The Worship Artist

A good friend of mine, Mike, sent me a written evaluation of the hymn “Jerusalem My Happy Home.” I thought it was very insightful, and I really appreciated the direct application for worship leaders on how they could best use this song in a corporate worship setting. He is so gracious to agree to share this evaluation with the worshiping community via my blog and additionally pop in periodically to create a series of hymn evaluations. Please be sure to check out the following hymn evaluations.

In one of my worship classes at MBU, the class was challenged to take a Psalm, read it, and then write out a prayer based on the Psalm. I’ve only done this in personal prayer times, but I haven’t done it with the purpose of using it in corporate worship. Altogether, I really enjoyed studying this Psalm and then writing a prayer based upon it. Coincidentally, I’m using this Psalm to “kick off” the service at Grace on the 14th, and I think I’ll also use this prayer to go along with it. I’ll be sure to give a follow up on how it went.

Psalm 8 (ESV)
1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Prayer
God,
Your name establishes glory and honor throughout all the earth and it’s greatness surpass the limits of the unbounded universe.
Your glory and honor does not wait for us to come to an understanding of you. Even through the mouths of infants is your glory and honor proclaimed.
We look at the earth, the stars, and ponder on the surpassing greatness of the universe; we wonder, “what do you see in man that you find value in him? What is it about him that you have chosen to also give him glory and honor? Why is it that you have chosen to establish his authority over all you have created?”
O God, the magnificence of your name is established throughout all the earth.

Grace Community Chapel

Rescue :: Anderson, Jared
I Will Boast :: Baloche, Paul
You Gave Your Life Away :: Scott, Kathryn | Baloche, Paul
Once Again :: Redman, Matt

StoneBridge Community Church

Famous One :: Tomlin, Chris \ Reeves, Jesse
How Great Is Our God :: Tomlin, Chris \ Cash, Ed \ Reeves, Jesse
Giving It All To You :: Gungor, Lisa | Gungor, Michael
Forever :: Tomlin, Chris
Let My Words Be Few :: Redman, Beth | Redman, Matt

Another thought provoking quote from Bob Kauflin that will hopefully make you reevaluate your process for screening your church’s worship music.

Too often we can be tempted to choose songs because of the music rather than the theological content. We need to realize that when words are combined with music we can be deceived. Music can make shallow lyrics sound deep. A great rhythm section can make drivel sound profound and make you want to sing it again.

That’s why I typically read the lyrics before listening to a CD or playing a song from a songbook. If the words on the page are theologically shallow or vague, music won’t add anything. It will only give the illusion that the words are actually substantive.

Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin, page 93

You can read the other quote here.

The week went great. For the past couple months my electric guitar player at Grace had been out (along with his wife who plays bass for me). He had some neck issues (that I couldn’t begin to explain) which continually got worse and worse, until ultimately needing to have surgery. It’s apparently a risky surgery that if it went wrong, he could be paralyzed from the neck down. Anyways, within weeks, he was feeling wonderful, and this last Sunday was his first Sunday back with us. He shared with the congregation about how nervous he was before going into the surgery and how the Lord comforted him with this verse from Isaiah 43:2,

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

In the end he said he felt like he had been rescued… then continued to share the song “Rescue.”

Grace Community Chapel

I Will Boast :: Baloche, Paul
You Amaze Me :: Duvall, James | Neale, Michael
Nothing But The Blood :: Redman, Matt
Better Is One Day :: Redman, Matt
Rescue :: Anderson, Jared

StoneBridge Community Church

The Beauty of Simplicity :: White, Josh
You Amaze Me :: Duvall, James | Neale, Michael
How Marvelous :: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel / Chris Tomlin
Before The Throne of God Above :: Bancroft, Charitie Lees | Cook, Vikki
Sing To The King :: Foote, Billy | Horne, Charles Silvester

I realized that with the beginning of the school semester I’ve fallen behind with posting the Weekend Service. Here’s me trying to catch up.

Grace Community Chapel

Marvelous Light :: Hall, Charlie
He Is Exalted :: Paris, Twila
O Worship The King :: Tomlin, Chris
You Are My King :: Foote, Billy
All Over The World :: Smith, Martin | Redman, Matt

StoneBridge Community Church

Nothing But The Blood :: Redman, Matt
Trading My Sorrows :: Evans, Darrell
Forever :: Tomlin, Chris
Holy Is The Lord :: Tomlin, Chris | Giglio, Louie
Heart of Worship :: Redman, Matt
Mighty To Save :: Fielding, Ben | Morgan, Reuben

I’m reading “Worship Matters” by Bob Kauflin for at class at MBU. I’m really enjoying it and you’ll probably find little posts like this here and there. But I thought I’d share this quote I really like. Feel free to contribute/share any thoughts.

John Owen, a Puritan pastor of the seventeenth century, wisely wrote, “We must not allow ourselves to be satisfied with vague ideas of the love of Christ which present nothing of his glory to our minds.” Vague ideas of God doesn’t serve us or the people we lead. If most of our songs could be sung by Buddhists, Muslims, or Hindus, it’s time to change our repertoire.

Of course, songs aren’t meant to be systematic theology. Songs are poetry. They include figurative images and creative metaphors. Trees clap. Oceans roar. But our songs don’t have to be obscure or ambiguous. They should help us accurately identify and praise the only true God who has revealed himself in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin, page 62

Before I dive into how amazing this seminar is, first let me tell you that it’s free! It’s hosted and sponsored by Missouri Baptist University’s Worship Arts program. The conference is about worship and the church. Not so much about “music” or “how to create a musical worship service” or whatever most preconceived connotations of a “worship conference” may be. This conference needs it’s own category, a “worship & church conference.”

The Keynote speaker will is Dan Kimball author of “They Like Jesus But Not The Church,” “The Emerging Church,” and “Emerging Worship.” Brad Andrews, MBU worship arts coordinator and planner of the event says,

“I believe that Dan Kimball is a modern-day ‘prophet,’ acutely examining how the church, corporate worship, and culture intersect at the point of theory and practice,”

You can get more information/register for this conference here.

Alright… let me hear you. Those of you who lead a band/team… or are maybe under a leader who leads a band/team. How do you keep the rehearsals moving forward and give direction for the songs, yet keep your team from feeling like they can’t creatively express themselves?

Grace was kind of neat this week. It was one of those services that unintentionally became a big. For that reason, I’ve actually posted the service order.
StoneBridge was the first of two weeks where the congregation voted on songs that were their favorites and I compiled them into the service. I will admit that the flow of the service suffered this week, but at the same time these songs serve the congregation well. Although the flow was weak, it was a far trade to have a service of songs that spoke to the congregation most. You can see the top 3 voted songs along with the others that were voted in here.

Grace Community Chapel

Opening scripture :: Psalm 47
Famous One :: Tomlin, Chris \ Reeves, Jesse
Baptisms
Church Life
How Marvelous :: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel / Chris Tomlin
Offering :: special music – “Restore To Me” by Third Day
Bumper Video :: “I Need a Sign” by Train
Message :: “If God is a loving God… why won’t my car start? (why bad things happen to good people)”
Bumper Video :: Through The Storm
You Never Let Go :: Redman, Beth | Redman, Matt
Closing remarks and prayer

StoneBridge Community Church

Nothing But The Blood :: Redman, Matt
Amazing Grace :: Tomlin, Chris | Excell, Edwin Othello | Newton, John | Rees, John P. | Giglio, Louie
Jesus Paid It All :: Alex Nifong & Elvina M. Hall
Mighty To Save :: Fielding, Ben | Morgan, Reuben
Shout To The Lord :: Zschech, Darlene