May5
At some point I want to give away some copies of my book, but I just learned that the folks at blog.worship.com are doing just that this week. In addition, they’ll be posting the four videos I did for the book that outline the four sections:
The Leader
The Task
Healthy Tensions
Right Relationships
Stop by and check it out.
Apr25
If you just read the comments on my last Together for the Gospel post, you might be tempted to think that things went flawlessly. Not the case. Practically every time I lead I learn something new about what I’m doing, even though I’ve been leading worship for over 30 years now. I pray that I’m always learning something.
Here are some of the things I learned, put into practice, or remembered this year.
You can experience and express strong emotions for God while singing hymns.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say that hymns are dry, academic, lyrically dense, and inappropriate for “passionate worship.” That may be true in some people’s experience, but it certainly wasn’t the case at T4G. The times of singing were characterized at various …
Apr23
Yesterday I did an hour long interview with Paul Edwards of station WLQV in Detroit, Michigan. We actually met each other last week at the Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, Kentucky. I was able to explain a little more fully some of the topics I cover in my book, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God. Paul is a pastor in a local church and understands first-hand how congregational worship can become a source of division and heated debate. I appreciated the depth of his questions and his obvious concern for doing more than entertaining his listeners. You can check out the interview by clicking here.
Apr4
One of the reasons I wrote Worship Matters was not simply so that people would read it, which I hope they do, but so that it might serve as a training tool for future leaders. That’s why I dedicated the book this way:
Ps. 71:18 has been a favorite verse of mine for years. It says, “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” God has kindly answered my prayer.
(BTW, this picture comes courtesy of my oldest daughter, Megan, who posted it on her blog.)
Mar31
Crossway is now shipping copies of my book Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God.
The first review I’ve seen is over at blog.worship.com. They got the title wrong, but hey, it’s a very kind review.
Here’s a portion of what they wrote:
Biblically based and contemporaneous in setting, Worship Matters is a book we believe worship leaders will find both encouraging and challenging. Consider giving a copy to your worship team, pastor, and worship leader. This one is a definite must read.
You’ll have to determine that for yourself. In the mean time, I’d appreciate your prayers that God would use this book to spread the glories of our matchless Savior.
Nov28
For those of you who have been following this blog for a while, you know that I’ve been working on a book for over a year now. I’m happy to report that I’m finally done. The book will be called Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God and will be published by Crossway. I mailed in the final manuscript about two weeks ago, and I’m one happy guy. Lord willing, it will be available in April.
The book is written for those who lead congregational worship in song, but I think it will serve anyone in leadership, as well as Christians who want to discover more about what it means to worship God. Not surprisingly, I’m already thinking about …
Aug15
Thank you to everyone who submitted a suggestion and/or ideas for a subtitle for my book. What we finally chose was actually a combination of a number of suggestions. Matt Lowe proposed, “Leading Others to Exult in God’s Glory.” I changed “God’s glory” to “the Greatness of God,” and my friend Ken Boer suggested the word, “encounter” instead of “exult.” That led to the subtitle we’re going with, which is, “Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God.” Both Matt and Ken will be receiving a $50 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.
While I could have gone with no subtitle, and I certainly don’t think a subtitle makes or breaks a book, I think this subtitle is just specific and vague enough at least to …
Jul24
Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas for a subtitle for my book. So kind of you.
There were a number that made an impact on me (A Plea to An Emerging Generation of Leaders), some I laughed out loud
at (Worship Matters: Yo Quiero Taco Bell), and others that made me
think.
After reading them all, these are the options I’m considering at the moment:
1. Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God
2. Worship Matters: Biblical Foundations for Leaders
3. Worship Matters: A Practical Theology for Leaders
4. No subtitle
I’d like to get a quick vote from you all as to which one you think an atheological twenty-something worship leader would
…
Jul20
This past Tuesday morning I sent a semi-finished version of the book I’m writing to my editor. It’s funny how you can work on something for over a year and a half and still end up making a major push at the end. Part of the explanation is that last week my good friend C.J. Mahaney spent two days with me going over every word. His comments, thoughts, and insights were invaluable, but resulted in some more work.
At this point, Crossway has the manuscript and will be getting an edited copy back to me in a month or two. In the mean time I’ll have a few
…
May22
I’m currently in Chicago, Illinois at the Moody Pastors’ Conference. I have the opportunity to teach a few workshops and present a couple songs. It’s been a joy to meet some folks who have been reading Worship Matters. I even ran across some old GLAD fans. Of course, most GLAD fans I meet are on the older side.
I sent in all but one chapter of the rough draft of my book to my editor this past Saturday. I’m hoping to finish the last chapter tonight. It’s a chapter addressed to pastors. It’s harder to write than I anticipated. There’s so much I want to say to pastors about the significance of their role in leading worship. Worship is a pastoral function before it’s a musical one. Unfortunately,
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