David Crowder’s Fantastical Church Music Conference
May 3, 2010 Leave a comment
I love this promo video for David Crowder’s upcoming conference. Wouldn’t you love to go to this?
Great Songs: "Beautiful Day" by U2
March 28, 2010 Leave a comment
This is another of my favorites – just a wonderful song by one of the greatest bands ever to grace popular music. “Beautiful Day” was released on U2′s 2000 album “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.” Hard to believe it’s ten years old.
What makes this song great? For me, it’s a positive, uplifting anthem to the beauty of the world we live in. We hear so many depressing stories about the state of the world today that it’s refreshing to hear about good things all around us! All we have to do is open our eyes to see the beauty and diversity of planet Earth and the people who live here. In addition, the song has a lot of energy and a simple but great guitar riff.
Life is what we make of it. We have the choice to make each day good or bad. Will you go through this day or week and see it as beautiful, or will you see it as terrible? We can’t control what happens to us or around us, but we can control what happens within us.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1.31)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4.8)
Great Songs: “Magnificent Obsession” by Steven Curtis Chapman
February 20, 2010 Leave a comment
I’m kicking off the “Great Songs” series with the song that has meant a great deal to me over the last couple of years: “Magnificent Obsession” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Steven is a tremendous singer, guitarist and songwriter, and this one is a gem. The song was released on his 2001 album “Declaration,” on my personal favorites. If I could choose one song to take with me to a desert island, this would be it; it represents my heart perfectly because I want my life to be defined by the pursuit of Jesus.
What makes this song great? The honesty, poetry of the lyrics, artistry and performance, the music, message – it’s the whole package.
Below is the album recording as well as a low-fi concert version. Enjoy!
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3.7-11)
Great Songs
February 12, 2010 Leave a comment
Beginning next week, I’m adding a weekly feature to the blog called “Great Songs.” Each week I want to share a “great song” with you and explain why I think it’s something worth hearing. There are only two criteria for breaking into my list:
1. I personally think it’s a great song.
2. A performance or recording is available online (via youtube, etc.) so I can include it in the post (so everyone can hear it).
This is incredibly unscientific. There are no polls, critics or other official measurements. These are just songs I personally like. Some of them will be familiar, and some will be new to you. My list will cover a range of periods, styles, genres and artists. Some are Christian, some are not. But they all have one thing in common: they are worth hearing and appreciating.
So beginning next week, tune in and let me know what you think about my choices!
A Guy and His Guitar
February 9, 2010 4 Comments
My apologies to all the ladies who play guitar – I can only write from a guy’s perspective. 
Saturday afternoon I took my son Ben “guitar shopping” with me. (He knows that going to a music store will not be a quick process, but I quickly silenced his protests with the promise of ice cream from McDonald’s…) This was the second time that week I’d gone guitar shopping. I’ve haven’t bought anything, mind you, and don’t intend to for a while. I’m trying to decide on what kind of electric guitar to purchase. All the while I’m saving up some extra cash.
Why all the time and trouble to look for a guitar? Because I have what is known as “The Fever.”
You can’t just go out and buy any old guitar. There is a special connection between and guy and his guitar, and you have to keep searching until you find the right one. You may not know exactly what you’re looking for, but you’ll know it when you find it. It just feels right.
After you’ve played a guitar for a few years it starts to feel like part of you. I bought my Taylor 414ce in 1997 and it has been a faithful companion ever since. (I love Taylor guitars, by the way. They’re expensive but worth every penny.) You love the feel of the guitar in your hands. The little nicks and scratches aren’t flaws; they’re beauty marks. Even the familiar smell when you take it from the its case is strangely comforting.
When I walked into the music store today, I don’t know if she saw me. But she caught my eye, and I asked if we could visit for a while. She obliged, and once she was in my hands I felt that special something that only happens once in a while. She told me we could make beautiful music together. But I couldn’t take her home with me today. Maybe someday soon we’ll be together.
As I turned to leave, I said, “What’s your name?”
Telly, she said.
I have a feeling it’s not the last time we’ll see each other.
Why Do Worship Leaders Close Their Eyes?
January 12, 2010 10 Comments
For those of you who to go church regularly and participate in contemporary worship, I have a question for you: Have you ever noticed that worship leaders and those who are singing and playing on stage sometimes close their eyes? This occurred to me tonight as I was leading worship at our Convocation service at St. Louis Christian College. I was on stage with the worship team and during the last couple of songs (“Holy, Holy, Holy” and “Revelation Song”) I noticed myself closing my eyes.
This has always seemed to be a natural response for me when leading worship, especially during slower, more intimate songs. But what does closing your eyes really accomplish?
I can’t speak for anyone else, but when I close my eyes or step away from the mic for a few moments it’s a way to focus on God and the meaning of what we’re singing. I guess it’s also an attempt to shut out my view of the people facing me. When you’re on stage with a guitar and a mic, and lots of people are in the congregation, it’s very hard to escape the notion that on some level it’s a performance. When I close my eyes I remember that this is for God, as well as the people.
I don’t claim to be anything special when it comes to leading worship. In fact, I feel a little bit rusty these days and have been longing for the opportunity to do it again week to week. But one thing I do know: it is tempting to overestimate the importance of the human factor in worship. It’s easy to “pump up” the crowd when you know the songs they love and what kind of things will draw a response from that particular group. But the point of worship is not to get people excited, it’s to help us re-tell and re-call the Gospel, which is the content of worship.
Worship leaders are like dinner hosts–we prepare the table and invite the guests, but it’s God who provides the actual nourishment. I think if we faithfully serve what God has provided, it frees us from having to rely on manufactured emotion to make worship worthwhile.
So if you see me on stage and I close my eyes while I’m supposed to be leading, it’s because I’m trying to remember that despite all the appearances of modern worship, it’s not a performance.
Is Worship About the Story or Special Effects?
November 24, 2009 Leave a comment
Remember the hit movie “Titanic” that came out in the 90′s? The director, James Cameron, has another movie coming out next month, titled “Avatar.” I would be hard pressed to describe the story, but it looks interesting. (And judging by the 3D trailer I saw in front of “A Christmas Carol” yesterday, it looks great.) Below is an interview with Cameron from 60 Minutes. (I think there is one mild curse word in the interview, just FYI.) The most interesting part of the interview to me was the discussion near the beginning about the story vs. special effects. “Avatar” looks like a feast for the eyes, but Cameron stresses that the story is really the key element.
The most memorable movies have stories that connect with people. They may feature great visual effects, but the movies that last and are universally loved and remembered are the ones with a great story. On the other hand, movies that are long on special effects and short on story and character may do well at the box office, but are quickly forgotten. (The “Transformers” movies immediately come to mind.) Any good director will tell you that visual effects must serve the greater purpose of telling a good story.
Special effects change over time. What was innovative a few years or decades ago seems hokey and out-of-date today because of the constant advance in technology and the tastes of audiences. So visual effects aren’t bad, and in fact can be quite helpful. But they shouldn’t exist for their own sake.
It’s much the same with worship. Every tradition of worship features some form of “special effects.” These can range from the evangelical emphasis on music and technology, to the liturgical and Catholic use of vestments and bells, and to the Orthodox use of icons and incense. Every Christian worship tradition has practices and elements that help people to worship. However, they don’t exist for themselves, but rather to help us remember and enter into God’s great Story: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Re-Creation. They support, enhance, and focus worship, but they should never become the focus themselves.
This Christmas season, I encourage all of us to remember the heartbeat of Christmas: worshiping the God who gave himself unselfishly. The shopping, Christmas music, church programs, TV shows, Christmas traditions… all of those are great, but what really matters is the story of salvation embodied in a tiny child born in a manger.
Engagement Trumps Information Overload
November 19, 2009 Leave a comment
This semester (which is just about to wrap up) I’m teaching a course called “Theology and History of Worship.” Yesterday’s learning topic dealt with sacred space in worship–how the people, furniture and symbols of worship are arranged to best allow people to engage with God and one another. I had planned on doing a lecture, but then decided to approach it a different way. Since the lecture would be based mainly on the reading they had done (I would be reviewing the main ideas and adding more info), wasn’t this a little redundant?
I came up with this instead: I wanted them to put into practice the things they had learned through the reading, and what I would briefly review in class. I had them get into 3 groups, with this assignment: design a worship space for a particular area and tell us why you designed it that way. What are the theological and practical reasons for your choices? Group 1 designed a sanctuary for an urban church meeting in a leased office space, Group 2 designed a space for a suburban church plant, and Group 3 designed space for a rural church youth ministry that emphasized the arts.
The results were interesting, and the students took it more seriously and engaged in the process more than I expected. A couple of the groups were very detailed in their designs. I was pretty impressed.
I’ve only been teaching for a few years, and have a lot to learn (trust me on that one, or just ask my students!). But one of the things I do know is that active learning (participation and engagement) allows students to interact with and process what they learned from reading and lectures. The lecture format can be done effectively by some teachers and for some topics, but I am learning some new, different, and often more effective approaches to help students learn.
By the way, here is good quote I used in class: “Space, it has been argued, needs to be redemptive space. It needs to reflect the work of salvation, which we celebrate. Therefore, adequate space for gathering, for the hearing of the Word, for the celebration of the Eucharist, and for music and the arts that accompany these acts is a priority. The major shift that has taken place in worship space is the shift from longitudinal space to a more centralized space, a space in which the worshipers become participants. ” (Robert Webber, Worship Old & New, 146)
This is Why I Teach
November 10, 2009 2 Comments
We had a good chapel service today. The guest speaker gave a creative, solid message on “being different” like John the Baptist. But what really made my heart glad was the worship team.
A couple of months ago one of our students (the one leading worship today) came and asked if he could lead worship in chapel this semester. I keep a pretty tight reign on who is allowed to lead worship; the worship leader must have a proven track record of following through on commitments and be able to lead in that role. I was a little hesitant at first because he had never led chapel worship, but after talking with him and hearing him sing and play guitar I decided to give him a shot and pair him with another more experienced worship leader.
Today, the worship songs were well-chosen, the attitudes and atmosphere were worshipful, and the musicians were well-rehearsed. There were a couple of minor mistakes here and there, but for a student’s first time leading worship in front of his peers and professors, it was a job very well done. (As a matter of fact, I can think of a couple of mistakes I made leading chapel worship just a couple of weeks ago…) The point is not perfection, it’s development and learning. And what we’re all about as a school is helping students find, use and hone their gifts for ministry.
On top of that, I was really proud of our tech team today. I love going back to the tech area and seeing that I’m not really needed because they have the media, sound, lights and recording under control.
It just made my day to see students using and developing their gifts for leadership and ministry. It reminds me of why I do this in the first place…
Michael W. Smith Interview, Part 2
November 9, 2009 Leave a comment
Here is part 2 of an interview with Michael W. Smith, courtesy of worshipideas.com. Short but sweet.
For those who haven’t heard his classic song “Agnus Dei,” here is a clip.
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