Make sure you have enough time to give cues.
Trying to squeeze in a verbal direction at the last minute not only makes me sound frantic, but it doesn’t really help anyone. I should have a feel for how long the spaces in the song are. Also, I don’t have to say the whole first line to let people know what we’ll be singing. Saying two or three words works, or even simply, “Verse 2.”

Don’t give cues too early.
I’ve been guilty of giving direction immediately after a section of a song has ended, leaving people 8 bars to figure out when they should come in. By that time they’re usually already tried to come in or forgotten what I said.

Don’t cue the band without cuing the congregation.
Some leaders develop elaborate signals to let the band know what’s next, while leaving the congregation clueless. That’s why I generally give verbal cues rather than visual ones. An exception is when I’m signaling to the band we’re going to sing a cappella or end the song, neither of which the congregation has to know in advance.

Vary the music to indicate when you want people to sing or not sing.
Instrumental cues can work as well as verbal cues. You can increase the volume of the band, ritard slightly, or vary the harmonic changes to indicate it’s time to sing. For instance, you can lead into first chord with a walk-up on the bass. If you want people to wait to come in, keep the instrumentation subdued and sparse.

Vary your cues.
Most of us tend to do what’s most efficient. ”Efficiency” can suck the life out of a congregation’s singing. To vary it up, you can make a comment on what you’re about to sing. Before the fourth verse of In Christ Alone (No guilt in life, no fear in death), I might say, “This is the effect of the gospel.” You can also sing a cue rather than speak it. Or just move up to the microphone.

Think tone as well as content.
Some leaders sound like they’re barking out military commands when they give cues. Cuing a congregation can be an opportunity to impart faith and understanding to people as well as give direction.

Don’t cue too much.
Leading is like giving directions on a trip. You only need to say something when there’s a turn. You don’t need to highlight every store, gas station, or landmark that you pass by. Give people a break from your interruptions (a lesson I continue to learn). But be sure you’re there when they need to make a turn.

Open the Eyes of My (Face), Lord

Paul Baloche’s song, “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” has been sung by millions of Christians throughout the world. It’s a song based on Ephesians 1, asking God to open our spiritual eyes that we might know him better.

But I wonder if those of us who lead congregational worship shouldn’t be asking God to open our physical eyes, too.

Why do leaders close their eyes so often? Not just for a few moments, but for 5, 10, even 15 minutes. I’ve seen leaders and vocalists keep their eyes shut from the first note we sing to the final “Amen” of the closing prayer.

There are definitely some good reasons to close our eyes. We want to shut out distractions. We want to focus completely on the words we’re singing. Our hearts are deeply moved by God’s mercy and we respond in humble adoration.

But are those the reasons we usually have in mind when we close our eyes? Are we even thinking about what we’re doing? Or why we’re doing it?

Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you find yourself closing your eyes when you lead for one or more of these not-so-good reasons.

• we want to look spiritual
• we think the Holy Spirit likes closed eyes more than opened eyes
• we don’t want to look at the faces of people who seem apathetic, concerned, confused, or angry about what we’re doing
• we’re battling fear of man and the easiest thing to do is just pretend that no one else is around
• we don’t want to see who walks out of the room
• we’re discouraged by the dwindling number of people showing up on Sundays
• we’re imagining that this is our own personal encounter with God
• we don’t remember the words to the next verse
• we can’t think of anything better to do

Not to mention that worship leaders who shut their eyes sometimes look more like they’re in pain than in God’s presence.

Corporate worship has a horizontal aspect that glorifies God. We’re to teach and admonish one another while we sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16). We’re to “strive to excel in building up the church” (1 Cor. 14:12). At the same time we’re singing with gratitude in our hearts to God and very aware that he’s present with us. Both directions — horizontal and vertical — are important to consider if we want to benefit fully from our time together.

That’s why I’ve come to think that more often than not, it’s better for me to keep my eyes open when I’m leading people in singing God’s praise. It’s not that I don’t ever close my eyes. I do. It’s just that in recent years I’m becoming more aware of the good reasons to keep them my eyes open:

• I can see how people are responding (or not responding) and adjust what I’m doing accordingly
• It’s easier for me to communicate to people how the truths we’re singing are affecting me when I look at them
• My heart is encouraged when I see people who seem to be genuinely engaging with God
• I can share the joy in Christ I’m experiencing by looking at the other musicians
• I can communicate directions more clearly to the team
• I’m more aware of what’s happening around me
• I can see what I’m playing on the piano
• I can read the lyrics to the song

Don’t hear what I’m not saying. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to close our eyes when we’re singing songs of praise to God. I just don’t think Scripture says that has to be our default.

To put things in perspective, having our spiritual eyes opened is far more important than having our physical eyes opened.

But maybe it would help us and those we lead if we did a little more of the second.

What Do You Say When You Lead Worship?

( Part 1 )

I began by sharing that our first focus isn’t what we say in public, but what we pursue in private. Saying the right things without having the right heart leads to hypocrisy. We shouldn’t expect the church to be affected by truths that we ourselves haven’t been affected by.

I went on to share some of the common stereotypes I’ve encountered over the years, either in myself or in others. Maybe you’ll recognize some of them.

The Teacher – From the ten minutes of explanation he provides between every song, you sense he wishes he were the pastor or thinks he should be. Wants you to know he’s much more than a mere musician.

The Emoter – You know he’s moved by something but you’re not sure what. At various times he exhibits tears, laughter, changes in volume – if only you knew why he was so affected. “Jesus! He’s just amazing. I mean, it’s incredible, whoa…like I can hardly believe it…you know what I mean?”

The Mute – You don’t know if he doesn’t have anything to say, fears speaking in front of crowds, or just wants you to figure everything out on your own. Sometimes accompanied by long pregnant pauses between songs.

The Reporter- He unemotionally provides you with information, details, stats, facts. Helpful for someone who works at an information desk. Doesn’t work quite as well when you want to direct people’s hearts to worship God.

The Wanderer – You’re not quite sure where he’s going or where he’s been, but you’re hoping he makes sense to someone.”In Christ Alone. Like, a-looooone, man. I’ve been alone. Like, it’s a bad feeling. Aloneness. Don’t wanna be alone. No way.”

The Cheerleader -Wants you to be excited from start to finish and will use any number of techniques to get you there and keep you there – jumping, shouting, waving hands, moving from one side of the stage to the other, prolonged eye contact, etc. “Here we go! Come on! Let’s sing it like we mean it!”

The Philosopher – Likes to consider possible interpretations and implications of lyrics without coming to any definite conclusions. “You know when we sing that line, ‘Light of the world you stepped down into darkness’ it makes me wonder what kind of step we’re talking about. Was it like a stair step or more like a leap? You know, was it really a step? Was it one small step for Jesus but one giant leap for mankind? I dunno.”

The Mystic – Steve has a distinctive “worship leading” voice that differs from has “normal speaking” voice. It might be a breathy whisper or loud shouting. In either case, you wonder if the Spirit is in the business of voice-modulation.

With all the ways to get it wrong, you could think it’s better not to say anything at all. Actually, I think there are good reasons to say something when we lead worship.
 

What Do You Say When You Lead Worship?

( Part 2 )

Today I wanted to give four reasons why we should say anything.

“Some of us came in here this morning weighed down by our sins. It might be something we did yesterday, or ten years ago. But our condemnation is making us feel distant from God and unaware of his love. Listen again: “Jesus paid it all.” That means if you’ve trusted in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your sins, we can say with David in Psalm 103 ‘as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.’ Your sins are no longer yours to bear! Jesus paid it all!”

You can explain uncommon lyrics or phrases (here I raise mine Ebeneezer), as well as common ones (grace, mercy, glory). We can also clarify issues like:

 

I, too, have been the victim (and the perpetrator) of comments during corporate worship that are more distracting than helpful. That’s why I want to list ten practical aspects today that hopefully will keep a well-intentioned, zealous leader from misinterpreting what I’ve been saying.

1. Recognize that God’s words outlast ours.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12; cf. 2 Tim. 3:16)

If I say something, I want to direct people’s attention to the unchanging truth of God’s Word, rather than my own creativity or insights. Sometimes simply reading a Scripture is the best thing to do. Have a Bible  with you when you lead, and don’t read Scripture casually or quickly. It’s also helpful to memorize, or at least be very familiar with, any Scripture you refer to.

2. Plan the progression of songs so you don’t have to say that much.
I’ve found that speaking sooner is usually better than later. It’s helpful to consider how last lines and first lines connect. If a song doesn’t need an introduction, don’t give it one. Starting with the chorus sometimes makes a better transition from the last song. While there’s no “rule” that says we can’t say something between every song, it’s generally not a good idea. You only need a road sign when you turn.

3. Behold the beauty of brevity.
Say what you need to say: one thought, one Scripture, one application. If you have trouble following what you’re saying, your listeners won’t fare much better.

4. Brief phrases (spoken or sung) between lines of a song can accomplish the same goals as longer comments.
Rather than speak between songs, you can say something during a song. But don’t interject phrases so often that people grow immune to your comments. A few ideas:

Repeat a line (“This the power…this is the power“)
Contrast a line (“I am not skilled to understand…but you know it all“)
Expand on a thought (“How deep the Father’s love for us…displayed at the cross“)
Add to a thought (“How great is our God…you rescue sinners“)

5. Varying the length, timing, sources, etc. of what you say can keep people from checking out mentally.
Simply put, don’t do the same thing every time you lead.

6. Don’t underestimate the value of preparation.
Two minutes of speaking might take two hours of preparation. It can be helpful to write down what you plan to say. That will help you to organize your thoughts, avoid rambling, run it by your pastor, and keep it from going too long. But don’t read it! I’ve found that the more time I’ve taken to prepare, the easier it is for me to share spontaneously and from my heart.

7. View testimonies, personal illustrations, and non-biblical quotes like spices – use them sparingly or they ruin the meal.

8. Don’t assume you have to play your instrument while you’re speaking.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t require musical accompaniment to do his work. Ask someone else to play, or talk without the music.

9. Prayer is speaking, too. The same principles apply.
Consider thinking through how you’ll pray. Root your prayers in God’s promises, not simply our responses. Remember you’re praying for the group, not just yourself. It can be helpful to use phrases from songs to deepen their impact.

One final point. It’s not necessarily the lead musician’s job to talk. It could just as well be the pastor, and in some cases, should be the pastor. But every worship leader could benefit from thinking more carefully about how, when, and why to say something when they lead. Sad to say that after 30 years, it’s something I’m still learning.

Defining Worship ( Part 1 )

Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) once said “Every definition is dangerous.” That may explain why when we try to define a word simply and precisely we often end up missing significant aspects of the word we’re defining. Attempts at explaining worship as “love,” or “intimacy,” or “relationship” say something true, but end up leaving out more than they contribute to our understanding of worship.

In spite of Erasmus’ warning, over the years I’ve come across numerous definitions of “worship” that have caused me think about worship more biblically.

Harold Best, in his book Music Through the Eyes of Faith defines worship in the broadest sense as “acknowledging that someone or something else is greater – worth more – and by consequence, to be obeyed, feared, and adored…Worship is the sign that in giving myself completely to someone or something, I want to be mastered by it. (pg. 143)

We want to be mastered the objects of our worship. And indeed we are. We worship whatever rules our time, energy, thoughts, longings, and choices. “Those who make them [idols] become like them; so do all who trust in them.” (Psa. 115:8, ESV)

A definition of worship that I appreciate for its simplicity and clarity is by Warren Wiersbe, who writes:

Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are – mind, emotions, will, body – to what God is and says and does. (Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship, p. 26)

I’ve used that definition, or something similar, when I want to accent that worship can’t be half-hearted, and is all about God’s character, words, and acts.

David Peterson, unpacks what at first blush is a more sterile, but nevertheless insightful, definition:

“Worship of the living and true God is essentially an engagement with him on the terms that he proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible. (Engaging with God, pg. 20)

Peterson’s definition highlights God’s initiative, authority, and enabling power in our worship.

Dr. Dan Block, who until recently was a Professor of Old Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, defines true worship as “reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign, in response to his gracious revelation of himself, and in accordance with his will.” (from Dr. Block’s For the Glory of God. course notes)

This is the first definition that specifically mentions what many of the biblical words for worship imply – submission and homage.

Well, this post is already longer than I anticipated. But, here’s one more from William Temple’s (1881-1944) Readings in St. John’s Gospel.

“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose – and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin”.

Amen.
 

Defining Worship ( Part 2 )

One of the pieces of advice my friends gave me before I started a blog was “Whatever you do, don’t make it too long. People don’t like scrolling down.” I’m sure that some of my entries will be VERY short, but this probably won’t be one of them. Yesterday I shared some definitions of worship that I’ve found helpful, starting with the general and moving to the more specific. Here are some more that I think do a great job of incorporating what’s important in biblical worship.

First, from Ralph Martin: Christian worship, then, is the happy blend of offering to God our Creator and Redeemer through Jesus Christ both what we owe to Him and what we would desire to give Him. (Ralph Martin, Worship in the Early Church, pg. 17)

This is the first definition I’ve mentioned that draws attention to the fact that our worship is offered through Jesus Christ, that God deserves worship as our creator, and that our worship is both a duty and a glad choice. In a book that is now out of print (as many good books are), Robert Rayburn wrote:

Worship is the activity of the new life of a believer in which, recognizing the fullness of the Godhead as it is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and His mighty redemptive acts, he seeks by the power of the Holy Spirit to render to the living God the glory, honor, and submission which are His due.

(Robert Rayburn, O Come Let Us Worship, pg. 20)

This is a wonderfully nuanced definition that includes the concepts that worship is an activity of our new nature, cross-centered, and enabled by the power of God’s Spirit. In other words, biblical worship is trinitarian. This one, by David Nelson, is a little longer, but it includes many of the ideas already mentioned in previous definitions, and is still pretty compact.

Worship is the human response to the self-revelation of the triune God, which involves: (1) divine initiation in which God graciously reveals himself, his purposes, and will; (2) a spiritual and personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ enabled by the ministry of the Holy Spirit; and (3) a response by the worshiper of joyful adoration, reverence, humility, submission and obedience. (David Nelson, Authentic Worship, Herbert W. Bateman, ed., p. 149)

Still a little long, though. But not as long as D.A. Carson’s on page 26 of Worship by the Book. But I’ll save that for another post. Finding all these great definitions of worship motivated me to come up with two of my own. Here they are:

Christian worship is the response of God’s redeemed people to His self-revelation that exalts God’s glory in Christ in our minds, affections, and wills, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And because I like alliteration at times:

Biblical worship is God’s covenant people recognizing, reveling in, and responding rightly to the glory of God in Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
 ( Above articles from Bob Kauflin - Worship Matters )

Trends in Modern Worship Music 2000-2011

• “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” was the #1 reported song in 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003
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• “Shout to the Lord” was in every year’s top ten except for 2010
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• Only two songs from the 1991 Baptist Hymnal were included in the decade of CCLI’s top reported songs: “I Love You, Lord” and “Majesty”.
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• 2003 was the last year a 1991 Baptist Hymnal song was recorded in the top ten
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• There have been five top songs in 11 years: “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High”, “Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord”, “Here I Am to Worship”, “How Great is Our God”, and “Mighty to Save”.
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• In 2010, Chris Tomlin had recorded/introduced 6 out of the top ten songs reported: “How Great is Our God”, “Everlasting God”, “Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone”, “Your Grace is Enough”, “Jesus Messiah”, and “Holy is the Lord”.
•  
• “Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord” was included in each year’s top ten from 2001-2010.
•  
• The biggest jump in ranking in consecutive years was “How Great is Our God” being #10 in 2006 and jumping to #1 in 2007.
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• When the 2008 Baptist Hymnal came out it included every single song from the CCLI top ten from 2000 until the time of publishing.
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• “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” was in the top ten 2000-2008.
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• “Mighty to Save” jumped into the top ten in 2009 to #4 and replaced “How Great is Our God” as #1 in 2010.

Refections on this list:

• It is difficult for hymnals to keep up.  LifeWay went from 1991 to 2008 in between making an updated hymnal for the modern church.  In doing so, the landscape had changed so much, they made two: The Worship Hymnal and The Baptist Hymnal.  Give them credit for catching up and targeting CCLI’s top 25 list for the year.  But the problem becomes, great songs have been written since 2008 and the church needs those too.  Hymnals are immediately out-of-date when they are published.  Like a newspaper, when you get it to your doorstep or at the store, the news has been splattered over the Internet and news in such a way it feels like it is out-of-date.  I love the hymns…new and old…but it is difficult for them to keep pace with the likes of CCLI’s Song Select, Praise Charts and countless other sites, who bring instant resources to the local church leader.  This is what propelled LifeWay to embark on the LifeWayWorship.com website.
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• Chris Tomlin (whether you like it or not) is changing the face of modern worship music.  In the 2000-2010 top ten he is represented in seven songs.  In 2010, Tomlin had recorded/introduced six of the top ten songs.  The next closest composer is Matt Redman with only two (“Blessed Be Your Name” and “The Heart of Worship”, but never in the same year).  Tomlin is the only artist/worship leader with more than one song in the same year.  The number of songs in one year for Tomlin would be greater if expanded from top ten to top twenty-five.
•  
• Hillsong dominates for a long time.  “Shout to the Lord” first came into the top ten in February of 1999 at #8 and stayed in the top ten until 2010.  In 2009, the Hillsong anthem “Mighty to Save” joined “Shout to the Lord” in the top  ten, and then went on to be 2010′s top song.  A major Hillsong ballad sticks around for a long time.

   

  Projections for 2011 and beyond?

  • Chris Tomlin will continue to dominate with songs like “Jesus Messiah”, “How Great is Our God”, “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”, and add new ones a few years from now like, “Our God”, “I Will Follow”, and more.
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  • Keith Getty/Stuart Townend make a strong push into the top ten.  Written in 2001, “In Christ Alone” is becoming a standard in congregational worship music.  It made it’s CCLI top ten debut in 2008 at #20 and has stayed on the list each year following (2009 #21 and 2010 #16).  I predict it will end up around #10 for 2011.  This will open the door for other songs like “(Oh to See the Dawn) The Power of the Cross”, “Speak O, Lord”, and other Getty songs to go mainstream.
  •  
  • Modern worship music is evolving.  Days of short choruses like “Sanctuary” and one verse/one chorus songs like, “Come, Now is the Time to Worship” are few and far between.  They are still prevalent, but theologically-rich songs like “Jesus Messiah”, “Blessed Be Your Name”, and the 2006 version of “How Great Thou Art”, “How Great is Our God” are taking over.  In the future, scripture-filled modern hymns like “In Christ Alone”, and “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” will be infused.
  •  
  • The Internet is changing modern worship, meaning accessibility is key to mainstream popularity.  iTunes, the Internet, and countless other platforms make the current worship music easily accessible.  More more accessible it is, the more popular it becomes.
  •  
  • (  Article from ChurchMusicToday.net )