Blog Archives
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
Rethinking Contemporary Worship: Can We “Bring Him More Than a Song?”
Back in 1997, Matt Redman wrote the now famous song “The Heart of Worship” as a response to a challenge from his pastor. It seems that music had become an obstacle, perhaps even an idol to the congregation. So the pastor got rid of the band and the PA. For a month or so, they sang acapella. This song was born during that time and was Matt Redman’s personal response to the challenge.
Recently, we sang that song during a Sunday evening service. I was struck by one line in the song:
“I’ll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself Is not what you have required….”
The line struck a chord with me, and led to these two thoughts. First, if a song is not what He requires of us to worship him, then 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
Christ-Centered Worship Songs: “Perfect Lamb of God”
We have noticed a disturbing trend in the corporate worship songs of the church. Perhaps you have too? It seems that we sing very little about the main point of Christianity. This is due, in large part, to church leaderships desire to be more “sensitive” to those who attend the service but are not Christians.
The research tells us (we are told), that non-Christians don’t really want to hear about sin and guilt and being accountable to a holy God. Hearing about a Savior dying on a bloody cross for their sins is not high on their priority list. To reach them, we must eliminate these topics from our sermons and our songs. Sadly, much of the Evangelical church has mistakenly signed on to this approach. We could not disagree more strongly!
The message of a crucified and risen Savior and the reconciliation that this can bring is the only message the church has! It is the one and only message the church has been entrusted with and that the lost so desperately needs to hear.
As one who has been responsible for leading corporate singing for years,…
I can attest to how frustrating it has become to find songs that are worth singing! There are many out there, but it takes time to find them. Because of this, we have started a new feature at Not For Itching Ears. Each week, we will post one worthy (at least in our opinion) worship song for you to listen to. We will post the lyrics as well as the Mp3 along with a chord chart when possible. This weeks selection is “Perfect lamb of God”, by Adam Sacks. We hope you enjoy it. Caution: The first time I heard this song I hit the skip button. It has a Jewish flavor to it, and the intro to the song made me falsely assume that I would not like it. I was wrong! Read the lyrics first and then Read the rest of this entry
Christ-Centered Worship Songs: “Through the Precious Blood”
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 “Throught the Precious Blood” is a medium tempo song in 6/8 time. 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
Christ-Centered Worship Songs: Leading Worship at a Funeral
It was the most difficult “worship” service I have ever had the honor of planning or leading. On a cold January morning, the pastor called me into his office. One of the young ladies in our congregation had died in a horrible car crash. She was only 20. “Jim,” the pastor said, “we’ve been asked to lead worship for her service. I am putting you in charge.” Nicole had been “The Girl of The West” which was a very big deal out here in Colorado. Because of this, her memorial service had to be moved to a much larger facility. We expected over 500 people to attend. I was overwhelmed by the assignment!
Leading worship at a funeral for a genuine believer is no small task. Yes, we gather to celebrate their life, but the emotion present in those gathered is not celebratory. It is grief, gut wrenching heartache, over the loss of someone they love. Few people feel like singing. In addition, many who attend the service will not know the Savior. If you are asked to lead worship in this situation, you will need songs that help people express their pain and their hope in the resurrection. You will also need songs that call unbelievers attention to the Savior.
I don’t remember the songs we chose for Nicole’s service. I do recall there were several drafts, and that I was not completely happy with our final choices. I wish I had known about 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
Worship Leader Make Over: So You Want The Congregation to Sing More? Try this…
One of the most common complaints a worship leader has when leading worship, is that the congregation doesn’t sing as much as they should. Of course, there are exceptions to this but by and large it is the most common critique of the congregation. Often times, we put the blame on the congregation, thinking that they are not as spiritually mature as they should be, or that they just don’t get it. But could we be pointing our fingers in the wrong direction?
Over the last two years as I have visited 30+ congregations, I have noticed a disturbing trend: The bands are better, but the people are singing less and less. What I often observed is a top quality musical performance on the platform, and a completely disinterested response in the pews. Why the disconnect? Is it because the people in the congregation don’t love Jesus or don’t think He is worthy to sing to? That may be the reason for the unsaved, but not for those who are faithfully following hard after their Master.
Consider this: According to national surveys, fear of public speaking is America’s greatest fear, surpassing fear of illness, fear of flying, fear of terrorism, and amazingly, the fear of death itself! Fear of singing in public for someone who only sings at church might play a significant role in their non-singing. (Our current poll appears to support this. When asked “What is your favorite element of corporate worship?” 15% of respondents chose singing. See and take the poll here.)
So You want the Congregation to Sing More? Try this….. Read the rest of this entry
Cross-Centered Worship Song: “O Great God”
Welcome to our “Cross-Centered Worship Songs” column. It 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 “O Great God” is a modern hymn based on a 400 year old prayer. It was written by Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Ministries. It is a beautiful piano based song that reminds us how God took the initiative to redeem us from our sin. Read the rest of this entry
Bob Kauflin: What it Takes to be a Worship Leader
If there was one gift I could give to every person responsible for leading corporate worship, it would be Bob Kauflin’s book “Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God” It is a very readable book, and dives deeply into the subject.
Much of what I have learned about leading worship over the years has come from trial, error and a LOT of study. How I wish that someone would have given me this book 20 years ago!
For those of you not familiar with Bob Kauflin, Read the rest of this entry
Why Should Our Songs Be Cross-Centered?
In the video below, CJ Mahaney lays out four compelling reasons for having cross saturated songs. I have summarized the points here, but you should listen to CJ’s explanation.
1.The cross is fundamentally central to the storyline of God, thus it should be fundamentally central to the corporate life of God’s people, especially when expressed in worship.
2.We sing cross-centered songs because it reminds us that we cannot come to God on our own. We are in desperate need of a mediator, and singing about the cross reminds us of what Christ has done for us to reconcile us to the Father.
3.The cross isn’t just the center of the story this side of heaven, but for all of eternity! Heaven doesn’t ever get over the cross. Rev. 5:1-14 shows us that we will be singing about what Jesus did on the cross for all of eternity. Thus it is a picture of Heaven when we do it.
4.Singing songs that are filled with the gospel message is an opportunity to preach to yourself. In fact, it may be one of the only times during the entire week that a believer gets to hear himself proclaim the truth of the faith that he received by grace. It is vitality important to your soul to hear the gospel and be reminded of the gospel and this most certainly happens when singing. Read the rest of this entry
Cross-Centered Worship Songs: “The Glory of The Cross”
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 Glory of The Cross” is a medium tempo, guitar driven song written by Bob Kauflin. A Gospel saturated song that calls us to rejoice in what God accomplished at Calvary. Read the rest of this entry
Questions About Corporate Worship: “Why Do We Clap Our Hands?”
Kristin, from PrayForMeOnline posed a great question in response to one of our recent articles Worship Leader Make-Over: Defining the Goal of a Worship Leader. Here it is:
I like the question for one simple reason. It made me think about something we do in corporate worship all the time. Why DO we do it? Do we do it just because that’s what we do? There was a time not too long ago, when you would be challenged with a powerful phrase if you advocated something others were not sure about. Some of you remember that phrase because you’ve been following Christ 20 plus years. The phrase? “Chapter and Verse!” “Show me where it says that in the Bible, give me the exact address of where it says that in the Bible. Give me the Chapter and Verse.” If it could not be done, discussion over.
Great question Kristin! Here’s my answer, including the Chapter and Verse! Read the rest of this entry
Cross-centered Worship Songs: “Jesus Died For Me”
I have been responsible for leading corporate singing in the church for years. I know how frustrating it can be to find songs that are worth singing. Many of the newer songs never mention the most important aspect of Christianity: The message of The Cross! To be sure, there are songs out there, but it takes time to find them. I often sift through 40 songs, just to find one new song. (Worship team members have affectionately, and some times derogatorily, nick-named me “The Lyric Police”. Call me old school if you like, but I think the songs we sing to our Savior should be worthy of Him!
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. Read the rest of this entry
Worship Leader Make-Over: Defining the Goal of a Worship Leader
The clock on the wall says it’s 9:55. People are hurriedly making their way into the sanctuary from classrooms, conversations, the coffee bar, or the parking lot. If the service has a band, the musicians are tuning up, and everyone on the team is making sure their songs are in order. The sound team is running last-minute checks and putting a battery into the one mic that is dying, The video team is making sure everything is ready. It’s 10:00am and the time has come. It is time to worship.
What happens next? All kinds of things. It depends on your church tradition and background. It has a LOT to do with the worship leaders themselves and what they think should happen.
Let me phrase today’s discussion this way: If you are a worship leader, what is your goal when you lead the congregation in worship? Where is it you are leading the congregation? How do you know when you get there? Put another way: What is the point of corporate worship? Why have we gathered in the first place? What does God expect from us as we gather to worship Him?
I have been to many worship services and have led some myself, where there was no lofty goal guiding the service. Henry David Thoreau once said
“In the long run men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, though they should fail immediately, they had better aim at something high.”
We only hit what we aim at. Isn’t that the truth! As worship leaders, we should be aiming very high when we stand before God’s people to lead them in worshipping Him. So, my worship leading friend, what are you aiming at when you lead the congregation? Allow me to share what I believe the scriptures teach us we SHOULD be aiming at when we lead worship. To understand this, we will briefly look at the three common terms used to describe worship in the Bible. We will wrap up with a definition.
Cross-Centered Worship Songs: “Oh What Grace”
I have been responsible for leading corporate singing in the church for years. I know how frustrating it can be to find songs that are worth singing. Many of the newer songs never mention or even allude to the most important aspect of Christianity: The message of The Cross! To be sure, there are songs out there, but it takes time to find them. I often sift through 40 songs, just to find one new song. (Worship team members have affectionately, and some times derogatorily, nick-named me “The Lyric Police”. Call me old school if you like, but I think the songs we sing to our Savior should be worthy of Him!
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 is an upbeat, rock-style song off the CD “Fuse”. It is called “Oh What Grace” and is by Zach Jones. Read the rest of this entry
Worship Leader Make-over: Laying the Foundation
To this day I believe I was set up! Those who know the truth, may one day come forward and acknowledge what they did. Until then, I will never know for certain.
I was a young Christian, and had just arrived at my second visit to what we called “Mini-church.” It was a home-group, but back in those days, they were very uncommon and this one had 40 people in it.
During my first visit, someone found out I played guitar. Ten minutes before the start of this second meeting, one of my new-found friends approached me with the con: “Jim, our normal guitar player is not going to be here on time, would you mind playing guitar during worship tonight?” Yeah, I would mind , I thought. I don’t know any of the songs, and I don’t have a guitar. Practically reading my mind, he told me that the regular guitar player had “just happened” to leave his guitar at the house we were meeting in and I could use his. Without waiting for my answer, Mike handed me the guitar and pointed me to the back room where the singers and the flute player were running through the songs. I was trapped with no means of escape.
How did it go? In my opinion, it was a horrible train wreck. I did not know any of the songs, and the charts were absolutely no help! So I winged it. Everybody could tell! When the meeting was over, Cathy (the flute player) asked me if I would like to be the regular guitar player. Now I ask, does that seem like a set up to you?
For some reason, I still don’t know why, I said yes! That is how I got started leading worship. Twenty-four years later I have led worship all over the world… Read the rest of this entry
Not For Itching Ears 