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Worship Like Jesus

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Listen Like Jesus

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he written/spoken/embodied Word of God touches us and forms us in myriad ways. We encounter it through not only the living Word Jesus within us when we embrace Him as savior, but by the way the authoritative text of Scripture is communicated: via speech, touch, fragrance, sound, prayer, song, visual art, performance art, live and scripted drama. Our communities of Christian faith are literally formed by the “Text.” Each is a textual community.

Textual community is a term I discovered when working on my dissertation conceptualized by Bryan Stock.* To paraphrase his and others’ description, it is a group knit together, whose very life, process of thinking, sense of personal and shared identity and relationships with each other and those outside are organized around an authoritative text. And the community is formed by education and the varying systems (in our case, Christian faith traditions/religion) that communicate the text through interpreters.

FLUENT IN THE LANGUAGE OF COMMUNICATION Have you ever thought of your pastor or worship leader as a charismatic (gifted) interpreter of the text? Maybe not, but look at Paul and his epistles. Look at N.T. Wright, John Piper, C.S. Lewis, Amie Semple Macpherson, James Boyce, Calvin, Luther, the Wesleys, Annie Armstrong, John Knox or anyone of a hundred Psalm, hymn, and spiritual songwriters through history, or film directors, or visual artists. See how vividly and poignantly Rembrandt tells the story of “the prodigal son.”

They don’t simply read you Scripture, they interpret it. Now it’s true, it can be interpreted clearly… or not; truly… or not; in the Spirit…or not, but the text is, unquestionably, at the center of the community and forms it. Most Christians wouldn’t question that, but the ramifications are mind-boggling.

The shorthand term for communication technology is media. And the function of media is mediation. Just as Jesus is the mediator between God and man, mediation connects the text to the community and forms it. This means taking the substance, the matter, the content that we wish to commu-

Becoming the story is the most powerful form of communication.

nicate and putting it into some form, or representation, that will convey our ideas. But the forms of media, the methods of mediation, the representation that takes place in each type of mediation—from speech to writing with a quill pen, from the printing press to radio, TV, and the Internet, to virtual reality—are not neutral. The message itself as understood by the audience is shaped by the tools we choose to communicate with and those who use them as they interpret it.

This means that we have to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each type of mediation and/or interpreter, and be sensitive to what happens when we translate our messages from one type of mediation to another.

So with that in mind, let me tell you a story.

IN THE BEGINNING Valdesius, whom some have called Waldo (c. 1140 – c.

1205), illustrates the transforming power of the Word— the authoritative text of our lives—to form culture-shaking communities. A key new vocabulary word to learn is re-mediation…Waldo’s story evolves over time, and as it is told and retold (remediated), the story is touched by and touches many lives over many hundreds of years. It touched mine when I was doing research some year ago.

Just like you and I, Waldo’s story begins with God—in this case, God as earthly mediator in the person of Jesus. Most of you have read Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man, where he tells him to sell everything he has and give it away, then adds, "Come, follow me!" (Mark 10:17-27). The young man is unable to accept Jesus invitation, and the story of his "No" becomes an implicit call to us to say, "Yes." We feel a visceral pain when we hear the story, wondering what we might have done in his place.

People who were there and lived and breathed and saw the encounter spread the story by word of mouth, so that each person who heard it also heard the invitation…and many who heard said “Yes.” The invitation is later written down (remediated) into the Gospel narrative in Mark and Luke, spreading far and wide as words on a page: “text.” Then the text gets turned back into speech through people reading it out loud and preaching from it and praying and singing it. And with each repetition, the words of Jesus, "Come, follow me," the invitation rings out.

The story is "sticky"—it spreads as the church grows.

ON THE WAY TO WALDO In fifth-century Rome, St. Alexius (before he was sainted, of course) hears the invitation and takes its call literally. Although there is more than one version of the story of Alexius, the prevailing one goes something like this: St. Alexius was a rich fourth-century Roman nobleman who decided on the day of his wedding to remain chaste and to avoid the entrapment of earthly honors. With his wife’s tearful permission, he left for Syria and lived in poverty and prayer for seventeen years until he began to be honored as “a man of God.” And once again, he fled recognition and privilege and returned home to his Father’s house. His parents did not recognize their son, but welcomed him as a beggar and gave him work, providing him a tiny space under the stairs as his living quarters. Alexius labored there and also taught children about God until his death as a stranger in his own family’s home. He gracefully endured mistreatment from the other servants, and only when he died, and an identifying piece of paper was found on his body was it realized who he was. Like Jesus who lived as a stranger in the world he made, unknown for the most part although He was its Creator and heir of all things, Alexius chose to live the story of The Rich Young Man and at the same time the story of Jesus—to remediate it in and through his life: enact it (enactment). Becoming the story is the most powerful form of communication (then it is possible for others to be formed by merely being in proximity, watching and imitating). But where you may ask is “Waldo?”

The story of St. Alexius holiness and humility spread and was eventually written down as an inspiration to the faithful.

Alexius' “yes” to God reenacts the original invitation telling the story of the rich young man "as it should have been.” It was interpreted and remediated in word and song and shared, till one day, a brief 700 years later, Valdesius/Waldo, the rich man of Lyon, France encounters the "jongleurs," the worship leaders of his day, itinerant minstrels singing a New Song and telling stories. They re-enact the story of Alexius' re-enactment of the story of "The Invitation.”

Did you get that? Like Alexius, Waldo takes the story to heart, becomes the story, literally, and makes his life a medium for its re-telling (re-enactment).

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TRANSFORMED BY THE TEXT Waldo was deeply moved, and changed by his encounter with God. The jongleurs song was a medium for the invitation. Waldo answered the call, selling all he had, which was considerable, feeding the poor. Waldo embraced the truth of Scripture and is quoted as saying “No man can serve two masters, God and mammon. That you may learn to place hope in God and not in riches.”

He paid two priests to translate Scripture from the Vulgate and write it in the common language, the vernacular (another form of remediation), so that others would hear it in a form they could understand (this, more than 200 years before the Reformation). His preaching birthed a host of preachers, men and women, the poor of Lyon, who preached Bible stories in town squares and Basilica, literally turning on the light of literacy in a dark world. These charismatic interpreters communicated the Word to many who did not read, yet, hearing could then repeat the stories to others. This touched off a revival...that provoked a crackdown from Church authorities, afraid of losing their interpretive monopoly. Yet, the movement— textual community—survives to the present day. Waldo’s embrace of Christ led to his death and many of his followers were burned at the stake. What we know about Waldo is what his enemies wrote about him in trial transcripts. In re-writing with his very life the story of the rich young man, he also joined the stories of Stephen, Paul, Peter, and countless saints martyred before him. Christ was enacted first through Alexius and then Waldo. And the story remains sticky and spreadable.

All new technology is an attempt to make the role of the previous technology ‘mo’ better: improved. It is a way to make the mediation device more transparent and thus effective to use.

Waldo’s story illustrates what I mean when I counsel you to look at history and at the practices of your own church tradition with new eyes—trained by knowledge of the development of communication technology and with some elementary concepts from communication theory.

In effect, what I’ve given you is a methodology for understanding the history of your faith tradition. To track the media, mediation, remediation, movement from speech to text and back again, to understand your story and to remediate an invitation that is Scripturebased, spreadable and sticky, so people will step into the story, and enact it in such a way that Jesus is made present and commuPETER WALDO nity is formed.

At the heart of Christian community is not only the Bible, Scripture, the authoritative Text, but the very living Word, Jesus who is both the “medium and the message,” who transparently points to the Father as He speaks. And the more we rest in His reality, the more we will communicate as He does.

We’ll extend the Invitation to Follow Him and to worship our Triune God in Spirit and Truth.

No man can serve two masters, God and mammon. That you may learn to place hope in God and not in riches.

D R . C H U C K F R O M M SENIOR ADVISOR & FOUNDER OF WORSHIP LEADER MAGAZINE

WORSHIP COMMUNICATION I see worship communication and textual community at the heart of the story of Waldo, “the rich man of Leon,” founder of the Waldensians, who experienced the story of St. Alexis in words and music from a jongleur, and was transformed by God’s interaction with the “production of the sacred.”

In Waldo we see the original story Jesus told remediated in various ways and forms by various people. A Mediation or “mediator” for that matter attempts to be transparent, pointing to a reality other than or beyond itself, or doing it so well as not to be noticed. But all human form is noticed… and ultimately can hijack the mediation.

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*(Textual community is not only applicable to congregational communities, there are many communities large and small that exist to one degree or another formed by and around “authoritative text.” Examples of textual communities may include your neighborhood HOA (community built around an agreement); or a country’s law or constitution which form a huge textual community; there is a community of editors around the APA style guide and so on.) *In examining the story of Waldo and his followers, Brian Stock found that the conventional terminology of “church,” “sect,” and “ denomination” provided a set of labels that were inadequate to the task of explaining or classifying such groups. The phrase that he invented to replace the conventional terminology, “textual community,” describes “a group that arises somewhere in the interstices between the imposition of the written word and the articulation of a certain type of social organization. It is an interpretive community but it is also a social entity” (1990:150).

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“J E S U S : O U R R O L E M O D E L F O R W O R S H I P ”

Dr. Constance M. Cherry Excerpt from: Worship Like Jesus: A Guide for Every Follower (Abingdon Press, 2019, ISBN: 978-1-5018-8147-3)

WORSHIP LIKE

Jesus WWJD OR HWJW? A number of years ago, an acronym became popular among some Christian groups. It appeared on wristbands, necklaces, bumper stickers, and posters. WWJD: What would Jesus do?

The idea was that Christians should consider what Jesus would likely do in any given circumstance and then try to imitate him in their response. It was clever and no doubt helpful; but some folks had their questions. Could we positively know what Jesus would do in every situation? Is it possible to do the right actions without having the right heart? Should we focus on doing or being? Questions aside, the movement was well intentioned.

WWJD bracelets are still around.

But what if we focused on a different acronym—HWJW: How would Jesus worship? Have you ever thought about Jesus as a worshiper? How did Jesus worship? What were his patterns and priorities? What does he teach us through his actions related to worship? If we had only Jesus’s life of worship to observe, what would we gain in our own worship discipleship? Here we have more concrete things to go on than mere speculation. We’re not really left wondering what Jesus would do in worship; we can see what he did by reading the Gospel accounts of his life of worship while he was among us as one of us. And while it’s possible to follow Jesus’ worship patterns and do so without complete understanding at first, worship will form us as we continue in its discipline.

If our goal is to follow Jesus as his disciples in worship, we must ask this most important question: How did Jesus worship?

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Worshiping Like Jesus: Discovering What Jesus Did and Taught Jesus was a worshiper. And if discipleship is a matter of following the model and teachings of the Master, the starting place is to discover what the Master modeled and taught. We must understand the role worship played in his life so that we can follow his lead. He is our role model and mentor for discovering and practicing the essential aspects of worship as he lived them every day. It is incredibly important to examine Jesus’ own life of worship so that we may answer these questions: • What did Jesus do as a worshiper?

• What did Jesus teach about worship?

• What may we conclude was important to Jesus as a worshiper?

• What are the implications for Jesus’ followers today as they worship?

What Jesus did and what he taught concerning worship is essential to know as Christ-followers. For how can we worship in ways that are pleasing to God unless we follow our Teacher in his ways of worship?

What did Jesus do as a worshiper? The four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) present Jesus as someone who modeled a devoted and disciplined life of worship in community. He was a worshiper from birth who consistently, even daily, worshiped at the Temple and the synagogue, kept the Sabbath, spent much time in prayer, participated in the regular worship rituals, worshiped God in defiance of Satan, read the Scriptures in the synagogue service, cleansed the Temple, celebrated the Jewish annual festivals of worship, pronounced blessings upon people, sang the liturgy, preached, and taught in the Temple and synagogue. It is truly amazing to discover what was significant to Jesus when it came to public worship.

What did Jesus teach about worship? Again, with the Gospels as our source, we discover that Jesus provided oral instruction to his disciples. In so doing, he often challenged the status quo. He taught that the Father seeks worshipers, that worship is offered in spirit and in truth, that he was Lord even of the Sabbath, that there is an important connection between the sacrifices one presents to God and the kind of life one lives, that reconciliation has a lot to do with worship that is pleasing to God, that there are certain rules for public prayer, that sacrificial giving is pleasing to God, and that justice and mercy are the fruits of true worship. The Rabbi had some things to say about worship!

W H AT D I D J E S U S D O AS A WORSHIPER?

W H AT D I D J E S U S T E AC H ABOUT WORSHIP?

W H AT M AY W E C O N C L U D E WA S I M P O R TA N T T O J E S U S AS A WORSHIPER?

W H AT A R E T H E I M P L I C AT I O N S FOR JESUS’ FOLLOWERS T O DAY A S T H E Y W O R S H I P ?

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EXAMPLES OF WORSHIP DISCIPLESHIP

From the beginning of the church and occurring through many centuries, new Christians were discipled first as worshipers.

We have before us an urgent call to discover what our Teacher, Jesus, would show us if he were among us today. If we could watch him or hear him, what would we learn about worship? I imagine it might turn a few things upside down.

Worship, as we have come to know it today, may even come unhinged. That’s okay. Maybe it needs to.

WORSHIP DISCIPLESHIP When someone comes to faith in Christ, discipleship is the next step. Most discipleship programs have concentrated on questions like these: "How does a new believer learn to pray, read the Bible, share their faith, and serve others?" Few discipleship plans have explicitly addressed the question, “How does a new believer learn to worship God?” Yet this is the most urgent question, for worship lies at the heart of our relationship with God and the church. In fact, worship is the eternal point; it is the evidence that the mission of God has been completed when the new heaven and the new earth become the temple of God (Rev. 21:1-5; 22). Ultimately, worship is the mission of God. Unfortunately, discipling worshipers is often overlooked.

Somewhere along the line we assumed that new believers would just catch on to proper worship by attending church.

However, the risk of that approach is to assume that most people who attend church have been intentionally taught to worship God when they likely have not. Over time, without effective worship discipleship, it is possible to reproduce improper worship without meaning to do so.

1

Worship discipleship is nothing new. It was a major theme throughout the Old Testament. For example, Moses insisted that Israel’s elders intentionally instruct their children throughout all generations as to the meaning of the most profound worship event in their history—the Passover. Even before God’s people had left Egypt, God instituted an annual worship ritual for every household to observe perpetually. The community was advised to take worship discipleship seriously: “You should observe this ritual as a regulation for all time for you and your children…And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ritual mean to you?’ you will say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. When he struck down the Egyptians, he spared our houses’” (Ex. 12:24, 26-27). The emphasis upon worship discipleship in the Jewish faith is seen often throughout the Old Testament.1 Later on, during the early centuries of Christianity, the church developed a detailed plan to systematically disciple new believers in the Christian faith. A significant part of the program included educating believers as to the meaning of worship and instructing them in how to fulfill their very important role as a participant in worship. Their instruction included guidance in how to pray within the community, how to hear and receive the word of God preached, the meaning of one’s baptism, the meaning of partaking of the Lord’s Table, and the relationship between worship and living lives of integrity and service.

In this ancient process worship discipleship occurred as much through imitation as oral instruction. Students would imitate the actions and the attitudes of their teachers in worship; they would then engage with the oral instruction in order to form their understanding. Imitation was followed by explanation; understanding followed action. This approach to discipleship is at the core of the early Christian model. Thus, the church carefully and systematically transmitted the teachings of the faith concerning worship (and other topics) as a means of Christian discipleship. In fact, discipleship was the very term preferred by the church fathers for this process.2 From the beginning of the church and occurring through many centuries, new Christians were discipled first as worshipers.

See Deuteronomy 4:9-10, 4:39-40, 6:5-9 and Psalm 78:1-8.

Pasquato Ottorino, “Catechmenate—Discipleship,” in Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity, ed. Thomas C. Oden and Joel C. Elowsky (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014) 1:458.

2

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All Christian disciples are formed in worship by worship.

The Scriptures we hear, the songs we sing, the prayers we pray, the sermons we heed, the offerings we give, the Communion elements we share, the sense of love we feel from fellow worshipers—all of this and more unites in the power of the Spirit to change us toward Christlikeness. Worship is a highly transforming event. It is such a formational force that it is sometimes referred to as “primary theology”—the most significant occasion from which our understanding of God originates.

To be honest, for many years I had not considered how corporate worship is formational in nature. I had the idea that I formed worship; I have since discovered that worship forms me. I misunderstood the purposes of worship, thinking that it consisted largely of a service that people created in order to express themselves to God and to be inspired to live better Christian lives. It didn’t occur to me that participating in the worship event is, in itself, an act of intentional spiritual formation. I have come to see that when worshipers participate faithfully and devotionally in the liturgy of their worship service (every church has its liturgy), they become deeply formed by what is said and done. Worship is a primary means through which our view of God and the world is reshaped in an ongoing way. But not only our view is changed. More importantly, through true worship our affections—that which/who we come to love—are amended. Corporate worship disciples us in patterns of faith and patterns of love. The way of worship discipleship can be summarized this way: Do as I do, come to believe what I believe, love what I love.

CURRENT CHALLENGE Worship in local churches today has changed a great deal over time, and most especially in the last fifty years in North America. In many places, worship would be virtually unrec-

If Jesus were present today, how would he worship? ognizable from that which took place even just a few years ago.

Change can be good. Every generation must reconsider certain critical variables as they seek to worship God in their own time and place. But the question emerges, who/what are we imitating when we adapt our practices of worship? Do worship practices find their source in the Teacher’s way of worship? Or do we imitate another master?

In many churches, practices continue to migrate toward the latest cultural trends. Trends themselves are neither good nor bad until they are evaluated in terms of God’s expectations for worship. However, it is wise to be cautious because we can inadvertently discover that we have chosen to imitate a person or a procedure or a product before asking, How would Jesus worship (HWJW)? Often people will ask me, “What’s next in worship?” That very question suggests that we are trendthirsty. Too often we ask, “What’s popular in worship today?” or “What would you like to see in worship?” or “What are the larger churches doing?”

I think it’s time to ask the more relevant question: How would Jesus worship (HWJW)? If Jesus were present today, how would he worship? The answer to this question is not found through speculation; it is not found by forcing Jesus’s practices into our contemporary molds. Instead, the answer is discovered by immersing ourselves in the ways of worship that Jesus modeled and taught. If our heartfelt desire is to worship like Jesus, we will simply follow him in his worship of the Father.

When we do, our worship will never be the same.

D R . C O N S TA N C E M . C H E R RY AUTHOR Scholar, worship leader, musician, pastor, author and composer, Constance Cherry has written five books about worship including the best selling The Worship Architect. www.theworshiparchitect.com

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LIKE JESUS

An Act of Abandon by Wayne Forte, 2012

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BY

| 24 X 30 INCHES; OIL AND ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

A N D R E A

H U N T E R

H

ow and what would it be like to see as Jesus sees continually? How would it change our thoughts, our responses, affections, and our very being? One of the most moving worship stories and windows into how Jesus sees is found in Luke 7:36-50.

Jesus is invited to Simon the Pharisee’s house for dinner.

Whether like Nicodemus, spiritual curiosity has inspired this invitation or a desire to inspect or entrap Jesus isn’t really clear.

The room is full of dinner guests, and humming with the activity of servants delivering food, responding to the needs and intricate customs and ritual involved in such a feast in the house of a Jewish leader. But at some point a shocking encounter takes place. (According to Jesus in verse 45, it began the moment he came in. whether this is literary license or accurate timekeeping, doesn’t really matter.) A woman is kneeling, bowed down at Jesus' feet, weeping. "The tears," recounts Jamieson in his commentary on Luke 36-50 (1882) "poured down in a flood upon his naked feet, as she bent down to kiss them; and deeming them rather fouled than washed by this, she hastened to wipe them off with the only towel she had, the long tresses of her own hair.”

OUTRAGEOUS LOVE How had the mystery woman of Luke 7 appeared so suddenly? Did she slip in stealthily from outside? Had she been hiding, perhaps behind a pillar or curtain? Women are not welcomed as guests at such events. However she came to be there, it took amazing courage… to dare to enter the world of men. A number of commentators have surmised she was a prostitute; if so, might some of the men in the room have been former clients? The ritual purity of anyone she might touch including Jesus would be defiled. If caught in this invasion of space, she most assuredly would have been cast out. Perhaps she was mistaken at first as a slave, since they, like people who serve in most cultures, are invisible, unseen. But there she is kneeling, pouring perfume on the feet of the One who had created her from the dust that she has washed away with her tears.

The Host Simon has seen the whole awkward, humiliating, and discomforting scene and deduced that if Jesus were truly a prophet, he would have known what kind of woman was anointing him: a sinner. A real prophet would have discerned her spirit and thrown the baggage out. Some of the Pharisees attempt to look away: they want to avoid the temptation implicit in viewing such a woman. It is impossible. Every eye is drawn to the scene in front of them and this uninvited visitor who

has thrown away all semblance of propriety. This enigma, this human puzzle, willing to endure the depths of shame pouring on her from every corner of the room to bow and kiss the feet of her Savior. Jesus speaks to Simon, and all eyes move from the woman to this man from Galilee whose very existence has been stoking the fires of jealousy and judgment among the religious elite.

TRUTH SPEAKS Jesus tells Simon (and with him, the entire room) a parable about two debtors owing money to the same moneylender.

In the telling, Jesus is teaching them to see, and especially to see as He sees. One debt was enormous and the other small, but each was a debt that neither of the borrowers could repay.

The moneylender generously forgives both debtors the entire amount due. Jesus queries Simon, “Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?” Simon gives the logical answer: “The one who was forgiven most.” Then Jesus asks, “Do you see this woman?” Obviously Simon had viewed her, taken her in with his eyes, judged her—and Jesus as well—yet, quite clearly he had not seen her. Jesus continues:

I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”

LK 7:44-48 NASB

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We are in Christ and if we look out through His eyes, we will see with love and forgiveness.

IN HIM

THE LIVING WORD

This story beckons us to enter in. it’s an “invitation” to embody and live the text. When we fall prostrate before God in tearful gratitude for His forgiveness, we become the Story.

But better yet we see Him and in Him we see as He does. It is apt that this story of worship perfected takes place at a meal… at the Table. Each time we take communion, repent, receive God’s forgiveness, the invitation is renewed.

We are in Christ and if we look out through His eyes, we will see with love and forgiveness. We will see with righteous judgment that looks on the heart and not the outside (1 Sam 16:7). We will see into the future at the finished work of the ones who are presently floundering and see them through the eyes of faith (Isa 46:10, Phil 1:6), When we see like Jesus, our eyes will be on the broken, the humble, and what we take in will fill our souls with compassion (Isa 66:2b). We will see no cost as too high in extending the Gospel of salvation and redemption to His creation (Heb 12:2). We will notice as Jesus did that the people are hungry and we will feed them (Mk 8:2); we will notice when they are deluded and correct and confront them in love with the truth. We will see what the Father is doing as Jesus did and ask for His grace to live into it (John 5:18-20).

In Christ, we inhabit these stories; the Text becomes alive.

As in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, or story of the rich young man, where we see the heart and actions of the protagonist and we also see the heart and character of Jesus and the Father. In the reading or telling of the story of the worshiping woman, at different times we may see ourselves in her, or in the onlookers or Simon the Pharisee.

As worship leaders, we will bow and kiss Jesus' feet as we embody and incarnate the textual reality of the worshiping woman. And because we are in Jesus we will also see the congregation as His beloved. We will feed them spiritual food that will truly nourish and form them. We will see them as one with us, fellow worshipers, not as “us” the worship team, and “them” the congregation. Together, we will prostrate ourselves in adoration and awe and gratitude and worship. The most common New Testament word for worship proskuneo—to bow, prostrate oneself and kiss the hand or feet of divinity or a superior—is a perfect match for our woman of bold humility.

We not only have the great privilege of joining this iconic woman in worship, acknowledging Christ’s mercy towards us, but we also have the opportunity to worship Him in such a way that our songs paint a tangible touchable reality to see and step into, for those who know Him, and those who are waiting to be introduced. “Meet your Savior who defeated the powers of sin and death for you and all of creation on the Cross”: our precious Jesus who is a constant hymn of mercy and grace.

When we experience His forgiveness and see His glory and grandeur, we can only fall at His feet and wash them with tears of gratitude and wonder. When we see like Jesus, we see those around us—and ourselves—with Holy love.

BY

A N D R E A

H U N T E R

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L I S T E N L I K E J E S U S

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’ve been on a journey towards becoming a better listener.

Maybe, like me, your natural tendency has been to listen with the goal of “fixing” the situation or person. Or maybe you listen impatiently until it is your turn to talk, not really hearing what the other person has said. As a worship planner and leader in Japan for almost 30 years there were multiple times a week when I needed to listen, both in English and Japanese. As a worship leader, or leader of any sort, there are numerous opportunities to listen to your team members and congregants. So, how do we become better listeners? What or who is our model for listening well? Let me share with you a bit of what I’ve been learning…from Jesus, who was and is a really good listener.

Listening like Jesus, spiritual listening, draws us into two areas: listening to God and to others.

LISTENING TO GOD Throughout the Gospels we find Jesus spending time in solitude and silence listening to the Father (sometimes with his disciples as in Luke 9:18 and Mark 6:31-32; sometimes by himself ~ Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12-13; Matthew 14:23).

Jesus knew the importance of PSALM 46:10:

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Jesus established a priority of listening to the Father and the Spirit in prayer, and he was attentive to the voice of God. We, too, need to establish the priority of listening in our individual prayer closets. In order for us to listen well to one another, we first need to know how to listen well to God. Attentiveness to the voice of God is the worship leader’s first step toward listening to others. I find it interesting that we only have a few of the prayers (= words) Jesus spoke to the Father in those times of solitude. Those times of solitude seem to have been times of silence with a lot of listening, and just being present with the Father. Even in prayer Jesus was “quick to listen.”

A beautiful, meaningful way to offer this gift to our people even on a Sunday morning is to begin the service with a short time of silence. Silence to begin the service and at some point in the service, possibly after the sermon, gives opportunity for the people to listen to God’s voice without the voices of the worship team or pastor or those sitting next to them crowding it out. Silence isn’t empty, it is full of answers if we take the time to listen. In his book The Gift of Worship, C. Welton Gaddy encourages us that “In worship, silence is far more than an absence of sound. Silence constitutes a vital part of the divinehuman dialogue. In silence, worshipers can experience interchanges with God that will not be known where silence does not prevail.” If Jesus spent time listening to God in silence, how much more should we cultivate that practice.

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Jesus also listened to God through Scripture. We know this because Jesus often quoted or referred to passages from the Torah or Psalms or Isaiah. God-breathed Scripture motivated and encouraged Jesus during his earthly life. Scripture is also one important way for us to listen to God—through memorizing passages, meditating on portions, or singing and praying the Word.

LISTENING TO OTHERS Jesus modeled how to lovingly listen to the people around him. Listening like Jesus affirms people and acknowledges their personhood. There are numerous times when Jesus would stop on his journeys or even from his preaching to engage people— for example: Zacchaeus (Matthew 5), the woman in the synagogue who was stooped over (Luke 13), Nicodemus (John 3), and Bartimaeus (Mark 10), the blind beggar who no one really paid much attention and was told to “shush” when Jesus came to town. Though Jesus had set his face toward Jerusalem (= he had something important to do) and the crowds were yelling and cheering around him (= lots of distractions and other needs to care for), he heard Bartimaeus’ faith-filled cry for mercy and stopped to engage with him, healing him and acknowledging him as valuable when others didn’t.

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For us to listen like Jesus might mean putting away our phones and temporarily ignoring the crowds around us to listen intently to the one person needing to feel heard.

Listening like Jesus takes time. Jesus asked perceptive questions and then waited for the answers, listening with his heart and with his ears.

“The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters,” PROVERBS 20:5 reads, “ but a man of understanding draws them out.”

Jesus drew people out. Sensitive questions and time are necessary to be a good listener. For example, Jesus was not in a rush when he engaged in dialogue with the woman at the well (John 4), knowing it would take time for her to trust him and shed the layers of shame, fear, and theology that entrapped her.

In our world today, getting things done quickly is prized. We often schedule back-to-back meetings which doesn’t allow for lingering conversations with others. Perhaps we pause to hear what someone has to say, try to solve their problem, and quickly move on to the next person/issue. But, Jesus didn’t just “hear” people’s words, he intently listened to their hearts expressed through their words. And that takes time.

“HEAR” VS “LISTEN” Studying Japanese for the past 30 years has given me insight into the difference between hearing and listening. The Kanji, or Chinese characters used in Japanese language, are actually pictographs and give meaning to the sound of the word. Both the Kanji for “hear” and for “listen” are sounded out as “kiku.”

The Kanji for “hear” shows an ear inside a gate or door, like a swinging [saloonstyle] door. Our ears are the entrance gate for sounds and words that come in…but sometimes they go right back out. To hear is simply the ability to perceive sound and doesn’t imply comprehension of what was heard using our physical ears.

聞く = 門 耳 HEAR

GATE/ "SWINGING DOOR"

EAR

On the other hand, the Kanji for “listen” gives us a clue of how Jesus lived life.

This Kanji means “to listen to,” “to listen intently as in listening to music,” “to listen carefully,” and consists of four parts. The left side is an ear and the lines (十) at the top of the right side lines represent the number 10. The center lines represent an eye, and below it represents the heart or soul. Together, they mean to listen inTENtly (or to the 10th degree) to people’s feelings from the heart or soul through their eyes or to listen inTENtly with the eyes of our hearts. Jesus listened to people and God with this intentional attentiveness.

聴く = 耳 十 目 心 LISTEN

EAR

TEN

EYES

HEART/SOUL

To listen like Jesus is to listen deeply, to hear the direction or the affirmation or the transformation that we are seeking from God, or to understand the stories and the deeper-than-words needs of the people around us by being attentive with more than just our ears. The spiritual practice of listening is about paying attention to the movement of God’s Spirit in us and in the voices and the stories of others. To do this we need to nurture new habits that look more like how Jesus listened …intently with the eyes of our hearts.

N A N C Y N E T H E R C OT T, D .W. S CHAPLAIN, THE ROBERT E. WEBBER INSTITUTE FOR WORSHIP STUDIES

Nancy Nethercott was a missionary in Japan for 28 years and currently travels training leaders in foundations of biblical worship and spiritual formation globally. Nancy's doctorate is from The Robert Webber Institute for Worship Studies (IWS), where she serves as Chaplain.

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LEADERSHIP.

LEADERSHIP

READING WITH THE

ANCIENTS BY

D R .

R E G G I E

H

M O R E

T H A N

M U S I C

ow do we take the Bible as God’s Word and make it the text for our lives when we come across words like these?

“O Daughter of Babylon, you devastator! … Happy shall be they who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!” PS 137:8–9

We can just ignore them. We can denounce them, allowing that they may reflect a sense of right and wrong that seemed appropriate at one time, but surely shouldn’t have found its way into the Bible. We can equivocate them, writing them off as words of a bogus “Old Testament God of Wrath” that have (thankfully) been countered by those of the (real) “New Testament God of Love.”

Or … we can ask if the presence of hard words demands we slow down and seek a deeper wisdom, maybe even make a

K I D D

Bible to have two dimensions: the perspective of its human authors who wrote the words, and the perspective of its divine Author the Holy Spirit who, in the imagery of 2 Timothy 3:16, “breathed” the words.

Our forebears in the faith believed that, at one level, a challenging Old Testament passage like this one from Psalm 137 has its place in Israel’s unfolding story of covenant-formation, -breaking, -keeping, -renewal. They understood that at another level, as Peter says, every passage has its place in anticipating “sufferings destined for Christ and his subsequent glory” (1 Pet 1:11), and, as Paul says, was “written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages has come” (1 Cor 10:11).

SEEING MULTIPLIED In a brilliant little essay entitled “The Superiority of PreCritical Exegesis,” church historian David Steinmetz explains the mindset of Christians from antiquity like the fifth century monk John Cassian (A.D. 360–435), who wrote of a fourfold sense of Scripture. The sum of that approach is:

Rather than ignore obscurities, with the help of the ancients we can embrace the truth that all Scripture was written for our instruction, and we can commit to wrestling with challenging passages. lifeline call to ancient readers who had a more nuanced take on Scripture and its levels of meaning.

DOUBLE VISION Our forebears in the faith read at two levels: the literary and the spiritual. They did so because they understood the 26 W O R S H I P L E A D E R | W O R S H I P L E A D E R .C O M | VO L . 29, N O. 1

What, in the first place, is the plain sense, the simple course of literary and historical exposition? In the second place, though, especially when there are challenging points, where we may be tempted to ignore, denounce, or equivocate: What might a passage teach us about faith—that is, about the coming Christ and His Church?

What might a passage teach us about love—that is, about

the redeemed person’s duty to love God and neighbor?

What might a passage teach us about hope—that is, about renewal for the world and resurrection for the individual?

STEINMETZ SUMMARIZES CASSIAN’S APPROACH: The Psalm became a lament of those who long for the establishment of God's future kingdom and who are trapped in this disordered and troubled world, which with all its delights is still not their home.

They seek an abiding city elsewhere. The imprecations against the Edomites and the Babylonians are transmuted into condemnations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. If you grant the fourfold sense of Scripture, David sings like a Christian.

the destruction of the soul’s enemies, and for the rescue of the souls of others similarly afflicted.

Rather than ignore obscurities, with the help of the ancients we can embrace the truth that all Scripture was written for our instruction, and we can commit to wrestling with challenging passages.

Rather than denounce difficult words, with the help of the ancients we can name the true enemies or vexing life-issues God wants us to address.

Rather than equivocate when it’s hard to reconcile what seem to be competing truths, with the help of the ancients we can push hard to see how things like justice and mercy meet at Christ’s cross.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR ANCIENT FRIENDS Thus, ancient readers wrestling with Psalm 137 recognize that their own exile is in not in a physical Babylon, but in the “not yet” of still having to struggle with sin, and that in Christ’s Church—in Word and Sacrament and fellowship— they already anticipate the ultimate homecoming of the heavenly Jerusalem. As a result, they find themselves praying for

BY

D R .

R E G G I E

K I D D

Dr. Reggie Kidd joined Reformed Theological Seminary in 1990 and served as Professor of New Testament. Dr. Kidd is an ordained priest in The Episcopal Church and has served as a pastor and elder at multiple churches.

Samford University Center for Worship and the Arts Broadening the conversation about teenage worship leadership in the church today

2020

Join us on the campus of Samford University June 22-26 for Animate.

A five-day summer program in worship leadership for teenagers and their adult mentors

samford.edu/go/animate

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LEADERSHIP M I S S I O N A L

WO R S H I P

And the church of Christ was born The Spirit lit the flame

This Gospel Truth of old

It shall not kneel, it shall not faint FROM “KING OF KINGS,” HILLSONG MUSIC AUSTRALIA

T

ranslation. Without it, there would be no Church. That might sound dramatic, but it’s quite true. The esteemed Yale scholar Dr Lamin Sanneh puts it this way, “The original language of Christianity is translation.” By this, he means that Christianity is faith in motion.

The community centred on the Bible has expanded over the last two thousand years across various lands and cultures, incorporating these places into the story as it traveled. From the Christians gathered in the Judean Upper Room, this message spread to Europe and North Africa and on to every continent of the world. It’s an incredible miracle. In fact, the church has been so successful in globalizing that we Christians are a part of something utterly breath-taking. It is unlike any other organization across the world. Although there may be talented individuals and leaders, there’s no one human who can take the credit. Only God’s Spirit could have ignited the global Church, just as the song “King of Kings” sings.

UNCOMMON GROWTH In the beginning, Christian expansion was not linked to colonialism (where one nation or group seeks to expand their authority or power over another). In fact, it is best described as the resistance of those oppressed by the Roman Empire.

But, amazingly, the faith embraced slave owners, and Roman leaders. Those of humble backgrounds served to witness to Christ’s great love.

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Similarly, today a fast growing movement is occurring— from the margins back into the centre. The demographic heartlands of the Christian faith are now Africa and South America.

Nations with the highest percentage of Christianity are in Asia or Oceania. Today, the average missionary is a person of colour, often without the wealth of the West. But what they lack in resources, they make up for in sheer grit and anointing.

Sanneh highlights Christian translation as particularly extraordinary, because of its capacity to move into the vernacular. In other words, it moves in the everyday language of the people. This message adapted into the folk languages of many diverse cultures.

THE FRAGRANCE OF COMMUNICATION But translation is a cross-cultural act. It requires both a communicator and a receiver. It’s more complicated than simple math, as the meaning of words changes across cultures. This isn’t only seen true for Christianity, of course. In the famous love story of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, the lovestruck Juliet learns Romeo’s full name. With it, she finds out that Romeo is the son of her father’s arch-enemy. She famously cries, What’s in a name?

That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet By this, she means, of course, that Romeo is, in essence, the same person, despite this new truth she has found out about him. In response, she decides to forgive a Capulet family rivalry because she loves him so much. For her, the Montague name is only a word.

However, Christians declare the name of Jesus as more than it first appears. In Jesus is all provision, healing, safety, security, and eschatology. The orator S. M. Lockeridge says, “He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.” As the global church tells of the power of Jesus Christ it includes many stories waiting to be told, and songs waiting to be written.

BARRIERS TO UNDERSTANDING All this points out a massive debate in the Christian world which spills over into worship music. Through the years, particular words have been stressed, and considered to be of utmost

importance. They have been thought to have universal meaning.

For example, I don’t know if you are used to saying JOHN 3:16 the same way I am,

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Traditional biblical translations are important, and we shouldn’t ignore them; they are important for our Christian community. But songwriters need to remember that whosoever isn’t a common word in English today. Neither is begotten. And neither is perish. In fact, this verse in its traditional language requires a working knowledge of senior high English. Which is okay if you’re educated and know what the words mean.

However, its poetic beauty can also be a barrier to understanding.

Missionaries of the previous generations did everything they could to remove the barriers to understanding and make the Bible plain and clear. For example, John Wycliffe translated the Vulgate in 1382 into common English. Also, William Tyndale was executed in 1536—but not before igniting a commitment to a vernacular English translation of the Word. In response, fortytwo scholars successfully launched the King James Version of the Bible in 1611, written in “Middle English” with sponsorship of the King. The same version that was so revolutionary for the sixteen hundreds has been re-translated back into common English today in innumerable versions.

As we enter a new decade, there is a tension to be held in reviving both the creativity of the previous generations and

Translation isn’t just about making the complicated simple…It’s about making sure the receiver understands what’s being said. their faithfulness to the Word. There is a call to become God’s translators. New languages, new cultures and subcultures are emerging. Many of them have little or no biblical literacy. Yes, even (and especially) in the Western world.

Let’s not ignite old debates over musical structure and syntax (or hymn versus the chorus!), but let’s think again about how to communicate the “Gospel Truth of old” to the people that haven’t yet heard the message. Translation isn’t just about making the complicated simple. Complexity can be conveyed via communication. It’s about making sure the receiver understands what’s being said. There have never been more resources than what we have at our fingertips right now in our smartphone to do it, either.

BY

TA N YA R I C H E S

SENIOR LECTURER, MASTERS PROGRAM COORDINATOR AT HILLSONG COLLEGE

Tanya co-leads the research pillar at The Centre for Disability Studies, an affiliate of the University of Sydney.

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school of worship

We train worship leaders to transform their world .

Fall 2020 En r ol lm ent Now Open. we are anthem.org

Anthem worship conference

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Josh Fox + Anthem

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Paul Baloche chase wiggins + Encounter

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LEADERSHIP

Select words of Worship in the Bible

MASSIVE POTENTIAL As we journey into 2020, let us become captured afresh by the beauty of God’s Word preserved for us through the ages. For those of us given stewardship of the privilege of ministering to God in song and leading others to worship Him through music and the arts, let us hold in highest regard the meaning of the words of worship in the original Hebrew and Greek languages.

These words tend to go far beyond their simplified translations into English versions: like shabach, found in Psalm 63:3, which means “to say with great volume;” and yahah (Psalm 33:2) that means “to praise while using your hands;” and gol (Psalm 95:1) – “to vocalize like thunder;” and patsach (Psalm 100:1), which tells us worship is to be delivered “like an explosion of sound.” These scriptural words tell us a great deal about the immense possibilities of worship expressions and the desired heart condition God wants from His people.

THE VOICE THAT KNOWS

to say with great volume

Yahah

to praise while using your hands

Gol

to vocalize like thunder

Patsach

worship is to be delivered “like an explosion of sound.”

BY

B R E N DA N

TA L K

E

ven with the most recent scholarship, the best English language versions, the best software and lexicons, there is still so much lost in translation when we delve into the original languages of the Bible, where every word reveals the richness of God’s creative expression and remarkable depths of His love.

Shabach

P R O U T

Brendan Prout is a husband, dad, pastor and worship leader in San Diego, CA. He loves training and equipping others to do the work of ministry they are called to, all things geeky, good food, cars, coffee, and not driving off cliffs anymore.

TA B L E

How Deep The Father’s Word For Us

Our own differing opinions about what worship should look like and sound like can be put to the side when we read about how God wants to be worshiped, for His is the opinion that truly matters, which He expresses quite clearly through the words of the Bible. The understanding of His heart for His worship only comes when His people spend serious time in His Word to hear His voice.

Over 103 words for worship used 130 times in the Bible [if you do a search online or query scholars you’ll find all kinds of numbers from five to 509, to 8,629] describe in various illustrative ways just what God would like His worship to be like. In view of this, our challenge should not be to find out how loud we can turn our sound system volume up to, but to earnestly seek how to turn up the volume of the hearts of the people in our churches. And if I’m doing the math right (out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks), then that would result in the resoundingly loud praise that God desires.

The understanding of His heart for His worship only comes when His people spend serious time in His Word to hear His voice.

LIVES THAT SING Let’s not lose sight of the fact that God is after our hearts first and foremost, and that out of the overflow of our heart, not only our music but our very lives would sing loudly of His immense worth, with our words and actions sounding forth boldly and distinctly of the greatness of Jesus Christ.

That is worship worthy of the Father, the Son Who is King of Heaven, and the Holy Spirit.

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MULTICULTURAL WORSHIP N I K K I

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BY

How do you and I engage in true, healthy multicultural ministry this year when we feel like we don’t know where to start or how to do it. God’s Word, the text of our lives offers us a great place to begin. Are you ready? Let’s get right to it! In EPHESIANS 4: 1-3 (NLT) The Apostle Paul says this…

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each

other, making allowance for each other’s faults

because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Wait, Lord. Does this Scripture apply in every area of our lives? Certainly not in diversity work, right? If there were ever a space where I can lean into my flesh, do my own thing, yell at someone on Facebook, and make my own decision about what my ministry team should look like it’s certainly in this area, right, Lord?

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and part of being human is the journey of learning and growing. In moments like this, old residue from our old life is rearing its ugly head. It can emerge when having deep conversations around race and culture.

Mostly because so many thoughts, feelings, and emotions are connected to the depths of who we are and what we have experienced thus far in our lifejourney. We need not be afraid. Our leader, Paul, reveals the provision of Christ to us.

ALWAYS BE HUMBLE AND GENTLE. No individual, no culture group, no gender, no pastor, no elder is excluded when it comes to this admonition. I’m sorry.

I actually wish that wasn’t true, particularly when you and I have been in situations when we have been sinned against.

When we have been the victim of an act. When we have been the recipient of an unusually unkind word or deed. And yet, here it is, right here in the Word of God, the text of our lives.

Your next worship team member is sitting in your pew.

Grow

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Want to reach the nations?

Start with your local congregation by making every effort towards unity.

Freedom comes in asking better questions. The question in this situation is not, “God, do I have to be humble and gentle when I feel like someone has sinned against me pertaining to my race?” A better question may be, “God, I feel angry, hurt, and confused. Can you please show me how to embody humility and gentleness in this situation?” Sometimes you are actually the one who needs it for yourself. Other times, Jesus invites us to give this grace to others. We always get a choice, however. Whether that comes today or later on the continuum of our life journey.

BE PATIENT AND MAKE ALLOWANCES. This is my favorite part of this verse. Paul doesn’t randomly suggest that we do these things. He gives us a reason. It’s because of our love. You see, when we are hurt, tired, and confused with one more conversation about ethnicity, color, privilege, lack—this list is eternal—we can have a moment where we forget who we are and who our God is and settle back into the remnants and residue of an old life. Be patient?

When someone has told me that I am a racist? Yes, because of your love. Make allowances…again? When revealed again how I am not represented or included? Yes, because of love. If we could get a moment to breathe when we feel anger—that is oftentimes righteous—and remember that the same grace was and is offered on our behalf, we gain perspective.

God is patient with us. God makes allowances for our faults. Can you even pause now, and remember even just one time where God lavished these things on you and showed you a model of how you can love others? “Yes,” is always the answer to that question. He is so good to us. He has modeled for us already exactly what this looks like. It is by His power,

by His Spirit, and by His Word, the text of our lives, that any of us are even capable to do what Ephesians 4 has asked of us.

Lean in to the discomfort of excercising patience and making allowances. You will find Him there with a provision of Grace for the moment.

pictures on the wall that they are represented? Have we made every effort through the training of our staff, leadership team, worship team, volunteer influencers to prepare them for a shift in the ethnic culture of our church? Have I made every effort as a leader to pursue what Christ has asked me to in the local church—every tribe, every nation, every people, every language —worshiping around the Lamb? Tough question to answer, right? Have I made every effort in the area of multicultural work and ministry?

Now, before you go and decide to give up ministry work for life, let me give you a virtual hug and share a critical perspective with you. The admonitions in Ephesians 4 are meant to encourage you, not trap you. They are meant to give you a vision of what is possible for your ministry and your ministry reach.

Want to reach the nations? Start with your local congregation by making every effort towards unity. Want to see your worship team or pastoral team be more ethnically diverse? Always be humble and gentle when you connect with people, when you talk about politics, and when you discuss current events that are racially-fueled. Always, means always. Want to see a church community that is more concerned with learning about one another, celebrating cultural come-from and learning? Then make allowances for each other‘s faults, because of your love for each other and your love for Christ.

Make. Every. Effort.

Don’t. Give. Up. Let the residue of an old life and old ministry ways stay where they belong—in the past. Embrace the way of Christ in the work of multicultural worship and ministry. You are stronger than you think.

MAKE EVERY EFFORT Paul gives us a question for every situation in our lives. Have I made every effort to keep the unity? Have I made every effort to make someone feel welcome? Have we made every effort to make sure that when people walk into our church and see 34 W O R S H I P L E A D E R | W O R S H I P L E A D E R .C O M | VO L . 29, N O. 1

N I K K I L E R N E R VOCALIST

Nikki Lerner is a cultural coach, teacher, and gifted vocalist with over 20 years as a practitioner of multicultural worship leadership in the local church. Along with three recording projects, Nikki is also the co-author of the book Worship Together: In Your Church As In Heaven.

Nikkilerner.com

SU B SC R I B E

FO R

FR E E

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LEADERSHIP

Connecting God’s Word to Our Setlist with Themes

BY JA S O N W H I T E H O R N

C U R AT I N G

+

P L A N N I N G

WO R S H I P

O

ne of the most common struggles I hear from Pastors I talk with is helping their worship leader curate song choices to fit key passages from the message each week. One of the greatest tools we can use is to thematically bring the Word from the weekly message to life in song to help reinforce key points throughout our congregation’s daily life.

Music and lyrics are a great medium to do this. Here are the steps I give worship leaders and pastors to team up and curate better sets and messages to go along with God’s Word.

Let’s assume our pastor has said that the theme of this message is going to focus more on calling on the name of Jesus, so my theme might be more focused on the name of Jesus as well.

CCLI has a great resource available to SongSelect members at songselect.ccli.com/search/themes where you can search for songs by Themes. I can also search “Songs about the Name of Jesus” or “Songs about Romans 10:13” and take note of the songs that I get as a result.

PLAN IT OUT START WITH THE WORD We could sum everything up by saying, “Ask your pastor what Scripture s/he is speaking on, find a song that might reference that Scripture, and you’re set!” In reality, though... we need to dive deeper. Ask your pastor what key Scripture is planned for use and then spend a few days dwelling on it.

Send the Scriptures to your entire worship team so that they can begin praying on it and letting God find ways to work it into their lives.

START CURATING When it is time to start collecting songs, I begin by asking: “What seems to be the central theme of the verse or passage?” I would then ask the speaking pastor, “What theme are you going for along with this passage?” Then, it's off to Google and a blank piece of paper for ideas. Let’s say the verse is ROMANS 10:13

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Guide to Connecting God’s Word to our Setlist Ask your pastor what key Scriptures they are planning to use and then spend a few days dwelling on them in prayer and meditation.

Send the Scriptures to your entire worship team so that they can begin praying, looking to God for revelation and application in their lives. (They may end up having a suggestion for a song you missed, so check back with them later in the process.)

Begin song collection process by asking, “What seems to be the central theme of the verse or passage?” And clarify with speaking pastor the central theme he wishes to underscore in his sermon.

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Not all the songs that you come up with will fit. Perhaps a song will not work for congregational singing. Perhaps one song just isn’t your congregation’s style...but it has some amazing words that fit the theme. Keep all the songs that fit the theme on a list. Then arrange the songs by key, fast, medium, slow and craft them into your set. You will likely have quite a few left over—and that is perfect—we will use those later. Send out your setlist to your team but ask them to pray over the words before they even play the first note. Remember, these songs weren’t picked at random, so they should be carefully thought about as we prepare to play and sing them. The more focused on the songs we are before going into them on a Sunday, them more deeply we will be prepared to connect them with our congregations.

CONNECTING THE DOTS WITH PLAYLISTS Remember the other songs we aren't using but we thought fit the theme? They aren’t wasted. Take a moment and create a curated playlist of those songs to be played as your “pre/postservice” music. Before your attenders and visitors even hear the message, they are already, subliminally, being prepared for the theme and the Word that your pastor and your team has been preparing for God to plant in their hearts!

Boil it down to essential elements and search songs related to the theme. If you are a CCLI member, search songs by themes.

Prayerfully pick the best, most suitable songs for your congregation and service, then arrange them musically and lyrically to create a setlist script from beginning to end.

Send songs to your team for reflection, preparation and prayer before they play the first note.

Organize songs that don’t make main playlist, but are still relevant, for pre/post-service music.

O F T H E

WO R S H I P

LEADERSHIP

The Six Hats

BY R I C H

LE A D E R

K I R K PAT R I C K

Tech teams are built on trust and empathy.

Every church deals with production, whether we have 60 people in our services or thousands. My worship leadership experience includes both small churches and large ones. Every church­—regardless of size—needs a way to show lyrics, amplify the sound, and invite people to engage through some form of production technology. But, production is an awkward hat to wear, let alone discuss. In my book, The Six Hats of the Worship Leader, I started a conversation about how to "wear a hat, share a hat, or give a hat away." Leading worship is more than music, and it's more than being in front of people. When appreciation for the people who wear the hat of production or tech lags, the results frustrate.

When a lyric is too late, or misspelled, heads turn back to the tech booth. This scenario is horrifying to the person advancing the screens as the whole production team intends to be invisible. What is even worse is when a worship leader or pastor from the front calls out the person or makes more obvious the error! When a microphone misses the first words of the worship leader's intro, heads look to the audio engineer without the knowledge that the worship leader turned on his microphone, forgetting that it takes at least three full seconds to find the radio signal that transmits to the PA system. Yes, tensions not only grow but possibly inhibit the atmosphere of the entire worship team and crew when such things happen. And, no matter how professional the situation, they will happen. The good news is that there are some ways to help the people who wear the Technical or Production Hat of the worship leader.

Here are seven tips to help establish a basic level of trust. The main thing to remember is that empathy matters.

Walking in the shoes of the production team creates a culture that listens and empowers people already wired to go the extra mile for the rest of us!

1

2

Put all hands on deck. Build unity by sharing the hat for set up and clean up. When audio lines need checking before rehearsal, the band can come early to help. If you worship in rented facilities, everyone needs to pitch in! We, as musicians and technicians, are one team.

Choose leadership. Challenge the technical director to participate in setting the vision for the service. Maybe, the first step is to put in place a person to lead the production team. Tech is part of worship leadership, too.

3

Commit to punctuality. As a whole team, show up on time to keep morale strong. Being first in and last out is the call of those who serve in tech.

Be aware of what your actions speak to your teammates.

4

Spread the thanks. Thank people both on and off the platform. Have you thanked the techs for their work lately?

Thanking people for their contributions—on stage or not— indicates a healthy team.

5

Communicate intentionally.

Protect your team by offering insights when no one is in earshot. And, if your feedback can wait, send it later rather than during a service.

6

Kill the cliques. As a musician, I understand the bonding that is special when you play music together. However, we want more than musicians and music to lead worship. Include in your relationships and care for people in the production team.

7

Grow in skill. Helping people master a skill may be the most effective investment and motivator. When is the last time you offered a workshop, video, or training experience for your tech team or leaders? When your production team grows, so does the entire team.

L E A D T M E DR YS N H AI P M I C S

Production and Tech

I imagine a worship team as a whole unit made up of very different skills, roles, and personalities. As we explore each hat or role worship leaders wear, we need to remember an important principle: When a worship team operates in unity behind the scenes, it leads people better in worship from the stage.

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MUSIC. T HE

2 0 2 0

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LO S T

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PR AY ER

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2020

DOWNLOAD ALL SONG RESOURCES FOR FREE!

SELECTIONS

Give Thanks Asaph WRITTEN BY ASAPH

Take Heart Sarah Kroger 2020

WRITTEN BY SARAH KROGER

Let my soul now rest, I am in your hands; all my future and my past. As the things of earth grow strangely dim, all will come to light at last.”

Higher Century Worship WRITTEN BY DANIEL ASHER & CENTURY WORSHIP

Still You Are Good Calvary Music WRITTEN BY JENNIE MAHOOD

Hope Has A Name River Valley Worship WRITTEN BY AARON JOHNSON, BENJAMIN CRUSE, EVAN JOHN, RYAN WILLIAMS

Abide With Me Sara Groves WRITTEN BY HENRY FRANCIS LYTE, JUSTIN SMITH

He Wears A Crown Bryan McCleery WRITTEN BY BRYAN MCCLEERY, JOSH LAVENDER

My Prayer Frankie and Jen Krasinski

"TAKE HEART"

BY SARAH KROGER

WRITTEN BY FRANKIE KRASINSKI, JEN KRASINSKI

Stay Close Awaken Worship Collective WRITTEN BY JOSH LAVENDER AND TAYLOR WILDING

Set Free Valley Worship WRITTEN BY MATTHEW FERRER, BEN LOUNSBURY, JOEL CEBALLOS, CHRISTOPHER FINK

Good News to ourselves. For we do not want to honor God with our lips while our hearts remain far away. "Take Heart" encourages us to bring our whole selves, the parts we’re proud of as well as the parts we wish we could change, and offer living sacrifices to God. May this song comfort and encourage you.

Psalm 132 (A Church Established) Cardiphonia Music WRITTEN BY ISAAC WATTS, JOEL LIMPIC

Light After Darkness Advent Birmingham WRITTEN BY FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL, ZAC HICKS

Hallelujah, Christ Our King The New Collective WRITTEN BY SCOTT DYER, MICHAEL ROSSBACK, CORBIN PIERCE, MICHAEL NEALE, CYNTHIA JEHL

2019

"Take Heart" is a fine example of meeting yourself with a Gospel charge. While we are suffering, the truth is critically important and most difficult to discern. In worship, it is crucial that we are honest about the way we feel, our desires, and our misguided wanderings. Only from that place should we preach the unwavering

W R I T T E N BY G R E G L A FO L L E T T E SONG DISCOVERY DIRECTOR OF CURATION

Greg is a musician and producer in Nashville,TN. He is the resident artist at a local church plant, Grace Story Church, and serves as their director of arts and liturgy.

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Welcome Here The Journey Collective WRITTEN BY RUSS MOHR

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We want to invite you on this journey to search for the gems of the past and rediscover them for the Church today.

Post your thoughts on prayers that are lost and missing on our discussion board

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

BY

J O S H

L AV E N D E R WORSHIP DIRECTOR, TRINITY CHURCH INDIANAPOLIS

Josh is the co-founder of Wesleyan Worship Project and Awaken Worship Collective.

He is a composer, artist, author and Song Discovery Alum

MUSIC

THE POETS RELEASED

L O S T

&

M I S S I N G

P R AY E R S

Since that dinner there have been a series of songwriting retreats that my own church, Trinity Wesleyan Church, has been hosting in Indianapolis. At these retreats we’ve asked worship scholars to help us revisit faithful lyrics, and release poets and artists to bring new life to sung prayers—worship songs—that are lost or missing.

In the spirit of this vision, this column, “Lost and Missing Prayers” will look for the themes that need renewal or rediscovery and invite worship leaders and songwriters to fill the gaps with new worship songs! There are many different layers of lost and missing prayers. Sometimes a certain type of song might be present in one congregation and not another.

Different Christian movements emphasize different parts of the faith, so what might be lost or missing in one movement could be very much alive in another. In this column we will highlight different themes of sung prayer that we believe are lost or missing, themes that have the potential to richly bless God’s people. We want to invite you on this journey to search for the gems of the past and rediscover them for the Church today.

T H E

THE LOST AND MISSING PR AYER S

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few years ago, I was at dinner in California with two dear friends, Andrea Hunter and Lester Ruth. Lester has done amazing work analyzing CCLI data to find trends and recognize both what churches are singing, and what we’re not. As we talked about worship that night, the conversation led us to a topic that resonated deeply with all three of us—lost and missing things in our worship services.

We talked about the kinds of prayers and songs that seemed to disappear over the decades, and Andrea suggested we end by asking the Lord if there was something he wanted us to do about it.

SHINING LIGHT AT HOME Maybe there’s something lost and missing in your church. Many great songs are written because there’s something a particular congregation needs to pray at a certain time. For example, I think of Matt Redman’s “The Heart of Worship” or Desperation Band’s “Overcome.” These songs were written in response to a local congregation’s need. It seems like God breathed on both of these songs and sent them all over the world, but they were written for a specific season with particular people in mind. C. S. Lewis reminds us that “the light that shines the farthest shines brightest nearest home.”

Dr. Constance Cherry, one of my worship teachers, always encouraged her students to take reverently the task of putting words on the lips and in the hearts of God’s people. It is the role of worship leaders and songwriters to be sensitive to both what God is saying in His word and by His Spirit, and to what the community needs in a particular moment. We get the blessed work of holding both the Scriptures and the community and humbly offering weekly scripts to put God and his people in conversation.

May God make us sensitive to what might be lost or missing in the sung prayers of our people.

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M A S T E R C L A S S //

SO N GWR ITI N G

MUSIC A N S W E R E D Q U E S T I O N S

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he most effective leaders are those who commit to lifelong learning. They seize opportunities to gather new experiences, and they ask good questions. More specifically, they ask the right people good questions.

The heart of Worship Leader is to help you become the most effective leader you can be by providing resources from and access to the right people—seasoned leaders who have traversed roads you may be on at this very moment.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more seasoned, informed, and experienced leader than Matt Redman. With 16 albums and eight books to his credit, not to mention iconic songs like "10,000 Reasons" and "The Heart of Worship," and his most recent release, Glory Song, Matt has helped craft the era of modern worship music and ministry.

Accolades aside, Matt possesses a wealth of knowledge and insight, which is why Worship Leader is thrilled to partner with him by launching an interactive Q&A column to be featured inside the magazine and on WorshipLeader.com. Readers are encouraged to send their questions on anything about worship.

From musical to technical to spiritual topics, Matt is ready and waiting to offer you his expertise and perspective.

Stay tuned to worshipleader.com for more information and details of question submission. In the meantime, check out the video below from Matt to you. You’ve got good questions. He’s got answers!

with Matt Redman

WATC H

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N OW

We’ve seen an electronic infusion into worship music the last many years... and it feels as if that’s waning...

What do you think will be the next stylistic movement for congregational worship?

You’ve got questions.

He’s got answers.

ASK MATT

He’s one of the most well-known and respected songwriters and worship leaders in the world. And now, Matt Redman is sharing his hard-won wisdom with you!

Read below as Matt helps tackle the intricacies of compelling song-writing and shares insight on maximizing your effectiveness as a leader within smaller contexts.

That’s an interesting question—and a seems to be almost cyclical: I can remember 20+ really interesting assessment of where things years ago when some people were advising me to stop leading worship on an acoustic guitar, are currently at in terms of genre and musical because “it wasn’t where culture was at.” And expression etc. The first thing to say is that if then up popped Coldplay, and we were good we take a few steps back, we remember that again for a while, ha! And then Adele arrived; it’s a much bigger picture than we often think all of a sudden you were even good with just a about. Right now, all around the globe, there great melody, a great vocal, and a piano. And are so many expressions from so many tribes that was an encouraging moment I felt for so and tongues, both the young and the old, both the curious and the conservative. Even here in many worship leaders, that it didn’t always have the USA I love the privilege of teaming up with to be the grand and the programmed and the complex; it could just be a heart, some voices people expressing their worship loudly and elecand a great song. tronically and then, sometimes even in the same week, It can be all too easy to only see what’s THE BIGGER PICTURE jumping in with right in front of our face, but when we folk like Keith and I’d agree with step back a bit, we can see there’s far Kristyn Getty, who your comment that take a more hymnic there have been more going on, in far more imaginative a nd t rad it iona l some shifts towards and creatively diverse ways than we approach are doing the organic and could ever really track. wonderful things away from the electhrough the ‘Sing!’ tronic. Having said Conference. Or— that, electro and another example—on my last record, having programming and Ableton and Loopcommuthe opportunity to sing with one of the best nity.com and Multitracks.com are still very gospel choirs in Los Angeles; and then on my much alive and well too! And maybe that’s new album, featuring a classical chorale. To me the beautiful thing: that some of the Church all this diversity simply points to the worth of leans back towards the breath-filled, and the Christ—He’s far too glorious to be contained hand-played and the uncomplicated, while by just one expression! So I think in asking a other streams move forward with those more question like the one above it’s really important computer-driven expressions. And all do so to first acknowledge the big picture. It can be for the glory of God and the furthering of His all too easy to only see what’s right in front of gospel among different people groups. our face, but when we step back a bit, we can see there’s far more going on, in far more imaginaTHE NEW AND THE CONSTANT tive and creatively diverse ways than we could ever really track.

So my answer would be that I’m always keen to see what each generation unveils creatively, but I think it’s impossible to sum up the “next” THE SHIFT & WHAT DRIVES IT? or the “new.” There’s just too much going on— Anyway… back to the actual question! Yes, too broad of a creative spectrum across the in some streams and expressions of church Church to be able to get handle on it. My gut instinct though is that there are a few factors worship music, there does seem to be a degree of fluidity where we lean heavily into some that will always win the day. We can move aspects of expression, and then after a while away from them at times, but we always seem lean into something different. I think it often to keep coming back to elements such as an happens in streams of the Church that like to inspiring melody, a repeatable hook, singability track with what is happening around them in and a human touch—by which I mean instruments played by a human hand and voices less contemporary music culture. Writers, teams or compressed and processed. leaders/artists try to keep pace with subtle or sometimes seismic musical shifts for reasons Thanks Kyle for your question—very such as relevance and welcome. And much of it thought-provoking!

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MUSIC Q & A

the McClures

W H E N LE A D E R S H I P TE LL S YO U T O B E Y O U R S E L F //

W I T H S T E V E R E E D

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ransplants to Redding California from High Pointe North Carolina, Paul and Hannah McClure, have been serving at Bethel Church for quite awhile. Once they were just attenders at the Bethel School of Ministry but now they are heavily involved in writing, leading worship, and Paul even manages the worship department. We caught up with them on the heels of their recent release of a surprising solo project that, at the encouragement of their leadership, pays homage to their southern roots but with the spirit and faith of their west coast church home.

WORSHIP LEADER (WL): Thanks for joining us today.

We are excited to talk with you guys.

PAUL: We are church kids at heart. Both of us are PK’s and

really…worship leaders are my favorite genre of people to talk to, because they get the struggles and all the stuff.

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WL: You guys are a big part of Bethel but it seems a lot of people are confused about what exactly Bethel is or understand the difference between the church and the record company:

PAUL: Yeah it’s confusing. I work for Bethel church in a full

time position. Bethel music is a separate thing but yet still the same thing. My office is at Bethel music but I don’t work for them. (laughs) Bethel church is in Redding California, Bill Johnson is the pastor and his father was the pastor before him. Bill has been the pastor for 20+ years. Brian and Jen Johnson took over the worship department when they were newly married like 20 years ago and then in about 2010 Bethel Music kinda started.

I tell worship leaders a lot when they ask, “Hey, we want to start doing albums. How did you guys do that?” Brian started it because he had to. It wasn’t the cart before the horse. It wasn’t

let’s start a label and then try to write songs. They were leading these songs that had life on them that were creating encounters. They were doing stuff and then they created the label out of necessity because they thought these songs were supposed to reach the world. I think that’s important. A lot of people just want to be awesome, but it's like just be awesome because you're already awesome.

So the mandate of the Bethel Music is to export what is happening at Bethel Church. Anyone who is on the label of Bethel Music, that lives in Redding, is required to be a part of the church. Everyone that is in the touring band, anyone who leads, they lead twice a month minimum. We are a part of the church and then we export that to the world. Everyone is rooted in the local church and what God is doing here. All of our songs are being led at church and coming out of those times.

So the people involved are obviously connected but Bethel is very much a music label because there are also people who are attached to the label who do not live in the Redding. Like the Helsers in North Carolina, Brandon Lake, and Cory Asbury for example.

Another thing that confuses people is when someone from Bethel Music puts out an album like ours, an artist album, that’s even more confusing.

Bethel Music’s main albums are the collective live albums.

That’s the thing that’s our heart, writing songs for the church to sing. The beauty, and the thing Bethel also believes in, is that they also want to hear your own unique artist take on your music. So when we write for a collective album we are very much like, “Hey, here is our song and they produce it in a way that fits the collective sound.” But then to the indie artist they say, “Hey, be you and be free to be you,” which is beautiful honestly.

I think when you attached the Bethel name to it, it confuses people because they are used to the live worship.

about corporate songs, which is hard and amazing, and they just wanted more of us. Just to feel that they could get to know us. Just more personal.

WL: Which is probably the exact opposite advice you’ve always heard

PAUL: Exactly. Make sure people can relate. Since we’ve moved

here that’s how we’ve written, being relatable and being a bit more general.

HANNAH: Actually it’s quite a vulnerable process. Getting that

feedback and looking at ourselves and even questioning, “What do we have to say and what is our message?” It just challenged us and so we went back to the drawing board a couple of times just reworking things. We ended up writing Now I See which kind of launched the whole project. We wrote it and showed it to Brian and Joel and they were just like. “This sounds like you guys, this is it. This is what we’ve been looking for.” Just as far as the sound of going back to our North Carolina roots and just the language of it and how the lyrics are relatable but tell more of a story. That kind of launched us from there, “Ok, this is the direction we are writing and we can have it be relatable but still more personal and tell a part of our story.”

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

WL: Your album has a very North Carolina southern roots sound to it. How has northern California taken to your music?

PAUL: I think people have been receptive to it because it just

feels like us. Like fully. We’ve been on albums since 2015 with Bethel Music, but never got to be free to create ourselves. We are both stoked because we worked on this project for so long.

To release it and be like, ‘Wow, this really feels like us,’ has been really exciting.

WL: Talk about that challenge when you work at a church, how you’re coming under their vision vs. your personal vision. You do songs like your church wants to vs. how you would do it differently.

HANNAH: That was an interpreting process for us because we had been writing for this album since 2016. It was a really long process. We got feedback at one point (from leadership) saying that they couldn’t feel our story in it. We had been so used to writing for the corporate church and just thinking

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THE

PO DCAST

EPISODE 1

MATT MAHER LI S TE N

N OW

To launch our new podcast series we sat down around a grand piano with writer and worship leader Matt Maher to talk about his path from growing up in Canada to being a jazz piano major in Phoenix to now leading worship around the world. With practical examples Matt shares some tips on how to play the piano in a group vs by yourself and what to do if you’re classically trained in a sheetmusic-less world.

WATC H

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MUSIC

ALBUM REVIEWS

BY EDITORIAL STAFF

SOLACE

BY MASTER'S VOICE

www.awakenworshipcollective.com

www.mastersvoice.com

MORE

Incredible lyrics that uniquely displays our positioning in God's universe. Igniting the total reliance that we should have in Him as He fights our battles for us.

A phenomenal entry into the Southern Gospel worship movement. This quintet has great things in store. They even feature their sound technician on their website as an equal contributor to the album is admirable.

LESS

Great song in the field of great songs. Could easily get lost in the mix of worship collectives now putting out equally evocative music.

The band uses a variety of lead singers as they segue through the album that at times can be good, but in this instance creates a dynamic that is too much variety.

“At Home” is the weakest track on the entire album.

Featuring Taylor Wilding and Jennifer Wilding on lead vocals, Our Champion highlights God's ability to transition “our weakness into worship” and using God's omnipresence as THE source of our strength.

The sole goal of Awaken Worship Collective is “creating resources for a great awakening in our day.”

They have achieved an opportunity for that with their call to battle, “Our Champion,” a great song for personal listening and encouragement.

This group of writers, speakers, creatives and worship leaders realize that awakening can only come through the power of God and His championing for His people.

Author: Randy Cross | www.tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com

A L B U M S

"OUR CHAMPION" SINGLE BY AWAKEN WORSHIP COLLECTIVE

Southern Gospel lovers who are looking for their “Gaither Vocal Band” fix need look no further than Master's Voice and their January 2020 release on Sonlite Records, Solace.

Solace features a typical fare of down home lyric expressing the honor and worship to which God should be attributed with the occasional “human perspective” ode thrown in to bring balance to the project.

Supported by the strength of songs like “Last of the Last Days,” “Five Minutes,” and the brass section flavored, “He's Coming Back,” Solace is a perfect edition to any fan of the genres playlist.

Author: Randy Cross | www.tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com

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SO N G

D I S COV E RY

E X I ST S

SO N G S

TO

&

P R OV I D E

R ES O U R C ES

TH AT A D D R ES S

N E E DS

O F T H E

P L AY

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T H E

C H U R C H .

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MUSIC LESS

"THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU"

SINGLE BY CODY CARNES

SINGLE BY MARTY AND MISHA GOETZ

www.codycarnes.com

www.itsmishamusic.com

Another great song for the church. Easily singable by most congregations regardless of demographic.

“Christ Be Magnified” will be showing up in new song rotations all over the world very soon.

This song needs airplay everywhere! There is nothing that should be changed about it unless it is more and more people hearing its encouragement and beauty.

Absolutely nothing. Great song that needs to get a complete orchestral arrangement and find its way to the church quickly.

Absolutely nothing.

"We find our native cry and inmost melody when worship to Jesus is expressed out of us.” says, Cody Carnes writer and singer of the new worship song, “Christ Be Magnified.” Debuting this song at the 2020 Passion conference is one way to put that “native cry” on display as 65,000 twentysomethings found their “inmost melody” and magnified the name of Jesus together.

Following closely on 2019 successes like “Nothing Else,” “Heaven Fall” and “Run to the Father,” Cody Carnes blasts into 2020 with his new single, capturing the flavor of what it means to be a worshiper in the new decade. With raw, emotive lyrics harkening back to “Ain't No Rock,” Carnes boldly declares with this generation the real desire for an authentic daily encounter with Christ.

Worship with Carnes and his wife Kari Jobe as they tour together this spring where “Christ Be Magnified” will certainly be a part of the worship set.

Have you ever felt hopeless? We all have. One of the passages of Scripture that has provided comfort in those moments is Jeremiah 29:11. It has been put to music many times, but none quite so poignantly and elegantly as Marty and Misha Goetz have written in their single “The Plans I Have For You.” Being Messianic Jews, the Goetz gravitated towards this passage of Scripture as the inspiration for the song because of the incredible promise given to the nation of Israel at one of the most tumultuous times in their history.

Written from the perspective of a back and forth between one who has lost hope and God, “The Plans I Have For You” is an exquisite reminder that we are never out of His sight and that His ways are greater than our ways.

The song is featured on their project, Marty and Misha Goetz: Live from Jerusalem taken from a concert on their first annual tour of worship together through Israel in 2018.

Author: Randy Cross | www.tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com

A L B U M S

MORE

"CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED"

Author: Randy Cross | www.tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com

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MUSIC A L B U M S

EDEN TO ETERNITY

"FAMOUS FOR"

BY SEU WORSHIP

SINGLE BY TAUREN WELLS

www.www.seu.edu/seuworship

www.taurenwells.com

This could potentially bring attention to SEU Worship on a larger level than previous releases. With its youth oriented feel and positive positioning, Eden to Eternity will be a great entry into the electronica worship genre.

Wonderfully introspective song that calls believers to seek out the absolute best relationship they can have with God through their personal listening and worship time enabling them to do the great things He has planned for them.

This is definitely an album with a specific generational appeal. Twentysomethings and younger listeners for which it is intended should enjoy the electronica feel of this EP.

Written for personal listening and worship. Would love to see what Wells could do with a church application of “Famous For.”

From South Eastern University in Lakeland, Florida comes the newest EP release of the University's worship collective, Eden to Eternity. The EP is set to release in February and the single “Higher Than I” is already available at your favorite streaming service.

This worship movement includes song writers, creatives, and musicians who combine head bobbing, synth driven, music with positive, God-focused lyrics all wrapped up in a worship listening package that guarantees a new experience.

Coming fresh off of winning 4 categories at the 2019 Dove Awards is the new single by Tauren Wells, “Famous For.” Sure to soar up the CCM charts, the single is from his upcoming project Citizen of Heaven.

Wells is joined by Bethel Music's Jenn Johnson on “Famous For,” the strong anthem imploring God to release His attributes into us through the Holy Spirit empowering us to do what only He can do. It is a heart cry for this generation to our God of “exceedingly” and “abundantly” to bless and move as we navigate the waters and fire of this life.

“Famous For” shows the maturing that Tauren Wells has done since being the front man for the Grammy nominated band Royal Tailor only heightening the anticipation for Citizen of Heaven. A gifted artist whose song writing and ability to play a multiplicity of instruments will continue to see him be an encouragement to Christian radio listeners as he hones his craft.

Author: Randy Cross | www.tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com

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Author: Randy Cross | www.tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com

MORE

LESS

WORLDS KEEP SPINNING

LET THERE BE WONDER

www.thebrilliancemusic.com

www.mattredman.com

Following on the heels of Suite No 1 Oh Dream, The Brilliance is back with new concept record Suite No 2 World Keeps Spinning: An Antidote to Modern Anxiety. First single “World Keeps Spinning” sounds like the latter day Beatles, struggling against the pervasive loneliness we feel in a world where social media passes as community, and we wonder if we can ever love each other.

Yet it’s a hopeful song, positing that true community can provide a balm against anxiety and disillusionment.

Some modern worship music may be fairly criticized for a lack of theological depth. Some may be fairly criticized for generic God-talk, and lyrics that could as easily be sung to a false deity or an earthly love. But none of that can be said of Let There Be Wonder, the new live worship record by Integrity artist, Matt Redman.

Let There Be Wonder is unmistakably, unequivocally about Jesus Christ, the Son of God who took on flesh, lived the life we couldn’t lead and died the death that we deserved, rising from the dead in glory and majesty.

Redman explores the varied aspects of Christ’s character and work throughout this 13-song setlist, in a way that leaves no doubt that all who worship through these songs are declaring their confidence, gratitude and allegiance in Christ alone.

Musically, it is what we’ve come to expect from Redman. The songs are anthemic and soaring yet singable, with a mix of tempos in a reliably electric pop soundscape. It is not adventurous music. Redman

BY THE BRILLIANCE

“I wanna hear the song of peace Would you sing it over me?

Can you help me to speak though I stutter?”

Their signature orchestral pop benefits from a mashup of classical pieces like Bach’s “Passacaglia” and “Fugue in C minor” and Stravinsky’s “Firebird.”

The layers provide texture while thrusting the listener forward like an intricate story plot that is racing toward conclusion.

BY MATT REDMAN

knows what will get people singing at the top of their lungs, what kind of melodies will stick in their minds, and he delivers it time after time, song upon song.

An hour with this record will be an hour spent declaring that Jesus is Lord (“King Jesus”), his name is the power to save and restore (“Jesus Your Name,” “In The Name”), he is all merciful (“Mercies New Every Morning”), and he has filled us with a sense of purpose and mission (“Send Me Lord”).

While this is Redman’s 14th career project, it is his first with Integrity Music. Yet Let There Be Wonder is just what you’ve come to expect from Matt Redman.

This is a veteran contemporary worship leader on top of his game, shifting the attention he generates to Jesus.

Author: Bobby Giles

Author: Bobby Giles

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MUSIC

I'LL BE THE BRANCHES

BY CHRIS RENZEMA

A L B U M S

www.chrisrenzema.com

Singer-songwriter Chris Renzema self-produced I’ll Be The Branches is like a musical diary in the life of a believer who longs to experience and reflect more of Christ each day. Major themes running throughout these nine songs include baptism, consecration to Christ, the experience of God’s presence, and the stubborn hope of glory in the midst of suffering.

Lyrics that are at turns visceral and visual bring the picture sharply into view, like “I’d give all my freedom, yeah I’d become a slave / To lay on your shore and be washed by your waves” from “God Be My Vision,” and “I’m a son of the valley, a daughter of fear / From the dust we’re raised and to the dust we’re reared” from “Not Yet.” In the standout song “How To Be Yours,” Renzema identifies with the orphan who dares not hope to be loved. Then God declares his faithfulness, which is more than enough.

Waltz-time piano eases us into the story, and the sudden addition of a wall of sound propels the story along, particularly as the driving drum beat punctuates God’s message of love and grace.

“Fountain” would be a solid addition to your baptism services, and closer “Found” continues the imagery of water washing our sins away, as it sends us out with triumphal lyrics and breezy, light piano flourishes.

The songwriting and production of I’ll Be The Branches shares aesthetic sensibilities with Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers, 70’s singer-songwriters from Elton John to Carole King, and contemporaries like John Mark McMillan. From the Mumford-esque opener “I Don’t Want To Go” to the Gospeltinged “On The Banks,” we identify with the singer’s desire to wade into the water and follow wherever Jesus leads.

Author: Bobby Giles

S U B M IT

YO U R

S O N G

DOWNLOAD THE LATEST MUSIC AT SONGDISCOVERY.COM

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INDUSTRY INSIDER.

IN S T I T U T E

F O R

WO R S HIP

S T UD IE S

5 4

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INDUSTRY INSIDER

INDUSTRY INSIDER.

Worship Leader is so pleased to interview Dr. James R. Hart, President of The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. Webber was an I W S

integral part of the early years of

Worship Leader magazine, and his wisdom continues to bless and inspire us in our mission.

WORSHIP LEADER (WL): On the website for Robert E. Webber Insti-

WL: Tell us a little about Webber’s legacy and how he is present

tute for Worship Studies (IWS), a brief descriptive statement of mission follows the institute’s name: “Forming Christian Leaders in Christian Worship Renewal.” How do you define or envision the words “Christian Worship” and “Christian Leaders”?

in the way worship is approached at IWS and ways IWS has grown and changed in the years since Webber graduated from earth to heaven.

IWS: St. Augustine famously wrote: “Thou hast made us for

thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.” Human beings are hard-wired for worship. Everyone worships someone or something, even the most Godless atheist! Christian worship brings about the reconciliation of us worshippers back to the One who made us and loves us. Then, once reconciled to God, we, the Mystical Body of Christ, the worshippers, are sent on mission to participate actively in God’s great reconciliation of the entire created order. That work is led by those who are formed in worship. As Bob Webber wrote, “Worship is the key to the renewal of the Church.” I would add, “And the Church is the key to the renewal of the world.”

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IWS: Bob Webber was a well-beloved historical theologian who

called the contemporary Church to rediscover its roots in the ancient Church, and to expand the Church’s often myopic tendencies to a much broader 2,000 (even 3,000) year view. His legacy can be summed up in the moniker he coined, “Ancient Future.” His moniker does not imply simply a narrow focus only on patristics, nor an equally narrow focus only on contemporary Christianity, but rather seeing the development of doctrine and practice through the lens of Christian worship as the repository of the Christian faith over 2,000 years. IWS has continued to grow in this ancient future vision, expanding its understanding of the metaphysical foundations of Christian worship through theological, biblical, historical, cultural, ecclesiological, philosophical and missiological reflection and practice.

WL: How do you see IWS changing the worship landscape and how worship is understood at a community/congregational level, both nationally and internationally?

IWS: IWS students and graduates influence quite literally tens

of the whole world and not just an escapist strategy.

WL: What was Webber’s vision and dream for IWS and its students and how do you see students living that out and applying their studies at IWS once they leave.

of millions of Christians around the world for worship renewal every week. These worshippers are reconciled, reordered, and reintegrated to God, who then sends them out missionally with his fire to love to world back to the Creator. There is nothing more important than that! Bob Webber wrote, “Worship does God’s story.” Again, I would add, “And God’s story in worship does the world.” Our students and graduates have the great privilege of telling the world its true story and to announce the Good News (Gospel) that the entire created order has been reconciled back to the Creator God through His Son Jesus the Christ. This liturgical proclamation starts locally, but impacts much more broadly, even globally.

IWS: I think that Dr. Webber’s dream was as a stated above, to see

WL: What are your favorite student stories and what do you

IWS: IWS is unique in its non-denominational low-residency

see as the most significant and life-changing aspects for those who attend and those who teach or serve as part of the worship program at IWS?

IWS: My favorite stories are told by students and grads who have

been converted not just to Christ, but to the Church and to the world that God created. In worship, we tell the world its story, invite the world into the family (Church) to be reconciled, fired with the love of God, and then sent back to the world to participate in that great work of reconciliation of all things. It is a great joy to see the lights go on in students who are gaining the revelation that the story of God in Jesus Christ is for the life

more and more Christians come to realize the immense scope and limitless eternal impact of worship that is truly renewed and connected to the 2,000 year history of God’s people, impacting the world with the love of God.

WL: On your website, it alludes to the fact that IWS is “unique?”

How is IWS different than other schools and programs that train those who are involved in serving in the context of worship in the local church? In what ways do you feel IWS and Webber’s worship worldview are making an impact in the Church at worship.

educational delivery model using twice-a-year, one-week intensive sessions with online interaction, applied projects and lots of reading. Our educational philosophy is also unique in its orientation toward being student-directed rather than professor-centered. Although the faculty is highly competent and respected, students learn as much from their interactions with each other as they do from their professors. Since both of the degrees offered by IWS are practical and contextualized, there is a strong emphasis in applying what students learn in specific contexts. This orientation provides the potential of immediate benefit to local contexts, such as church congregations, schools of higher learning, mission organizations, etc.

WL: What does the student body at IWS look like in terms of demographics? Is there a broad expanse of Christian faith traditions at IWS?

IWS: Over 100 denominations have

been represented at IWS from all three major streams of the Christian family worldwide: Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox. A full 34% of our students hold nonAmerican passports.. The racial, gender, age and socio-economic diversity of IWS seems to mirror the diversity of the global Body of Christ, and that is a tremendous joy and blessing. It also presents a beautiful challenge to keep our curricula applicable to a multiplicity of contexts.

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WL: Since there are some polarities in the Church just now re complementarian and egalitarian and a plethora of other issues and your faculty spans the space from Baptist to Presbyterian to Episcopalian/Anglican and beyond, are there any concerns students might have about having to conform to doctrinal guidelines for a particular Christian faith tradition on papers, studies, and research?

IWS: There may be, although those issues are not prominent. IWS

clearly states its commitment to orthodoxy and orthopraxy in its first core value: “IWS is evangelical in nature and ecumenical in outlook, embracing and serving the whole Church in its many expressions and variations of the Christian faith, particularly articulated by the consensus of the ancient Church and its guardians in the traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, the Protestant Reformation and the Evangelical awakenings and heritage.” This core value states clearly the commitment of IWS to the historic biblical understandings of faith and practice, with a submission to the consensus of the Church’s historic interpretation of such. Having said that, there are issues that are open to debate, particularly in the realm of egalitarianism v. the various types of complementarianism.

Each student’s context should provide clarity for the content of the student’s application project.

IWS: IWS keeps overhead costs low. The great hospitality of our host church is a big factor in that, as well as the mission-mindedness of all of our faculty, staff and trustees. While the faculty members serve in other contexts on full-time bases, they love teaching at IWS, and we love having such an outstanding group of scholars here! There is also a strong sense of community that militates against the regnant top-heavy institutionalization that happens in many higher education contexts. Having said that, we have to maintain a minimal level of institutionalization to maintain our accreditations (associated with memberships in both ABHE and ATS) and governmental authorizations.

IWS students and graduates influence quite literally tens of millions of Christians around the world...

WL: Everyone knows that delivering higher education requires endless hard work, adaptability, vision, and commitment and it is very costly to sustain. Many schools founded in the early days of the nation are heavily endowed. How do you manage to have such a stellar faculty with such an affordable tuition?

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WL: Where are faith, hope, and vision leading those who lead IWS for the foreseeable future? And what are you excited about in terms of ministry to and within the Church.

IWS: Well, hopefully faith,

hope and vision will lead us toward greater love—the love of God and the love of others.

That is the very core of worship renewal. There is a strategic plan at IWS that lays out the specifics of our hope and vision for a preferred future we believe God has in store. But, in the end, we thirst to know God and thirst to know God in the other.

Nothing is more exciting and fulfilling than that. Everything we do should contribute to that end, the love of God and the love of his creation. If it doesn’t, let’s all go get honest jobs doing something else.

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EXPAND YOU R

TE AM

From Admin to your Worship Team, post your job openings on the

JOB BOARD

WO RS H I PLE AD E R .CO M

T ECHNI C A L LY GE A R

S PE A K IN G

6 0

R E V IE WS

6 3

TA L K

4 0

WO R S HIP

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WO R S HIP

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DY N A MI C S

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TA B L E MULT I CULT UR A L CUR AT IN G

&

PL A NNIN G T E A M

TECH + GEAR.

TECH + GEAR S P E A K I N G T E C H N I C A L LY

Technically Speaking— A

C R I T I C A L

L AT E S T TO O L S

L O O K

AT

T H E

N E E D -T O - K N OW O F

T H E

T R A D E

Kent Morris lends his insight to uncover and evaluate the latest technological products and developments you need to know.

K E N T M O R R I S 40-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge digital is a temporary state.

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A Tech Booth that Makes Sense.

N

ow that we as techs are no longer relegated to the upper balcony—or worse, housed inside a small room with a sliding glass window—we are part of the church community residing on the main floor. Generally speaking, today we are allowed to run audio, video, and lighting from a functional position in the midst of the congregation.

Since we have become mainstream we should take the time to evaluate our service domicile. We can determine how our tech booth should be built, operated and maintained to reflect the ethos of the sanctuary and provide an efficient work flow.

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION As in real estate the primary tech booth concern is location.

For audio, the console should be located within the congregation. This is best placed a little more than halfway back and slightly off center within the direct field of the loudspeaker system. For video the concern is twofold. For lyric and message content, the key is being able to see and hear vocalists and speakers in order to stay in sync as the service progresses.

Positioning the ProPresenter computer and operator next to the audio console is customary. On the other hand, for I-Mag, the rule is to visually display something other than what the audience can see themselves.

This means the video director will need to call shots from cameras over the intercom. Video production works best outside the sanctuary where directives can be given without disturbing the service. A room adjacent to the sanctuary is often used as it offers close cabling connection, coupled with privacy.

Lighting can be handled, depending on the situation, next to audio in the booth. However, It may require a position at the rear of the room with enough elevation to see the space as a whole.

Less complex lighting designs can be located in line with audio and lyrics in the booth. More extensive configurations will require a separate lofty perch. In some instances the solution is to place the complex control surface in a rear room with a small remote controller in the booth. This allows handy access to standard weekly presets, such as Sunday morning and Wednesday rehearsal, without walking to the lighting booth.

THE BOOTH The tech booth should be physically large enough for several operators to function while allowing egress across the rear.

The booth location should also be considerate of the neighbors and strive to take up as few seats as possible. If the booth can be elevated without obstructing the view of congregants aft, it will give booth personnel consistent views of the platform whether the audience is sitting or standing. However, even a modest elevation of twelve inches can block views. The booth location may need to be compromised in order to achieve the necessary rise.

Elevation is sometimes needed to allow for cabling underneath and easy access to conduit terminations and infrastructure. it is a worthwhile endeavor If the booth can be placed nearer the rear of the sanctuary, angled toward the center without causing loss of sound quality representative of the bulk of the room.

Once the size, elevation, and location of the booth are determined, the horizontal surfaces can be addressed.

It is tempting to build a single solid layer for simplicity’s sake. A better approach is to build adjustable segments as needs may change in the future. Some consoles are high enough to “spill over” the top of the booth, requiring a lower counter for that segment.

A standard counter height is thirty-six inches. Most tech booths, however, go with the common bar height of forty-two inches in order to operate in a more upright stance.

During construction it is possible to temporarily place the horizontal surfaces at various heights until a consensus is made.

An open slot of about three inches depth at the rear will allow for unfettered cable access and is much preferred over hole saw circles placed at intervals. It is a good idea to slant the modesty rail cap that surrounds the tech booth to prevent anyone from being able to leave a drink on it.

The booth should be built well but not so it is impossible to take down and reconfigure as needs change. Wheelchair access, even when not required by law, should be included to not prevent a gifted tech from performing their service of worship.

Video production works best outside the sanctuary…

TECH POWER Dedicated tech power is now a necessity based on the susceptibility of modern digital electronics to power issues.

The tech power should be derived from a clean location in the electrical system and given dedicated grounding as well. It is not out of line to request separate power for lighting because dimming circuits, or simply dimming LEDs, can create audible VO L . 29, N O. 1 | W O R S H I P L E A D E R .C O M | W O R S H I P L E A D E R

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noise and visible artifacts. The AC power should be terminated in noted outlets easily accessible from the operator’s perspective and as much away from low level signal cabling as possible.

In a perfect world the tech booth flooring would be made of elevated removable square panels with simple access to cabling beneath. If that approach is cost prohibitive, plywood flooring with dedicated segment cutouts will make future renovations more manageable.

Low cost carpet squares are a popular option as the final surface because they are simple to replace when worn or torn and they reduce chair noise during service. Chairs need to be height adjustable and comfortable enough for several hours of continuous use. With ergonomics now a science, properly designed seating that reduces back strain is good stewardship.

BOOTH ETIQUETTE Techs are usually FILO, First In, Last Out. Therefore, it is wise to outfit the tech booth with a small refrigerator, microwave, Keurig machine, and lockable drawers for healthy snacks.

While theft is a concern, its deterrence must be weighed against ease of access. This means that locks make sense. Locks should be combination or app-based to prevent the chaos that

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ensues when the key to the mic drawer is missing just before Sunday service.

Most thefts are crimes of opportunity. Putting things away lessens the chance they will “walk off.”

Using a dust cover with a Kensington lock around consoles stops most amateur thieves while even the strongest lock is no match for a professional. Criminal pros are best stopped before they enter the building. Accomplish this by using diligent prevention efforts focused on slowing the theft process through layers of security and making entry onto the church campus a highly visible event.

Booth etiquette centers around common courtesy and the realization that techs are a team within a team. Sharpies are personal property; the coffee gets made before anything else happens; no one on the team is anyone’s mother; sanitation is everyone’s responsibility, and donuts and pizza solve all conflict.

The tech director should have a booth behavior guide posted at the entrance listing any special needs or restrictions members may have and stipulations regarding visitors and children.

The tech booth is home for those who serve every event held in the church. It should be well considered, thoughtfully built, accessible and safe for everyone involved.

GEAR REVIEWS GOPHERWOOD G800RE

$

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

2,350

W W W. G O P H E R W O O D G U I TA R . C O M

OVERVIEW It isn’t every day that a guitar company from South Korea emerges and captures the attention of notable Christian and Worship artists with its product. Then again, it’s not every day that a guitar company emerges with a belief in God and the desire to make quality and affordable guitars the basis of their business. That, however, is the premise of GopherWood Guitars.

GopherWood guitars are currently being played by endorsed artists Darren Mulligan (WeAreMessenger), Brandon Bagby (Mandisa), Travis Greene, Todd Dulaney, Greg Sykes and more on the road and in the studio. While GopherWood has a variety of models to offer from an entry level to a professional level, the model we have been putting through our own tests is the G800RE series model—the same model being utilized by many of the artists on the road today.

FEATURES From a material standpoint, the G800RE sports a Roasted Spruce top with Rosewood back and sides while the binding is flamed maple. The 800RE comes in a dreadnaught, orchestral, and cutaway model. The electronics within the guitar are a proprietary pre-amp combined with piezo and mic pickup.

The preamp allows for a blend between the piezo and the mic as well as volume and tone control.

It’s what is inside the guitar that makes this guitar different, structurally. GopherWood calls it their patented “Soundpillar” technology. It is a small device with changeable tips that connects from the top of the guitar to the back—providing resonance in a unique way. This concept is utilized in instruments like a violin to carry sound from the back of the instrument wood to the front. With the Soundpillar in the GopherWood guitar, the tips of the pillar can be changed with different materials to provide multiple sounds. For instance, the body of the pillar in the G800RE is maple and comes stock with maple tips.

The tips may, however, be changed with walnut, compressed wood, ebony, or brass to create worlds of new sounds.

Beyond the heart of the sound is the heart of the company.

Noah Jae Youn Kim, builder and designer of GopherWood created the guitar and Soundpillar with much trial and error.

In fact, he was laughed at by many in his home country of South Korea and told he was crazy for pursuing his dream. Working with various woods to create the sounds for his guitar, he reflected on the story of the Biblical Noah building the ark—and settled on the name “GopherWood” for the company. Founded by a believer in God, each guitar carries reflections of his belief in the Creator. The headstock of the G800RE contains a cross boldly crafted across the peghead. The 12th fret has an inlay of a dove as a reminder of God’s covenant with His people.

The rosette features an olive branch. The bridge is designed to resemble the ark. The back of the headstock features a beautiful inscription that reads “You are worthy of all the glory.”

PROS

CONS

BOT TOM LINE

A W I D E VA R I E T Y O F S T Y L E S

A S A N E W KO R E A N C O M PA N Y, T H E S E G U I TA R S

STRONG COMPETITOR TO THE

R A N G I N G F R O M $3 5 0 U P. M O R E AT

A R E N ' T A S R E A D I LY AVA I L A B L E I N U S R E TA I L

“ L E G AC Y ” N A M E G U I TA R L I N E S

W W W. G O P H E RWO O D G U I TA R . C O M

S T O R E S . C U R R E N T LY S H I P P I N G F R O M

W I T H A C H R I S T I A N I N F LU E N C E .

OV E R S E A S . S T I L L WO R T H I T T O I N V E S T.

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TECH + GEAR

GEAR REVIEWS

BY STEVE REED

WATC H

V I D E O

JERRY HARVEY AUDIO JH13V2 PRO CUSTOM IN-EAR MONITORS

$

BACKBEAT

1,299

W W W. G E T B A C K B E AT. C O M

PROS

P O R TA B L E A N D P OW E R F U L W I T H T H E A D D E D C O N N I V E N C E O F A B U I LT I N H E A D P H O N E A M P T O P OW E R YO U R I N - E A R M I X . L OW E N D S O U N D

BY JASON WHITEHORN

I S F E LT R AT H E R T H A N H E A R D T O L E S S E N T H E I M PAC T O N YO U R E A R S .

W W W. J H A U D I O . C O M . C O M

G E A R

R E V I E W S

CONS

V I B R AT I O N TA K E S A W H I L E T O G E T U S E D T O .

OVERVIEW

BOT TOM LINE

Why is it that musicians spend time and money - and lots of it perfecting the “grail” of gear yet sacrifice the sound the precious gear makes when it comes to how their ears hear it? It is a question I never knew I needed answering until I heard music through a pair of Jerry Harvey JH13v2PROs. The JH13v2PROS aren’t your typical IEM. These IEMs provide a rich soundscape vocal teams and musicians alike can agree on. Let’s dive in and find out why teams and artists all over the country from Elevation Worship to Passion...and from Sheryl Crow to Alicia Keys are using them.

W H I L E N O T H I N G C A N F U L LY R E P L AC E P L AY I N G T H R O U G H A N AC T UA L A M P O N S TAG E T H I S I S A G R E AT A LT E R N AT I V E T O B L OW I N G YO U R E A R S O U T I N H E A D P H O N E S .

FEATURES

WATC H

The JH13v2PRO are equipped with eight drivers. The configuration provides two lows, two mids, and 4 highs to contribute to its amazing sound. Combine that with an internal 3-way crossover and these IEM’s have an impeccable way of handling a professionally mixed stage or for listening to fine details in near reference quality.

If you’ve ever dropped a pricey custom IEM on stage or in a dark backstage area, you will rejoice at the 4-pin Litz wire with locking collar. Speaking of wires, the IEM has a patent pending variable bass output for each ear on the wire itself that allows you to adjust the bass response for each ear from 0 to +12db.

V I D E O

PEAK MUSIC STANDS W W W. P E A K M U S I C S TA N D S . C O M

PROS

A G O O D M I X O F E L E G A N C E A N D P O R TA B I L I T Y. H I G H LY A D J U S TA B L E A N D L I G H T W E I G H T. CONS

PROS

CONS

BOT TOM LINE

H I G H LY

JUST LIKE MOST

T H E S O U N D Q UA L I T Y

CUSTOMIZ ABLE .

OF THE MAINLINE

I N T H E J H 1 3V2 P R O

SUPERIOR

GEAR WE USE , IT

IS KILLE R FOR BOTH

S O U N D Q UA L I T Y.

ISN'T A “SMALL

VO C A L I S T S O R

W E L L D E S I G N E D P O R TA B L E S TA N D S F O R T H E

A DJ U S TA B L E B A S S .

B U D G E T I T E M .”

MUSICIANS.

M U S I C I A N O N T H E ‘ G O .’

LOOKS A LIT TLE BET TER IN THE FRONT THAN FROM BEHIND. BOT TOM LINE

ENCOURAGEMENT.

S PIR I T UA L

+

S EL F

C A R E

6 6

L E T T ER S

WI T H

LOV E

6 8

D I S CIPL INE

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ECOURAGEMENT C A R E S E L F S P I R I T UA L

D I S C I P L I N E

+

GIVING AWAY WHAT YOU HAVE A

s worship leaders, we have the great honor of leading our congregations. We literally have the opportunity to assist in being part of a musical sermon where God Himself speaks, is honored in the room, and where the miraculous can become normal. Just recently while at service, an older gentleman came and gave me the biggest hug saying, “There’s my worship leader!” As innocent as that statement might have been for him, it hit me deeply. I understand that he wasn’t trying to elevate me, but he was just simply expressing his gratitude. Immediately, this realization became even more clear: as worship leaders, we are really considered the “lead worshipper” of our church. Now, this is not to lift up oneself in any way. Only for us to understand, that as the worship leader, we have the responsibility of working alongside the Lord and picking songs that will create an atmosphere for Him to speak.

In other words, we have a major role to play in our church’s worship experience. As humbling as that is, we must be honest though and examine if we are bringing more than just the next song we sing because... We will only give away what we have.

What we have and carry as leaders is crucial. If we are leading on empty and lacking personal devotion, it will eventually come out when we lead.

You see, singing into a microphone is not a right by talent or position, but should be counted as a privilege that carries significant weight. However, just because one has a gift to sing does that mean they should? The question is, “what are we giving away when we do?” Again, we will only give away what we have. If we believe this, then what we feed upon and put into our lives daily is important. What is most important is not just how our set sounds, but the direction it gives, message it sends, and presence it brings. When we know God versus just knowing about Him, more substance will impact our corporate leading. When we know His voice daily, practice His presence, and are familiar with His Spirit, our worship

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leading then becomes more than a 20-minute tight set. It will actually become a place where His presence and glory dwells.

As leaders, if we are only spending time with God while on stage, then we are missing the mark. This existence may result in knowing a lot about Him, but not truly knowing Him: major difference. So how do we do this? It comes by having a routine devotional time that we make precedent above all. Reading the Word for ourselves and spending time with Him is what will keep us healthy, focused, and fruitful. But what about burnout, stress, and depression? Most of the time when these issues overtake, it can usually be traced back to one’s inconsistent devotional time, mismanaged thoughts, and unknown identity. So making ourselves available to the healing in scriptures is vital, and is the first step in the solution to these problems. I understand that these issues will constantly try to bombard, but when we are spiritually grounded we are more equipped on how to handle and overcome these circumstances when they arise.

“But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” PSALM 1:2-3 NKJV This verse says that when we are meditating on the Word, we are likened to a tree that is deeply planted beside a riverbed receiving nourishment. When you are planted in the Word you then become immovable to your surroundings. Just like the sun’s heat can cause leaves to wither, we also can have heated

...let us not sing or speak anything unless it flows from Him first.

seasons in our life. However, when our roots sink deep into the Word and we apply what it says, we are guaranteed not to falter. Again, this is not saying that pressures and storms will not come, only that being planted in the Word is the remedy on how we weather them.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” MATTHEW 7:24-25 NLT There will always be competing alternatives to your daily devotional. Life will always try to chip away at that time. But, the more we are disciplined to seek God, we will soon find how He must become our schedule. Making the Word a priority in our life is so important, but it must also be discussed with our teams. Let us challenge our teams to not only be putting time on their instruments but also in the Word. Years ago, I started a daily Bible plan with our team. It changed everything. Now, we have a larger team, but I included all members and sound personnel. I also created accountability by checking with them on a monthly basis. Why? Because, If we as leaders are not consistently in the Word, then it will affect what we give from the platform. The Word is where our anointing, substance, and confidence comes from. People get behind at times, sure, but that doesn’t mean I don’t use them. I just encourage them

to get current, because I want my teams healthy on and off the platform. If it wasn’t for that accountability, I would have no guarantee that they would be reading the Bible on their own.

Sure, I could just assume, but I love them enough to ask. Never assume that your team is reading the Bible consistently on their own, or has some type of devotion. The truth is, they may or may not be. This is not to be controlling, but it is meant to push them to greatness, pull out their God-given potential, and keep them before words that will truly benefit. The Word must be the loudest voice in our life because what we are putting in, will come out. Reading the word together will bring a freshness like nothing else. I got this principle from my Pastor. He requires all the staff at our church to read a plan together. It has been the reason behind our success, hands down. So never apologize for keeping your team accountable to the Word and prayer. That’s where the songs, sounds, and ideas from Heaven come. This year as we lead, let us not sing from a natural ability, but let our words carry fresh inspiration that brings change to the atmosphere we oversee. This year let us not sing or speak anything unless it flows from Him first. People do not need our voice, truthfully they need His.

BY

M A R C U S

C R I N E R

WORSHIP PASTOR, AUTHOR

Marcus is currently serving at Anchor Faith Church in St. Augustine, Florida. anchorfaith.com @marcuscriner

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ECOURAGEMENT

WI TH

L E T T E R S

W I T H

L OV E

LE T T E R S

BY

DA R L E N E

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Z S C H E C H

love

A

s I prayed for every reader today, I opened my bible to Isaiah 66:1-2, a chapter from the great prophet that speaks much about the integrity of our worship before God. In the Passion translation it reads: This is what Yahweh says: The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool.

Where is the house you will build for me?

Where is the place where I will rest?

My hand made these things so they all belong to me,” declares Yahweh.

But there is one my eyes are drawn to: the humble one, the tender one, the trembling one who lives in awe of all I say.

Amplified, the last few sentences say: “the man to whom I will look and have regard...is he who is humble and of a broken or wounded spirit, and who trembles at my WORD and reveres my commands.”

BEING IN GOD This is the continued call to treasure the Word of God. He tells us that His eyes are drawn to those who love His word.

The challenge in the midst of all our ‘doing’ for God… is to remember that He actually desires a hungry heart, a believer who knows how to simply BE in His presence. He’s looking for those who come before Him to listen and hear Him speak through His word—as it’s in Him that we live and move and have our being. His Word is literally the lamp to our feet and the light to our path, alive and powerful, the whole foundation of our life in Christ.

STORING UP TREASURES History tells us that there were few libraries in the ancient Roman world, and very few had access to those that existed.

In that time, to hear the Word of God required a hunger.

There were no paper and pencils for notation as we have today so people would literally put Scripture to memory, especially psalms, hymns, chapters of the Bible, and songs. These melodies of worship are part of this miracle of putting the Word of God to memory. It’s interesting that we’ve never had more access to the Word of God, and yet we can still find ourselves treating God’s word casually, almost forgetting the life that springs from within every prophetic word.

God’s Word is always at work, speaking to us, challenging us, growing us, and defining us. As leaders of worship and praise, creators of fine arts and literature, dance and expressed adoration in any form, we simply MUST be people of The Word.

It’s essential that His voice is communicated through all we do with clarity, accuracy, consistency and creativity.

SCRIPTURE: THE TEXT OF OUR LIVES I do encourage you that as leaders and influencers of worship, ensure that all you do is grounded in His word. Every time you sense God speaking to your heart and as you bring ideas forth and create songs and moments of wonder out of God whispers… confirm that content as our God never contradicts Himself.

I have learned to keep a journal or at least a phone nearby to record statements, phrases, and ideas that I feel are God inspired, (as He speaks all the time). And if we are listening, absolute genius of genius is at the ready just waiting to be breathed in, then applied with care and poured out with passion.

My prayer as I have walked out my faith, is that I would “Incline my heart” to His Word (Ps 119:36). And that, As David prayed, I would never stray far from His Word which is life to my body, soul and spirit. Lastly, that I would be a listener first, and then a doer of all He speaks to my heart.

My prayer…that I would be a listener first, and then a doer of all He speaks to my heart.

AN INVITATION TO MORE LIFE The loving challenge continues… Jesus declared in John 17:2: "This is eternal life that they may know God." I can know a lot about music, a lot about worship, but still not really know God’s Word for myself.

We are encouraged in Psalm 46:10 to “be still and know” that He is God. I encourage you all, at the beginning of this decade, make a new commitment to being a person who treasures The Word of God. Commit to being a worshiper who knows how to fix your gaze upon Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), Become quiet in His presence and listen for words He gently speaks to you. I guarantee you, your life will never be the same.

With much love,

Darlene Z. VO L . 29, N O. 1 | W O R S H I P L E A D E R .C O M | W O R S H I P L E A D E R

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