Blog Archives
Cross-Centered Worship Songs: “You Are the Way”
This column, “Cross-Centered Worship Songs”, was started as a way to serve the church at large. I wanted to introduce some of the lesser known songs out there so that the corporate singing of the church might be enriched. I have been posting songs from different genres: hymns, a capella, contemporary rock, etc. I try to post a chord chart when possible. I hope you find it helpful. If you do, please let us know! Today’s song is called “You Are the Way” written by Pat Sczebel. It is a simple, easy to sing, gospel proclamation. Read the rest of this entry
Worship: Is it a Life Well-Lived or a Chorus Well-Sung?
We love to discuss those things we are passionate about, don’t we? Be it our favorite football team (THE Washington Redskins), politics, sports, movies, cultural issues. Heck we even argue about beer! Remember the Miller Lite commercials? For years, Miller Lite drinkers, including the likes of Rodney Dangerfield and John Madden, bickered back and forth on our TV sets. The argument? What made Miller Lite such a great beer. Some said the drink tasted great. Others said it was less filling. Though they were very entertaining commercials, it makes one wonder: Don’t we have anything better to discuss than beer?
Of course we do! Over here at Not For Itching Ears, we’ve been spending a lot of time talking about a topic that is higher up the food chain: Worshipping God. If you read these posts (millions of people do each hour) Read the rest of this entry
Forget About Singing, God Wants Us to Worship Him HIS way
What is worship and how do we as christians go about doing it? Is it the 30-45 minutes we spend singing at church with others each week? Is it the 20-35 minutes we spend listening to a sermon at that same gathering? Is it the money we contribute to our congregations to keep the doors open? Is worship the time we give to volunteer in the parking ministry or Children’s church?
Let me state as clearly as I can, so that there is no misunderstanding: I think that all the things I just mentioned can unequivocally be considered acts by which people worship God. I just don’t think that doing them necessarily equals worship. I am not advocating that we stop singing, even though the title of this post might lead to that conclusion.
My friends, I have been giving this a lot of thought lately. In part, because I have become so disillusioned with the contemporary church model that claims to be all about worship. I’ve been to 30+ different congregations, all focused on “worship”. It seems that all we are doing is singing songs and calling that worship. Worship appears to have become an event that we grade or a product we consume. Does anyone else find that troubling?
People are always defining worship. Most start off their definition with Read the rest of this entry
We’ve Come to Worship, but Will We Worship God or Ourselves?
Dan Lucarini’s, in his book Why I Left the Christian Contemporary Music Movement, has some thought-provoking and counter-cultural takes on contemporary worship. One that gets right to the heart of the issue is this one:
“When we try to feel an experience of affirmation from worship, we are not worshiping God. We are worshiping our own egos.” (pp. 56-57)
In other words, when we come to “worship”, if our goal is to get some type of positive experience out of it for ourselves, we are not really coming for Him. In essence, we are “worshipping” our own egos. If our motivation in coming to worship is for what we will get out of it, then we are worshiping. We are just worshipping ourselves, and not the Savior.
Whoa there fella, that is a huge statement. Practically everyone I have ever served on a worship team with or led, Read the rest of this entry
Worship Leading Gone Wild: What Can Happen When Worship Becomes A Song…..
Sometimes the truth contained in satire can pierce like a sword. The scene this video portrays about worship leading gone bad is one of those times. After I stopped laughing, I began to ache. This is how things truly are in some circles. In many churches that I have visited over the past 3 years, it seems that simply getting people to sing is the goal. It doesn’t matter what we actually sing about, Read the rest of this entry
This Worship Service is About……..YOU baby!
Regular readers of this blog should be familiar with my view of today’s “worship” “service.” In a nutshell, I think many good-hearted and well-meaning leaders have taken the church down the wrong road. I have written on it extensively in articles like: Whatever Happened to the Message of Christianity?, Rethinking Contemporary Worship: Can We “Bring Him More Than a Song?”, George Barna: The Seeker-Sensitive Church Model: Dumbing Down Disciples , or Does God Give Us Freedom To Worship Him Anyway WE Want to? and many other posts. Today’s post is more of a satirical and humours look at the issue of the songs we are singing in church. What makes satire funny is that there is often a little truth in it. That’s why I find this re-wording of the famous Carly Simon song “You’re So Vain” so funny. There is a Read the rest of this entry
How Contemporary Christian Music and the Seeker-Sensitive Movements Failed a Generation
“It’s 1994, and Michael Stipe recently lost his religion. It’s before Bieber and bling, before ordering a latte required six qualifying adjectives. In coffeehouses across the country, bored teens slouch on thrift-store couches nodding along to the Cranberries’ “Zombie.” Weezer breaks into the alt-rock scene with the Blue Album; Green Day tops the charts with the first punk rock song to whine about a lousy therapist. In April, hordes of fans gather in Seattle Park to mourn the death of Kurt Cobain. A few months later, 350,000 people make the pilgrimage to Read the rest of this entry
Blasphemy! If You Want the Congregation to Worship More, Try Singing Less
Worship is fast becoming a topic we avoid at all costs. Much like discussing politics, discussing worship preferences and style, the should and should nots, the rights and wrongs, is not polite conversation. It can and has led to all out war. Challenge the status quo and you may have the same charges leveled against you that they leveled against Jesus: “Blasphemy…He is worthy of death!” Read the rest of this entry
A Worship Song for the Hard Times: “As Long As You Are Glorified”
Does your worship service look more like a High School pep rally?
You remember those days, don’t you? The cheerleaders and the band would work us up into a frenzy, trying to fire us up for the Friday night game. Much of today’s corporate worship reminds me of those days. everything is so upbeat and wonderful. Week after week, upbeat and wonderful, life is one victory after another, aint it all great type of stuff. Don’t misunderstand me. I am not advocating that everything be the exact opposite.
However, sometimes we are living on the other side, aren’t we? Life is hard, you’ve lost a loved one, a job, your kids are making horrible choices, the doctor just gave you the bad news, your worried about the future, your __________________ (fill in the blank). Sometimes, as we gather with other believers, we are not feeling upbeat, wonderful or victorious. Those type of songs, don’t always help pull us out of that.
That is why I like this weeks song, “As Long As You Are Glorified”, by Mark Altrogge. It reminds us that God is control of all things, and that no matter what I am going through in my life, Read the rest of this entry
Our Top 5 Most Read, Most Interesting and Most Debated Posts of the Year
It is hard to believe that August is fast approaching, and that 2011 is more than half in the tank already. We have had some very interesting debates and discussions here at Not For Itching Ears. In case you missed them (how is that even possible) I have posted their links here.
Our Top 5 Most Read, Most Interesting and Most Debated Posts of the Year…. Read the rest of this entry
What is Your Favorite Part of the Sunday Morning Church Service? Take the Poll
Over the past few days, hundreds of people have read and commented on our post “Does God Care How We Worship?” As a follow-up to that post, we have created an online poll asking the question: “What is the Most Important Element of Corporate Worship for you Personally?” We hope you will take the time to vote. About the poll: We understand that we are asking you to make a choice that Read the rest of this entry
Christ Centered Worship Songs: “What A Savior”
This column, “Cross-Centered Worship Songs”, was started as a way to serve my many worship leading friends. I hope to introduce some of the lesser known songs out there that you may not have heard.
We will be posting songs from different genres: hymns, a capella, contemporary rock, etc. We will post the lyrics as well as the Mp3 along with a chord chart when possible. I hope you find it helpful. If you do, please let us know! This weeks selection “What A Savior” is a remake of the old hymn (1875) with an updated chorus. Musically, it is very stripped down, with a lot of potential to put your congregations own touch on it. A Gospel saturated song that calls us to rejoice in what God accomplished at Calvary.
Does God Give Us Freedom To Worship Him Anyway WE Want to?
“If it feels good, do it!”
This has been one of the mottos of our culture since the 1960’s. Now it seems that the American church has adopted a similar pragmatic motto: “If it makes people feel good, we should use it.” Today we see church leaders of every persuasion trying all kinds of new things. Even in corporate worship. If it works in drawing more people into services then it “works” and must be stamped with the very approval of God Himself. It appears that many church leaders are acting under the premise that we can worship God anyway we want to, as long as it is in spirit and truth. This is often just a code word for “Our way of worshipping God is acceptable to Him. It must be, we love it and so do all the unbelievers who come and enjoy it.” But are they right? Can we worship God anyway that WE want to? Is there any possibility, at all, that the way we worship Him could be unacceptable to HIM?
One of the things we should remind ourselves… Read the rest of this entry
Can You (Personally) Worship God Without A Band or A Song?
Can You (personally) Worship Without A Band or A Song?
I remember sitting in a church service as a young pastor explained why they were beginning a building project. “We are growing so fast, we do not have room to put everyone.” His assessment of the situation was correct. They didn’t have room for all the people who were coming. However, I thought his conclusion was wrong. Building wasn’t the answer.
I had attended for three months so I felt I had a good sense of the leadership and the congregation. I thought the answer was more basic: Start preaching Biblical messages, presenting the message of the Cross, instead of tickling everyone’s ears, and the space problem would be fixed. How, you ask? People would Read the rest of this entry
Rethinking the Contemporary Worship Service
“It’s Sunday once again and we haven’t even pulled into the parking lot of the church but already the frustration is building. With a glance skyward I whisper a now familiar but heartfelt prayer: ‘Lord, let this be a meeting of the saints. Please let there be something real in the House of God today. No ridiculous nonsense, no overt heresy, no deceptive ploys cast in Your Name, no silly sales tactics. Let us hear some of Your everlasting and immutable truth; anointed and unfiltered. Challenge me through the singular preaching of Biblical doctrine. Dare me to strive for Holiness, to love more freely, and believe absolutely. Let this be the very church service where I die! Where my fleshly passions and desires are nailed on an ancient splintered Cross to be wholly absorbed into a pool of Regal Blood. Never to rise again.’
The words leave my heart but I hold out little hope. Not that I doubt my Lord but because I know the modern church all too well….”
My friend Jim over at LivingElect penned those words, but it could just as easily been written by myself or countless other Christians who have grown so VERY tired of the modern American church. A quick glance at those assembled on any Sunday leaves one thinking that everything is fine. People are smiling, sermons are preached, songs are sung, offerings are collected. But if we take Rafiki’s advice (Lion King) and “Looked Harder!” we see a different picture: believers who are spiritually mal-nourished, longing for just a sip of cold water and a stale piece of bread that never come. Week after week after week, the spiritual food never arrives, and the body becomes weak. This is where many of the Contemporary churches have led God’s people.
In an earlier post, I asked the question “Can We Bring Him More than a Song?” It was a question that Read the rest of this entry
Charles Spurgeon: Jesus Christ Doesn’t Need a Worship Band to lead People to Himself
These days, it seems that music is the most important element at the typical Sunday morning church gathering. Don’t believe me? Try this: take your watch and time each element of the service: announcements, singing, the message, prayer, etc. The time alloted for singing at many churches is often the winner. Usually, we give the most time to that which we consider the most important thing.
If we ask why music takes such a prominent role in our gatherings, one of the answers we are given is that non-christians like good music and it draws them to church. If we want to reach them with the gospel (who doesn’t want to do this?) then we have to have a great band! I disagree with this. Non-christians do not come to our services because we have a great band. They really don’t. As a full-time musician, I can honestly say that the music in our church services is largely VERY unimpressive to the christian let alone the non-Christian. Plus we don’t serve alcohol!
The great Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon himself, declared that Jesus Christ does not need a great worship band to reach the lost. Well, he didn’t use those exact words. But that is what he would say today. Consider his argument: Read the rest of this entry
Worship Leader Make-Over: Choosing New Songs Wisely
There was a time, not to long ago, when choosing a new song for corporate worship wasn’t that difficult. There weren’t that many out there to choose from! Christian Radio wasn’t much help. If you walked into a Christian bookstore, you would find an 8′ x 4′ section dedicated to contemporary music. You heard that new song at a friends church or a conference, and that was it. Then, in the 80’s, Hosanna Integrity and the Vineyard began producing bi-monthly worship tapes. They were very succesful and their success helped catapult the fledgling contemporary christian music scene into what it has now become.
Finding new songs to choose from is no longer difficult. They are everywhere. Finding great new songs is a more tedious task. If you are responsible for leading the corporate singing time of your congregation, you are well aware of this challenge. So how do you go about choosing new songs for the congregation? What process do you use to help weed out the mediocre or poorly written songs, or do you have a process? What criteria should you use?
Allow me to share the number one thing I do to help me in this process. Over the years it has helped me more than anything else I could share. It is simply this: Read the rest of this entry
Is Using Instruments in Corporate Worship A Violation of the New Testament? An Argument from 1864
“I prefer reading books written by dead men!”, an old man of God once told me. When I asked him why, he told me that books by great men of God who are no longer with us, are not influenced by our current cultural trends. Their understanding of God’s word is not colored by the same issues that affect us in our day. Many of the issues we face, were not even around back then. It is refreshing to read books by people who do not have a horse in the race, so to speak. Over the years, I have come to appreciate that perspective and have adopted it as my own.
On a recent trip to the Goodwill, I found a very old commentary on the Book of Acts, written by J.W. McGarvey in 1863. (I bought it at for .99 cents!) As I read it, I began to tear up. “Where are these men today Lord?” I asked out loud.
I did a little research on the man who wrote the commentary. One of the things I found was this very interesting article titled “Instrumental Music in Churches.” He was against it and argued from the Scriptures that instruments were not to be used in the Church era. He wrote this article in 1864, at a time when most churches Read the rest of this entry
Cross-Centered Worship Songs: “The Father’s Love”
This column, “Cross-Centered Worship Songs”, was started as a way to serve my many worship leading friends. I hope to introduce some of the lesser known songs out there that you may not have heard. We will be posting songs from different genres: hymns, a capella, contemporary rock, etc. We will post the lyrics as well as the Mp3 along with a chord chart when possible. I hope you find it helpful. If you do, please let us know! This weeks selection “The Father’s Love” is an up-tempo, guitar driven song written by Joel Sczebel. A Gospel saturated song that calls us to rejoice in what God accomplished at Calvary. Read the rest of this entry
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