Sometimes we hit a block. We have prayed, and we have planned, and we have practiced. We also have those feelings of doubt and dread when what we have does't seem to fit what we expect.
Don't worry about it. I know...that's so hard to do. After all, we are the ones that take the blame if it's bad and God gets the credit if it's awesome; and that's okay. So we always want the best we can do to be what we do. The fact is, when everything is perfect, it limits God.
What does that mean? If we lead the right songs, and sing the right melodies, and everyone gets those goose pimples, then they say we've had an encounter with God. Forget the pimples or goose bumps! If no one leaves changed, can you say you had an encounter with the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords? I would say no.
As the worship leaders, we have to inspire the congregants to worship completely. We should be inspiring the mother who just barely got to church because the youngest of five kids has spilled cool aid on himself and two of his siblings. We have to inspire the homeless man that came in just to get out of the cold for a few minutes. We have to convey the message of hope and grace to the teen considering suicide.
But where does our inspiration come from?
Well, first of all it comes from God. He is our divine source of inspiration. But, He uses other things to help us out.
We have His word, the Bible. It's full of inspiration. We also have our brothers and sisters in Christ that can also inspire us. Godly discussions and conversations will sometimes provide some insight and inspiration. Then there are Christian authors that write books and articles that can inspire us. And then there are Hymns.
Wait, What?
That's right. I said hymns. Not all hymns fit our model these days. Sometimes they don't even seem biblical. After all, are we taking a trip on the 'Good Ole Gospel Ship' or are we being transformed in the twinkling of an eye? But then, some modern worship songs aren't either. That's not the topic for today though.
There is a resurgence of hymns appearing in modern worship. Today's writers have looked to the past to learn what our grandparents learned. They just happen to put a spin on the original for today's generation. They are finding inspiration from these older songs. They are being blessed by the words and melody and they are trying to find a way for us to be blessed as well.
That's what we need to do every once in a while. Go old school and find inspiration to take some of the lines of a song, and use them as a bridge in one you're working on. Or change the progression some to give it a different feel.
Or use one to help set a specific mood.
The point is, there is unlimited potential when look back to songs from the past. I've found inspiration in some songs from the late 90's when I was first introduced to worship music. Our worship team doesn't use these songs, but i still pull them out and listen to them for inspiration. Sometimes, they help point in the right direction. Then again, there are those that we do use. It doesn't have to be a Hymn...
Our Worship Team will often lead songs like:
- Holy Spirit Rain Down (Alvin Slaughter - 2000)
- New Season (Martha Munizzi - 2001)
- In Your Presence Oh God (Paul Wilbur - 1995)
- I Give You My Heart (Hillsong - 1996)
- There is None Like You (Don Moen - 2010)
- Shout to The Lord (Hillsong - 1994)
And we also pull out Hymns as well. It's not about the newness of the song, it's about the heart and mind coming into unity and making a declaration to God. It's about moving the very heart of God and letting Him know how we love Him, how much we adore Him, and that His praise will ever come from our lips. Yes, you have to stay relevant to your congregation, but that doesn't mean only the newest and greatest songs.
Our job is take the church into deeper worship, more intimate praise, and a more practical relationship with God through our praises, and then through our worship. What ever it looks like to get the church there, then so be it.
I pray you find your inspiration as you prepare to lead your team, and your churches into God's presence!
Showing posts with label God Speaks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God Speaks. Show all posts
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Friday, June 9, 2017
Practice - Effective Time Management
Every successful worship team has to practice. We have to find what works within our own dynamics of the teams we have. We have to strive for excellence so that we take everything seriously. Practicing helps us learn the music, the words, and the dynamic attributes of the songs we do. But...Practice can either be really great, or it can be a jam session.
When we practice, we take the song by parts. We start with the intro, then move on to verse 1, the chorus, and so forth. We work out each section and make sure everyone has it, or is close to having it. We will review each section several times before we move on. This does annoy some people though. I had a lady on my team tell me that she learns better by playing through the entire song, even if she was playing it wrong, then making changes once the song had been played through in its entirety. Once those changes were made, she said to play the whole song again, then make changes, and continue until we were happy with the song. This is a waste of valuable time. When you take it in sections, you can tweak it more and have a higher chance of everyone remembering what to do than having them play the song wrongly ten times and correctly three times once everything is worked out. Once you each section like you want it, play through it several times to solidify it in your teams mind. Then work on the transition and the next section. You'll find that this method works better for those teams that want to sound really good, and really want to please God with their worship.
You don't want to waste your teams time. They volunteered to be here, but they have their own lives that they need to give attention to. Make sure to keep them between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes. Shoot to accomplish everything in that time frame. Plan your practice so that you have certain goals, and make them realistic.
Also, there are other ministries that your team may be apart of. In my church, the two other vocalists are ladies and are heavily involved with the ladies ministries, Sunday School, and Children's Church. I always try to accommodate these other ministries and work with them. On Sunday's where the Ladies are having a meeting, or when the Children are having a big event that weekend, I don't have practice. Yes this "holds us back" in terms of the number of songs we can learn. But in the big picture, the entire church has a healthier membership due to the "breaks" they get from one ministry and the change of scenery by helping with other ministries as well. We do good though. We just make our time count. We don't jam during practice, we practice. My team provides me with valuable feedback, and they are glad to be there.
Respect the time of your team members, and make your time with them count!
When we practice, we take the song by parts. We start with the intro, then move on to verse 1, the chorus, and so forth. We work out each section and make sure everyone has it, or is close to having it. We will review each section several times before we move on. This does annoy some people though. I had a lady on my team tell me that she learns better by playing through the entire song, even if she was playing it wrong, then making changes once the song had been played through in its entirety. Once those changes were made, she said to play the whole song again, then make changes, and continue until we were happy with the song. This is a waste of valuable time. When you take it in sections, you can tweak it more and have a higher chance of everyone remembering what to do than having them play the song wrongly ten times and correctly three times once everything is worked out. Once you each section like you want it, play through it several times to solidify it in your teams mind. Then work on the transition and the next section. You'll find that this method works better for those teams that want to sound really good, and really want to please God with their worship.
You don't want to waste your teams time. They volunteered to be here, but they have their own lives that they need to give attention to. Make sure to keep them between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes. Shoot to accomplish everything in that time frame. Plan your practice so that you have certain goals, and make them realistic.
Also, there are other ministries that your team may be apart of. In my church, the two other vocalists are ladies and are heavily involved with the ladies ministries, Sunday School, and Children's Church. I always try to accommodate these other ministries and work with them. On Sunday's where the Ladies are having a meeting, or when the Children are having a big event that weekend, I don't have practice. Yes this "holds us back" in terms of the number of songs we can learn. But in the big picture, the entire church has a healthier membership due to the "breaks" they get from one ministry and the change of scenery by helping with other ministries as well. We do good though. We just make our time count. We don't jam during practice, we practice. My team provides me with valuable feedback, and they are glad to be there.
Respect the time of your team members, and make your time with them count!
Friday, May 19, 2017
What's Hot....and What's Not!
A lot of churches worship leaders will hear the number one song in the land and declare, "We have to do this song!" In reality, not every song that is number one is number one.
What does that mean....
Just because everyone knows it and its on the radio for a thousand consecutive weeks at number one, doesn't mean that it will be a great worship song. In fact, sometimes the pressure to take a number one and make it the best in your worship set can distract you from what God is wanting to do.
This is where knowing your congregation helps. Knowing them provides insight to what will be effective and what may be a flop. Use that to your advantage. Plan out new music based not on the charts of popularity, but on the wings or worship. You learn it and worship with it in private. Then, if you can get to His presence with it, present it to the team and see what they think. There are a lot of songs that are for "Positive Entertainment" and nothing really more.
What?
Yes...I wouldn't sing a song by Francesca Batistelli called "Free to be Me" in church! How does singing about a rip in your jeans, or being late for work, or the speeding ticket help you focus on worship and entering His presence? It distracts more than help. That's because it's not appropriate for worship.
Use wisdom and good judgement when picking out music. Mostly, pray that God direct you into a fountain of great music for leading the church in worship. After all...He gives sermons to pastors,why would He not give you the music if you seek Him?
What does that mean....
Just because everyone knows it and its on the radio for a thousand consecutive weeks at number one, doesn't mean that it will be a great worship song. In fact, sometimes the pressure to take a number one and make it the best in your worship set can distract you from what God is wanting to do.
This is where knowing your congregation helps. Knowing them provides insight to what will be effective and what may be a flop. Use that to your advantage. Plan out new music based not on the charts of popularity, but on the wings or worship. You learn it and worship with it in private. Then, if you can get to His presence with it, present it to the team and see what they think. There are a lot of songs that are for "Positive Entertainment" and nothing really more.
What?
Yes...I wouldn't sing a song by Francesca Batistelli called "Free to be Me" in church! How does singing about a rip in your jeans, or being late for work, or the speeding ticket help you focus on worship and entering His presence? It distracts more than help. That's because it's not appropriate for worship.
Use wisdom and good judgement when picking out music. Mostly, pray that God direct you into a fountain of great music for leading the church in worship. After all...He gives sermons to pastors,why would He not give you the music if you seek Him?
Friday, March 31, 2017
God Speaks
There is a plumbing problem in your house. The drain pipes are stopped up and no amount of liquid fire or Liquid Plumber can unclog it. Your washing machine drains the water into the pipes, but it back flows to the master bathroom tub.
You crawl under the house to get to all the pipes. You've got mud around you, there are worms crawling in the dirt beside you, and there is an awful stench.
Then it happens...God Speaks.
Sometimes life keeps you busy enough that your focus isn't on God. While I was under my house trying to fix the problem of my drain, God stirred my mind back to being thankful. My outlook changed a bit. Instead of frustration, anger, being ready to either pay someone or sale the house; I took a more calm approach...mostly. I remembered my tarp, and laid it down to stay out of the mud. I remembered my knee pads in the car and was able to have a little cushion for my sore joints. I became grateful that human waste was not the area I was working on and my outlook on the repair changed. In fact, some would say I "over fixed" the problem.
On the way to the hardware store, God gave me some lyrics to a song I've been working on. A simple chorus, with maybe three main parts...a verse, chorus, and maybe a bridge, It's nothing fancy, and it may never be sung by any other worship team. But...It's inspired by God, and it's already blessed me.
God doesn't give us something for us to do nothing with it! He expects us to use the gift to further His kingdom. The Holy Spirit is here to lead and guide us, for the purpose of furthering the Kingdom. After all, if we're not furthering the Kingdom of God, what are we doing?
When He speaks, listen to Him. Trust me, He knows best. In all things, praise Him for His goodness and mercies. However, even the Holy Scripture says in 1 Samuel 15:22 that obedience is better than any sacrifice you may present. Just...Obey what He says, when He says to do it. Sometimes, His words to us are encouragement, confirmation, correction, and inspiration. We need to be able to use what He gives us in each situation; whether it's for your own personal growth or for the edification of the church body. Trust me, that will become obvious if it isn't right away.
Just..........Be a willing servant, always listening for the voice of God!
God speaks to us in His own way, and in His own timing. We just have to be ready to receive.
You crawl under the house to get to all the pipes. You've got mud around you, there are worms crawling in the dirt beside you, and there is an awful stench.
Then it happens...God Speaks.
Sometimes life keeps you busy enough that your focus isn't on God. While I was under my house trying to fix the problem of my drain, God stirred my mind back to being thankful. My outlook changed a bit. Instead of frustration, anger, being ready to either pay someone or sale the house; I took a more calm approach...mostly. I remembered my tarp, and laid it down to stay out of the mud. I remembered my knee pads in the car and was able to have a little cushion for my sore joints. I became grateful that human waste was not the area I was working on and my outlook on the repair changed. In fact, some would say I "over fixed" the problem.
On the way to the hardware store, God gave me some lyrics to a song I've been working on. A simple chorus, with maybe three main parts...a verse, chorus, and maybe a bridge, It's nothing fancy, and it may never be sung by any other worship team. But...It's inspired by God, and it's already blessed me.
God doesn't give us something for us to do nothing with it! He expects us to use the gift to further His kingdom. The Holy Spirit is here to lead and guide us, for the purpose of furthering the Kingdom. After all, if we're not furthering the Kingdom of God, what are we doing?
When He speaks, listen to Him. Trust me, He knows best. In all things, praise Him for His goodness and mercies. However, even the Holy Scripture says in 1 Samuel 15:22 that obedience is better than any sacrifice you may present. Just...Obey what He says, when He says to do it. Sometimes, His words to us are encouragement, confirmation, correction, and inspiration. We need to be able to use what He gives us in each situation; whether it's for your own personal growth or for the edification of the church body. Trust me, that will become obvious if it isn't right away.
Just..........Be a willing servant, always listening for the voice of God!
God speaks to us in His own way, and in His own timing. We just have to be ready to receive.
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