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PRAISE AND WORSHIP: FAQ's and Philosophy of Ministry
"Our primary goal is to foster an environment
where God and His people can touch each other."
Questions about the Worship Ministry at
Cedar Hills Evangelical Free Church
OPENING THOUGHTS AND PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY
Since you're reading this, you probably have an interest in worship, and, in particular, the worship work at this church. We're excited to tell you about it, and have sought to explain our approach in a Q & A format. Before we get started though, there are some important factors to understand, and a few things to say about each.
It's essential that these things be said plainly and understood fully, because so much damage has been done to the body of Christ in the name of "worship." Immature young Saints have shoved abrasive, loud, repetitive "worship" music down the throats of churches, and then condemned their critics for being unspiritual. Such sour fruit is predictable if the tree's taproots draw from bitter waters; my prayer is that we'll always sink our roots deep into the sweet living Dayspring - our Lord Jesus Christ. The finest drum-set, played by the best drummer in the county, is just a clanging cymbal if it's played without love.
In all fairness, this issue cuts two ways, though. Immature older Saints, acting more like spiritual toddlers, have thrown tantrums over music styles; I've seen "pillars of the church" deliberately quench the fire of renewal in their fellowships and do great harm to the young Believers they are called to shepherd. Their intention is often to make sure the church looks and sounds "just so," with models based more on the religious culture of the 1950's than on the Bible.
Titus 2 challenges older Christians to a beautiful calling; I deeply admire those terrific seasoned Believers who reflect the heart of Christ and self-observingly set aside their preferences for the sake of true discipleship, growth, unity and effectiveness.
Elder Bob Franco, now almost 80, is a hero of mine. He told me that he didn't really care for most of the newer praise songs, but he loved how the music drew in the community and touched the hearts of young families. Bob is all about seeing people turned from being rebels to worshipers - he'd never dream of sacrificing this for the sake of insisting that certain music be played on Sunday.
Please hear me: Out of my love for Bob and others like him, I've tried not to play too loud, I've limited the amount of repetition and often include old favorites.
You see, the issue isn't really music style, is it? It's about obeying Scripture, acting like Christians, and accomplishing the mission of the Church.
I'm amazed as people try to blame the "worship wars" on contemporary music. That's like handing out a bucket of pistols in an insane asylum and then blaming the bullets as they zing by! If the whole mess wasn't so sad, it would make a pretty good Saturday Night Live skit.
WHAT IS WORSHIP? WHAT IS A WORSHIP MINISTRY?
Based on my current understanding of God's Word, I have developed the following definition of worship: "Worship is responding to the Father in a submitted, adoring relationship to Jesus Christ." You'll notice that this says nothing about music, and there's a good reason:
First, worship is not primarily about music; worship is about experiencing the presence of God. In His presence, there is both intense fear and fullness of joy. It's a weighty matter, and it goes to the very heart of what it is to be a Christian. I'll put an even finer point on it: Regardless of how awesome or how awful the music is, the quality of a congregations' worship experience will never exceed the quality of their general commitment to sit at the feet of Jesus.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT PRAISE AND WORSHIP
Rather than skating lightly over this, let's take a moment to explore what a worship ministry is all about. Here are some key passages to consider - let's see what we can learn about worship from each of these!
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (Why did God call us? Choose us? Make us a royal priesthood? That we might declare His praise.)
Isaiah 43:7 (NLT) All who claim me as their God will come, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them." (We were created to give God glory. We're the Praise Race.)
John 4:23/24 (NIV) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (The Father is actively looking for worshipers - if we are actively looking to exalt Him, you can know we'll connect with Him!)
Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV) Jesus replied: "ÂLove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. (Job number one, according to Jesus, quoting Dt. 6, the Shema, is to love God with all our being, before we start doing anything. "Being" comes before "doing.")
Psalm 115:17-18 (NASB) The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor do any who go down into silence; But as for us, we will bless the LORD From this time forth and forever. Praise the LORD! (Some, granted, have a hard time expressing their praises - but all those who are living are called not to act like the silent dead, but to stand up and declare His praises.)
Psalm 34:1-3 (NASB) I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. (Praise is a lifestyle activity, a deliberate, public ongoing boast in Him.)
Psalm 22:3 (NASB) Yet You are holy, o You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. (When God is "enthroned," He's not just there for a photo-op! "Enthroned" indicates presence, power and authority; He is present to reign. Pray in agreement with this; ask Him to do so!)
Psalm 33:1-3 (NLT) Let the godly sing with joy to the LORD, for it is fitting to praise him. Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing new songs of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy. (Three thoughts: 1. Praise is "fitting" for those who know their Lord, it's appropriate; praise "looks good' on a Saint. 2. We obey Scripture when we sing new songs. 3. A harp of ten-strings indicates a guitarist with his six stringed instrument and a bassist with his four stringed bass, though this is just an opinion <grin>.)
Psalm 40:2-3 (NIV) He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. (What a marvelous truth: our praises will draw people to Christ! Many will see us praising Him and put their trust in Him, too.)
Colossians 3:16 (NIV) 16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Our praises are - at least partly - to teach. We want the Word of Christ to dwell richly in peoples' hearts; those catchy melodies will bring the Word back to folks over and over.)
Colossians 2:7 (KJV) 7Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (Thankfulness - the power of positive thanking - will cause our faith to abound. Do you want to grow in your faith? Then first strengthen your praise and thanksgiving; develop an attitude of gratitude.)
Let me broadly summarize a few of these ideas and connect them into a whole: God does marvelous things for us; our gratitude and love makes us unable and unwilling to be silent! We exalt the Lord privately, publicly, skillfully and with many different kinds of songs. We encourage each other to do so with us, and the songs become examples and teaching tools. Others marvel, put their trust in Him, too, and join us. As we declare His praises together, we comprehend that this is the very reason we exist! We also encounter the great pleasure of the Father, who is seeking such worshipers. Ultimately, we find Him enthroned upon our praises and doing more and more marvelous things among us. Our faith is increased more and more, and our praises continue and increase.
What a precious circle - a cycle of joy! There is far more to say about this, including the matters of prayer and spiritual warfare, but we'll address these things at other times.
NUDGING THE BELL CURVE OF A CONGREGATION
I have come to see the general spiritual climate of a local church as a bell curve; a worship ministry seeks (along with the teaching and other discipleship ministries) to nudge that curve - the churches' overall spirituality - in the right direction.
What is that "right direction?"
It's the end of the bell curve where folks just can't get enough of Jesus. Like thirsty deer, these people are desperate for the Living Waters. For them, "life is worship and the rest is details." They gladly describe themselves as lovers of God; like Mary at Jesus' feet, like John at His breast, like Dancing David. They echo Corrie Ten Boom: "Don't wrestle, just nestle." The glory of God seems to radiate from such people, and they shine just about the same whether they are filling their grocery carts or singing a great praise song. When these "glorious ones" walk through the doors of their church, they come with hearts already overflowing with worship. The music, the teaching, the prayer and the discipleship are the welcome gateways through which they joyfully draw ever-closer to Him.
THE OTHER END OF THE BELL CURVE
On the other end of the bell curve are those who don't shine so brightly, and the contrast is profound. For a variety of reasons, the area of music seems to reveal spiritual immaturity rather quickly.
I wish it was only about music styles! But on this end of the bell curve, you'll run into those who seem to come to church "jus' itchin' fer a good wrangle" over nearly anything! You'll find singers and musicians who long to be seen and admired on the platform. Some want their child or spouse to be center stage. And yes, some, as we've already said, will insist that their favorite style of music be featured, or want to manage the ratio of praise songs to hymns.
Some will call the elders to complain about the number of times a song was repeated (I'm not kidding)! A worship leader told me about one man who always sat in the front row at her church, glaring at her angrily when she got up to lead. On a weekly basis, he would - at some point - stand up, disrupt the worship, and stomp out of the sanctuary (down the middle aisle, of course). He would later make his public reentry when "it was over."
It's at this point that some people forget everything they've ever been taught from God's Word. "What if I don't care about unity?" one woman blurted out in a fit of anger, "and what if I don't care about people coming to Christ? I just want my music, I want my hymns."
And on it goes - having worked with scores of worship leaders, I've found this stuff to be as common as the flu and just about as pleasant.
ABOUT THOSE SAINTS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BELL CURVE
For years, I focused huge amounts of energy on such people; I wore myself out, believing the best of their intentions and seeking to somehow please them. Sometimes I briefly won their approval, but that was nearly always short-lived. In case after case, my efforts seemed to only delay the inevitable train wrecks those people created with their hardness.
But having said that, don't write off anyone! God is in the miracle business, the life-transforming business. Love those difficult folks, continue to pray for them, and remember that Christ can change them.
A woman we called Grandma Ruth was plucky, but not terribly spiritual. She used to sit in the back of the church with her hands - literally - clasped over her ears during worship. If a song wasn't being sung directly from a hymnbook, her face would remain crinkled up in a grimace until it was over. Once a year or so, she'd stand up during testimonies and "speak her mind" about how much modern music annoyed her. She made it clear that she would not be happy until we sang only hymns, just like when she was a child! She would also publicly express her unwillingness to tithe, and the only Bible messages she wanted to hear were those specifically about how to become a Christian.
But Grandma Ruth changed, almost overnight. It came after a series of debilitating strokes put this independent woman in a wheelchair. With her left side paralyzed, this strong, self-willed woman now was being wheeled about and served by caregivers. We loved her, and it was hard to see her go through this painful time. But God used that set-back in an amazing way. Soon, when I was leading worship, I began to notice that Ruth's one good hand, instead of covering her ear, was now being lifted in praise! Tears were trickling from those eyes that were once so hard and opinionated. A tenderness, a sweet wisdom, emerged in her and it was obvious to all that Jesus had made Grandma Ruth a new woman!
People change.
MOST OF US ARE IN THE MIDDLE
A bell curve supposes that most of us are somewhere between the two ends, and mercifully indicates that we can change and grow! It's my observation that the majority of Christians (myself included) recognize that intimacy with Christ is Job One, but find that the world, the flesh and the devil are constantly at war against us. We want to shine, we want to draw ever nearer to Christ, but recognize that there is junk always simmering in our hearts just below the surface.
Consequently, most of us are glad to embrace a worship ministry that's partnering with the other works in a local church to lovingly nudge us all closer to Jesus. It's where we want to be, and where we want to see each other.
And this is a whale of a lot bigger matter than putting together a praise band or a choral presentation.
I'll repeat our first point: worship is not primarily about music; worship is about experiencing the presence of God. Our Mission is to foster an environment where God and His people can touch each other. Worship is more, more, more - so much more - than a song, and that's why we need to be unyielding about "keeping the main thing the main thing."
WHO OUR "AUDIENCE" REALLY IS
Second, and read this carefully: worship actually IS a performance. This performance, though, is not for the congregation, but for the royal "Audience of One." As worship leaders, we seek to draw the congregation, as a single big choir, into God's presence where we all can worship Him together.
Create a mental picture. Imagine that Cedar Hills Evangelical Free Church has an appointment - a command royal performance - to appear before the very Throne of God and offer praises to Him.
What would that performance look like? For starters, I hope we'd go out of our way to not offer Him some pretentious, churchy, religious thing. But consider the characteristics of what we would want to offer Him: Certainly, we'd want that command performance to be Christ-directed and personally honest. In a heartbeat, He'd see right through our self-centeredness or dishonesty; we would seek to "worship God in spirit," as Jesus taught in John 4:24.
Our praises would need to be offered up in an atmosphere of corporate unity - if there was division among us, God would be offended by our hypocrisy; if we say we love God and don't love each other, Scripture calls us liars (1 Jn. 4:20).
Our praises would need to be true to God's Word, because if our worship contained ideas that were false, it would be shameful. That would be like me telling my wife how beautiful her blue eyes are...when she actually has hazel-colored eyes. We would want to (Jn. 4:24) "worship God in truth."
Finally, we would want our praises to be good in quality, because He's so worthy (I Chr. 21:24, Ps. 66:2). I say this last, though, because what value is a world-class production to God, if the performers don't have heavenly hearts? In His economy, "heart" comes way before "art."
BACK HERE ON EARTH
Now recognize that this mental image is exactly what is happening when we come together in praise and worship. And it isn't only happening in the Heavenly Realm, but in the Earthly Realm, too. On earth, these praises need to be culturally relevant and attractive enough to outsiders and visitors to make them WANT to join in.
Make no mistake: Worship IS a performance! But never forget the Divine Audience before Whom we stand.
Never think for a moment that the congregation is the audience whom we must please! Those brazen souls who attend church, sitting in judgment of the music (or the teaching), demanding their various preferences, are taking their place with God; I suspect that those balcony seats are a pretty dangerous place to sit.
We can't stop bad thinking, but we very much want to discourage it.
That's just a brief philosophy of ministry to get us started.
Having outlined this picture with a broad brush, there are now scores of details to consider. While not wanting to miss a thing...we know we have. We all have much to learn, and some of these lessons we will learn together in the weeks, months and years to come.
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Over the years, I've personally spent hundreds of hours in prayer, poring over Scripture, drawing counsel from experts, searching the Internet, reading constantly and listening to the input of Saints from all over the world. In this document, I've sought to outline enough of these philosophies and values to help you know what this worship ministry is about.
Q: I want to be a singer; how do I join?
A: Church members are welcome to join, and all are welcome to visit rehearsals at anytime. Fill out a questionnaire, and come on our rehearsal nights from 6:45 to 9:00. Here's how the time breaks down:
6:45 - 7:30 p.m. Mingle, sing and get copies of lyrics or music if needed. Sometimes the vocal team goes over material in a separate room. This time can be chaotic!
7:30 - 8:15 p.m. Meet in the main auditorium for communication and prayer. Sometimes this will include a teaching time on worship; we want every member of the team to be able to explain WHY we do WHAT we do. Worship team members should be Worship Specialists. We also gather for prayer during this time. The fellowship that occurs here is every bit as important - probably more so - than any note we play or sing; that's why it's in the middle. Even if you have to come late or leave early, you can't escape this time!
8:15 - 9:00 p.m. Rehearsal continues; the musicians tighten up their arrangements while the vocal team works on entrances, melody checks, etc. Solos, as needed, are usually assigned at this time. If you have a tape recorder, bring it; there's no better way to learn new songs than to record them and listen during the week.
Plan to return to the church Sunday morning at 7:15 a.m.; we'll prepare our material and our hearts until 8:00, and be ready to "hit the ground running" by the time our first service begins.
Q: What are you trying to accomplish?
A: Our mission is three-fold:
1. We want to foster an environment where God and His people can touch each other.
2. We want to give the Holy Spirit free reign to prepare our hearts to hear and respond to the Word of God that Pastor Randy teaches.
3. Finally, we want people to be so delighted by the presence of God that they desire to "practice His presence" all week long.
You'll notice that this mission has nothing to do with music! As we've said earlier, music is a tool, but it's certainly not the task.
Q: What's Contemporary Worship all about?
A: Our intention is to worship Jesus - express our love for Him honestly - in the same meaningful, contemporary way we would express other delights in our lives. We're contemporary people, therefore our praises are likely to be contemporary, too.
That's happening spontaneously all over this planet right now; our experience here is a tiny microcosm of something very exciting. We keep in touch with scores of ministries doing the same thing (from all denominations) and exchange ideas.
Contemporary worship will make sense to many as the praise and adoration that flows naturally from people raised on radio. (Have you recognized that people now nearing retirement age grew up listening to the Beatles?) I'd like to think that if King David had been born in our time, he'd be at the forefront of this movement.
We certainly didn't invent Contemporary Worship; if you've listened to Vineyard or Hosanna Projects in the last 20 years or so, most of what we do will sound pretty familiar. We also borrow a few ideas from Promise Keepers, Maranatha, the Winds of Worship and the Passion models.
I might add here that such music is evangelistic, too, but not in the traditional way. Jesus said that when he was lifted up he would draw people to Himself. It's our belief that lifting up Jesus - in unity, in a fresh, relevant way - is a wonderful method to reach the community for Christ.
Q: So, is this what's called a "Seeker Service?"
A: Regarding Willowcreek's "Seeker Targeted" model, we applaud the innovation, but don't specifically feel called to do this. Why not? While we're comfortable being "Seeker Sensitive," it's quite a balancing act to genuinely touch and equip Saints while making Pre-Christians feel at home. The two goals are often incompatible in a single service. There is, though, a "Seeker" whose heart we want to touch - and it's the Father Himself! Jesus told us in John 4 that He is seeking worshipers, and we want to be found by Him. When people come seeking Him, our belief is that they won't go home disappointed.
Q: Do you describe your worship as Pentecostal?
A: The word "Pentecostal" comes with a bunch of baggage. If, by "Pentecostal," you're referring to the tomfoolery that often passes for renewal on Christian TV and magazines, then the answer is no. If you are referring to encouraging grateful Believers to worship God with honesty and abandon, then the answer is yes.
It's a classic case of knowing the difference between the bath-water and the baby. You can't read the book of Psalms without realizing King David's gut-level passion for God; he danced, he shouted, he clapped, he wept, he worshiped with all his heart! There's no evidence, however, that David barked like a dog or encouraged people to hit the floor, writhing and twitching.
I'm going to plunge in here and share my heart: We Evangelical Christians (those with backgrounds like most Baptists, Evangelical Free, Methodist, Nazarene, Missouri Synod Lutheran, etc.) need to be honest with ourselves. For decades, we've desired to worship God deeply and sweetly, but have folded our arms at the prospect of being associated with the kind of abuses we've seen among certain groups. In an effort to separate ourselves from such embarrassments, we've also - generally - emptied our worship of passion and relevance. We've thrown out the baby with...well, you know. Sadly - and unwittingly - we've robbed God of the praise He is due and robbed ourselves of the many blessings associated with healthy, Biblical worship. Millions of Saints are now discovering - to their delight - that the baby and the bath water are not the same. Around the world, Evangelicals are learning that raising our hands and offering up sweet worship to the King of Kings is unrelated to falling down at the touch of an evangelist. Simple tears of adoration do not need to be followed by hours of chaos. Praise and palsy-like manifestations have little in common with each other.
Having said that, I want to add a caution: C.S. Lewis once wrote, "Aslan is not a tame lion." God does what God does, and He will not be boxed-in by our sense of propriety. When the glory of God descended upon Solomon's temple and the people "couldn't stand to minister," who would have stood in His way because the situation was not tidy? If we attempt to limit Him, the fullness of his unspeakable blessings will fall upon others...while we commend ourselves for sound thinking. Equally unbalanced, though, is the view that worship is a means-to-an-end, as if our primary goal was to reach some emotional summit, or curry God's favor by setting aside our minds. Praise and worship is not a means-to-an-end, it is an end in itself. It is the very "chief end of man," and a glorious, satisfying end at that.
Q: Okay, that makes sense, but why does it have to be so loud?
A: That's usually only the opening songs, but... Jesus did warn us that the rocks would cry out if we were quiet! My friend, Paul Rydell, remembers (as a teen) walking out of a contemporary church musical with his father. His dad was upset by the loud instruments and said, "son, you could have heard that same music at any tavern in town!" Paul had enjoyed the evening, though, and remembers doubting that bars were actually ringing with songs about Jesus. He was more puzzled at his dad's anger about the joyful noise. (Paul's father has long since become a supporter of contemporary praise.)
It's important to remember a few things as we work through these matters. First, Biblical praise demands a dynamic range. Celebration is louder than tender worship; the Bible models each, and strongly supports both.
It's also important to remember that no instrument is "unclean of itself!" Our past might cause us to associate certain sounds with certain sins, but that's a hurdle we need to scale in our own journey toward spiritual maturity.
Finally, it's hard to make some instruments "sound" quiet and pretty. (The term "garage band" usually applies more to the "garage" than the "band!") It's no longer unusual for churches to spend $100,000 on their sound systems. This gives them control over difficult instruments like drums and electric guitars; it enables them to create excellence in the live environment that is not unlike a recording studio sound.
Our church has spent only a tiny fraction of this to spend on sound...and we do the best we can. But someday...
Q: Is your style a "Blended Worship" approach?
A: The answer is probably yes, but recent studies by Charles Arn, Sally Morganthaler and others have indicated that many churches are finding blended worship to be - too often - just "blanded worship." We never want that.
I wish there was a nice way to say this, but when "inoffensive" becomes the measure of a ministry, it's already way down the wrong road.
We must seek to exalt the Savior with integrity and abandon, praying for the Glory of God to descend upon our sanctuary! When that happens, the subject of style becomes irrelevant.
Q: In my last church, I was asked to join the choir. Why wasn't I asked here?
A: First, please don't be hurt or take it personally. We don't usually invite or recruit people to be involved with the worship team; we've learned that it's much healthier if people respond instead to God's drawing. If I recruit someone, they can easily consider themselves "un-recruited" when I offend or overwork them (not deliberately!). And if someone quits when they're passed over for a solo, that's a pretty good indication that they were improperly motivated.
When God recruits people, though, I've found He also provides them with grace to forgive my errors in judgment and my insensitivity. And there's more. My salesmanship - in the past - has successfully brought the WRONG people to the task. The results have been heartbreaking.
On the positive side, I wish I had documented the number of times the team has asked God to send forward individuals with specific talents; He has often answered in almost startling ways! Conversely, at times the Lord has given us a strong "no" regarding individuals who felt called to the worship team. In these cases, we have had no choice but to let people know that we are not free to bring them aboard at the moment. While it's awkward, we've discovered from experience that the Master knows best.
Does that mean that we'll never recruit? Never say never! Sometimes it's obvious that God is prompting someone to be involved, and they need a confirmation. It's just that as a rule of thumb, we wait on the Lord.
Q: This doesn't really feel like a choir to me. Why?
A: That's a good observation. This group is first and foremost a worship vocal team, and second a choir, as talent and time allow. It may one day grow into a fine choir, but never - on my watch - at the expense of its primary role. Some will wonder what the difference is, so let's discuss it. A choir is a set of trained, groomed voices singing two to four parts (SATB) for the purpose of creating a beautiful, full choral sound which will delight and inspire listeners.
A worship vocal team (a Praise Pad), on the other hand, is a group of worshipers committed to leading a congregation in the act of singing praises to God. Here - in order - are the four tasks of a worship vocal team:
THE FOUR TASKS OF A VOCAL TEAM
1) Model worship visually for the congregation. They should see energy, passion, joy and self-unawareness. Using your face and your hands, teach the congregation to adore the Lord. For this reason, a poor singer may be the most important member of a vocal team! A frog with a heart for God provides a better model than a smooth, polished dud. Ideally, we'll learn to be polished AND emanate glory!
2) Model the songs for the congregation. The flock needs to learn these songs by following you as you sing the melody and lyric; that's why we stress the primary need for you to sing MELODY. You are their prototype, and you'll carry them while they learn or they stop to listen and savor the Lord. And you'll actually be the surrogate singers for those who can't or won't open their mouths.
3) Provide a full sound - the Pad. You'll provide continuity and support throughout the praise event for the worship leader, allowing him/her the freedom to prompt, echo, drop out, pray, etc., maintaining the dynamic of the song.
4) Provide artistic and technical excellence. It is wonderful to enhance the listening enjoyment of the congregation, but this is last on the list, because worship is a performance for God, not man. Choral excellence, put plainly, is a bonus.
Q: I can't sing high enough to carry the melody; I'll need to be assigned a part or I can't be involved on the platform.
A: I would love to see you in Praise Pad - but maybe it will need to be in the future.
Here's the plain truth: It takes lots of time to score a half-dozen vocal charts each week; if I were going to make this a high priority, I'd feel the need to distribute cassettes modeling the parts, and I'd probably insist on a second night of rehearsal to master those parts!
A Vocal Team singing melody, though, delivers 90% of that choral impact with a fraction of the time investment. A Vocal Ensemble provides harmonies, and the congregation hears a nice, big sound.
But that doesn't answer the frustration of Altos and Baritones on the Vocal Team who just can't stretch enough to carry the melody. Over the years, I've just decided to compromise, and given them freedom to harmonize by ear. There's some risk in this, because not all harmonizers are created equal. In using the word "risk," I'm not really talking about a bad note here and there; I'm more concerned about confusion, insecurity, hurt feelings and competition. I've seen timid singers crying and wanting to quit because they were thrown of off-pitch by others. I've seen battles over the monitors. (Okay, I've seen even stranger things; musicians and singers can be pretty whacked-out people!)
Will we always be at this sketchy stage? No. Sooner or later, we'll grow the skills and the charts to master SA and eventually SAT parts. Ultimately, we'd like to see a Hillsongs (Shout to the Lord) model in place, but need to wait until we can approach the craft with excellence.
Q. Tell me about the Vocal Ensemble - the three or four singers with microphones. I'd like to be one of these.
A. As with many other teams, we keep one or two strong harmonizers and a strong melody vocalist on microphones, which fattens up the sound. We call this the Vocal Ensemble. These, like a band, need to work together to develop the "chemistry" to really shine; I'd like to see these ensembles spending time together other than on the platform (This is a great opportunity for spouses!).
Each of these singers will eventually have an "understudy." You can think of these positions as "job sharing," or even discipleship, but our goal is to have several people ready and able to step into these roles and do a great job on moments' notice. With three services each week, we'll need several teams to rotate.
Q: You've mentioned that you stay in touch with worship teams around the world. How is this possible from either Mt. Hood, Oregon or Cedar Rapids, Iowa?
A: It's not just possible, it's essential that we NETWORK with the Larger Body of Christ. We're all a part of the same Kingdom, serving the same King, and there's more to know than we can learn in our small corner. God has put terrific people in my path. As a writer and worship development missionary, I have become acquainted with hundreds of ministries, providing direct access to authors, composers, teachers, and worship leaders pretty much everywhere. Several years as Systems Operator for CompuServe's Worship Forum focused me in a 24-hour international worship roundtable, which was very exciting. I am currently helping develop Integrity Music's new Worship4U website. Further, if I hear about a wonderful ministry, I call and ask about it!
Q: I would like to perform a special number at church.
A: Great! Let's hear it first on a practice night. If it can be skillfully woven into the tapestry of worship, let's plan carefully to do it in an upcoming service. This usually involves surrounding the piece with worship songs of the same general theme, tone and - as possible - key. "Specials" are indeed "special" if they are part of the worship event and experience. In reference to the Hillsongs model mentioned above, Darlene Zschech and Russell Frager have designed their vocal team to be a place where character, relationships and performance skills are developed. Talents and philosophies are groomed in the vocal team, before people take a more visible position.
While not as firm, our approach is similar. When a person stands before this congregation, he or she represent this ministry; it is reasonable to expect that these would understand and support the philosophies driving this ministry.
If all this sounds too scary and complicated, keep in mind that a church family night is coming up soon, and we'd LOVE to have you perform. It's called JOI Night (Jesus Our Inspiration) and it's a chance to get out that old sax and play your heart out. It's a great time; you'll bless others with your talent and be blessed by the hidden talents of others. Comedy? Drama? Poetry? Recital of your favorite piano lesson? Debut of your new alternative Praise Band? Excellent. Stay tuned for the next date and get signed up.
Q: I'm a musician. How do I join the band?
A: There are a half-dozen positions in the band, and these musicians work together to create the tightest sound they possibly can. As with the Vocal Ensemble, each of these players is working with an "understudy" who can step in at moment's notice; if you are gifted to do this, please don't keep it a secret.
I haven't embraced an audition process, though I know many worship leaders do. I've seen the Lord sometimes raise up players from within the church and at other times He's called them from outside. I had the joy of leading a fine player to Christ one week and the Lord put him to work that weekend!
"Preparation meets opportunity." Take lessons if you need to. Submit your skills to the Lord and hone them to fit what we're doing at this ministry. Be a team player. Come to worship practice. Learn each new song. Ask for copies of the charts. Bring a tape recorder. Practice your licks. Sing along with the vocal team until there's an opportunity to play.
No musician needs to go without a ministry, by the way. We are asking the Lord for a musician or an abbreviated worship team for every small group. Learn a few dozen praise songs and be ready!
Now, what about that sax, violin, flugelhorn or pennywhistle? Regarding other instruments, we are careful about the sounds we add to the worship experience. Here's an example: Matt Gray is the West Coast Grand Champion banjo player. He agreed to sit in with us one evening, and his banjo was like gold on the Appalachian "I Belong to a Mighty God." By the time we got to "Holy Ground," though, that banjo was really distracting. Again, Matt's a world-class player, but we would have been wiser to feature the banjo - and limit it to - the opening song. It was a good lesson. Arrangements are like recipes. Saffron is an expensive and wonderful spice, but it must be used sparingly or it spoils the recipe. Similarly, a flute might be gorgeous on one chorus of one song, but not on every part of every song. It's the same with most other instruments, even guitars and keyboards. We're learning as a band that good arrangements involve bringing in - for example - the Hammond B3 after the second verse, or saving the electric guitar for a solo after the bridge. All that is to say that guest players are welcome, but we'll be looking for the right material, the right arrangements, and players need to feel comfortable with this.
Q: I've written a praise song I would like the church to sing.
A: Outstanding! If you like, bring it to me or any of the musicians. Of course, we'll encourage you to keep writing, but we may also have some observations on how you could improve the piece. Who knows? We might enter into worship with you or start weeping (and I mean that in a good way!)!
A few thoughts on praise-song writing:
First, it may surprise you that some of the most-sung songs of the church were actually written by non-musicians, ("He Hath Made Me Glad," and "Why So Downcast, O My Soul?" come to mind immediately) because the Lord gives songs as gifts freely to His people. So, be ready to receive them!
Second, don't be afraid to polish and improve your songs; even if the Lord gave it to you, you still received it "through a glass darkly." Lynn DeShazo told me she takes a long time to complete most of her songs; she carefully crafts and hones them until they shine - that's how she can bring us gems like "Yahweh is Holy." She uses the word "flow" to describe the receiving of the song, and "craft" to explain the shaping of the piece.
Third, be open to the idea that your current song is part of your learning curve as a writer. While I've written around 500 songs, fewer than 5% of those ever really touched peoples' hearts. Rick Founds says he has a similar experience; for every "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High," he has dozens of lesser-effective songs.
Q: Did I hear that this team will travel and play?
A: It's true. Right now our first priority is to "build this house with a song of Zion," but I look forward to responding to requests to play or model worship at various events. That might include community praise events, park concerts, being guests at other churches, and so on. We'll grab an hour of music, a bunch of lyric sheets and - if needed - a sound system. We'll just "hop on the bus," and go. By the way, I also love "Living Room Ministries," which are informal praise times in homes. Sweet intimate worship with prayer and lots of snacks.
Q: What expectations does the church leadership have for members of the worship team?
A: A few. If you are involved with this part of the ministry, you are an upfront, visible representative of Cedar Hills Evangelical Free and therefore a leader - a worship leader. We ask the following:
1. You must be a born-again Christian.
2. You must be living a life in Christ that's an encouraging example to others, as outlined in the Epistles.
3. You should be worshiping the Lord throughout the week - not just at church.
4. You must be more concerned about worship than music, more concerned about serving than performing.
5. You must be a member of Cedar Hills Evangelical Free Church and a regular attender; guests are a different matter.
6. Teens are welcome as long as you have the go-ahead of parents/disciplers; Jr. Highers will be admitted on a case-by-case basis.
7. You must be an avid supporter of the leadership of this church.
8. Doctrinally, you must be in line with the 12 Basic Truths that drive this ministry.
9. You must keep a "low profile" on divisive issues or opinions
10. Though we've never checked (or even asked) you should probably be tithing.
11. You must be at practices. "No Practice, No Play."
12. Learn your parts.
13. Be positive, and don't entertain negativity in others. Make a covenant with your mouth to only speak things that build up your church family.
14. If you're in a spiritual funk, take the time with Jesus and your support team around you to dig out. Don't be ashamed to take time off the team, or feel pressured to keep working when you need healing.
Exceptions? Of course. Members struggle with sin. We've invited pre-Christians to sit in with the team, often with amazing results. Sometimes we let people take the platform without practice. I had a 9-year-old guitarist for a while. There are usually reasons for the exceptions, though, that transcend the intentions of the basic rules.
Q: What really thrills you about worship ministry, Phil?
A: Really, everything. Leading God's people into God's presence is the best job on the planet, because worship is what we were born -and born again - to do. Of the many things we do on earth, only worship will be carried into eternity. Specifically, though, I am excited when someone - especially someone on the team - tells me they encountered Jesus as we worshiped. One time a young man realized he wasn't really a Christian as he helped lead worship; he was converted on the platform as he sang! A young vocalist came to me in tears as she observed Jesus moving among His people one evening. A guest player (not a Believer) realized God's touch as he was playing his instrument and was overcome with conviction. This is the kind of stuff that really makes me rattle and hum.
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Minor Update Nov 2004 |
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