Phil’s Top Ten Lists: 10 Things to Make 2012 Memorable

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

The end of a year always provides a chance for analysis and forecasting. While it’s an arbitrary marker in certain respects, it allows us a chance to evaluate our work and lives.

John Piper recently released his end of year report for Desiring God Ministries. In this 9 minute video, he describes the importance of looking at a year as if Jesus were going to return on December 31st. How would that change the way you look at what you accomplish and how you behave and relate?

As things begin to slow down on 2011, I plan to take time to evaluate this past year. But I’m also beginning to ask hard questions about how to live 2012 as if Jesus were going to give me a performance evaluation on Dec. 31, 2012. Pondering that question, I came up with a top ten list to help me consider my priorities. Perhaps these will stir some thoughts for you.

This book is a good resource for walking through Edwards' Resolutions

Before I start, I’m reminded of Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions. He wrote these as a young man and tried to read them weekly to keep his mind and heart focused on his calling before God. Perhaps his resolutions and my list will inspire you to write your own resolutions–not New Year’s Resolutions that are inevitably broken, but priorities that will help you honor Christ in your calling.

My Top 10 List for 2012

10. Cultivate and use my skills as a saxophonist and songwriter in the church and community. Knowing that God has instilled talents and passions for music, I endeavor to use these for His glory. I plan to gig regularly and use my musical talents in worship. No holding back!

9.  Sing, laugh and dance every day. In my busy life, I can take things too seriously. I will surround myself with people and resources that will help me laugh and enjoy this journey.

8. Read broadly. C.S. Lewis said that you should read one old book (at least 100 years old) for each new book you read (since the new books have not stood the test of time). If that is too much to bear, he acquiesced to read one old book for every three new books. I’ve also heard that professionals should spend 30% of their reading time outside their primary field(s) of discipline. With these principles in mind, I will seek to to read broadly and deeply.

7. Read through the Bible multiple times. With the assistance of Dr. Grant Horner’s Bible Reading program, I’m already on my way to reading it once this year and hope to make it through at least twice in 2012. This is making the broad reading of Scripture more meaningful and engaging.

6. Emphasize the role of personal worship and family worship. It has become too easy for me to plan public worship services and to neglect my own personal and family worship practices. In 2012 I would like to plan public worship from a deeper well of personal worship. This may include more regularly worshiping under the leadership of other worship leaders. It especially includes preaching the gospel to myself daily through prayer and the books I read.

5.  Prioritize my health through regular exercise and healthy eating. Because I desire to be productive and engaged through how ever many years God gives me, I will exercise at least three times weekly and aim to get my weight to a sustainable level by the end of the year.

4. Purposefully cultivate real life friendships. Since much of my work happens virtually, I will plan to meet for coffee and meals with friends and colleagues multiple times per week. This will also include the pursuit of meaningful conversations as described by Larry Crabb in Soul Talk.

3. Prioritize the discipling of my children. As a father I am the primary mentor for my children. Even though we homeschool, I know there are things I can do enhance their spiritual and biblical education.

2. Court my wife. With teenaged children we have never been so busy. That’s why it’s increasingly critical that we have date nights and coffee dates as well as spontaneous conversations (even when I feel too busy). We will also take regular time away to evaluate our priorities and schedules. In the midst of all this, I will pursue her as my best friend and soulmate.

1. Live on mission. Five years ago I wrote a life mission statement, but I have largely ignored this in the midst of unemployment and major life changes during the last two years. I will prayerfully read this weekly and ask God to show me how He wants to use me now and in the future. A book I will re-read to help me on this journey is The Making of a Leader by Dr. J. Robert Clinton.

A song that helps me think about the purpose of my life is Lifesong by Casting Crowns.

Only by the grace of God and with the assistance of my community can I live up to any of these. I know I will fail to perfectly follow these, but that can be no excuse to shrink back. In fact, it’s tempting to not show these to the world. However, I believe there are others seeking to make changes in 2012. Perhaps this list can inspire yours.

If you’re comfortable doing so, post your list here or at least provide a link to your list.

Posted in Christian Worship, Preparation for Worship, Worship Leadership | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Worship As Story: Crafting Worship Services that Rehearse the Gospel (An Album Review)

Posted on December 13, 2011 by

I love a great story. I especially like seeing a great movie or musical.

Even now I can hear the haunting music as the tension rises only to be released in a moment of ecstatic joy. Characters facing overwhelming challenges only to be rescued by a lover or a friend. Villains chasing their prey. Good defeating evil. Dancers twirling with joy. It’s real life being played out before our eyes and ears.

Many of the great musicals have a story of redemption. For example, Beauty and the Beast paints an amazing picture of how our sin and failures turn us into monsters and only true love can set us free. Les Miserables unveils the struggle between forgiveness and vengeance. The Lion King displays man’s temptation to run from his guilt and the role of community to restore leaders. While none of these are perfect parallels to the Gospel, they cause us to pause and reflect on life’s deeper issues.

I’ve often thought that worship leaders should plan services like a musical. We are rehearsing the greatest story every told or lived, and yet we often treat it like a boring short story – “Here is our God. Here is His Son. We are sinners. We need Jesus. Now we worship Jesus.” (I’m not downplaying the magnitude of this message, but instead critiquing the simplicity of our story telling). Many of our worship services read more like a 1st Grader learning to read Dick and Jane.

What if instead our worship services resembled the dramatic rise and fall of a classic musical? What if our songs and liturgies melded into a story worth telling over and over– one that captures the imaginations of the young and old?

As a sidenote, I think a reason many liturgical churches are seeing a resurgence is because people are looking for churches that treasure the rich retelling of the Gospel in their services. Some of the best literary minds in church history helped to write the liturgies still used by these churches. And there’s a reason why the music of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Ralph Vaughn Williams underscores some of the best hymn lyrics ever written–it’s just that good!

You must understand that I’m a creative writer. I much prefer to write my own liturgies than use one that is one hundred or five hundred years old. But I see merit in leaning on a retelling that has lasted for centuries and millenium. What better script than the one provided by God in scripture?!!

A New Worship Project: The Gathering: Live from WorshipGod11 by Sovereign Grace Ministries

That’s why I love what Bob Kauflin and the creative staff at Sovereign Grace Ministries did on their newest worship album: The Gathering: Live from WorshipGod11. They sought to craft a service that from start to finish retells the Gospel in song and word. I think they succeeded.

Certainly most churches can’t spend 70 minutes in song each Sunday and Sovereign Grace churches don’t either–at least most of the time. This project was crafted for a worship conference (Worship God ’11). But the concept of retelling the gospel in worship is transferable to all churches.

Bob Kauflin credits Bryan Chapel and his book, Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice, for helping shape the structure of this service. Chapel presents a wonderful case for how and why our services need to rehearse the Gospel weekly. In my mind, the primary reason is that we are too much like the Israelites–we are quick to forget God’s mercies and deliverance–think of Israel shortly after the Exodus–and we need daily and weekly reminders of God’s grace expressed through Christ.

Some things I love about The Gathering:

The Gathering is a phenomenal worship experience that beautifully follows the flow of the liturgy from Call to Worship to Adoration, Confession, Assurance of Pardon and Thanksgiving. It carries on through prayer, hearing God’s Word, Consecration, Communion, Commission and the Benediction. Each song (and in some cases multiple songs) helps the believer, with heart, mind and body, engage with the Gospel story at a personal and corporate level.

The diverse use of lead vocals was very refreshing. In fact, one of the things I’ve always appreciated about Sovereign Grace Ministries is that they are so Christ-centered that they don’t allow musicians to make a name for themselves at the expense of the church. There are certainly some musicians whose music has gained global recognition–like Bob Kauflin, Mark Altrogge and Steve & Vikki Cook–but that’s a by-product of a church committed to honoring Christ in their worship.

Recording a live event is challenging, but Steve Cook and Bob Kauflin did a masterful job arranging and engineering this project. I felt like I was there with them.

As I’ve come to expect, these songs consistently provided rich lyrics with strong contemporary arrangements. The songs were fresh, rhythmic and diverse in presentation. And one of the things I always appreciate about Sovereign Grace songs–they are immediately singable by the average congregation. You don’t have to be a superstar tenor or a diva to hit the high notes. In fact, they even had a baritone leading on a song–now that’s speaking my love language!

Particularly impressive is that all the musicians were members of Sovereign Grace churches except the bass and drums (which I would argue are most critical to keeping a contemporary ensemble together).

Some things I missed:

Because I wasn’t able to join the conference, I wish the recording made available the verbal transitions that helped shape the story. If I didn’t know the backstory behind the concert, I might just think this is a series of fantastic songs. If nothing else, I hope they make available a video of the live event.

I love contemporary rock bands, but I found myself in this worship experience longing to hear a broader range of instruments and voices. I understand the logistics for a live recording, but it would seem more reflective of the broader church to use horns, strings and even various ethnic instruments.

Songs to Consider

I found that I could probably use almost all the songs on this album, but some that immediately caught my attention are: Come Praise and Glorify, Shine Into Our Night, Generous King, and All I Have is Christ. You can hear samples of all the songs and purchase the album here.

Here is a sample clip of “Generous King.”

NOTE: While I was provided a review copy of this album, I have not been paid to write this review.

I definitely encourage you to check out this album. Before you search for your next great song, allow the whole project to minister to your soul. It’s 70 minutes you’ll be glad you spent before the Lord.

What do you think of this project?

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God With Us: 5 Implications of the Incarnation for Corporate Worship

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

I love singing Advent songs like “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus.” They help me remember the longing Israel felt as they waited for God’s promised Messiah. Check out the two cool arrangements of these songs I’ve linked above.

Before Christ’s arrival, Israel knew God’s presence through His priests and tabernacle, but they never could touch and commune with God. They could know about God and enjoy fellowship, but not in the same way that Moses and Joshua knew in the tabernacle. A few had the chance to meet God in theophanies (instances where God revealed himself in human form) like Abraham and Jacob. But the everyday Jew could not meet with God like we Christians can today.

In this virtual world created by the internet and mobile phones, I think we’re starting to understand this dynamic. I spend much of my days interacting with people all around the world online, but can occasionally go a couple days without interacting with people other than my family. I find myself longing for that real connection with people “in the flesh.”

That’s what Israel desired and longed for–meeting God in the flesh. (No wonder they were tempted by the idolatry of the nations around them. Idols can be felt and seen, though they fall short on the relational front.) When Jesus arrived there were some who immediately understood the significance (like the wise men who travelled from the east), but there were many others who preferred their virtual relationship with God. You see a virtual relationship can be managed more easily than a real relationships. Much more challenging with a real God.

Real relationships are messy and require participation from both people. Their are expectations expressed and sometimes unmet. Misunderstandings emerge and require work to rectify.

Jesus’ arrival upset the religious leaders because they could no longer control how people thought about God. Their jobs were at stake. Their paradigms and teachings were being undone with a single sermon. One sentence from Jesus tore down their religious facades and exposed the truth that they didn’t know God.

But we live in a day when Jesus is “with us.” That’s what Emmanuel means, “God with us.” Here are some implications for our corporate worship services:

5 Implications for Corporate Worship from Christ’s Incarnation

1. We no longer need an intermediary to tell us about God, God has revealed himself. Now he left the Holy Spirit to dwell in us permanently and be His presence. We don’t need priests and pastors to talk to God for us (though they certainly play a valuable role in teaching us about God and how to know him).

2. Our worship is now eternally and personally significant. Some theologians use terms like immanence and transcendence to demonstrate the difference between God being right here and up there (here is a paper illustrating this). Christ’s incarnation makes both possible. Our worship rightfully reminds us that God is intimately knowable and utterly unapproachable (because of our sin condition).

3. The incarnation allows us to address God directly in worship. While there is a place for songs talking “about” God, our worship now addresses God as “in the house.” He has promised to be with us when we gather in his name and so our worship planning and leadership should demonstrate this reality.

We all know how uncomfortable and awkward it is to walk in on a conversation about us when everyone assumes we aren’t in the room. How much more disingenuous for us to worship God as if He weren’t present? He is magnificently and personally present. But we must ask if that is obvious? Or are we just singing songs, reading prayers and talking about Him?

4. We should expect the unexpected. One of my seminary professors reminds me regularly that you never know what 15 minutes with Jesus will do in a person’s life. Do we really believe that about our worship services? Nancy Beach of Willow Creek Church seems to believe that when writing her book An Hour on Sunday: Creating Moments of Transformation and Wonder. What would happen if Jesus walked into your church this Sunday? Would anything change?

5. We will create new works of art and music

Every artist worth his salt has created a Christmas album at some point. The story fascinates and the music resonates. Just like the Greeks dreamt of the gods marrying mere mortals, we long for real and eternal connection with God. There difference between Christianity and Greek mythology is that Jesus truly did enter human history. And as C.S. Lewis so eloquently stated, we must either call him a raving lunatic or believe that He is who He said He was–the living Son of God. There is no room for calling him a “good teacher.”

It’s very intriguing to me that our natural response to Jesus’ birth is to create songs and works of art. It seems we can’t help ourselves. My kids love to draw pictures when something significant happens and hand it to me joyfully. I think that’s what we do. We’re so overjoyed to be with Jesus that we want to give him something. For many, music is a natural expression of that joy.

Some friends have compiled some new collections of Christmas music that I’ll recommend.

Zac Hicks recorded a fun Irish anti-Christmas carol called In a Byre Near Bethlehem.

Paul Van der Bijl and the Chicago Metro Presbytery Recorded Proclaim the Bridegroom Near. It’s very Americana, but has some great musical diversity.

Bruce Benedict compiled this list of rare Christmas songs.

How does the incarnation influence your worship?

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Phil’s Top Ten Lists: Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Advent

Posted on December 5, 2011 by

If you grew up outside the church or in a broadly evangelical congregation, there’s a good chance you don’t know what to do with Advent. For years I thought Christmas and Advent were synonymous. Not true. They are inseparable, but they play distinct roles on the church calendar.

To help you rethink your Advent preparations (and to help you laugh a bit), I have developed the top 10 reasons to celebrate advent. Even if you didn’t start celebrating on the 1st day of Advent, I encourage you to start today:
The Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Advent

10. It makes it seem like Christmas is coming faster. Unlike Israel, who had no idea how long it would be until Jesus arrived, we can count down the days with growing anticipation.
9. It keeps the kids from asking, “How much longer?” You’re answering that question every day. Next question? :)
8. In the midst of an over-commercialized Christmas, a daily Advent celebration helps us remember the real reason we needed Jesus to come in the first place–we are sinners who need a Savior!
7. It gives you a reason to buy those cool purple, pink and white candles to have at home. Come on. All you pyromaniacs know that you want one of those cool lighters and a reason to use it!
6. It immerses your family in the Scriptures that prophesy Jesus’ birth, rescuing you from an over-sentimentalized view of Christmas.
5. It precedes the 12 Days of Christmas. How much better to exchange gifts for 12 days and pass on the spirit of Christmas for almost two weeks, instead of 1 night and 1 day? Oh, and how much better for our souls to ponder the reality of Emmanuel (God with us) for 12 days, instead of 1.
4. It will provide worship leaders more Advent musical resources. Here’s the logic: There are not enough Advent songs available today; most songs get to the Christmas message too quickly (which I’m not complaining about, we need to hear about the Incarnation every day). But songwriters write for a perceived need (be it personal, community or commercial). So, if more churches and families celebrate Advent, more songwriters will write Advent songs and we’ll all be better for it! :)
3. It ensures you plan ahead for the arrival of difficult family members. If you count down the 25 days till Christmas, you can also keep an internal clock for the arrival (and departure) of dreaded “Cousin Vinny” (substitute your own dreaded name as I don’t even have a Cousin Vinny). This also gives you a chance to remind yourself of the Gospel as you prepare to spend anxious moments with “Vinny.”
2. It provides daily opportunity to sing the classic Advent and Christmas carols. There are only 4 Sundays during Advent–not nearly enough time to sing all the wonderful Christmas music available. Daily advent celebrations allow families to develop a broad appreciation for the Advent and Christmas music available around the world and through history.

And the #1 reason why families should celebrate Advent daily (and no, I can’t end this on a funny note, even though I really want to…):

1. Advent gives us a chance to express to Jesus our thankfulness for His first coming and our earnest longing for His second coming. Emmanuel has come to dwell with us. We are all grateful for the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence, But we also echo the Apostle John in Revelation 22:20, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” His return will make all things right!

I recently shared some Advent resources on this post, but my friend Bruce Benedict has also compiled a list of lesser known Advent songs here. Bruce also has another list of great Advent songs you could sing in your devotionals here, I sang Nathan Partain’s arrangement of Come Thou Long Expected Jesus in worship yesterday and found it very helpful for reflecting the earnest plea of those lyrics.

City Life Church in Boston has also produced a great new Advent/Christmas album worth checking out. It’s called simply, “Christmas” by Castle Island Hymns.

And if you’re looking for some lighthearted moments, check out these video clips:

Someone had too much free time to create this:

Finally, here is an unplugged version of Keith & Kristyn Getty’s How Suddenly a Baby Cries.

Why do you celebrate Advent?

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Excellence in Worship: 7 Ways to Overcome the Tension Between Excellence and Performance

Posted on December 2, 2011 by

If you’re a church musician, I’m sure you’ve heard, said or been a victim of one of the following statements:

  • “Worship is not a performance, so stop showing off every Sunday.”
  • “God is more concerned about our hearts in worship, so you don’t need to practice as much for worship as you might for another gig.”
  • “I don’t believe we should practice for worship. We need to let the Holy Spirit lead us.”

I’m reminded of the pastor who told his parishioners that he only wrote the first half of his sermon and he prayed for the Holy Spirit to finish his sermon while he preached. After one of these sermonic experiences, an elderly lady approached him and said, “Sonny, I think I like your sermon writing better than the Holy Spirit’s.” I hope he got the point! :)

Before you write this off as ludicrous, please know that I have heard variations on all the above statements. In fact, my wife was even recently approached by a well-intentioned homeschool mom who said, “I know you and Phil care about bringing excellence to this performance, but we just want our kids to have a positive experience. Don’t stress them out.” Our hearts sank.

Last year I was looking for a worship job and I was told by several churches that I was “too good” or they couldn’t afford someone as good as me. Really? I thought I was leading worship for Almighty God, the King of the Universe, who is accustomed to holiness and accepts our best as a sacrifice of praise. I honestly don’t understand the movement I see in many churches to hire untrained musicians to lead worship. I wonder if it’s a reaction against this performance debate?

The Way of Escape

Ultimately I do agree that the way through this issue comes from the heart. For the artist, worship can become idolatry when we pursue excellence for its own sake. For the worshiper, excellence becomes idolatry when we start evaluating the artistry instead of allowing excellent music to lead us to ponder the excellencies of God’s greatness.

The story of Matt Redman’s song The Heart of Worship comes to mind in this context. His fellowship had become guilty of becoming worship connoisseurs. The pastor saw the trend and decided to cancel planned worship services so the Lord could teach them the meaning of true worship. Redman’s song came out of this season and illustrates the importance of our heart in worship. I believe this season profoundly shaped Matt’s worship writing in content and skill. He didn’t stop growing in excellence, but instead kept his heart focused on Jesus.

He and the pastor discuss the story here:

7 Ways to Overcome the Tension Between Excellence and Performance

1. Remember God is thrice holy - The angels continually sing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” If God is absolutely perfect in his character and actions and has said “be holy as I am holy,” then wouldn’t it make sense that he would want us to bring our best?

2. Obey God’s call to be skillful in our worship. Psalm 33:3 says, “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.” Proverbs 22:29 says, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” While these verses don’t provide the last word on excellence, it’s obvious that God wants us to pursue excellence–especially in our worship.

3. Don’t assume excellence has a universal measure. The parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30, Luke 19:12-28) demonstrates that Jesus doesn’t see all Christians as equally gifted. We can all handle differing amounts of responsibility and treasure. What is universally true, is that we will all be held to account for what we’ve done with our talents. I played last night with a flautist in our fellowship who has been hiding her talent from me (and the congregation) for 15 months. I’m glad she brought it out for all of our sake, even if she’s not ready to go play with symphony any time soon.

4. Talent is overrated. This may sound like a refutation of the last point, but I offer an entirely different perspective. Geoff Colvin, in his book Talent is Overrated, studied many of the highly skilled and highly successful people in our world (modern and historical). He found that a vast majority of these shared a common attribute–and it wasn’t talent, but hard work. But not just mindless hard work; it’s what he calls Deliberate Practice, which shares these 5 features:

  1. Designed specifically to improve performance – in other words, it focuses on key elements of excellent performance.
  2. Repeated a lot – repeat it until it becomes second nature (a.k.a. muscle memory).
  3. Feedback is continuously available (through mentors, teachers, peers)–and I might add that feedback is intentionally sought.
  4. Highly demanding mentally – If you’re not challenging your mind, you will become bored and give up or slack off.
  5. Not much fun – this hard work is necessary and rarely brings great joy–except in the results.

Wayman Tisdale’s story provides an inspiring case study. After a successful  NBA career, for which I’m sure he’ll enter the NBA Hall of Fame, he decided to become a professional jazz bassist. With the same focused determination that caused him to stand out as a basketball player, he attacked learning the bass. He quickly distinguished himself as a legitimate bass player, earning the attention of his jazz heroes. Wayman wasn’t necessarily more talented than other bassists. He just knew how to focus his desire through a deliberate practice regimen. 

You may know that Wayman Tisdale died at the age of 44 in 2009. This tribute from his funeral talks of the legacy he left. I was particularly impressed with the comment that Tisdale accomplished more in 44 years than most people do in 80 plus years. That can be attributed to his ability to deliberately develop a skill and use it for the glory of God:

5. Avoid the temptation to find short cuts. A friend of mine recently posted this picture on Facebook. While I’m not sure about the math (I’m more accustomed to the 80/20 rule), the point deserves attention. I’ve asked my college music professor friends about this, and they all agree. They can predict with a high degree of accuracy which students will succeed as musicians based on how well they practice.

In his book, This is Your Brain on Music, Daniel Levitin provides scientific evidence for the rule of 10,000. He contends that it takes 10,000 hours to master a musical instrument. If that is true, at 15 minutes a day, it would take you nearly 100 years to master an instrument. Even at an hour a day, it would take 27 years. At four hours a day, it would take 6 years. This fits with what I heard Bob Kauflin tell a young worship leader. The student had asked him how he could learn to play piano like him. Bob replied simply, “It’s easy. Just go to college, become a piano major and practice 5 hours a day.” I doubt Bob knew the rule of 10,000, but a four year degree at 5 hours a day would start to approach 10,000 hours, especially when added to the assumed number of hours put in prior to music school.

6. Pay attention to your heart. After all this focus on your skill, I would remiss if I didn’t address the heart issues. I constantly have to repent when I play saxophone in worship. While I would say that sax is my voice in worship, I also know the strong temptation to draw attention to myself through my playing. As a jazz musician, I’ve been trained to play for applause after my solos. In worship I constantly have to make sure I’m playing for the Lord and not the applause of man. This is a battle that can only be fought on my knees and in community.

7. Define excellence in your community. Finally, your church needs to spend time thinking through what it means to “bring your best” to God. What looks like authentic worship in one community may smack of “performance” in another. Some of that is purely cultural.

I found that the high level of virtuosity expected in New York City or Chicago isn’t necessarily what people are looking for as I lead in Wichita or rural Georgia. That doesn’t excuse laziness or sloppiness, but it does show a different value system for our current community. Make sure to spend time prayerfully understanding this for your community.

It’s your turn. How have you wrestled with this tension?

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Keeping Worship Fresh: Insights from Worship Director, David Hampton

Posted on November 29, 2011 by

How do you keep your worship services fresh after 5, 10 or 15 years in the same church? What do you think about when you lead a congregation filled with world class musicians?

I was wondering some of these questions and so I reached out to my friend, David Hampton, to get his insights on these questions and several more.

David Hampton has been the worship director for Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN for over 16 years. He has worked with Founding Pastor Scotty Smith that entire time.

I’ve recorded this interview as two short podcasts. You can hear by clicking on the links.

Part 1 – View this portion of the video:

0:01 –  Connecting the dots between life and worship. David blogs weekly to help people prepare for worship. He gets real about his own life. See David’s blog here. It’s called a Rock in My Shoes o

3:37 –  Planning for worship as a community. Pastor, elder, worship director and other staff (admin, a/v, etc…). Pastor defines what he wants to have people leave knowing. Since the bulk of their singing happens after the sermon, its important to be able to respond well to the sermon.

6:12 –  Worship planning from start to finish. Avoiding disposable elements of worship.

Part II – Hear the 2nd half of the interview here

0:01 –  Leading worship that engages non-artists.

3:50 – Some books that have helped in his spiritual journey. David finds reading outside of the tight realm of worship helps him in his cultural exegesis.

The books mentioned by David:

Anne LaMott’s Bird by Bird
Nicholas Wolterstorff - Lament for a Son
Benyamin Cohen - My Jesus Year
Daniel Pink - A Whole New Mind - Cultural writer

Two new songs mentioned by David are:

What thoughts do you have from these lessons?

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Celebrating Advent: 4 Songs and Resources to Aid in Your Worship

Posted on November 25, 2011 by

With Thanksgiving behind and Christmas ahead, many churches will enter the Advent season this Sunday. If you’re like me (raised more generally evangelical), the richness of Advent is often an after thought.

I know for many churches this is the time of year we play Christmas songs and light Advent candles. The Sunday after Christmas becomes a New Year celebration and then we go back to church as usual until Easter.

But that’s not how the church has thought of Advent for many centuries. Advent comes from the Latin word veni for “to come.” Advent approaches Christmas from three temporal perspectives: 1) Jesus has come as a baby; 2) Jesus is come because of His perfect life, death and resurrection, by His Spirit, in His Church and through His Word; and 3) Jesus is coming again. The celebration of his birth takes on fresh meaning as each of these perspectives are explored.

Like you, I’m always in search of resources to help me deepen my awareness of Christ and his arrival during this season. Here are some I’ve come across recently. I’d love it if you would share songs, books or websites that you have found helpful.

4 Resources to Aid Your Advent Celebration

1) Bruce Benedict and his friends at Cardiphonia have created a great list of Advent related worship albums coming from local churches seeking to be biblically rooted and culturally relevant to their communities. See the albums here. Bruce also compiled a listing of great devotionals. I encourage you to check out the one from Christ Church Berkeley.

One of the music projects highlighted comes from Sovereign Grace Music. I like this song:

2) Dave Meserve and his artist friends in Denver, CO have created three different advent devotionals. Each devotional looks at the advent prophecies and fulfillment from various perspectives, always allowing great art and modern renderings to guide the journey. See the guides here.

3) Worship Leader Magazine also recently released a list of new Christmas projects. One of my favorites from this list comes from Keith & Kristyn Getty. They provide some classic sounding songs with rich lyrics and the soothing sound of Irish instruments.

There are many good songs on this recording, including this one:

4) BibleGateway also has a listing of free email devotionals you can receive during advent.

Your Turn

I’d love to hear what advent devotionals and albums you’ll be using this year.

Posted in Preparation for Worship, Worship Leadership | 2 Comments