Andy Park
1. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of training others
I like the "Five Step Discipleship model" I learned from John Wimber:
A. Lead worship with a worship leader in training in attendance.
B. Have that person play alongside you while you lead.
C. Have that person lead while you play alongside him or her.
D. Talk about the worship time afterward.
E. Finish the process by letting them lead alone.
As long as you’re a page ahead of the people you’re leading, you have something to say!
2. Be unselfish
Be committed to building God’s kingdom, not your own. If there’s only one weekly meeting in your church, you might have to share your space! Co-lead with an apprentice. Gradually increase his or her levels of responsibility.
3. Choose people who have a well-rounded worship life and Christ-like Character
Worship leaders have more authority when their lives match their songs. Outstanding worshippers in the Bible are also noted for their acts of service to God. Furthermore, when the church sees someone who is "going for it" in God’s kingdom they are more willing to follow that person in worship.
4. Choose people who risk and have a good track record
At the Anaheim Vineyard, we have a gifted worship leader named Mike Kinnen. Mike spearheaded worship in a local church plant. He had lots of responsibilities that were new to him, like raising up a worship band and worship with a P.A. system. Then, he raised up other worship leaders and left them doing it in his place. I like to work with risk-takers who don’t quit even when the going gets tough.
5. Choose people who have "bought in" to your ministry
You can’t lead people that don’t want to follow you. The most fruitful mentoring relationships I’ve have are those in which there is mutual admiration between the two parties. If a person has the skills, experience, knowledge, perspective and character that I admire, I’ll have a reason to pursue them.
6. Choose people that have well-rounded skills
The best worship band leaders are good pastors and leaders. Worship team members need to be cared for as people, not just deployed as musicians. If a young leader has a compassionate heart and is a good people person, he or she can be trained to pastor.
7. Release people into positions of responisibility gradually
Give someone a little responsibility and see how it goes. It is important to determine if the worship trainee is "faithful with the little things." Even if God speaks to you powerfully about a person’ calling, a proven track record will confirm what god has shown you before you give someone a permanent position.
8. Use the three arenas for training: the classroom, worship time, and personal meetings
The classroom:
The basics of worship and worship leading can be taught once or twice a year through a six or eight session course. Worship leaders and take more advance course once they are leading. When they find out what they don’t know, they’re more teachable.!
The worship time:
Observe the person leading. Give specific feedback about skills. Sometimes I only address one issue because I don’t’ want to weigh down a new leader with negative input.
Personal meetings
You’ll see more output from your worship leaders if you care for them personally. I take people with me whenever I go on ministry trips.
9. Expose people to othe training resources
Nobody I’ve trained has learned everything they know from me. For those who have a hard time attending training events, there are books, videos and tapes.
10. To keep giving, you have to keep growing
I take courses and seek out new material that will inform and inspire me. Unless I have fresh input, I get stale. Most importantly, make time to pray and worship by yourself. Go directly to the well of living water, and let him speak to you. This puts gas in your tank and gives you the right perspective on all your responsibilities.
Source: Vineyard Music Group
Monday, November 26, 2007
WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE
by Darlene Zschech
We often hear the phrase "Worship is a lifestyle". What does this really mean? It simply means to live a life of love. To love extravagantly. The first commandment, to LOVE the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with your entire mind, means exactly that. You make a heart and mind decision to continually seek first the Kingdom of God, and to OBEY the Spirit of God in your life, as He calls you on to a greater and deeper knowledge of Himself.
Worship requires something of you, and that is OBEDIENCE.
Why do people cringe away from obedience? I believe it is because it requires a response. John 14:12 says, "Whoever has my commands and OBEYS them, he is the one who LOVES me. My Father will love him who LOVES me, and I too will LOVE him and show myself to him."
And verse 23 says, "If anyone LOVES me, he will OBEY my teaching. My Father will LOVE him and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not LOVE me will not OBEY me. These words you hear are not my own, they belong to my Father who sent me." LOVE and OBEDIENCE are tied together.
Every time you open up your heart in obedience to God and worship Him with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul, our beautiful Lord responds with His magnificent presence. You need to continually be in the presence of God. Not only on Sundays, in a corporate place of worship, but in that secret place that maybe only you and the Lord will ever know about.
It's in this place of worship that you find yourself needing to respond to the Lord, to whatever He is asking, as WORSHIP PULLS BACK THE LAYERS OF YOUR HEART – TO EXPOSE WHAT'S REALLY THERE.
CONFESS
In Isaiah 6… when Isaiah caught sight of God he was moved to confess his sin.
When your humanness is confronted by the magnificence and holiness of God, you are made SO aware of your need for God’s grace and his cleansing power in your life. If you have unforgiveness, anger, jealousy, bitterness… ask God to forgive you. Romans 12:1 teaches us how to live this life of worship and love.
TRANSPARENCY
Psalm 51 says it so well, that when you are in the presence of the Lord, you become totally transparent and honest and your heart and soul cry out to pray "create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me". Read the Message Bible translation – it will inspire you to greater heights.
CLARITY
As you simply and wholeheartedly LOVE and ADORE your God, you receive revelation and understanding of your kingdom purpose. Romans 8:28 reveals that "… in all things God works for the good of those who LOVE Him, who have been called according to His purpose". Many Christians spend their lifetime frustrated at never knowing their Kingdom purpose. I challenge you to get in the presence of God, have an open heart to hear His voice, for He desires ALL He has planned for you even more than you do!
HUNGER
Another heart response is that your hunger for the things of God, your hunger for His Word and His truth increases. John 7:37! If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scriptures have said, streams of living water will flow from within him. Say YES to the Lord calling you to know Him more through his Word. It is LIFE to your soul.
REST COMES
Psalm 91:1 "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty."
Joy and strength are found in His dwelling place, in His presence. If you feel like you are continually running on empty, then again, you need to respond and obey the Spirit of God and GET IN HIS PRESENCE. If I have learned one thing, it is that we were never meant to live this supernatural call, with purely natural ability. You will not make it… BUT if you take God at His Word, live in His presence, life a life of love, and respond to His voice, you WILL live your entire lifetime growing in the knowledge of Christ, always fresh and strong in the Word, and living a life that people will want to follow.
... And you thought worship was all about songs!
Love,
Darlene
This article was originally published in the Hillsong Magazine. For free copies of this magazine, please go to www.hillsongtv.com
Being A Lead Worshiper
Worship
Jeff Deyo
Preparing for leading worship at a church, a small group Bible study, around a camp fire or at a gathering like WorshipCityPraise is VERY important!!! Here are a few things that have helped my band and me strive to serve the Lord in this way.
As worship leaders (each member is a worship leader, not just the lead singer), you need to remember that leading worship is NOT trying to get people to sing. It is WORSHIPING GOD yourselves, SO THAT others will FOLLOW your LEAD!!!! Instead of concentrating on worship leading, focus on being a lead worshiper. Instead of concentrating on keeping your eyebrows up (hoping everyone will think you are happy and in love with Jesus), focus your thoughts and heart on Christ.
For starters, you and your band or worship team MUST worship the Lord together as a small group, alone, away from people and the stage in order to be able to lead worship properly and in front of others. This is not easy. Put in a Delirious CD (and play it loud) or have someone lead on guitar or piano and then have everyone in the band sing along TO GOD!! Force yourselves to spend this time - it is as or more essential as the precious rehearsal time!!! In fact, I would recommend cutting your current weekly rehearsal time in half and spending one half in Bible study, singing, and prayer and the other half rehearsing, in that order. This way you will get the most out of your rehearsal. You might say there isn't enough time for this. But, trust me, you don't have time to NOT do this! Once you've all worshiped together, you will be amazed at how much quicker you learn songs and how much better you all work together.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE - then when you get on stage, forget it all! What I mean is, be very prepared, but be equally prepared to do anything God would have you do once worship begins - you need to be in great unity musically and spiritually so that you can go together where ever God leads you. Maybe you'll do a song you planned to do fast, much slower or the opposite. Maybe you'll do a song that was not even on the set list. Maybe you'll do one song several different ways for 20 minutes! You may even find that you will write new songs while you are on the stage!!!! The best worship comes out of the heart and is SPONTANEOUS, especially from the leaders!!! Don't be afraid of the unknown - just trust God, and sing and play to Him from your heart!
Each member MUST worship God with his instrument AND his voice. One of the keys to worshiping God is getting truth in your spirit. Music has a way of doing that - singing especially. You need to emphasize the need for your band to worship with their instruments - let God lead your fingers and hands as to what to play. AND even if some guys don't sing into microphones, EVERYONE SHOULD be singing most of the time. This helps each of you worship God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It also helps you to not focus too much on what you play so that God will be more capable of playing through you!
You need to all study Psalms intensely! Get a feel for how David worshiped the Lord. There are times when he was very intense and times when he was still enough to know that God was God. You can read Amos 9:11-12 and Acts 15:16-17 which shows us that God is going to restore the Kingdom of David in our day - and for HIS purpose - SO THAT all men might find the Lord!!! You can also look at passages like 2 Chronicles 5-7 & 20, Psalm 40, Psalm 84, Revelation 4-5. David and Solomon are some of the greatest lead worshipers ever! The first book of Chronicles talks about David bring the ark (the presence of God) to the people, dancing all the way - there is lots of symbolism here. The second book of Chronicles talks about Solomon building the temple to God. The dedication of the temple is especially AWESOME!!! These and many other passages will help you see the importance and power of worship music in the Bible.
You also need to start reading Song of Songs. I know this book is a little strange, but it is actually God's symbolic love letter to us. King Solomon represents God, and we, God's people, are represented as Solomon's bride. The first verse says this book is the song OF songs. That means it is the most important one!! I'd say that means it must be significant for us!!!! As you read it, you will start to develop a new vocabulary for praising God. Verse 5:1 says we should drink deeply of God's love - that is what worship is!!!! When you begin to drink of His love on stage, you will find God drawing people to Himself just like He says He will in John 12:32. That is what it is ALL about!
Jeff Deyo
Preparing for leading worship at a church, a small group Bible study, around a camp fire or at a gathering like WorshipCityPraise is VERY important!!! Here are a few things that have helped my band and me strive to serve the Lord in this way.
As worship leaders (each member is a worship leader, not just the lead singer), you need to remember that leading worship is NOT trying to get people to sing. It is WORSHIPING GOD yourselves, SO THAT others will FOLLOW your LEAD!!!! Instead of concentrating on worship leading, focus on being a lead worshiper. Instead of concentrating on keeping your eyebrows up (hoping everyone will think you are happy and in love with Jesus), focus your thoughts and heart on Christ.
For starters, you and your band or worship team MUST worship the Lord together as a small group, alone, away from people and the stage in order to be able to lead worship properly and in front of others. This is not easy. Put in a Delirious CD (and play it loud) or have someone lead on guitar or piano and then have everyone in the band sing along TO GOD!! Force yourselves to spend this time - it is as or more essential as the precious rehearsal time!!! In fact, I would recommend cutting your current weekly rehearsal time in half and spending one half in Bible study, singing, and prayer and the other half rehearsing, in that order. This way you will get the most out of your rehearsal. You might say there isn't enough time for this. But, trust me, you don't have time to NOT do this! Once you've all worshiped together, you will be amazed at how much quicker you learn songs and how much better you all work together.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE - then when you get on stage, forget it all! What I mean is, be very prepared, but be equally prepared to do anything God would have you do once worship begins - you need to be in great unity musically and spiritually so that you can go together where ever God leads you. Maybe you'll do a song you planned to do fast, much slower or the opposite. Maybe you'll do a song that was not even on the set list. Maybe you'll do one song several different ways for 20 minutes! You may even find that you will write new songs while you are on the stage!!!! The best worship comes out of the heart and is SPONTANEOUS, especially from the leaders!!! Don't be afraid of the unknown - just trust God, and sing and play to Him from your heart!
Each member MUST worship God with his instrument AND his voice. One of the keys to worshiping God is getting truth in your spirit. Music has a way of doing that - singing especially. You need to emphasize the need for your band to worship with their instruments - let God lead your fingers and hands as to what to play. AND even if some guys don't sing into microphones, EVERYONE SHOULD be singing most of the time. This helps each of you worship God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It also helps you to not focus too much on what you play so that God will be more capable of playing through you!
You need to all study Psalms intensely! Get a feel for how David worshiped the Lord. There are times when he was very intense and times when he was still enough to know that God was God. You can read Amos 9:11-12 and Acts 15:16-17 which shows us that God is going to restore the Kingdom of David in our day - and for HIS purpose - SO THAT all men might find the Lord!!! You can also look at passages like 2 Chronicles 5-7 & 20, Psalm 40, Psalm 84, Revelation 4-5. David and Solomon are some of the greatest lead worshipers ever! The first book of Chronicles talks about David bring the ark (the presence of God) to the people, dancing all the way - there is lots of symbolism here. The second book of Chronicles talks about Solomon building the temple to God. The dedication of the temple is especially AWESOME!!! These and many other passages will help you see the importance and power of worship music in the Bible.
You also need to start reading Song of Songs. I know this book is a little strange, but it is actually God's symbolic love letter to us. King Solomon represents God, and we, God's people, are represented as Solomon's bride. The first verse says this book is the song OF songs. That means it is the most important one!! I'd say that means it must be significant for us!!!! As you read it, you will start to develop a new vocabulary for praising God. Verse 5:1 says we should drink deeply of God's love - that is what worship is!!!! When you begin to drink of His love on stage, you will find God drawing people to Himself just like He says He will in John 12:32. That is what it is ALL about!
Coming Back to the Heart of Worship
Mike Pilavachi
With a spanking new building, a congregation wearing combat trousers, a PA system that cost thousands and links with the summer festivals, some might have thought that worship wise, a Church like Soul Survivor Watford had it sussed.
Since it began - meeting in school halls with a PA that packed into the boot of a Cavalier - Soul Survivor Watford has always been given plenty of time over to worshipping through music. Over the years people have poured out their hearts to God through it, and there have been plenty of examples of great things happening as a result. However, in the autumn of ’96 we realised that something was ‘up’ with our worship. At first it was difficult to put our finger on the problem. On the surface everything was just fine; many of the musicians had worked out how to tune their instruments and the sound engineers were getting out of bed on time. Each service contained a block of songs that focused on the cross and gave people the chance to get down to business with God. To make this easier, the music was (nearly) up-to-date, the chairs had disappeared and the lights were low: what better atmosphere for young people to worship God?
Yet, we seemed to have lost the spark. We seemed to be going through the motions but I noticed that although we were singing the songs, our hearts were far from him. Was it Redman’s fault? I listened…he wasn’t singing any more duff notes than usual. Then it clicked; we had become connoisseurs of worship instead of participants of it. In our hearts we were giving the worship marks out of ten: “Not that song again”, “I can’t hear the bass”, “I like the way she sings”…We had made the band the performers of worship and ourselves the audience. We had forgotten that we are ALL the performers of worship and that God is the audience. We had forgotten that sacrifice is central to biblical worship. In the Old Testament, whenever the people of Israel gathered to worship, they sacrificed a lamb or other animal. In 2 Chronicles 7, when King Solomon and the people gathered to dedicate the new temple to the Lord, Solomon sacrificed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. Now that’s what I call a barbecue! The passage says that the glory of the Lord fell on the people and they prostrated themselves on the pavement and worshipped. In fact the presence of God was so tangible that, for a while, even the priests could not perform their duties.
We don’t need to sacrifice sheep and goats today and certainly no sacrifice on our part can earn God’s forgiveness or our salvation; the one perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross has done that for all time. Yet we ARE called to bring sacrifices in worship. We are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices - this is OUR spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). We are called to offer our sacrifice of praise.
We were challenged to ask ourselves individually, ‘When I come through the door of the church, what am I bringing as my contribution to the worship?’ The truth came to us: worship is not a spectator sport, it is not a product moulded by the taste of the consumers. It is not about what we can get out of it; it is all about God.
We needed to take drastic action. For a while, in order to truly learn this lesson, we banned the band. We sacked Redman!
Then we sat around in circles and said that if no one brought a sacrifice of praise, we would spend the meeting in silence. At the beginning, we virtually did! It was a very painful process. We were learning again not to rely on the music. After a while we began to have some very sweet times of worship. We all began to bring our prayers, our readings, our prophecies, our thanksgiving, our praises and our songs. Someone would start a song a cappella and we would all join in. Then someone else would take it on to another song. The excitement came back. We were not having Church; we were once again meeting with God. With all the comforts stripped away we worshipped from the heart.
When we had learnt our lesson, we brought the band back. It was at this point that Matt began to sing the song he had written out of this experience. I wept as we sang it for the first time. The words expressed exactly what was going on:
download mp3 here
The Heart Of Worship
Matt Redman
Key: D
Verse 1:
D A Em
A
D A Em
A
PreChorus:
Em D/F# A
Em
D/F# A A/C# D
Em D/F# A
Em
D/F# A
Chorus:
D A2/C#
Em
G A D
A2/C#
Em
G A D
Verse 2:
D A Em
A
D A Em
A
When the music fades,
All is stripped away,
And I simply come.
Longing just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart.
I’ll bring You more than a song.
For a song in itself is not what
You have required.
You search much deeper within,
Through the way things appear;
You’re looking into my heart.
I’m coming back to the heart of worship,
And it’s all about You,
All about You Jesus.
I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it.
When it’s all about You.
All about you Jesus.
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve.
Though I’m weak and poor
All I have is Yours,
Every single breath.
Matt Redman
© 1997 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music
Mike Pilavachi serves as pastor of Soul Survivor, Watford, a growing and thriving youth congregation near London, England where Matt Redman is worship leader. In addition Matt and Mike head the leadership team for the Soul Survivor festivals which occur in England and South Africa.
Source: Soul Survivor Magazine
With a spanking new building, a congregation wearing combat trousers, a PA system that cost thousands and links with the summer festivals, some might have thought that worship wise, a Church like Soul Survivor Watford had it sussed.
Since it began - meeting in school halls with a PA that packed into the boot of a Cavalier - Soul Survivor Watford has always been given plenty of time over to worshipping through music. Over the years people have poured out their hearts to God through it, and there have been plenty of examples of great things happening as a result. However, in the autumn of ’96 we realised that something was ‘up’ with our worship. At first it was difficult to put our finger on the problem. On the surface everything was just fine; many of the musicians had worked out how to tune their instruments and the sound engineers were getting out of bed on time. Each service contained a block of songs that focused on the cross and gave people the chance to get down to business with God. To make this easier, the music was (nearly) up-to-date, the chairs had disappeared and the lights were low: what better atmosphere for young people to worship God?
Yet, we seemed to have lost the spark. We seemed to be going through the motions but I noticed that although we were singing the songs, our hearts were far from him. Was it Redman’s fault? I listened…he wasn’t singing any more duff notes than usual. Then it clicked; we had become connoisseurs of worship instead of participants of it. In our hearts we were giving the worship marks out of ten: “Not that song again”, “I can’t hear the bass”, “I like the way she sings”…We had made the band the performers of worship and ourselves the audience. We had forgotten that we are ALL the performers of worship and that God is the audience. We had forgotten that sacrifice is central to biblical worship. In the Old Testament, whenever the people of Israel gathered to worship, they sacrificed a lamb or other animal. In 2 Chronicles 7, when King Solomon and the people gathered to dedicate the new temple to the Lord, Solomon sacrificed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. Now that’s what I call a barbecue! The passage says that the glory of the Lord fell on the people and they prostrated themselves on the pavement and worshipped. In fact the presence of God was so tangible that, for a while, even the priests could not perform their duties.
We don’t need to sacrifice sheep and goats today and certainly no sacrifice on our part can earn God’s forgiveness or our salvation; the one perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross has done that for all time. Yet we ARE called to bring sacrifices in worship. We are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices - this is OUR spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). We are called to offer our sacrifice of praise.
We were challenged to ask ourselves individually, ‘When I come through the door of the church, what am I bringing as my contribution to the worship?’ The truth came to us: worship is not a spectator sport, it is not a product moulded by the taste of the consumers. It is not about what we can get out of it; it is all about God.
We needed to take drastic action. For a while, in order to truly learn this lesson, we banned the band. We sacked Redman!
Then we sat around in circles and said that if no one brought a sacrifice of praise, we would spend the meeting in silence. At the beginning, we virtually did! It was a very painful process. We were learning again not to rely on the music. After a while we began to have some very sweet times of worship. We all began to bring our prayers, our readings, our prophecies, our thanksgiving, our praises and our songs. Someone would start a song a cappella and we would all join in. Then someone else would take it on to another song. The excitement came back. We were not having Church; we were once again meeting with God. With all the comforts stripped away we worshipped from the heart.
When we had learnt our lesson, we brought the band back. It was at this point that Matt began to sing the song he had written out of this experience. I wept as we sang it for the first time. The words expressed exactly what was going on:
download mp3 here
The Heart Of Worship
Matt Redman
Key: D
Verse 1:
D A Em
A
D A Em
A
PreChorus:
Em D/F# A
Em
D/F# A A/C# D
Em D/F# A
Em
D/F# A
Chorus:
D A2/C#
Em
G A D
A2/C#
Em
G A D
Verse 2:
D A Em
A
D A Em
A
When the music fades,
All is stripped away,
And I simply come.
Longing just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart.
I’ll bring You more than a song.
For a song in itself is not what
You have required.
You search much deeper within,
Through the way things appear;
You’re looking into my heart.
I’m coming back to the heart of worship,
And it’s all about You,
All about You Jesus.
I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it.
When it’s all about You.
All about you Jesus.
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve.
Though I’m weak and poor
All I have is Yours,
Every single breath.
Matt Redman
© 1997 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music
Mike Pilavachi serves as pastor of Soul Survivor, Watford, a growing and thriving youth congregation near London, England where Matt Redman is worship leader. In addition Matt and Mike head the leadership team for the Soul Survivor festivals which occur in England and South Africa.
Source: Soul Survivor Magazine
Attitudes of a Worshipper
Tim Hughes
Recently, I've been thinking again about the importance of our heart attitudes. When involved in leading worship it can be so easy to lose focus and concentrate on the less important things. There can be a temptation to get so carried away with trying to create the best sounds and songs that we forget about our own attitudes and motives. Although it's essential that we give our best shot to being as musical and creative as we can, we must never forget the simple meaning of worship. When thinking about the attitudes of a worshipper, King David provides an excellent example. I have been challenged by the way he lived his life and want to briefly look at a few of his characteristics.
Firstly David had a heart after God. He actively pursued and hungered after God. One thing we often see David doing is 'enquiring of the Lord'. A great example of this was when David and his men returned to their base in Ziklag to discover it burnt to a crisp with their children and wives kidnapped. In the midst of such panic and grief, rather than letting his emotions get the better of him, David goes off to enquire of the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:1-8)
David concerned himself with doing the Lord's will and not necessarily his own. It's so important for any worship leader to be constantly seeking God's will. It can be easy to get complacent and work out the set formulas to get a good response in worship, but by doing this we'll miss out on so much of what God is doing. Rather let's be asking God to show us what He is doing and follow that. Therefore when leading worship it's vital to be seeking God's direction in terms of song selection, where He's taking it and what He's wanting to show us. If we don't 'enquire of the Lord' we'll miss it.
David embraced the hidden place where he would hang out with God. It was in this place that he learnt so much about God, worship and living a life for Him. I know for me personally that it has been on my own with God, worshipping Him and pouring out my heart that I have fallen deeper into love with Him and been changed. Let's embrace the hidden place.
Another characteristic we see in David was that he knew what it was to serve and to be humble. After having been anointed King by Samuel rather than letting it go to his head, he headed straight back to look after his beloved sheep! Now I don't know about you but if I had been told that I was going to be the next King of my country, I wouldn't return to my day job. However David knew what it meant to serve. He knew that before God it was just as important to serve his sheep as it was to lead his country.
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are all called to serve and not to be served. I heard the story of a well-known worship leader who when he was starting out was very eager to be involved in leading lots of worship events. However his main role at his church was initially to clean up after services and keep the place tidy. At first he resented doing this, but found that it was in this place that he met with God in a deep way and learned the importance of the heart of worship. As worship leaders we're called first to serve God, and then to serve the people we're leading in worship. If we know what it means to serve then humility will naturally follow.
Another thing we see in David is that he led by example. David lived a life of worship and consequently encouraged others to do likewise. One classic example was when David took on the mighty Goliath. Now in this situation David didn't confront Goliath because he was in a bad mood and was up for a fight. Rather David got his handy sling ready because he couldn't face seeing this giant mocking his God.
Another time in David's life, as he was bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem, David was seen to be dancing with all his might in just an ephod - which apparently didn't cover much!! When his wife Michal looked on, she was embarrassed and ashamed, and consequently didn't hold back on letting David know how she felt. However, to this David replied; "I will become even more undignified than this and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." (2 Samuel 6:22) Here we see David worshipping God, going for it with all he had. It wasn't just his words that showed how much he loved God; it was his whole lifestyle that displayed his devotion.
One thing I love about David was that he was his own man. When he was about to square up to Goliath, the present king, Saul, told him to try on his best armour. However David was drowned in the kings fighting gear, and instead opted for a sling and five stones. Not much really when it comes to state of the art fighting equipment. The issue though was that David wasn't going to pretend to be anything he wasn't - he was going to be his own man. Graham Kendrick once said, "If asked to sum up the art of leading worship in one simple sentence, I think I would say, be a worshipper, be a servant, and be yourself." It's so important that we allow God to use us the way he intended to, rather than something that's not true to us. Unfortunately I will never have the guitar skills of Eric Clapton or the voice of Bono, but that doesn't matter as God chooses to use me the way I am.
Finally in David we see someone who respected those in leadership over him. Even though he was cruelly treated and pursued by Saul, the king at the time, David refused to harm him. David maintained a respect for the one he described as "the Lord's anointed." (1 Samuel 24:16) We must always honour and respect those in leadership over us, even when that is tough.
Sadly today people are painfully aware that no one is perfect. Again and again we have seen celebrities and church leaders fall from grace. Nothing seems to really shock anymore. This is why I believe it is so important to constantly be checking the attitudes of our hearts. When we get to Heaven, God will care little about how many albums someone sold, how many great harmonies we sang, how many inspired electric guitar solos we belted out. But He will care a lot about the attitudes of our hearts.
Source: www.heartofworship.com
Recently, I've been thinking again about the importance of our heart attitudes. When involved in leading worship it can be so easy to lose focus and concentrate on the less important things. There can be a temptation to get so carried away with trying to create the best sounds and songs that we forget about our own attitudes and motives. Although it's essential that we give our best shot to being as musical and creative as we can, we must never forget the simple meaning of worship. When thinking about the attitudes of a worshipper, King David provides an excellent example. I have been challenged by the way he lived his life and want to briefly look at a few of his characteristics.
Firstly David had a heart after God. He actively pursued and hungered after God. One thing we often see David doing is 'enquiring of the Lord'. A great example of this was when David and his men returned to their base in Ziklag to discover it burnt to a crisp with their children and wives kidnapped. In the midst of such panic and grief, rather than letting his emotions get the better of him, David goes off to enquire of the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:1-8)
David concerned himself with doing the Lord's will and not necessarily his own. It's so important for any worship leader to be constantly seeking God's will. It can be easy to get complacent and work out the set formulas to get a good response in worship, but by doing this we'll miss out on so much of what God is doing. Rather let's be asking God to show us what He is doing and follow that. Therefore when leading worship it's vital to be seeking God's direction in terms of song selection, where He's taking it and what He's wanting to show us. If we don't 'enquire of the Lord' we'll miss it.
David embraced the hidden place where he would hang out with God. It was in this place that he learnt so much about God, worship and living a life for Him. I know for me personally that it has been on my own with God, worshipping Him and pouring out my heart that I have fallen deeper into love with Him and been changed. Let's embrace the hidden place.
Another characteristic we see in David was that he knew what it was to serve and to be humble. After having been anointed King by Samuel rather than letting it go to his head, he headed straight back to look after his beloved sheep! Now I don't know about you but if I had been told that I was going to be the next King of my country, I wouldn't return to my day job. However David knew what it meant to serve. He knew that before God it was just as important to serve his sheep as it was to lead his country.
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are all called to serve and not to be served. I heard the story of a well-known worship leader who when he was starting out was very eager to be involved in leading lots of worship events. However his main role at his church was initially to clean up after services and keep the place tidy. At first he resented doing this, but found that it was in this place that he met with God in a deep way and learned the importance of the heart of worship. As worship leaders we're called first to serve God, and then to serve the people we're leading in worship. If we know what it means to serve then humility will naturally follow.
Another thing we see in David is that he led by example. David lived a life of worship and consequently encouraged others to do likewise. One classic example was when David took on the mighty Goliath. Now in this situation David didn't confront Goliath because he was in a bad mood and was up for a fight. Rather David got his handy sling ready because he couldn't face seeing this giant mocking his God.
Another time in David's life, as he was bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem, David was seen to be dancing with all his might in just an ephod - which apparently didn't cover much!! When his wife Michal looked on, she was embarrassed and ashamed, and consequently didn't hold back on letting David know how she felt. However, to this David replied; "I will become even more undignified than this and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." (2 Samuel 6:22) Here we see David worshipping God, going for it with all he had. It wasn't just his words that showed how much he loved God; it was his whole lifestyle that displayed his devotion.
One thing I love about David was that he was his own man. When he was about to square up to Goliath, the present king, Saul, told him to try on his best armour. However David was drowned in the kings fighting gear, and instead opted for a sling and five stones. Not much really when it comes to state of the art fighting equipment. The issue though was that David wasn't going to pretend to be anything he wasn't - he was going to be his own man. Graham Kendrick once said, "If asked to sum up the art of leading worship in one simple sentence, I think I would say, be a worshipper, be a servant, and be yourself." It's so important that we allow God to use us the way he intended to, rather than something that's not true to us. Unfortunately I will never have the guitar skills of Eric Clapton or the voice of Bono, but that doesn't matter as God chooses to use me the way I am.
Finally in David we see someone who respected those in leadership over him. Even though he was cruelly treated and pursued by Saul, the king at the time, David refused to harm him. David maintained a respect for the one he described as "the Lord's anointed." (1 Samuel 24:16) We must always honour and respect those in leadership over us, even when that is tough.
Sadly today people are painfully aware that no one is perfect. Again and again we have seen celebrities and church leaders fall from grace. Nothing seems to really shock anymore. This is why I believe it is so important to constantly be checking the attitudes of our hearts. When we get to Heaven, God will care little about how many albums someone sold, how many great harmonies we sang, how many inspired electric guitar solos we belted out. But He will care a lot about the attitudes of our hearts.
Source: www.heartofworship.com
Accessibility - experiencing intimate worship together
Brian Doerksen
In my last article, I looked at intimacy; my highest value in worship. Intimacy at it's simplest means we sing to God. We do that because the cry of our hearts has always been- 'When can I go and meet with God?' When can we linger in His presence and just be with Him?' This time I would like to take a brief look at the second main value I hold dear as a worship leader.
Accessibility.
Let me confess something. A couple of years ago I would not have written what I am about to write. And I would not have believed it if God didn't give me the precious gift of my wife to walk and learn with.
In the past few years, our societies have made huge strides to make public places more accessible to those with special needs. People with wheelchairs, hearing difficulties etc. can enjoy a lot more events and places than ever before. I think that is great. Sometimes as a worship leader I need to ask some of the same questions that brought about change for access in the places we live. Is our worship accessible for all, is it accessible for those who are not primarily artistic or mystical?
I remember one worship experience very clearly from a few years ago. My wife and I and several friends attended a special night of worship. The leader and the band were leading us in worship through some quite abstract sounds and songs. I was having a great time; all the innovative, creative sides of my personality were being stimulated. After a while of 'closed eye ecstatic worship' I opened them and looked beside me to my wife. She looked up at me with a look that seemed to say, 'Can we go now?'. I haven't forgotten that moment. What was meaningful for me (and the worship leader and musicians) was not necessarily meaningful and accessible to all those present. Many of you are just like that. You want to meet with God. You love to worship but unless someone leads you into some songs that you can sing and find meaningful, you will potentially be left on the outside.
That means sometimes we need something called restraint in worship. I know that's not a popular word . . . . a few years ago, after the film 'Braveheart' came out, one of the cool things to do was to shout 'Freedom' in worship . . . . sometimes I want to shout out in the middle of worship . . . . . Discipline . . . . Restraint!!! Don't worry, all you passionate people out there. If we had the time, we could have a long discussion about the need for more passion in our lives and in our worship. In fact to have real worship, you have to have both passion and restraint, and to make worship music, you're nowhere if you don't have both. But we have got to look closely at restraint. Restraint is the backbone of making music that others can follow and enter in to. Let me pause here for a moment and give a few tips to worship leaders about restraint in worship.
- Restraint is picking songs that will say what the majority of the people gathered want to say to God.
- Restraint is the discipline to not play or sing all the time. (This is also especially for all members of worship teams - if you fill all the spaces with your 'stuff' the music doesn't breathe and the congregation feels overwhelmed)
- Restraint is the realization that the notes you don't play (and the words you don't sing) are just as important as the ones you do.
- Restraint is sticking to the song as written without always adding tons of embellishments that other people can't follow or sing.
And so often we need to choose songs and music that is not necessarily musician's music (those of you who are musicians will know what I mean). At times that involves some pain and sacrifice on the worship leaders and musicians part. There have been times when I have sensed we need to sing a particular song, and inside of me rages an unseen 'tug of war'. 'There is no way I am singing that simple overused song again . . . Lord what do you want? Usually I find that the satisfaction of sensing people connecting with God is more precious than doing what I wanted to do. I am not saying restraint in worship is easy, I am not saying it will even always feel good to you as a worship leader. What I am saying is it's right. If we lose accessibility, we will eventually lose the people, and maybe even the precious experience of gathered intimate worship.
Let me say one more key thing about accessibility; something that we can easily forget. If worship is meeting with God, we need to remember that God wants to take an active role in our time together as well. And so we need to give Him room to break in, to speak a word to the gathering or an individual. Maybe He just wants to come with His presence and let us rest in it. I love the stillness and quietness when God is there. What more could we as sons and daughters, created in the image of God want? But let's not leave people outside the 'door', like someone in a wheelchair who couldn't enter a building because we didn't care enough to make it accessible for them.
Let's make a way for everyone to experience intimate worship together.
Source: www.briandoerksen.com
In my last article, I looked at intimacy; my highest value in worship. Intimacy at it's simplest means we sing to God. We do that because the cry of our hearts has always been- 'When can I go and meet with God?' When can we linger in His presence and just be with Him?' This time I would like to take a brief look at the second main value I hold dear as a worship leader.
Accessibility.
Let me confess something. A couple of years ago I would not have written what I am about to write. And I would not have believed it if God didn't give me the precious gift of my wife to walk and learn with.
In the past few years, our societies have made huge strides to make public places more accessible to those with special needs. People with wheelchairs, hearing difficulties etc. can enjoy a lot more events and places than ever before. I think that is great. Sometimes as a worship leader I need to ask some of the same questions that brought about change for access in the places we live. Is our worship accessible for all, is it accessible for those who are not primarily artistic or mystical?
I remember one worship experience very clearly from a few years ago. My wife and I and several friends attended a special night of worship. The leader and the band were leading us in worship through some quite abstract sounds and songs. I was having a great time; all the innovative, creative sides of my personality were being stimulated. After a while of 'closed eye ecstatic worship' I opened them and looked beside me to my wife. She looked up at me with a look that seemed to say, 'Can we go now?'. I haven't forgotten that moment. What was meaningful for me (and the worship leader and musicians) was not necessarily meaningful and accessible to all those present. Many of you are just like that. You want to meet with God. You love to worship but unless someone leads you into some songs that you can sing and find meaningful, you will potentially be left on the outside.
That means sometimes we need something called restraint in worship. I know that's not a popular word . . . . a few years ago, after the film 'Braveheart' came out, one of the cool things to do was to shout 'Freedom' in worship . . . . sometimes I want to shout out in the middle of worship . . . . . Discipline . . . . Restraint!!! Don't worry, all you passionate people out there. If we had the time, we could have a long discussion about the need for more passion in our lives and in our worship. In fact to have real worship, you have to have both passion and restraint, and to make worship music, you're nowhere if you don't have both. But we have got to look closely at restraint. Restraint is the backbone of making music that others can follow and enter in to. Let me pause here for a moment and give a few tips to worship leaders about restraint in worship.
- Restraint is picking songs that will say what the majority of the people gathered want to say to God.
- Restraint is the discipline to not play or sing all the time. (This is also especially for all members of worship teams - if you fill all the spaces with your 'stuff' the music doesn't breathe and the congregation feels overwhelmed)
- Restraint is the realization that the notes you don't play (and the words you don't sing) are just as important as the ones you do.
- Restraint is sticking to the song as written without always adding tons of embellishments that other people can't follow or sing.
And so often we need to choose songs and music that is not necessarily musician's music (those of you who are musicians will know what I mean). At times that involves some pain and sacrifice on the worship leaders and musicians part. There have been times when I have sensed we need to sing a particular song, and inside of me rages an unseen 'tug of war'. 'There is no way I am singing that simple overused song again . . . Lord what do you want? Usually I find that the satisfaction of sensing people connecting with God is more precious than doing what I wanted to do. I am not saying restraint in worship is easy, I am not saying it will even always feel good to you as a worship leader. What I am saying is it's right. If we lose accessibility, we will eventually lose the people, and maybe even the precious experience of gathered intimate worship.
Let me say one more key thing about accessibility; something that we can easily forget. If worship is meeting with God, we need to remember that God wants to take an active role in our time together as well. And so we need to give Him room to break in, to speak a word to the gathering or an individual. Maybe He just wants to come with His presence and let us rest in it. I love the stillness and quietness when God is there. What more could we as sons and daughters, created in the image of God want? But let's not leave people outside the 'door', like someone in a wheelchair who couldn't enter a building because we didn't care enough to make it accessible for them.
Let's make a way for everyone to experience intimate worship together.
Source: www.briandoerksen.com
All About You (Israel Houghton, Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff)
listen here
Key: E
Intro:
E A2 E A2
(2x)
Verse 1:
E Bsus A2
You are the Holy One
E Bsus A2
You are the Living Word
E Bsus A2 F#7 A2
You are the center of my focus, Jesus
E Bsus A2
You are the Son of God
E Bsus A2
You are the the Solid Rock
E Bsus A2 F#7 A2
You are the center of my focus Jesus
B C#m7
You're the lover of my soul
D
And I adore You only
Chorus:
E Bsus A
It's all about You
E Bsus A
All about You
C#m7 Bsus A E Bsus A2
It's all about You Jesus
E Bsus A
It's all about You
E Bsus A
All about You
C#m7 Bsus A E Bsus A2
It's all about You Jesus
Verse 2:
You are miraculous
You are supernatural
You are the center of my focus Jesus
You are all powerful
You are so wonderful
You are the center of my focus Jesus
You're the lover of my soul
And I adore You only
©2001 Integrity's Praise! Music My Other Publishing Company (Admin. by Integrity's Praise! Music) Lakewood Ministries Music (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.) Champions For Christ Music Publishing (Admi
All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
Key: E
Intro:
E A2 E A2
(2x)
Verse 1:
E Bsus A2
You are the Holy One
E Bsus A2
You are the Living Word
E Bsus A2 F#7 A2
You are the center of my focus, Jesus
E Bsus A2
You are the Son of God
E Bsus A2
You are the the Solid Rock
E Bsus A2 F#7 A2
You are the center of my focus Jesus
B C#m7
You're the lover of my soul
D
And I adore You only
Chorus:
E Bsus A
It's all about You
E Bsus A
All about You
C#m7 Bsus A E Bsus A2
It's all about You Jesus
E Bsus A
It's all about You
E Bsus A
All about You
C#m7 Bsus A E Bsus A2
It's all about You Jesus
Verse 2:
You are miraculous
You are supernatural
You are the center of my focus Jesus
You are all powerful
You are so wonderful
You are the center of my focus Jesus
You're the lover of my soul
And I adore You only
©2001 Integrity's Praise! Music My Other Publishing Company (Admin. by Integrity's Praise! Music) Lakewood Ministries Music (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.) Champions For Christ Music Publishing (Admi
All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
My Passion
listen here
key F
I
E B/D# D A/C#
You alone are my passion for living
E B/D# D A/C#
song of my soul, desire of my heart
F#m F#m+M7 F#m7 B/D#
You alone are my passion I treasure
C#m E7/G# Asus-A
I love You for all that You are
II
E/G# A
To the ends of the earth I will follow
E/G# A-Am
There's nothing that I will not do
E B/D# D A/C#
You alone are my reason for living
C D E
Jesus my passion is You
A B E
Jesus my passion is You..
Repeat I and II
Chorus:
E D E/G# A
My Life, my Love, my God
E D E/G# A
You are My Life, my Love, my God
E D E/G# A
My Life, my Love, my God (choir: Oh Jesus You are my Passion, My Passion, My Passion)
E D E/G# A
You are My Life, my Love, my God (choir: Oh Jesus You are my Passion, My Passion, My Passion)
II
E/G# A
To the ends of the earth I will follow
E/G# A-Am
There's nothing that I will not do
E B/D# D A/C#
You alone are my reason for living
C D E
Jesus my passion is You
A B E
Jesus my passion is You..
Chorus:
E D E/G# A
My Life, my Love, my God
E D E/G# A
You are My Life, my Love, my God
E D E/G# A
My Life, my Love, my God (choir: Oh Jesus You are my Passion, My Passion, My Passion)
E D E/G# A
You are My Life, my Love, my God (choir: Oh Jesus You are my Passion, My Passion, My Passion)
key F
I
E B/D# D A/C#
You alone are my passion for living
E B/D# D A/C#
song of my soul, desire of my heart
F#m F#m+M7 F#m7 B/D#
You alone are my passion I treasure
C#m E7/G# Asus-A
I love You for all that You are
II
E/G# A
To the ends of the earth I will follow
E/G# A-Am
There's nothing that I will not do
E B/D# D A/C#
You alone are my reason for living
C D E
Jesus my passion is You
A B E
Jesus my passion is You..
Repeat I and II
Chorus:
E D E/G# A
My Life, my Love, my God
E D E/G# A
You are My Life, my Love, my God
E D E/G# A
My Life, my Love, my God (choir: Oh Jesus You are my Passion, My Passion, My Passion)
E D E/G# A
You are My Life, my Love, my God (choir: Oh Jesus You are my Passion, My Passion, My Passion)
II
E/G# A
To the ends of the earth I will follow
E/G# A-Am
There's nothing that I will not do
E B/D# D A/C#
You alone are my reason for living
C D E
Jesus my passion is You
A B E
Jesus my passion is You..
Chorus:
E D E/G# A
My Life, my Love, my God
E D E/G# A
You are My Life, my Love, my God
E D E/G# A
My Life, my Love, my God (choir: Oh Jesus You are my Passion, My Passion, My Passion)
E D E/G# A
You are My Life, my Love, my God (choir: Oh Jesus You are my Passion, My Passion, My Passion)
Let God Arise (Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash)
listen here
Key: B
Intro:
B E B
Verse 1:
E B
hear the holy roar of God resound
B
watch the waters part before us now
G#m7
come and see what he has done for us
F#
tell the world of his great love
PreChorus:
E G#m7 F#
our God is a God who saves
E G#m7 F#
our God is a God who saves
Chorus:
B
let God arise
E/B
let God arise
D
our God reigns now and forever
A/C# B E B
He reigns now and forever
Verse 2:
His enemies will run for sure
the church will stand, she will endure
He holds the keys of life, our Lord
death has no sting, no final word
Key: B
Intro:
B E B
Verse 1:
E B
hear the holy roar of God resound
B
watch the waters part before us now
G#m7
come and see what he has done for us
F#
tell the world of his great love
PreChorus:
E G#m7 F#
our God is a God who saves
E G#m7 F#
our God is a God who saves
Chorus:
B
let God arise
E/B
let God arise
D
our God reigns now and forever
A/C# B E B
He reigns now and forever
Verse 2:
His enemies will run for sure
the church will stand, she will endure
He holds the keys of life, our Lord
death has no sting, no final word
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Awesome God (Words and Music by Rich Mullins)
listen here
Intro: F# B C# F#
Verse:
F#
When he saw what had to be done
B C# F#
He sent his one and only son
F# B F# C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
F# B
He was sent from up above to tell
C# F#
Us of his undying love
F# B F# C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
F#
When his blood was shed that day
B C# F#
He took and washed our sins away
F# B F# C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
F# B
Greater is he that is in me than he
C# F#
Who is in the world
F# B F# C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
Bridge:
D E D B C# F#
Chorus:
D A
Our God is an awesome God
B F#
He reigns from heaven above
D A
With wisdom, power and love
B C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
Repeat
______________________________________________________________________________
Awesome God
F#m
Oh when He rolls up his sleeves he ain't just puttin' on the ritz,
Bm7 C#m7 F#m
Our God is an awesome God.
There is thunder in his footsteps and lightning in his fists,
Bm7 C#m7 F#m
Our God is an awesome God.
Bm7
And the Lord wasn't joking when He kicked 'em out of Eden.
C#m7
It wasn't for no reason that He shed his blood.
D D/B D/F#
His return is very soon and so you'd better be believin' that
Bm7 C#m7 F#m
Our God is an awesome God.
D A
Our God is an awesome God.
E F#m
He reigns from heaven above
D A
with wisdom, pow'r and love
Bm7 C#m7 F#m
Our God is an awesome God
And when the sky was starless in the void of the night,
Our God is an awesome God.
He spoke into the darkness and created the light,
Our God is an awesome God.
And judgment and wrath He poured out on Sodom.
Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross.
I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten that
Our God is an awesome God
Intro: F# B C# F#
Verse:
F#
When he saw what had to be done
B C# F#
He sent his one and only son
F# B F# C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
F# B
He was sent from up above to tell
C# F#
Us of his undying love
F# B F# C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
F#
When his blood was shed that day
B C# F#
He took and washed our sins away
F# B F# C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
F# B
Greater is he that is in me than he
C# F#
Who is in the world
F# B F# C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
Bridge:
D E D B C# F#
Chorus:
D A
Our God is an awesome God
B F#
He reigns from heaven above
D A
With wisdom, power and love
B C# F#
Our God is an awesome God
Repeat
______________________________________________________________________________
Awesome God
F#m
Oh when He rolls up his sleeves he ain't just puttin' on the ritz,
Bm7 C#m7 F#m
Our God is an awesome God.
There is thunder in his footsteps and lightning in his fists,
Bm7 C#m7 F#m
Our God is an awesome God.
Bm7
And the Lord wasn't joking when He kicked 'em out of Eden.
C#m7
It wasn't for no reason that He shed his blood.
D D/B D/F#
His return is very soon and so you'd better be believin' that
Bm7 C#m7 F#m
Our God is an awesome God.
D A
Our God is an awesome God.
E F#m
He reigns from heaven above
D A
with wisdom, pow'r and love
Bm7 C#m7 F#m
Our God is an awesome God
And when the sky was starless in the void of the night,
Our God is an awesome God.
He spoke into the darkness and created the light,
Our God is an awesome God.
And judgment and wrath He poured out on Sodom.
Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross.
I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten that
Our God is an awesome God
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