing them. If so, I’d like to know who they are.

I have 100 copies of Allí en la Cruz I want to give away to pastors and/or worship leaders of Hispanic congregations (one per church). If you can recommend anyone, just send their name, mailing address, email address, and church name to bob@worshipmatters.com. Or simply use the contact tab above. Oh, and it’s okay if the Spanish pastor or worship leader is you. We’ll send an album to the first 100 requests we receive.

If you just want to purchase the album you can get it for $10 or download it for $7 at the Sovereign Grace online store. Lead sheets and guitar charts are included with the CD.

You can also find out more about the album at the Alli en la Cruz Facebook page or the Sovereign Grace Music website, where we’re giving away the song “Somos Tus Hijos.”

Thanks for helping us spread the word!

Our church is in the middle of a series on 1 Peter and we’ve been talking a lot about suffering. Peter starts off by telling us that we will be grieved by various kind of trials, “so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:7). For the Christian, trials are never purposeless, random, or wasted. God is using them to work out his perfect plans and to conform us to the image of his Son.

How do we know this? Because he has promised in his Word that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). He is sovereign over every disappointment, defeat, disease, and disaster.

When we gather as the church, it’s always an opportunity to remind one another of the truths upon which our lives are built. So we’ve been singing songs that highlight God’s sovereignty and care during our suffering, whether that stems from being persecuted for our faith or simply living in a fallen world.

This past Sunday, we introduced Desert Song, written by Brooke Fraser. It’s been around a while, but we thought this series would be an ideal time to introduce it. Here are the lyrics:

This is my prayer in the desert
And all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

And 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 flames

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

And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it’s way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

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

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve recieved I will sow
By Brooke Fraser, Copyright 2008 Hillsong Publishing (Admin. in U.S. & Canada by Integrity’s Hosanna! Music)

Another song we sang on Sunday was from our album, Come Weary Saints. It’s called As Long As You Are Glorified and was written by my good friend Mark Altrogge. It’s a humble prayer that acknowledges God’s unchanging character in the midst of changing circumstances. You can listen to the song or right-click to download here. Download the guitar chart here.

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

So quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart in You
Words and Music by Mark Altrogge. © 2009 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Admin. by Integrity’s Hosanna! Music.

I posted more thoughts on ways God can use congregational worship to strengthen people’s faith during seasons of suffering in this post and this series.

I was talking with a pastor the other day about one of his worship leaders who has a hard time leaving old songs behind (as in “Shine, Jesus, Shine”). Apparently there are a few songs from the 80s that the worship leader still finds quite moving. Unfortunately, the pastor and many young members of the congregation don’t share his enthusiasm.

Our conversation led me to think of a few questions that might be asked in this situation:

Is it wrong to retire old songs?
If so, how do you know the right time?
Do we even need to be singing new songs?
What makes a song “old?”
Once a song is retired, should we ever bring it back?

Here are a few thoughts on this topic. Hope they’re helpful.

1. Most corporate worship songs won’t pass the “time test.” That’s okay.
Charles Wesley wrote over 6500 hymns in the 1700s. Three hundred years later most churches don’t sing more than 20-30 of them. Percentage-wise, that’s not very impressive. But in terms of effect, few hymn writers have had a more lasting or broad influence than Wesley (Although Isaac Watts, who only wrote about 650 hymns, has a much higher percentage of longevity.) It’s safe to say that in a hundred years we won’t be singing most of the songs we’re singing today on Sundays. Some will last one week, others for a few years, some for decades, and others will still be sung after we’re gone. All have a place in a congregation pursuing both old and new expressions - psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs - of God’s praise. (Col. 3:16)

2. Music can hinder or help the impact of truth on our hearts.
One of the primary purposes of singing as a congregation is to “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly,” (Col. 3:16). But if that word is wedded to poorly performed, unsingable, or distasteful music, people may never hear the word at all. On the other hand when the music is appropriate, enjoyable, singable, and well-played/sung, it can heighten the impact of biblical truth on our hearts. That means we need to give serious thought to whether or not the songs, arrangements, and musical settings we use are truly helping people sing biblical truths with passion. Churches can err in one of two ways. Either our music is so “relevant” that people don’t even notice the words, or our music is so foreign that people have a hard time connecting at all.

3. A song should be retired when the musical setting no longer inspires faith to sing the lyrics.
God intended music to affect us emotionally (Mt. 11:17; Job 21:12). When a tune or musical setting no longer does that, or affects us negatively, we can change the arrangement, alter the melody (if it’s public domain), or stop using the song. It’s a fact that we tire of some tunes more quickly than others. That doesn’t necessarily mean they were bad to start with. It just means they aren’t the “100 year” kind of melodies. Wise leaders are on the lookout for fresh musical expressions to complement those that have stood the test of time.

4. A song should be retired when there are better or just different songs you want to introduce.
More than a few times we’ve taught a song that seems like it will be around for a while. But when you teach around 18 new songs a year, as we do, there’s just no way to keep doing all of them consistently. So some of them are retired by default.

5. Music leaders are called to submit their musical preferences to their pastor and congregation.
I said in my book that my iPod isn’t the best place to start for choosing songs to sing on Sunday. What affects me personally may be vague, ineffective, or even offensive to others. We’re to use our gifts “so that the church may be built up” (1 Cor. 14:6). While there are good reasons to expand the musical palate of a congregation from time to time (to display the glory of God in a variety of ways, enable a broader range of emotional responses, and provide a fresh setting for lyrics), I shouldn’t insist a song still “works” when no one around me agrees.

6. Retired songs should be brought back based on their their lyrical, not sentimental, value.
To sing a song simply because it’s a “old favorite” can subtly emphasize our musical enjoyment more than our passion for Christ. It’s focusing on the “container” more than the “content” (an upcoming post). But there are times when an old, familiar song says exactly what you want to say, and people’s hearts are filled with faith as they sing it (even “Shine, Jesus, Shine”). In the not too distant past I’ve used “In my Life Lord, Be Glorified,”"Oh, Lord, You’re Beautiful,” and a few older Sovereign Grace songs that seemed to fit the moment.

More could be said, I’m sure. What about you? How have you handled retiring songs?

At last year’s WorshipGod conference, I gave a message on The Future of Worship, based on the opening verses to Psalm 78. I’m increasingly aware of is how important it is to pass on the right things from generation to the next, and this message was an attempt to address that topic.

Here’s a 3:45 video clip from that message where I’m focusing on Ps. 78:7: “so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.” I talk about how important it is to make sure those who are following us are putting their hope in God and the gospel - not us, our musical preferences, our technology, or our efforts.

What are your children and those you’re mentoring learning from you about where their ultimate hope lies?

I’m in the sixth day of using Prof. Grant Horner’s Bible reading plan and thoroughly enjoying it. It involves reading from 10 different sections of the Bible each day, using bookmarks to keep your place. Each time I read I come away with a greater appreciation for God’s sovereignty over history and am already starting to see the benefits of Scripture commenting on Scripture.

This morning one of my readings was Matthew 6. Three times these words caught my attention:

And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mt. 6:4, 5, 18)

Jesus used that phrase when he was speaking about giving, praying, and fasting. It made me think more carefully about leading others in worshiping God.

I tend to think that the most important parts of my life are what everyone sees. Sunday mornings, conferences, public events. I spend a lot of time preparing for times when I’m in front of people. I have a tendency to think that those times must have greater significance than what I’m doing when no one’s looking. Certainly God is watching more closely and more is accomplished for the kingdom when I’m leading huge crowds than when I’m by myself. Right?

Maybe.

As usual, Jesus cuts across the grain of my assumptions. What he said can revolutionize how I think about public ministry.

1. God thinks what I do when no one else is watching is pretty important.
Time alone can seem so inconsequential. That’s why we can fill it so easily with seemingly harmless activities with Facebook, Twitter, video games, TV, movies, web surfing; or more overtly sinful activities like viewing pornography, nursing bitterness, or lusting after what we don’t have. But God sees it all. Our heavenly Father sees what we do in secret. Meditating on that consistently is bound to lead to the fear of the Lord.

2. The rewards of eternity are better than the rewards of this life.
Countless millions spend their lives pursuing goals, possessions, and achievements that will vanish when they die. Jesus lets us in on a secret. The rewards to live for are the ones the Father will hand out on the last day. At that moment, the number of my blog readers, Facebook friends, Twitter followers, or fans will have zero effect on my status before God. So why are those things so important to me now?

3. Being rewarded by the Father is infinitely more important than being rewarded by people.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with honoring others or being honored. In fact, God tells us to give honor to whom honor is due (Rom. 13:7). The problem comes when we live for and seek the praise of men rather than the praise of God (Jn. 5:41-44). When we act spiritually simply to impress others, we have all the reward we’ll ever get. When, by God’s grace in Christ, we hear “well done” on the last day, we’ll realize in a moment the only evaluation that mattered.

Bottom line: if I gauge my maturity only by what I do when others can see me, I may be terribly deceived about my true state before God.

May we be faithful to help the people in our churches remember that our heavenly Father both sees and rewards - what we do in secret.

Last weekend I attended the Resolved conference, led by Rick Holland from Grace Community Church. The conference is based on the Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards, and this year’s theme was Jesus. In eleven sessions, we got a fire-hydrant dose of why the person and work of Jesus Christ is so glorious and life-changing.

This was my second Resolved conference. My good friend CJ Mahaney has spoken at all six, but I’ve gone the past two years to give away Sovereign Grace Music song sampler CDS to the 3000+ attendees. Being in Palm Springs hasn’t been bad either.

The music for the conference is provided by Enfield, led by John Martin. John has become a good friend and a godly musician I deeply respect and appreciate. In fact, as I’ve gotten to know the other members of the band (John’s wife, Lisa, guitarists Patrick Anderson and Paul Hoover, bassist/songwriter Ryan Foglesong, drummer extraordinaire David Zimmer, and newcomer multi-tasker Will Pierce), I’ve been greatly encouraged by their genuine humility, love for the church, crazy music chops, love for each other, joy, servant hearts, and artistic creativity. All inspired by their desire to bring glory to Jesus Christ. They even let me teach a song this year, All I Have is Christ. You can watch the video here.

Each year at the conference they release an album. This year it was The Enfield Hymn Sessions, Vol. 1. (You can find the previous albums, “Back to Calvary” and “O For That Day” at the Resolved site.) I listened to their new album, produced by Brian Steckler, on the way out to the conference and wanted to tell you about it.

As the name suggests, it’s a recording of 12 hymns. Here’s the list (with my favorites starred):

*1. There is a Fountain- Standard melody with a driving 4/4 accompaniment.
*2. Jesus Shall Reign - Jubilant 12/8 arrangement with a new chorus. One of my favorites on the album.
3. And Can it Be - Original tune with a 6/8 accompaniment, and some occasional fresh harmonies. Nice mandolin work on this one.
4. Lead On, O King Eternal - New music and chorus. Great rendition. Christian Ebner is the guest vocalist.
5. Our Great God - Fernando Ortega’s anthem to God’s greatness. Beautiful song. Pizzicato strings add a nice touch.
6. Crown Him with Many Crowns - Celebrative arrangement of the standard tune.
*7. Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken - Another one of my favorites. Hope to teach this at my home church some time.
8. I Will Glory in My Redeemer - Nice arrangement of Steve & Vikki Cook’s song.
*9. O the Deep, Deep Love - Original tune, but a hauntingly beautiful arrangement. For my reworking of this hymn, click here.
10. Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven - Lilting 3/4 arrangement with a new chorus.
11. Blessed Assurance - New music and chorus. Michelle Anthony is the guest vocalist. This arrangement is more reflective than the original hymn, and very moving. “This weight of heaven pours on my soul; longing for heaven where I’ll be made whole.”
*12. Be Thou My Vision - Hard to go wrong with this song. Great arrangement.

The musicians of Enfield are among the best I’ve heard from a local church. That doesn’t come through as clearly on the album as I’d like, due to the fact that a string quartet or soloists play a prominent role on most of the songs. That being said, the album is still a great collection of fresh hymn arrangements and re-writes, filled with gospel truth that will make your soul soar and your heart sing for the glory of the Savior.

John has kindly allowed me to give away the MP3, lead sheet, and rhythm chart for the song Jesus Shall Reign. Enjoy.

You can download the album for $7.99 at Amazon or $9.99 at iTunes.

Back in 2005 we produced an album called Worship God Live, a live album that featured Pat Sczebel and me each leading six songs. Pat serves as one of the pastors at Crossway Community Church, in Surrey, British Columbia. He’s been a dear friend for years.

Pat inspires me in many ways. He’s one of the most encouraging guys I know. He’s a caring husband, a faithful dad, a diligent pastor, and he has a heart for the lost. But most of all, I’m affected by his genuine love for Jesus Christ. Through a variety of circumstances, in want and fruitfulness, Pat’s love for the Savior has produced encouragement, hope, and faith that affects everyone around him.

One of Pat’s songs on this album is “Jesus, Thank You.” It typifies Pat’s life - a life of gratefulness that God sent his Son to endure the punishment we deserved and to reconcile us to God.

When he first sent the song to be considered for a Sovereign Grace project, it somehow got passed over. Later on, at a songwriter’s retreat, he played three songs that all needed some major work. He pulled out “Jesus, Thank You” again, thinking maybe it was better than the first response indicated. He was right. He did some more work on the song and produced a song that combines a clear statement of substitutionary atonement with our grateful response of love and obedience.

The original first verse went like this:

This mystery of grace I cannot comprehend
Why would You save a wretch like me
Why would the perfect holy One crush His only Son
For the worst of sinners Crucified

Good, but not great. It became:

The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You, the perfect, holy One crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me.

And here’s the chorus:

Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table
Jesus, thank You.

You can download the guitar chart here.

Last year at the NEXT conference, I had the privilege of leading “Jesus, Thank You” with the band Reilly. We sang it after CJ Mahaney had preached a message on the death of Christ from Mk. 15:33-39. Enjoy.

I’m thrilled that our latest kids’ album, Walking with the Wise, is finally available. This is the third Sovereign Grace kids’ album, the second being To Be Like Jesus (June 2009), and the first, Awesome God (Aug. 2004).

Walking with the Wise contains 13 songs based on different verses from the book of Proverbs. Titles include W-I-S-D-O-M, Make Me Wise, A Good Friend, Lazy Bones, A Cheerful Heart, and All Ears.

While the number of “worship CDs” for children has increased exponentially in recent years and may have reached a saturation point, many of them assume that kids are already Christians. One of our aims in making kids’ albums is to help parents raise children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord.” We write most of the songs in a way that proclaims truth rather than simply being an expression of a child’s heart.

This approach can make the album sound less “worshipful,” but in the long run, we think it better represents what’s happening when kids sing. They’re memorizing words that will hopefully influence the way they view God, themselves, and the world. While there’s certainly a place for kids singing songs of praise to God directly (Mt. 21:16.), music is also a tool to teach teach kids truths about God, God’s Word, how we’re relate to him and each other, and most importantly, who Jesus is and what he did to rescue us from our sin.

For example, here’s verse 1 from Mark Altrogge’s song, “Where It All Begins,” which teaches about the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7).

When others try to draw you in
So you would join them in their sin
The fear of God will keep you safe
And give you strength to run away

Here’s another sample from a song Stephen Altrogge and I wrote called, “To Tell the Truth,” based on Prov. 12:19 and Prov. 25:18.

A little lie seems harmless like ordinary words
But lies we tell to others are like a sword that hurts
When someone tries to tell me that covering up’s okay
Don’t let me be dishonest, help me to humbly say
To tell the truth is what I want to do
Because You love the lips that speak the truth
To tell a lie leads me away from You
So help me, God, to tell the truth

Whenever we produce an album for children, it’s easy to drift into rules and moralism. “Be this way and you’ll be a Christian boy/girl.” We may teach kids what’s right and wrong, but they won’t necessarily see that they need a Savior. So even on an album based on Proverbs, we’ve looked for ways to direct little hearts and minds to the gospel.

This is the chorus to Zach Jones’ song, “I Don’t Have to Hide,” taken from Prov. 28:13:

Blessed is the one who fears the Lord and admits his sin
Blessed is the one who trust the Lord, who alone forgives
Jesus died so I don’t have to hide anymore.

Another example is “Who Can Say,” based on Prov. 20:9:

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure
I am clean from my sin”?
No one’s blameless in God’s holy eyes
That’s why the Savior came
Jesus, Jesus, only You did everything right
Jesus, Jesus, died and rose
So we could have new life

While our kids’ albums are mainly for 6-10 year olds, younger and older kids, and even adults enjoy them. It’s a good thing, because I know some moms (including my oldest daughter) who have been hearing To Be Like Jesus in their car for a year now.

I was grateful for the input of Mike Bradshaw, children’s ministry pastor at my church, who suggested some creative dialogue and musical ideas that made Walking with the Wise more engaging than our previous children’s albums. Right now Mike is in the middle of leading “Summer Celebration,” an event for about 500 6-10 year olds, incorporating many of the songs from Walking with the Wise.

The CD contains lead sheets, guitar charts, and accompaniment tracks to all the songs. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to put these songs to use. You can buy the CD for $12 from the Sovereign Grace online store, or download the MP3 album for $9. You can also hear samples at the Sovereign Grace Music site, and download a free song, Lazy Bones.

Whether you use Walking with the Wise for Vacation Bible school, summer camp, children’s ministry, family worship time, or just singing in the car, we pray these songs will help kids appreciate the precious truths of God’s Word and point them to Jesus Christ, our great Savior.

Yesterday I posted a song I sang at the NEXT conference for those with disabilities.

A week or so before the conference began, I had a growing sense that there would be people at the conference who would be encouraged by attending, but would be battling the effects of sexual sin - either condemnation for sin in the past, or struggles with sin in the present. A preoccupation with either could rob them from enjoying the fruit from the conference. As the conference went on, that sense grew stronger.

As I prayed for those individuals, I again thought that the Lord might want to encourage them through a song. I could have simply shared my impression and exhorted them to believe the gospel, to trust that Christ, through his atoning death and victorious resurrection, fully paid for their sins and freed them from slavery to sin. Instead, I sang a song which came to me a few moments before we went on stage to lead the final session. I quickly jotted the words down on the back side of one of the guitar charts.

Someone emailed me yesterday to ask why I’d call a song like this spontaneous, when I had written the words down beforehand. Good question. It was spontaneous in the way the thought came to me (somewhat out of the blue), in the impression I had right before the meeting to share it, in the quickness with which the words came, and in the musical aspects. I also didn’t know when I might sing it going into the conference, or whether I would sing anything at all. I shared more thoughts about spontaneous/prophetic songs in an earlier post.

Regardless of what you call it, it was another opportunity to minister the truth of God’s Word and the gospel to his people through song. You can listen to it or download it by clicking here.

Here are the lyrics. I pray you’re encouraged by it.

Not a single spot
Not a single stain
Not a single blemish
Now remains
You have been washed clean
With the blood of Jesus Christ
And if your trust is in Him
You are righteous in my eyes

And though there is a battle
Though you fight the war
There are temporary pleasures
That’s not what you were made for
There are everlasting pleasures
That are waiting at my hand
And I only give joy
That will never ever end.

And if you fall again
My forgiveness will remain
For your debt is paid in full
And my love will never change
So trust in me each moment
For what you cannot do
For I’ll give you strength to conquer
For your life has been made new
I’ll give you strength to conquer
For your life has been made new.

For further encouragement in battling the effects and temptations of sexual sin I’d meditate on 1 Cor. 6:9-11, 1 Thess. 4:1-7, Rom. 8:1-4, 2 Cor. 5:17-21, Col. 2:13-15. Two books I’d highly recommend are Sex Is Not the Problem - Lust Is by Josh Harris and Battling Unbelief: Defeating Sin with Superior Pleasure by John Piper.