Worship Matters

When I first started Worship Matters two years ago, I was posting five days a week. I’ve loosened up some on the schedule since then…

I’ve been working on a chapter for a book on worldliness edited by my good friend, C.J. Mahaney. Crossway will be publishing it some time next year. It originated from a series of messages we gave at our a few years back on 1 John 2:15-17. My chapter develops the thought that listening to music without discernment or godly intent reveals a heart willing to flirt with the world. Other chapters address possessions, media, modesty. The final chapter suggests ways God has called us to love the world around us.

Most of my time, though, has been given to planning the WorshipGod08 conference. While it’s still more than seven months away, we’ll be advertising in Worship Leader magazine next month, and so need to have the website up. Today, I was working on the home page, and this is what I wrote:

If you’re involved in planning or leading worship, you’re always on the lookout for ways you can serve your church more effectively. Thank God, we have an increasing number of tools, websites, and books we can turn to. But it’s helpful to remember that the most important teaching on modern worship wasn’t written in the past ten years. Thousands of years ago, God gave us the Psalms to inform, inspire, and direct our worship. Every generation has the opportunity to rediscover what he’s said.

That’s what we’ll be doing in Gaithersburg, Maryland, July 30—August 2, 2008 at WorshipGod08, a conference for anyone who wants to grow in understanding and leading biblical worship. The main sessions will explore what the Psalms teach us about worship that is God-glorifying, Christ-centered, emotionally engaging, relevant, full of faith, and lived out every day.

You’ll also be able to choose five practical seminars that will sharpen your thinking, improve your skills, and refresh your soul. And as in past WorshipGod conferences, one of the highlights will simply be meeting and interacting with hundreds of like-minded Christians who share your passion to glorify God.

Whether you come alone or with your whole team, I hope you’ll join us at WorshipGod08 as we rediscover how the ancient Psalms can transform our worship today.

Main session speakers are going to be Craig Cabaniss, Thabiti Anyabwile, Mark Dever, David Powlison, and myself. Each of us will be looking at the Psalms from a different angle:

Knowing God with the Psalmist
Expressing Emotion with the Psalmist
Glorifying Christ with the Psalmist
Enduring Hardship with the Psalmist
Worshiping God with the Psalmist (an evening of praise and prayer incorporating all we’ve learned)
Living Life with the Psalmist

While the main speakers aren’t a typical “worship conference” lineup, each of them is a skillful handler of Scripture and passionate about equipping God’s people to bring him glory.

As I’ve been putting together the seminars, I’m freshly grateful to everyone who responded to my previous request for ideas. The suggestions have really been helpful. I’m excited about the new topics we’re offering, which include a seminar on recording your own songs, copyright issues, vocal blending, using creative media, drum loops, family worship, small church issues, and much more.

In the mean time, may you be amazed again by the Father’s costly love that caused him to send his precious Son to die for our sins and redeem us for his glory.