Michael's Notes - Thoughts On Worship, Leadership & Fitness

Sunday Setlists, January 4, 2010

This post is my participation in "Sunday Setlists" a blog carnival hosted at TheWorshipCommunity.com. This week is the 76th edition of this blog carnival.

A new year is a great time to add a new worship song to our list…at least we thought so. This Sunday we introduced the song “Glory To God Forever,” by Steve Fee and Vicky Beeching. I had heard a lot of comments about people using this song over the last few months; however I was not sold on how well our congregation would sing this.  I changed my mind after attending Catalyst 09 and seeing 13,000 people lifting their voices using the words of this song. Here is how we introduced the song and used it in the song set.

Opening Song
Glory to God Forever Key of A
    Two minutes before the start of service the worship leader takes a few moments to teach the chorus and bridge to the congregation. Then we jumped into a full arrangement of the song, worship team member singing the verses, this introduction week, and then inviting the congregation to stand and sing the last chorus and bridge repeats.

Baptism

Welcome

Song Set
Glory to God Forever (reprise: chorus-bridge-chorus) Key of A
How Great is Our God (starts on hold of last not of previous song) Key of A

Scripture
    Worship leader used a quick overview of the book of Galatians and closed with Galatians 6:14 as introduction to next song.

Song Set
The Wonderful Cross
Prayer
From the Inside Out

Sermon Introduction (video)

Sermon
    A continuation of the series “Origins” based on the first eleven chapters of Genesis. This week Genesis 9:18-29. There were some really good points in this sermon, so I thought I would post a few of them. You can find the audio version of the sermon here.

• Even the most Godly are prone to sin
• • Past Godliness does not guarantee future Godliness.
• We easily become calloused toward sin
• Sin casts a long shadow
• • Be conscious your spiritual weakness can be magnified in your children and grandchildren.   

Response time
    Opportunity is given in service for response and also there is explanation given that there is a prayer room in close proximity for further prayer staffed by trained counselors.

Voices of Lee, Representing Lee University

My dad attended, I attended, my daughter attends, nine other students from my church attend and many more from the Franklin, Williamson County Tennessee area attend Lee University.

Lee University is a faith-based liberal arts school in Cleveland, Tennessee with an enrollment of around 4500.

This week Lee University has received national attention as one of their music performance groups have been participating in the NBC television show “Sing-Off.” The show is an ‘idol’ style competition show for groups that sing exclusively ‘acapella’ music. The competition started with eight groups and over three nights of shows and the choices of the judges the final three groups have been chosen. Voices of Lee is one of the three. They are in the finals which will air Monday night.

The winner of the competition will be determined by vote of the viewers and the voting is only open today through Sunday December 20.  There are three ways to vote: by email, by phone call and by text message.

Here is how you can vote:
By Text: Text the number 3 to 33088
By Phone: Call 877-674-6403
By email: follow this link

You can vote 10 times per day through Sunday for every phone number and email address you have.

It would truly be amazing to see a faith-based group from Tennessee win this competition.

Will you please take a few moments and vote for the Voices of Lee?

What Worship Songs are Acceptable for the Congregation to Sing?

All styles are acceptable if:

• The theology is correct
• The message is clear
  
• The music does not distract from the message.
  
• The congregation can sing it.

Agree or disagree?

The Invisible Choir

Back in the day we preached to our choirs of the importance of being worship leaders from the time they walked onto the stage until the sermon was complete. It seemed the hardest part for most of those choirs to understand was the importance of being a worship leader during the sermon…following along…paying attention and not going to sleep.  It seemed that the choir thought that once the sermon started they were invisible to the audience, when exactly the opposite was true.  Every minute of the service someone from the audience was looking directly at them.

 

For many of us today the role of the worship choir has changed somewhat. Gone are the days when the choir stays on stage for the whole service. Yet their role as worship leaders is just as important. People are watching them from the very moment they walk onto the stage. Some things do stay the same…

 

In these days of fun theatrical lights and front-line singers, the worship choir still has the tendency to think they are invisible. “There’s so much going on that no-one will see me.” As much as is taking place on our stages, everyone is still visible to the congregation and they are looking to all who are on stage for the ‘cues’ to engage in worship.

 

So how do we get the ‘worship choir’ to understand their role as ‘visible’ worship leaders?

• Continue to believe in the importance of a worship choir
• Consistently remind the worship choir of its role.
• Encourage the worship choir to be worshippers
• Remind the worship choir that people are watching
  

Related Posts:

Who Sings in the Choir

Worship Choirs Past and Future

Preparing for Worship: God sings so should we?

“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” NLT

• God is living among us…that is something to celebrate.
• God is our Mighty savior…that is something to celebrate.
• God delights in us…that is something to celebrate.
• God’s love will calm our fears…that is something to celebrate.
• God rejoices over us with song…that is something to celebrate.

It is hard for me to understand how people go to church on Sunday and just stand there and not participate, not engage in the conversation of worship. God has made it possible for us to gather in groups to celebrate who He is and what He has done for us.  That is something to celebrate.

It is rare that we witness celebrations where people just stand. If it is a true celebration there is usually buy-in with those involved. It should be the same each week in corporate worship.

Because of doctor’s orders I went through a time this year when I was not allowed to sing. When I attended worship events during that time it was tremendously difficult to be engaged. I have a new appreciation for singing and other acts of worship that demand participation. That is why I just don’t get how people come to worship and stand.

A.W. Tozer wrote concerning this subject in a number of his books and sermons. The following paragraph is taken from chapter 10 of his book The Attributes of God Volume 2. He is making reference to Zephaniah 3:17.

That’s why I want our congregations to sing. I don’t require that they sing on pitch – just that they sing with joy and enthusiasm. I don’t mind if the piano is out of tune, or if one fellow is singing a little step behind the next fellow – that doesn’t bother me. But the lack of warmth and enthusiasm makes me question the experiential life of Christians. The Christian Church has God in it and wherever God is, God will joy over His people with singing. The singing Church reflects the great God singing among His people.

Thousands of congregations will gather tomorrow for worship, will it be a celebration with buy-in from those who attend. If we have a relationship with God how can we just stand there and not sing; God is singing over us.

What are you dreaming?

We often dream about the future, well at least I do. I guess it has to do with my personality. Ask my assistant and she will tell you I don’t sit behind my desk for any long length of time. I have to get up and move, move on to the next thing or just get up and see what is going on.  The same is true with life in general; I am always dreaming about what is next.

 

It is okay to dream and in fact God let’s us in on stories of some great dreamers in His story the Bible.

 

One prayer that has been stuck in my head the last few weeks is: God let my dreams (desires) be Your dreams (desires.) Does God see what I am dreaming about today or the tomorrows and say: ‘that’s not quite what I want Michael’ or can He say ‘yes that’s it, that’s where I want you to go.’ In 2 Chronicles chapter 6 we find this statement from God about David, a dreamer: ‘…you have done well to have this desire.’ Now that is a pretty cool statement. In the story of my life will God be able to write a few words and include that statement. I sure hope so.

 

So what should we be dreaming about?

 

Here is a statement I heard many years ago: ‘finding God’s will for you life is not a place you arrive to, but the act of searching continually for His will.’ In the context of what I have written today that means that it is okay to dream, but I must search God’s heart and dream His dreams.

 

Isn’t it funny how God can take something that we have done over and over again and change it to help us refocus on His desires. Just recently He has been using the short prayer I mentioned earlier along with the words from the song Hosanna by Brooke Fraser:

 

Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause

As I walk from earth into eternity

               

That’s what I want to dream, that’s what I want to be: everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause…whatever that may be…so I keep dreaming.

Advice for a Young Worship Leader: smile

I can remember as if it were yesterday, when it was actually over thirty years ago. As a high school student my local church asked me to lead worship for the services. I can’t remember if I was given this chance because they recognized some talent or I was their only choice. (It was a very small church.)

 

We were having dinner with some family friends and without fanfare or introduction the lady made a comment about my leading: ‘you need to smile when you lead. Worshiping the Lord is something to smile about.’

 

Today, thirty years later, I am a worship leader at a local church and almost every week I am reminded by that memory the importance of communicating not just through words and melody but with our body language.

 

I know there are songs that don’t call for a smile, but your face and body expression still need to communicate.

 

I am amazed at how many people can make great music and communicate effectively through the words and melody and yet stand motionless without a smile while they sing. Honestly, this is the wrong person to have on stage leading. Being a worship leader means communicating and great communication must include pleasant body language that states I believe what I am singing about and I believe in the God I am singing about.

 

Smiling while singing did not come easy for me, it is something I had to practice. Yes I practiced this. I wanted to make sure that how I presented myself on stage did not hinder someone else from worshipping.

 

Is it time we look at the people who lead or help us lead worship each week? Don’t we need to see how they are communicating? It is more, much more than making beautiful music.

Leading a Worship Choir Rehearsal for a Seasonal Choir

Last week I posted the blueprint I use to construct a worship choir rehearsal each week. Since then I have been asked through Twitter, Facebook and comments to this blog how I would implement this plan for a choir that only meets and prepares for special occasions or seasons.  The questions seem to be raised concerning a choir that meets for six consecutive weeks leading up to a series of identical performances.

 

First let me say that the plan posted in the earlier post is what I utilize each week for a worship choir rehearsal preparing that choir for ministry on a weekly basis. Even though that is the case the basic outline can be adapted to the seasonal choir.

 

The backbone of the worship choir rehearsal blueprint is:

• Begin with something familiar
• Put the hard work in the middle
• End with something familiar.

 

Before I get to the specifics of what that might look like, I think there is a more important issue for a seasonal choir: building “team” in a short period of time. To be successful as a worship leading choir I believe there must be a sense of team and shared common goal. The shared common goal is easily presented, even done so during the recruiting process. However, instilling a sense of ‘team’ within the group is much harder. I meet with my group weekly and ‘team’ is one of the hardest things to accomplish, it is hard for me to imagine the difficulty of this task with a seasonal group. Here are some ways I would try to bring the team together:

• During each rehearsal plan a time of fellowship
• During each rehearsal divide the team into groups for prayer, change those groups each week.
• Once or twice during the season plan an extended fellowship time that might include snacks.
• Each rehearsal share the reason for having the choir, communicating expectations for participation and dreams for final product

 

Now on to the rehearsal of the music, remember the basic plan is: familiar, work hard on new stuff, familiar. To accomplish this when all the songs maybe new you might want to go this direction:

 

Here is how I might rehearse a seasonal choir.

Week 1

1. Begin with a worship time of a familiar song.
2. Progress to getting them to sing parts on that familiar song.
3. Begin to introduce ministry songs for the season.
1. Often I use recordings
2. Find a section that is repeated often, work on this section hard so that there is success
4. If there are 5-6 new songs to introduce do not work on all of them the first week, maybe 3 of them.
5. End rehearsal with something familiar, again this could be a worship song. One way to end would be to sing something without any accompaniment so that the group hears how they sound as a team.
6. Before they leave I would provide some type of rehearsal CD so that they can get some work done before the next rehearsal and the things you have taught are not forgotten.

Week 2

1. Begin with a easy sing-a-long
2. Bring back one song from last week that the most was accomplished on. Hit the familiar sections and then push on to another part of the song that needs work.
3. Introduced 1 or 2 new songs here following the plan outlined from week 1.
4. Work on the other two songs that were introduced last week using the plan item #3
5. finish with something familiar, that could be one of the seasonal songs or just another sing-a-long. Often here I use a worship song and finish the night with a time of worship and prayer.
6. final instructions would be to communicate the need to listen to the provided rehearsal recording. (One note on rehearsal recordings, please make sure you obtain permission from the publishers before making the recordings.)

 

For the remainder of the seasonal choir rehearsals I would use the following plan.

1. use a variation of week 2
1. eventually you will have nothing to introduce but you will find there are sections that need more work than others. It is those songs I would place in the middle of the rehearsal.
2. as the basics of each song are learned move toward polishing each song, paying attention to details that make it music not just notes.
3. each week memorize some part of what has been worked on.
4. finish the rehearsal with one or two of the songs that the choir has ready to sing, or a section of those songs.

Related Posts

Worship Choirs, Past and Future

Who Sings In the Choir

Planning a Choir Rehearsal for a Worship Choir

Planning a Choir Rehearsal
It is a task that comes around once a week and has been that way for over 27 years…planning to lead a worship choir rehearsal.

Over these years I have developed a plan that works effectively most weeks.

Information:
•    Worship choir sings every week except holiday weekends and the month of July.
•    Most Sundays the choir presents an ‘impact’ song
•    Rehearsal Length 1 hour and 10 minutes
•    Rehearse each song at least 6 weeks from ministry time.
•    Two choir rehearsals a week: Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
•    Ministry members choose one of the two rehearsals to attend.
•    As hard as I try I can only rehearse six songs in the allotted time.

The Rehearsal
Warm-up: 5 minutes (Often a familiar chorus or hymn in a medium range. Lately a more formalized set of warm-up exercises.)

Song 1: The two week out song.
    Very familiar to the group
    Working on specific sections for refinement
    Sing through the song 1 time

Song 2: Sunday’s Song
    If there are parts that need attention briefly work them.
    Sing through entire song…no books…with projected words on monitors

Song 3: The new song (Six week out song)
    This is the spot to introduce something new.
    This song is often introduced by playing a recording of the song.
    Teach two sections of the song that can be easily accomplished. This gives confidence that the song is attainable.

Song 4: Five Week Out Song
    Here we work hard on sections of this song. I am not a fan of starting at the beginning of each song in rehearsals, but rather a fan of jumping to a part that needs work.  Also I like teaching a section and showing the choir how that section can repeat throughout the song. (If there are variations during the repeats those are pointed out.) By doing so we accomplish a lot of work in a short amount of time.

Song 5: Four Week Out Song
    Four weeks out is really not that far so I feel it important to start to put some of the pieces together. Before doing so I have found there needs to be time dedicated to some of the sections that might be harder to grasp. I have made note of these sections from previous weeks and know what needs to be worked on.

Song 6: Three Week Out Song
    Here we go back to something familiar. First there will be some time spent on reminding the choir of some of the tougher sections and then there is usually a run through of a major portion of the song. If the above plan works correctly the choir has much of this song learned.

The plan outlined above is the blueprint for most of the large group rehearsals I conduct. I have no hard rule that this plan must be followed, but it sure does give me a starting point.

Worship is it rote to us?

Isaiah 29:13  These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote.

 

Oh, my, could God be looking down on me and making the same statement. 

 

I have been leading congregations in the Sunday act of Worship for 28 years; if I have led an average of two services a week that puts me somewhere around 3000 services. Yes, there have been times it has become rote.  God could have very easily written Isaiah 29:13 about me.

 

I can put services together.  I can construct a service with songs that flow and challenge us by their content. Just following what I have learned over the years about putting services together doesn’t mean that is what God wants. I can find fun stuff to add, whether that is music, dramas, film clips or creative light displays…but is that what God wanted.  Does putting stuff in a service thrill God or is even that creativity rote; is that mere human elements (laws)?

 

I can easily settle in on the familiar and safe order of the elements of the service, but is that what God wants?

 

The only way I know to avoid worship becoming rote is to make everyday an act of worship…an open conversation with God. When I keep that conversation alive, the blank piece of paper I face each week becomes much easier to fill, and not be filled, with the rote elements of ritual.