The number 52 took on new meaning for me a few days ago.
I was aware there are 52 cards in a deck and 52 weeks in a year. As of this past Sunday, there are 52 years in my life. I’m getting old.
Growing older has its drawbacks. We’ve seen them first hand as our parents have confronted things like Alzheimer’s, injuries, and debilitating diseases. But I’m certain that God intends us to think of getting older in a positive way. Or else why would he say things like this:
“Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life”
( Prov. 16:31Proverbs 16:31
[31]Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life.
).
“The glory of young men is their strength,
but the splendor of old men is their gray hair”
( Prov. 20:29Proverbs 20:29
[29]The glory of young men is their strength,
but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
).
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting
…
continue reading…
This question came in from Dennis:
How would pastors and worship leaders best transition a church from merely stopping all our songs when the lyrics end, into the occasional practice of those “musical interlude” worship times that I have seen and heard done at your church and others?…In our present church, if the instruments kept playing after all the lyrics had been sung, the congregation would just stare at us and wonder what we were doing…I see some value in those times and would like to move towards doing so on occasion.
Musical interludes are like many aspects of congregational worship - not absolutely necessary to worshipping God in spirit and truth, but helpful in many ways. Here are four thoughts.
First, understand why you want to use musical interludes. They aren’t something …
continue reading…
A reader wrote in to ask:
How do I serve and support the role of my Senior Pastor when his approach to corporate worship may sound a little different than what I get from your conferences?
Great question, and not the first time I’ve been asked. This question reveals what happens when the worship leader and musicians are getting biblical training and the pastor isn’t. It highlights the need for pastors to think about worship theologically, rather than basing their thoughts on past experiences or the culture.
But what do you do if you’re in a church where the pastor is asking you to do things that you don’t think are going to serve the church in the long run?
The first thing we need to do is examine our heart to make …
continue reading…
Every leader of congregational worship dreads those meetings when everything seems to be going wrong. Vocals are out of tune, strings break, everyone but the drummer finishes the song, you forget the words, sing the wrong verse, or play the wrong chords…the list is endless.
Last August at the WorshipGod06 conference, we presented the skit I-MAGnify to encourage everyone who has encountered or someday soon will encounter that situation. We watch a struggling worship leader receive instruction from his “alter-ego” about how he can get people more involved. Ironically, the song he’s attempting to lead is “Receive the Glory,” based on Psalm 115Psalm 115
[115:1]Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name
give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your
faithfulness!
[2]Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
[3]Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
[4]Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
[5]They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
[6]They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
[7]They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
[8]Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
[9]O Israel, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
[10]O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
[11]You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
[12]The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
[13]he will bless those who fear the LORD,
both the small and the great.
[14]May the LORD give you increase,
you and your children!
[15]May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!
[16]The heavens are the LORD's heavens,
but the earth he has given to the children of man.
[17]The dead do not praise the LORD,
nor do any who go down into silence.
[18]But we will bless the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!
:
Not to us but to your name alone
Be all the glory, the glory forever.
For your faithfulness and steadfast love
Receive the glory, the glory belongs to you.
The skit …
continue reading…
Aaron left this question on a recent post:
I’ve found it difficult at times to be in a mindset that is ready to accept encouragement and critique after a “big event.” I realize that a large part of this is my own pride and desire for everyone to like what happened and move on. However, I am often so drained and spent after an endeavor like a conference or a Christmas musical that I don’t even want to think about it anymore. Is this a symptom of focusing on the event more than Christ? Is there a way to get through the “big events” in church life without losing your focus on Christ and still be excited about your job after the event is over?
I smiled when I read this because …
continue reading…
I received this question a while back:
Do you happen to have anything that you have given out to worship leaders as far as a check-list of items to review as they are preparing for a Sunday morning?
The simple answer to this would be “no.” However, a few years ago C.J. Mahaney and I put together ten questions for evaluating corporate worship, which might serve as a memory jogger.
1. Is our Savior’s substitutionary sacrifice on the Cross clearly and repeatedly presented through song lyrics and exhortations as central to our worship and the means by which we approach God?
2. Is it evident to the church and guests that all we do is rooted in Scripture and in response to Scripture?
3. Do we devote sufficient time to preparation and practice prior …
continue reading…
This question was sent in by Juanita:
As a classically trained musician and someone who has sung parts for most of my life, I am confused when I see arrangements for hymns that are completely different from what is traditionally written…Do congregations actually sing songs often enough to get tired of the musical arrangements, especially when there are other options available for freshening up a piece? It seems to me that it can actually be unsettling to a congregation, especially for the musical people in its midst, to have the music, i.e., the basic structure of the music, changing. I actually find it distracting to the words myself.
As Juanita is pointing out, changing musical accompaniments for well known congregational songs can cause problems for some people. They can’t sing the parts …
continue reading…
This question came from Jeff:
One of the members of my worship team is struggling with the line from one of your songs, Glory Be to God. The line is “Being’s source begins to be.” She feels that it communicates that God is not eternal, that there was a time when the second Person of the Trinity did not exist and then began to be. I have tried teach her that language always has to be interpreted in context and that the line is basically highlighting the mystery of the incarnation - that Jesus was both infinite God and somehow a finite man
(or baby)…Is it acceptable to change the line of the song when we sing it to “Being’s source becomes a babe”? I would rather not, but
…
continue reading…
This past weekend I had the privilege of joining 3000 or so folks at the Christian Musician Summit – Improving Skill, Inspiring Talent, held at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Washington, near Seattle. My good friend Pat Sczebel, joined me from Vancouver, BC, where he serves as a pastor in Crossway Community Church.
I marveled again at how diverse the body of Christ is. Ages ranged from 15 to 75, and I talked to people from every kind of denomination, meeting format, church size, and musical preference. Over two days people could attend 9 of 170 seminars that were offered, three main sessions, and two evening concerts.
It was a massive undertaking, but came off exceptionally well, especially considering the fact that the event was organized by two musicians, Matt …
continue reading…
Throughout my life, one of my greatest temptations has been to compare myself to others. I hardly have to work at it. It just comes naturally.
I see someone else leading a congregation in worship and one of two things happens. Either I start to criticize his singing, playing, leading, song selection, content, or looks (if I’m really desperate); or I feel sorry for myself because he’s doing something better than I would or could. The only worship that’s taking place in my heart at those moments is directed towards me.
Today and tomorrow I have the privilege of speaking at the Seminars4Worship event in Pittsburgh, PA. Paul Baloche, whose songs have been sung all over the world, will be leading us in singing God’s praise tonight. At conferences like …
continue reading…
Entries RSS