When I think of half-empty pews, superbowl Sundays, and tepid singing in our worship services, I wonder if we have failed to help the body of Christ to comprehend that herein we are “constituted and energized.”  Let me hasten to say I am convicted there is a vast difference in disciplining (disciple-ing) the church to “not forsake the assembling” while waiting upon the Lord on the one hand and running countless (pun intended) attendance campaigns and/or even scolding believers to be faithful church members on the other.  Hints of egocentric emphasis, “be sure to come and hear me _____ (sing) (preach)” can so quickly distract from the true center of Christian worship, the Christ, whose chosen bride we have become, into Whose likeness we are being formed.

All students of worship know well that the rhythm of Christian worship as demonstrated in the biblical narrative and in classic historic practice is Revelation and Response.  That is, God reveals Himself and we the people respond.  Since “God is Spirit and his worshipers worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24), it is difficult to know what His revelation may look like specifically.  Our opportunity in gathered worship is to show what He has done in times past, and how He has revealed Himself, then to pray and remain sensitive to His revelation in worship.  For worship leaders it is incumbent upon us to trust the Lord for revelation, and to do our planning and preparation in a way that will lift up the things of God, the acts of God, the person of Jesus, and wait upon and pray fervently for the movement of the Holy Spirit.

The well-known and loved proverb says,

Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your   path.  (Prov 3:5)

Just because we are leading others in worship does not mean that following the psalm’s admonition will come easy.  To the contrary, it can be difficult to trust and obey in the throes of parishioner demands, whether for certain music styles, their pet interests for emphasis, personnel, or just generally trying to please people in public worship.

As pastors and worship leaders charged with maintaining the coffers and finding ways to keep the lights on (yes, even robo, L.E.D. lights), we feel pressure to allow organic Spirit-trusting worship to turn toward something that falls far short of incarnational feasting on Presence of our Head and body gathered, the Sacred Word, the Table, and the mission of being sent to do kingdom work.  Attempts at commandeering worship to make it an attraction event that will pack the pews with inspiration- consumers reminds us how easily we humans function in non-faith based ways.

Would that we might trust the Lord in all our ways that He would make straight our paths, and that He might refresh and renew our worship through His revelation of Himself.

Like me, some of you may think from time to time that what you need is a break from worship. Those who handle holy things week in and week out may begin to fantasize about Sundays on the beach, at the movies, staying home to read the Sunday paper in our pj’s, or just sleeping as late as we darn well please. Surely there is something wrong with us when we are listening to a so-so sermon and singing worship songs with a band whose artistic goal is to sound like Air Supply. If we were brutally honest, we suspicion that our neighbors are hearing more dynamic stories at the movies, and are listening to whatever music they please after they get back from their casual trip to Starbucks, and that they are somehow richer from it than we will be from our gathering with church people doing church things in church ways. What’s more, we wouldn’t dare let any of those private daydreams be known, lest we lose our position of prominence, or worse yet, our livelihood. Can I get a witness? There is nothing inherently unchristian about any of those activities. In fact they all seem like wholesome endeavors exercised at the right time as a part of a balanced Christian life. If they are more imaginative for us than worship, then perhaps our sense of worship has been restricted by an oppressive pastor, a suppressed imagination, or simply an undisciplined mind or heart.

Those who know much about my work and emphasis with fellow worship leaders and pastors know that I tend to accentuate foundational worship theology, and engagement of worshipers through active participation whether singing or listening. My journey of recent years through worship study, warm friendships, and spiritual walk has led me to a broader imagination and a view of a Triumphant Christ that speaks in alternating waves of whispered tones and flashes of blinding brilliance. One of the real challenges for me in my role relating to churches of so many shapes and sizes and stylistic environments is finding those basic issues that relate across the spectrum of churches. What is interesting is that in focusing on Christ as the center of worship with a relentless tethering to the Word, I find rich fuel for the kind of basic motivation that I think we all are hoping to find through inspiring worship.

A recent Out of Ur essay quoted Walter Brueggemann from his book, The Prophetic Imagination, “We need to ask if our consciousness and imagination have been so assaulted and co-opted by the royal consciousness [popular culture] that we have been robbed of the courage or power to think an alternative thought.” So true! Oh that we can allow our imaginations (and that of those we lead in worship) to see a vision of our triumphant Lord! How can we be anxious for our presentation when the need of all time is to be at rest in what has been done for us in the great mystery of Christ?

Here are some worship fatigue busters for me:
• Realizing that our gathering on Sunday morning mirrors the worship of heaven
• Remembering the church is the bride of Christ
• Being humbled to know we are part of His Kingdom
• Christian fellowship and hospitality expressions whether handshakes, kind words, or hugs
• Biblical reminders of how worship in His presence is made possible, such as

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
-Hebrews 10:19-25
• Biblical reminders of heavenly worship such as in Revelation 4 and 5. Christ the Victor!

Looking again to Long’s commentary on Hebrews we are reminded that ”while we are in the beach chair filling out the crossword puzzle, the faithful in the sanctuary doing the best they can with their off-key voices to belt out, Holy, Holy, Holy, have been gathered by a mystery beyond their own seeing and knowing into the great choir of angels in festal garb and the saints singing ceaseless praise to God (Heb 12:22-23). Things are not what they seem. What looks like leisure turns out in the end to be exhausting, and what appears to be the labor of prayer leads to a ‘safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at last.”

Peace just as new life is in Christ

I am always interested to know how worship planners get started in their worship planning process.  I like hearing from seasoned veterans and from newbies where they start to write out a worship plan and how they make decisions about what they will and won’t place as part of the worship liturgy.  I know some worship leaders are strongly driven by songs they hear and want to incorporate into the worship language of their church.  I know there are some pastors who demand a certain timbre in the worship environment, whether somber or celebrative.

In this new year there are likely some who stretch to find “new” in the novelty of new music material, or in dazzling digital graphics.  With all the newly published music packets music ministers receive, it may take hours to find that gem that somehow moves the emotions of the worship leader that he or she presumes will likewise be a surefire hit with the congregation.  Lost in the sonic world inside the headphones a worship planner can lose sight of the core of worship, much as a pastor might if he gets sidetracked into planning a sermon beginning with an illustration that he thinks is just too good to pass up.  Nothing wrong with a great new song, or an effective illustration, but it seems important to maintain equilibrium as to the heart of worship and the source of transformative power.  The best “new” we can possibly offer in our worship gatherings is the new that is the heart of the Gospel itself.

Spurgeon says it well:

We ought not, as men in Christ Jesus, to be carried away by a childish love of novelty, for we worship a God who is ever the same, and of whose years there is no end. In some matters “the old is better.” There are certain things which are already so truly new, that to change them for anything else would be to lose old gold for new dross.

The old, old gospel is the newest thing in the world; in its very essence it is for ever good news. In the things of God the old is ever new, and if any man brings forward that which seems to be new doctrine and new truth, it is soon perceived that the new dogma is only worn-out heresy dexterously repaired, and the discovery in theology is the digging up of a carcase of error which had better have been left to rot in oblivion.

-taken from Kingdom People blog by Trevin Wax

Christmas day may be over for 2011 and though many believers will continue observance of Christmastide for days longer, most evangelicals tend to move on toward the opportunity afforded by a new year to progress toward organizational goals.  Leading worshipers includes opportunity and perhaps even responsibility to direct their sensibilities connecting the things of God and Kingdom to the present context.  Rather than simply moving on to rather corporate business models of new beginnings in a new year, why not help our churches bask a bit longer in the great truth of Christmas that God is with us.  The power of the living church is found only in the living God.  Our Christmas message regarding the profundity of the birth of Jesus can hardly seem legitimate to unbelievers when we so quickly check its celebration off our proverbial list as if to say, “yeah, yeah, Jesus was born….Now, on to the next thing. “  Could worship leaders help point worshipers back from time to time toward the profound nature of Jesus’ birth?  Can we so quickly “move on” from contemplation of when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us?  Could we help the believers in our care to more deeply continue reflection upon ways in which the Lord is alive in our daily lives?  Could we help them slow down life pace to see and hear the Word in our worship?

Can we help worshipers continue the prayer we likely prayed in song more than once through the season?

O come to us abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel

May the living Spirit of Christ be made known in our lives, our churches, in our worship, and in our world today.

Paul

Talk about shock and awe!

We had tried for several years to get pregnant with our third child.  After two fun-filled boys who kept our home hopping and laughing, I really wanted a little girl.  We had given up on the idea.  And then, Surprise!  I did not know what to do or how to act on that Wednesday night in that setting.  I sat down and ate some of my dinner (I think), while trying to control my racing mind, which was flooded with questions, excitement, worry and joy, all at once.  I knew not to let on, but had several people including the pastor ask me if I was ok.  I said, “sure,” but was thinking, “if you only knew.”  My normal routine had been suddenly sidetracked at least emotionally as I began to process what I had heard.

For the next weeks that turned to months we let others in on our secret.  It was hard for me to contain myself as I prayed this would be “my little girl,” which by the way it was.   The process was not to be hurried.  It took how long it took, and we prayed for delivery to be at the appropriate time.  Though she was a little late (not the last time in her life), our little Rachel Elizabeth was born at just the right time.  Just as was the case with her brothers before her and all of our grandchildren since, the period of pregnancy was a time of great anticipation, more than a little angst at times, and a time of just exercising patience.  I have to say, however, that throughout the pregnancy I was excited.  I guess there’s such a thing as patient excitement.  Through those months I thought a lot about what life would be like with a little girl in our home.

As a part of Advent reading I came across this beautiful poem by English poet, Alice Meynell.  A Roman Catholic at the time with deep faith convictions, she begins the poem with a Latin quote from the Vulgate (a 4^th century Latin translation of the Bible used in Roman Catholic worship).  The quote is read regularly in Advent season worship in Catholic worship.  It is the Latin translation of Isaiah 45:8, which I encourage you to read.

Rorate coeli desuper, et nubs pluant Justum

                Aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.

                No sudden thing of glory and fear

Was the Lord’s coming; but the dear

Slow Nature’s days followed each other

To form the Saviour from His Mother

–One of the children of the year.

The earth, the rain, received the trust,

–The sun and dews, to frame the Just.

He drew His daily life from these,

According to His own decrees

Who makes man from the fertile dust.

Sweet summer and the winter wild,

These brought him forth, the Undefiled.

The happy Springs renewed again

His daily bread, the growing grain,

The food and raiment of the Child.*

In our impatient efforts for compressed convenience we often jump from the Annunciation to the manger birth, toss in some animals, jump to the spooking of shepherds to three Kings, wisemen, or magi (take your pick), and connect the famed Hallelujah chorus.  Like the impatient children we seem to have become, we want to get to the gift opening, and miss out on the sweet savor afforded by the mystery in the mundane.  We tend to be drawn more to a winged Gabriel hanging in the sky than a flesh and blood Elizabeth sharing days of anticipation and probable concern as the flesh and blood messenger inside of her leaps for joy.   We prefer the “sudden thing of glory and fear” to the “slow nature’s days.”  The real danger is that we miss the dazzling beauty of God subjecting Himself to His own design, “He drew His daily life from these, according to  His own decrees.”  He becomes one of us, fully human though fully divine.  Astounding! Puzzling!  Yet within this great mystery is fleshed our salvation.  Is it any wonder that Mary’s song (Magnificat) is likewise filled with awe?  It gives me pause to know that she did not sing the song immediately after an angel of the Lord (Gabriel) departed, but rather apparently only after she had spent moments with her equally pregnant relative, sharing their common condition.

Brothers and sisters in Christ who make music and set forth the sweet, sweet song of salvation in this season of Advent and Christmas, allow the mystery to soak deep into your own soul that you might help others to join the song.  The need of our day is not only to retell a story of a sweet baby born in a tough place surrounded by stinky animals, but to convey the One who has come to dwell among us, to turn us and our world rightside up.  Let our songs of Advent and Christmas be avenues of worship expression that wrap the best gift we could possibly offer, the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Who is “full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Expectantly rejoicing,

Paul

*Advent Mediation by Alice Meynell

Advent has begun, Christmas is coming quickly.children’s programs, hanging of green services, Living Christmas Trees, Christmas Eve services, musical productions, etc., etc.  Here we go.

Although I realize we have all been working on Christmas for some time already, I want to request your attention for a moment here at the front end of the carrying out of those plans you have; plans to lead your people through these weeks of Advent into the full-on celebration of Christmas.  My appeal to us is an oft-repeated caution regarding the excesses of the season – too much production (the big Christmas show) or too much cultural saturation by which we will presumably attract or please our American congregations.  Lest the brief discussion seem solely based on the negative, my appeal to you is to saturate the season’s worship with God-centered, Christ-pointed affection.  Love pointed toward all that is Christmas – God’s mercy and grace, affection toward God Himself and our neighbors as ourselves.

In this season we certainly re-tell the story, some use allegory, some try to be historically accurate, some place the birth story in the larger Gospel framework – something I hope we all find ways to convey clearly as part of our Christmas worship.  My appeal to you is that we will allow room for songs to tell more than just factual truth of a child born in a manger, but that they will express affections of the redeemed whose lives have been changed.

Is there some way to help believers recognize their part in conveying our common love of Savior in each corporate expression of praise and thanksgiving?  Sadly, a frequent practice is for us worship leaders to spend the month of December looking to re-warm the spirits of those who should already be white hot with passion, who should be simply looking to us leaders to guide toward those familiar words and tunes upon which will ride their vocal expressions of “Glory to God in the highest!” and “Hallelujah!” Perhaps during our time of greening the sanctuary we can rehearse the congregation to capture the proclamation and spirit of carol-singing.  What if “O come let us adore Him” was not a plea for church members to sing along, but was a raucous invitation by a unified voice of the church for others to see this Christ, the Lord to whom all glory is giv’n.  This is a time of year when there are more visitors who slip into worship than any other time of the year.  Yes, they may come to hear the music, see the production, or just attend in order to be with family.  Regardless, let’s give them the Gospel – not only the facts, but the evidence of faith gleaned from lives affected by the change that occurs in lives who sing with heart as well as voice in declaring “Joy to the World!”

Our friend, Keith Getty, wrote a blog regarding Christmas carols that is well worth reading.  In it he states,

Today carols continue to be one of the few remaining conduits that allow us to express our faith in the public square.  Amazingly, they’re heralded on secular radio, used in advertisements and sung on television throughout the holiday season.

See full article at http://www.gettymusic.com/news.aspx?id=338

Just imagine, people are hearing carols sung in these places, and upon stepping into our churches they can experience the songs from those who testify to have been changed by the Christ whose birth they proclaim.

Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Paul

This year’s focus of discussion and sharing was congregational song with a preliminary invitation for those gathering to share a song or two that is meaningful in their congregation’s worship, and to tell why they believe those songs are effective in that regard.  Since I attended all of the roundtables I was interested in both the variety of songs and in the repetition of certain songs and composers.  While the day of walking into most any Baptist church and expecting worship singing to be about the same is long gone, I was both interested and encouraged that there are common expressions, old and new, among our churches.  We discovered that we are using a variety of hymnals in those churches where hymnals are still used, and that we are using several various resources for new materials, whether these are supplement to the hymnals or the sole source for those who project words on a screen.  Next week I will actually send the list of songs and resources mentioned in these roundtables – (NOTE: if you were unable to attend, but would like to respond with a couple of songs that are particularly meaningful to your congregation’s worship, that they sing well, feel free to reply and I will add them to the list).  For now, however, I want to simply list for you some of the characteristics that we noted in the songs mentioned in the roundtable gatherings.

Gospel-focused

Comforting

Carries the message of hope

Doctrinally sound

Theologically rich

Good poetry

Scripture references

Simple – singable

Quickly learned

Dramatic contrasts

Can become their own expression

Includes the big picture

Lets the congregation tell its story – express their hope

Written for the congregation rather than platform personnel

Dynamic refrain

Familiar

Fresh

Really says something

Facing the storms

Ministers

Fits the moment

Biblical

Applicable to Christian season – year

Strong melody

Can be adapted to various styles

Somehow captures what we are wanting to express

Unexplainable

It should be obvious in reading this list that some of these characteristics contrast with others to some extent, and others are similar, though stated in different ways.  Of course that is a reflection of both various congregations represented and various songs listed from each.  We were reminded through these gatherings of some balances that we, as worship pastors, are called upon to bring to our people:

Trinitarian emphasis – Father, Son, Spirit

Singing to God – singing about God

Singing to one another – singing with one another

Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs

Familiar – new

Celebration – Lament – comfort

Ministry to all generations

Encouragement – prophetic challenge

Spiritual formation

Freedom of expression – guided thought

Individual – corporate expressions

I was grateful, though not really surprised, at the depth of reflection among our worship pastors, and the commitment to give of their best.  I believe there was a strengthened realization of the challenge that is congregational leadership in singing.  Our discussions took us from the highly practical issues of accompaniments, distribution of music, and technical issues to the profound theological implications of worshiping in the presence of the cloud of witnesses and heavenly beings as we sing.  There was plenty of laughter and a few moments of silent pause as these ministers conveyed special moments of ministry with the congregations they love and serve.

I am so grateful for the spirit among our worship leaders!  It is surely a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Blessed again,

Paul

Vocal problems can be caused by a variety of issues, some of which are unrelated to how we use our voice when singing and/or when leading others in singing.  Physical causes may include acid reflux that damages the vocal folds, poor muscle use, bad posture, or just plain old fatigue.  Problems can also be caused by over-singing, extended singing in the outer extremes of the singer’s natural range, and more.  Worry over continued viability and related psychological impact can just add more stress to an already stressful scenario, which doesn’t help matters.  My experience has been that tension as it relates to singing technique works against the singer, and I have heard that “song” from a therapist on more than one occasion..”relax..relax.”  In a worship leading process, relaxing is hard to do when most of the tension is coming from my racing mind that has me thinking about musical things, personnel things, “what’s next” things, etc., etc.

I trust that many of you can relate when I say that on many occasions I have left a worship environment thinking, “has it come to this?”  “Is all that really necessary?”  I have had the brutally honest moments when I evaluated everything taking place in worship that brings about tension and realized that I planned most of it, and much of it I planned with little more purpose than an emotional kick in the pants, or even a cheap thrill as its intended end.  Yes, I wanted to emphasize the text of a song, or to make sure worshipers got the message, but hard analysis has sometimes led me to believe I am not expecting or asking much on the part of the worshiper.  At times that is probably an insult to the intelligience of those gathered.  It is also probably a means of forming lazy worshipers, prolonging the problem.

A couple of weeks ago I lost my voice due to a respiratory infection.  Sunday came anyway.  I had to just tell folks, “this is called congregational singing.  Since you are the congregation you will need to sing, especially since I cannot.”  It was a fresh reminder to me that I cannot sing “for them” anyway.  I am convicted that much of our on microphone worship leadership that cranks our voice above the congregation is detrimental to congregational singing in worship.  It is unhealthy for the worship leader vocally and unhealthy for the congregation spiritually as they depend upon the platform for the sounds of praise.  When your people think in their mind’s ear of worship singing in your church do they hear a sound of a committed congregation lifting their collective voice to make His praise glorious, or do they hear a worship band, orchestra, or pipe organ just under the decibel level of the voice of the worship leader?  Such a scenario places the worship leader in a posture to sing every word of every verse (adding some shouts and jumping up and down in the more charismatic environments).  It also releases the congregation to simply mumble along and sing out the parts they either know or like best rather than doing the work of singing as a congregation admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

So, how can we lead without holding responsibility for carrying the proverbial ball throughout the song service?  How can we support worship singing and encourage it without trying to dominate with our own voice.  One of your most important leadership qualities during congregational worship is your spirit.  Your visible, physical reflection of song lyrics, offering demonstration of meaning and significance, go a long way toward helping people move through songs with a sense of what they are saying in their singing.  Obviously their eye contact will be more focused during the most familiar phrases when they are not having to watch every word in the book or on the screen, but even through peripheral vision they usually have a sense of the timbre on the platform among band, choir, praise team, and/or other leaders including the primary leader.

Another very important quality that is most difficult to change if you are use to leading with your own voice is to actually expect more from the congregation and knock the props out to a sufficient point that you can hear what the congregation is, or is not, doing in their song and singing.  If this is a transition for you and them, then introduce the atmosphere with a phrase, or very familiar verse first.  As is appropriate call the worshipers’ attention to the sounds of their own collective voice.  One body, many members (and voices) joined in song.  Sometimes congregations need help interpreting the song so that they might sing with mind and spirit (1 Cor 14:15).  Worship Leader, rather than just singing it for them (or worse, over them), why not help teach them, encourage/admonish them, and then free them to sing worship.  While doing so, you might just save your own voice and add years to your own ministry of singing, while leading with your spirit of worship.  I challenge you to consider these techniques and let me know how they work for you and for your congregation if you do try them.

For the long haul!

Paul