» redefine

The Worship Leader ‘Business’

worship180 — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:24:38 +0000

I am always being asked by people if I know someone looking for a worship leader job or if a church is looking to hire someone. Many times I’m talking to friends who are struggling to find churches that work for them. I spend lots of time looking at websites designed to display jobs for worship leaders all over the country. Churches of all sizes are doing what they can to entice musicians to come to their church. The larger churches make it easy. Their profile says that they are a church of 2501-5000 people and that it’s a full time job with pay and benefits based on experience. Smaller churches have it tough. Their profile says church of 151-300 and it’s a volunteer position that could become permanent part-time in 12-18 months. But they are ALL out there. All denominations and styles join in this party making this something that ends up being sort of stressful.

I often wonder about this process. Granted, I have found a job using this medium and have found it beneficial in helping others as well. But I am intrigued as to how we approach finding someone to lead our churches. I mean, words can be typed to say whatever we want, but I wonder what matters most to churches in the Worship Leader Sweepstakes. Obviously we want them to be talented musicians and want them to have some sort of ability to lead a team. But how much is really dependent on their theology and approach to worship? Before I continue, let me say that I am not speaking as someone who is upset about being turned down by a church or anything like that. I’m asking questions because, from the worship leader side I believe that we should be as strong theologically as we are musically, if not more. I wonder just how much churches dig into the brains and hearts of the people they bring in to make sure that the person is where they want them to be.

Honestly, my prayer goes out strongest for the smaller churches. Smaller churches are always looking for someone to come in and lead music and handle that portion of the service. A lot of times leaders will use churches of that size as stepping stones to something bigger and better, which leaves the smaller church in a bind more times than not. And so I wonder if small churches have the tendency to maybe overlook some theological discrepancies for the sake of a talented musician…

Is there a better way to do this? Is there a better way to find someone to lead your congregation musically and spiritually? Is this approach a non-biblical one? Should we approach finding leaders in a less corporate way? Is this just a way for the church to take advantage of the technological world that we live in? As always, I’m just throwing the questions out there. What say you?

America’s Idols

worship180 — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:30:28 +0000

⁷And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods ⁸and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced…

¹⁵They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. 2 Kings 17:7-8, 15

I can’t help but be blown away by this passage. For a little back story, we are in the midst of some pretty ridiculous kings. There is a lot of treachery and horrible practices taking place with these guys. At this point in the story, Israel has fallen and has been exiled to Assyria and we are getting an explanation as to why. There is no big philosophical reason that is hard to understand and needs to be reviewed by brilliant judges. They get exiled because of their idolatry and the results of their actions.

In out Bible study we began to talk about how that would look in our lives today. These guys were building idols and putting them everywhere. The conclusion was that we have just as many idols today, but they are hidden. Our idols aren’t put up on hills and under trees so that we can go and worship them at specific times. Our idols are in our pockets and on these screens and we can obsess about them in the secrecy of our own homes.

As a worship pastor, I began to think about the never ending question of contemporary vs. tradition. Praise chorus vs. hymn. And it caused me to at least ask the question: Are we fighting for our own musical idols…in the church? I’m convinced that God doesn’t care about this as much as we do. But down here on Earth, we have blogs, books, websites, magazine articles, conferences and other things devoted to this one conversation. This is sad for a few reasons. It’s scary, at least to me, for one reason in verse 15. “They went after false idols and became false.” Yikes. Sometimes we become so attached to something that we aren’t even ourselves anymore. The Internet has done this faster than anything I can remember. We are allowed to create profiles and make ourselves whomever we want to be. We have these profile pictures that don’t look anything like us, or they are that one picture we all have that we think we look the most amazing we have ever looked. So we use that one. We create an idea in the heads of others that we are this person.

In church, we have created this idea about the way worship should go and we have crafted it and shaped it and worked to make it look prettier than any other worship style. However, I believe in many ways people end up looking at the person that is arguing more than the argument itself. The fight goes away from glorifying God and turns more toward our righteousness and winning the argument. We become the idol. We want our voices to be heard and so we try and say something more profound than the next person. We become the idol. We think that we are going to reveal something new that has NEVER been discovered that will blow the top off of this age old discussion. So we put ourselves in situations and create conflict about who worships God better. Who worships God better. Hmmmm…we become the idol. We become false.

Has winning the argument become more to you than worshipping God? Have you worshipped this idol to the point of becoming false yourself? Where do you stand?

Playing the Field

worship180 — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:35:24 +0000

The dating scene is a continuously crazy event. Now granted, I haven’t been on the dating scene in over 10 years, but I know people that are still part of it and they keep me informed. There’s a lot of people out there to meet, and there’s no way you’ll ever meet them all. Keeping with that thought, you probably shouldn’t TRY to meet them all either. Just sayin’… On the good side, it’s quite possible that you’ll get the chance to meet lots of different types of people. People that you probably would have never met otherwise. People like you, people not like you. People that you would never talk to only to find out that you kinda like them. People like you that makes you wonder why you like what you like. Dating takes you on an interesting adventure.

I look at music discovery in the same way. There are so many different types of music in the world today that it is a job in itself just trying to listen to it all. In the past few years I have discovered music that I probably would have never listened to or even tried to find on my own. This is true in the church as well as the rest of the world. There are songs and artists that I would have never known or heard on in my own searching, but I’m glad that I listen to now. There is music that has brought joy to my life and I only heard it because someone simply said, “hey, check this out.” There is some music that I’ve heard and I’m sad that I spent that 4 minutes of my life on that song. But all of these things have been used in shaping my musical tastes.

I write this because one of the conversations I have the most about what I do is about genres and styles and preferences. At the end of the day (for me, at least) is the desire to listen to and lead people in music that brings glory to God and is theologically correct. With that being my main parameters, that leaves a lot to listen to. Then the journey begins. I believe that some of us need to widen our parameter just a little and see if God shows you something that you never would have noticed before. Maybe even if it’s only for an experiment, it would be fun to try. Let me know what you come up with because I’m always on the lookout for new music.

What Makes a Classic?

worship180 — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:34:25 +0000

I Have a Dream speech. Gone With the Wind. The Cosby Show. Charlotte’s Web. Leave it to Beaver. Don’t Stop Believing. Bohemian Rhapsody. Huckleberry Finn. Michael Jordan’s jump shot over Craig Ehlo in 1989. The Thilla in Manilla. The Miracle of 1980. I could go on for awhile, but I think you get the point. These are all things that we look back on and consider them classics. Moments in history that define everything around them. Over time we have created instant classics, moments that happened and right away we know they will be talked about forever. For instance, the moment the in 2004 when the Boston Red Sox came all the back, down 3 games to none against the New York Yankees to win 4 straight and go to the World Series. Or the St. Louis Cardinals last year avoiding elimination twice in Game 6 before winning in extra innings and then winning the World Series the next night. All of these things are considered classics.

When we look at the word classic, it has a connotation of something that has been around for awhile. Consider that a classic is something that was also considered a bit of a game changer, a paradigmatic force that shaped everything and everyone around it. For instance, Michael Jackson or Elvis or Boyz II Men or James Brown or Motown or U2 and The Rolling Stones. Across this spectrum there are many people who will look at what each of these groups are people have done as classic. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who can deny those claims either. You can’t take away hit after hit or the week after week of being number one on the charts. Most importantly, you can’t take away from people the moment, the instance where they can remember what they were doing when they first heard a specific song. Or how a song meant something to them in a particular place in their lives.

Are these the things that make something a classic? Are there other things to consider when giving a song or a book such a title? Are there different criteria for hymns and other church music? A recent comment to this question went with the line of reasoning that hymns are classic because of the words speaking truth about the story of who God is and the Gospel. I would tend to agree with that. I also believe that we can look at their impact on the church at the time of their release. If you look at that, then classic doesn’t just apply to hymns. And before I go on, this is NOT a knock against hymns, but a lot of times that’s where the word stops. I also think about people like Andrae Crouch and The Winans. Bill and Gloria Gaither. Steve Green and Twila Paris. Thomas Whitfield and James Cleveland. Micahel W. Smith and Carman. Stephen Wiley and T-Bone. All of these people were game changers musically as well.

The funny thing about music in the church or the Christian culture, is the fact that it is so polarizing. I guess as I think about it, music in general can take that approach. People may accept what one person did, but because of personal feelings or preferences may not give the same respect to someone else. This causes me to wonder what this conversation looks like in 30 years. Will Holy is the Lord or Hosanna be considered classic? Will college students be writing their songs based on the words of that old song How He Loves? So again I ask you, what makes a classic? What are some songs or moments that you consider to be classics?

Though None Go With Me…

worship180 — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:23:10 +0000

Do you ever feel like….Wow that sounded like I was about to recite “Firework” by Katy Perry. Let’s try this again…

How many times have you gone to do something and were really excited about it, only to have your world crumble when no one else is as excited about it as you are? I happen to live in a house where, as the only male old enough to care about anything other than milk and climbing out of a crib, I find myself here quite a bit. I like different things than the people in my family. When I get excited about those things, generally everyone gives me the “okay, Dad” look. So at the end of the day I tend to just do whatever the rest of the crowd is doing. I end up coloring Dora the Explorer pages or reading Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Sometimes that means playing Club Penguin Snow Day or watching people continuously jump into a hole on Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Unfortunately for me, sometimes that same mentality spills over into my walk with Christ. There are times when I feel like God is saying that I need to step up and do something that is going to bring glory to His name. And I’ll bring it to a group of people with great passion and vigor. I’ve prayed through this thing and really felt like I this is where God is leading. Upon presentation I get, “yeah, that’s cool or whatever. So….what are you gonna do?” In the end it’s just me sitting there and I give in to the group and I let go of that thing. The major difference here is that it means I’m being disobedient. The Lord didn’t say to me “you will know this is what I want you to do because everyone will agree and jump on board immediately”. He gave me a command, and it is my job to fulfill his commands. It doesn’t matter if I end up having to do it alone. Sometimes that’s what He is asking me to do. Though none go with me…

What is God asking you to do? Is He asking you to step up into that leadership role? Is He asking you to share your heart with someone who needs it? Is He asking you to give time to mentor a new Christian? Are you being asked to speak out against an injustice or something you see happening in your church that doesn’t fit what God says? In today’s world, these are unpopular steps to take. We have chosen to fuse ourselves to the crooked backbone of the culture to the point that we aren’t able to break away and do what God is calling us to do. We are perfectly okay with sitting back and either letting someone else do it or not doing it at all. Not only is it detrimental to the body of Christ, but it’s blatantly disobedient. You are called to stand out. You are called to be different. You are called to look awkward in some situations. Though none go with me…

Though none go with me, still I will follow

Though none go with me, still I will follow

Though none go with me, still I will follow

No turning back, no turning back.

Think about that today.

Let’s Be Real

worship180 — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:51:20 +0000

I have been doing this job for a long time and have come in contact with many people over the years. When I talk to anyone, whether that person sits in the chairs in the congregation, is a multi award winning recording artist, or a non Christian who hasn’t been to church in years, they all have the same answer to my questions about worship leaders. I ask the question, what’s the most important factor that you look for in a worship leader outside of musical ability. Without fail, almost everyone I’ve talked to mentioned that they first have to be real. Evidently, it is pretty easy to tell when a musician isn’t being real. I thought this was an interesting thing to hear from people. So I started asking lots of people what they thought about this and they all said the same thing. People are looking for something real. As a result I started looking at myself and my approach to leading. I then created a checklist that I use for myself after every service and opportunity I get to lead people in worship. I want to be a worship leader that reveals himself on stage in a way that people see Christ in everything I say, sing and do. So here’s the checklist that I go through each and every week to make sure I’m staying grounded and looking to the cross and leading others there as well.

Worship:REVEALED

Am I being Relevant?

Is the worship Engaging?

Am I being Vulnerable when I’m on stage?

Is the worship Enriching?

Am I being Authentic, or am I just singing because that’s what I do?

Are people feeling Liberated and able to worship freely in service?

Are we creating an Energetic atmosphere?

Is our worship Dynamic? Is it continuing to move and not stay the same all the time?

Over the next couple days I will flesh these out and hopefully you, my readers will give me your thoughts on these.

…Because You Can Reset the Bar

worship180 — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:32:11 +0000

For those of you that are counting out there (that would be me and me), this is post number 200! I wanted to do something special, but I didn’t have anything to give away or any of the cool stuff that was popping in my head. So this is a mental milestone for me. And that’s fine. If I keep pushing along maybe we’ll see something big happen at 300. I did, however decide that I would use this one as a challenge to you my readers and fellow worshipers. As I have observed church services, led church services, wrote about different experiences and been a part of different conversations, I’ve been constantly bombarded with this paradigm shift in worship. Some of it I understand. Some of it I don’t. Some of it I choose not to accept. So without going into all that again (read some of the posts and discussions from a month ago), I have made my own choice. I cannot be okay with where the bar is set. I sort of believe that it’s too low and is causing mediocrity in worship. Can I change the world? Well, not by myself. But can I change myself and directly affect those around me? Heck yeah! What does that look like for me? Well, this whole week has been written based on my one experience this week. I have a unique opportunity to directly inspire my own worship environment. I want to see what happens when I lead with true brokenness and redemption and worship and spirit and truth. Can my own display of worship induce true worship in others? Can I enrich my community of worshipers based on what I do from the stage? Well if I’m not mistaken, that’s what my job is. I guess maybe it’s time to be more intentional about it.

Do you agree that the worship bar in church has been lowered with time? Do you disagree? What do you see when you go to church? Do you think I’m expecting too much? Do you think you have the ability as a worshiper to affect the worship that happens around you on a weekly basis? Your thoughts are welcome and encouraged.

Concert Prep Mode

worship180 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:48:57 +0000

I’m sitting in my kitchen right now at 8:10 on Thursday morning. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve been sitting here since before 6 o’clock this morning. That’s probably a little bad. Waking up isn’t a bad thing. I have been trying to do that a little more consistently (not quite THIS early though…). Here’s the bad thing for me, and I know I’m not alone. Musicians are quirky creatures. We like things to be a certain way and we seem to not work as well when they don’t work out. As a result, we obsess about things and hope that they go well. No matter what they say, musicians always obsess about music and concerts and upcoming shows.

Just in case you didn’t know, I am a musician. I am a musician who has a concert coming tomorrow night. If you haven’t heard the news, here’s the info. I am really excited about this concert because I love this aspect of being a musician. I love sitting on a stage and being able to interact with the people that are in the audience. It’s not an easy thing to do, and I love watching people that make it look effortless. And it’s something that I strive for when I do shows as well. Also, for those of you who know me, you know my heart and passion for music and worship. If you haven’t read it before now, here it is here. So trying to make sure that all of these things are portrayed in one evening is a big deal for me. How does that play out in my head? It plays out like this…

I tried to go to bed around 11:30 or midnight last night. I laid there and sort of slept for about 6 minutes. I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning. I had one of the most retarded dreams I’ve ever had. Something on the lines of going to an outdoor church service where the whole thing was sponsored by Bud Light and they had this HUGE holographic display. Then halfway through the sermon time, someone screamed that the piano player (not me) had JUST caught H1N1. Everyone ran off screaming and it just got more and more awkward from there. Anyway, around 5:30 I couldn’t take it anymore so I got out of the bed. I had been laying there thinking about intros and breaks and chord changes and harmonies and what I’m going to say and what the lights should look like and if the recording will work and how many people will show up and if any one will enjoy it…

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I started writing out song structures and laying out how the night will look. All I can say is that I’m in full obsession mode. Will it matter? Probably not as much as I think it will. Either way, it’s where I am. I hope that many of you can make it tomorrow night. My friend Liz Hitt is opening for me and she’s pretty good. This should be a fun night and I’m excited for it. I am blessed to be surrounded by some great friends and musicians and can’t wait to share this music with them and you if you show up. For information about the church and where it is, here’s a link to the church.

Pray for me that I can get some sleep between now and tonight’s rehearsal and tomorrow’s show. Did I mention that I am jumping on the highway Sunday after this CRAZY weekend? Yeah, I’m nuts!! Oh well…

New Purpose…and I need some help!

worship180 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:51:45 +0000

I need some help…

I have to make some changes in my thought process. I have a strong desire to make music. I have a strong desire to create a group. This has been a strong desire for a long time and it won’t go away. Last night my wife TOLD me that I needed to just stop being a punk and do it. So I guess that’s what I’m doing. Here’s my problem…

I have a fear of rejection (which oddly enough, God has been helping me deal with lately with all these churches saying no to me…). I also have some insecurities about my own music. I like it, but I fear that others won’t. So I hesitate to share it with others because I don’t think people will think it’s worth it.

With all of that being said, my wife (again) has told me to go for it. I have a new purpose. My new purpose is to create a group from the ground up. I want to find people who have the heart and passion for this like I do. I realize that to some degree I have not because I ask not. This is something that I’ve kept to myself for a really long time. I’m done keeping it to myself. So this is my official call to any of the people out there that know me (or don’t know me yet) that love music.

That’s my new purpose. I need to help to stay the course because this is one of the few things that I can get discouraged about really quickly. So I would ask for some prayer from my friends and family. I will definitely need some prayer to pull this off.

So there you have it. Now, I’m off to mediocrity for a little while longer until my brakes get fixed. Hopefully I’ll be motivated to do some good stuff when I get home this afternoon/evening…

WSM #3

worship180 — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:15:24 +0000

I decided I wanted to write a song that showed how great it felt to be in a close relationship with God. I also wanted it to be a little softer. Guys can write about stuff in a guy way, but I thought I’d take a chance at writing a song in a….”softer” light. Okay, that wasn’t REALLY it, but I was really trying to find a way to show just how great it felt being close to God. This is what I came up with.

So Close

Verse 1
Nestled in a crevice of love and trust
Clothed in Your beautiful design
Settling in to Your masterful plans
Material that’s lasted through time

Wonderfully intricate workmanship
My heart and my mind are both brand new
I never imagined just what it could mean
To be so close to You

Chorus
Cause Your love; undeniable
Your touch; indescribable
Too much for me to burn
So much more than I’ve earned

Lord, Your grace inconcievable
I could never run through
I’m amazed at the things I see you do
When I’m so close to You

Verse 2
Engulfed in a blanket of faithfulness
You’ve blessed me beyond all I know
I accept that You love me fully
Although I’d love me less

I am so wrapped up in Your smile
I’d love to stay and bask for awhile
You hold me
Don’t let go of me

Bridge
To delight myself in You
Is all I want to do
To have my desires become more like Yours
I’ll have to be, I’ll need to be
So close to You

Chorus
Cause Your love is undeniable
Your touch-indescribable
Too much for me to burn
So much more than I’ve earned

Lord Your grace inconceivable
I could never run through
I’m amazed at the things I see You do
When I’m so close to You