Songs

3 November: Liturgy & Set List

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  • COME THOU FOUNT

    Call to Worship: Psalm 94:16-22

    When the cares of my heart are many Your consolations cheer my soul… Whether it is the anxiety of an election, broken relationships, or the weight of sin - many of us are here this morning where the cares of our hearts feel many. But if you are here as a follower of Christ this morning, the consolation of Jesus is that He has come, and He is coming again. Your value, significance, and worth are not tied to what you can earn or achieve but rests in the completed work of Christ. And we are going to teach you a new song this morning that can help us rejoice - find consolation - in Christ even when the cares of our hearts feel many. We’ll teach you the chorus first:

  • MY WORTH IS NOT IN WHAT I OWN

  • THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD

For the peace of the whole world, and for the well-being and unity of the people of God.

LEADER: Lord, in your mercy

ALL: Hear our prayer

For the work and witness of Life Church - our elders, staff, leaders, and members - that we would be people who increasingly Treasure Christ, Grow Together,  and Live on Mission

LEADER: Lord, in your mercy

ALL: Hear our prayer

For all those who proclaim the Gospel at home, 

and abroad, and for all who teach and disciple others - we especially remember our international missions partners: Matt Perez serving with Reach Global, and the work of Grace City Church in Cochin, India.

LEADER: Lord, in your mercy

ALL: Hear our prayer

For our brothers and sisters in Christ 

who are persecuted for their faith.

ON THIS NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH, WE REMEMBER OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AROUND THE WORLD WHO GATHER IN HIDING, WHO FACE LOSS OF LIFE, RELATIONSHIP, COMMUNITY, AND EMPLOYMENT FOR THEIR FAITHFUL WITNESS TO JESUS CHRIST. GOD STRENGTHEN AND SUSTAIN THEM BY YOUR SPIRIT AND THROUGH OUR PRAYERS

LEADER: Lord, in your mercy

ALL: Hear our prayer

For our nation, all who are in authority- at the local, state, and federal level - as well as those who work to advance common good.

ON THIS EVE OF AN ELECTION, WE ASK GOD THAT YOUR WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HUMAN LEADERS, THAT THEIR HEARTS WOULD TURN LIKE WATER IN YOUR HANDS. THAT WE WOULD BE PEOPLE WHO PRAY FAITHFULLY FOR OUR LEADERS, THAT OUR SUBMISSION TO LEADERS WOULD GIVE EVIDENCE TO OUR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN YOU AS OUR RULER, KING, AND SHEPHERD. STILL OUR ANXIOUS HEARTS.

LEADER: Lord, in your mercy

ALL: Hear our prayer

For all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness or any other adversity.

LEADER: Lord, in your mercy

ALL: Hear our prayer

Father, on this Election Day, we as that Your will be accomplished through human leaders - that their hearts would turn like water in your hand. That we would be people who pray faithfully for our leaders. And that our submission to leaders would give evidence to our trust and confidence in You as our Ruler, King, and Shepherd. Still our anxious hearts, in Christ’s name, amen.

Sermon: 1 Peter 5:5-11

Hear God’s Word from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18… Part of living in this upside down kingdom of God is that as followers of Jesus, our suffering and persecution is not meaningless - it is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory. We are loved by God not because we are lovely, but because He has chosen to set his love upon us, and in response we love in return. Would you stand if you’re able and we’ll sing together:

  • MY JESUS I LOVE THEE

  • A MIGHTY FORTRESS

    Benediction

Songs or Laws

As we move toward Election Day in the United States, I came across this quote:

“Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws” - Andrew Fletcher, 1655-1716

Laws matter, but songs can shape our affections and our thoughts. This is why we must care deeply about the songs we introduce to our people as worship leaders. Songs matter because words matter. Words matter because they evidence the power of life or death, they image a God who spoke the world into existence, has spoken by the prophets, and is speaking through His Word made flesh. Songs help to solidify the boundary lines of our theological convictions, by giving us language about who God is, what He has done, and who He has called us to be. Songs connect the head to the heart. And songs connect the people of God across the aisle and the ages.

27 October: Liturgy + Set List

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  • A THOUSAND SHORES

    Child Dedications

  • HOLD HIM HIGH

  • ABIDE

    Sermon: 1 Peter 5:1-4

    We live in a time when every person is hostile toward any authority that is from outside of the self. But if you are here as a follower of Jesus, you serve a Savior who said to His Father, and our Father, ‘Not my will, but Yours be done.’ When you live in joyful submission to authority in the Church, in the home, at work or school, even in the government, you give evidence to whom you belong. You give evidence that Your Chief Shepherd is your true Keeper, and He is good, and kind. Would you stand if you’re able lets sing about who Jesus is and what He has done.

  • ONLY A HOLY GOD

  • A THOUSAND HALLELUJAHS

    Benediction

Limiting Choices

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As worship leaders, we make many decisions when it comes to choosing songs - what songs we will introduce, what songs will be a part of our set list, what songs will make it to our master song list, and what songs will roll out of rotation and frequency.

The church I serve belongs to a network of churches that has very clear convictions around the kind of songs - but more specifically, the kind of writers - whose songs many of the network churches are willing to use. As I understand it, the concern is essentially that using a song from a particular church or movement is viewed as an endorsement of its theology. Don’t get me wrong, songs matter, and so does theology. Songs often function as portable theology for our congregations. And so therefore we should be discerning about what we put in the minds, mouths, and hearts of our people. But our primary responsibility is not to be gatekeepers of songs, but disciple-makers. We need to teach, lead, and serve in such a way that our people become increasingly discerning of the diet of songs they listen to and love.

As I have developed my own philosophy of worship, and frankly, as worship songs have become an industry saturating our choices as local church worship leaders, it has become harder for me to listen to an album and want to introduce every song to my congregation. Because I am often considering the holes in my master song list, I become less convinced that just because this is an artist I love, and with whom I am theologically aligned, does not mean that every song they send into the world is one I will receive.

Let your convictions guide your choices. If you feel convinced that songs from churches you would not attend will be more harmful than helpful for your congregation, then do not use those songs. My conviction is that we need songs that are deep theologically, and emotive responsively - seldom do those two factors exist in a single song. So that shapes the songs I choose to introduce and the way I construct my set lists.

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6 October: Liturgy & Set List

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  • CREATOR

    Call to Worship: Psalm 61

    One of the functions of the modern world, especially the West, and maybe America in particular is that we can keep pain, suffering, sin, and death at a distance. Don’t like what is on the news? Turn off the TV. Don’t like what is on social media? Put down your phone. We can even keep the sin and suffering in our lives at arm’s length by avoiding it, numbing it, distracting ourselves, or ignoring it. And these strategies work until pain, suffering, and death move close. Until a hurricane rips across our state leaving significant devastation in its wake. But if you are here this morning as a follower of Jesus and your heart feels faint, you can have confidence that God hears your cry. You can cling to the Rock that is higher than I. Because He is good and does good…

  • WHAT YOU SAID

  • HOLY FOREVER

    Sermon: 1 Peter 4:1-6

    If you are here this morning as a follower of Jesus, you have a new heart. Your heart of stone has been replaced with a heart of flesh, and along with it, new desires and affections. You have also been given the Holy Spirit who indwells you and enables you to put sin to death and live with self-control. But you are also called to have your mind renewed daily through the Word of God. This is part of what we do when we sing, to put the Word of God in our minds, mouths, and hearts, and by it, our minds are renewed. Would you stand if you’re able and let’s sing…

  • ‘TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS

  • 10,000 REASONS (BLESS THE LORD)

    Benediction

11 August: Liturgy + Set List

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  • ALL I HAVE IS CHRIST

    Call to Worship: Psalm 16:1-6

    The boundary lines of our lives have fallen in pleasant places by God for our good, our joy, and His glory. And although God exists outside of time and space, uncreated, and without boundary or limit, He has chosen in and through Christ to step into time and space, take on our flesh and bone, and become our sin so that we might become His righteousness, to rescue us from the power of Satan, sin and death. We are going to introduce a new song to you this morning that gives us language for celebrating who Jesus is and what He has done. We’ll teach you the chorus first…

  • HOLD HIM HIGH

  • BETTER IS ONE DAY/FACEDOWN

    Sermon: 1 Timothy 6:2-10

    The Psalmist says ‘The sorrows of those who run after another God shall multiply… but at the right hand of God, pleasures forevermore.’ We must run to God, who satisfies the desires of every living thing. Let’s use these next songs as prayers of confession, and prayers of petition - asking God to shape us…

  • I SHALL NOT WANT

  • BE THOU MY VISION

    Benediction

Collaborative Set List

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The thought of collaboratively building set lists gives me indigestion. But in practice, I always walk away so grateful for the opportunity to serve together. To find small ways to die to myself, and learn alongside of others who desire to serve the Lord and his people.

One of the things that has surprised me is how often I’ve met worship leaders who can lead songs but have never been taught how to build a set list. They know how to lead a song but not how to run a rehearsal. They know how to choose a key, but can’t lead the liturgy of the gathering.

At the end of the day, I believe that part of a leader’s main responsibility is to grow other leaders - I hope that regardless of your context or experience you are intentionally pursuing opportunities to develop other leaders. And I think that find a few people who can work together to collaboratively build a set list is a great place to start.

A few things that I have learned along the way:

  • People are more eager to serve, and take responsibility than you might expect - just ask.

  • You need to have clarity on your philosophy of worship.

  • It is easy to become frustrated and pull in different directions when you are not working from a shared understanding of the purpose of the corporate gathering - have you articulated this generally at your church, as well as specifically for this day?

  • You need to articulate the rhythms of how to build a set list - particularly for those who have never had the opportunity to do this before, help them understand the why, not just the what.

  • There are benefits to co-leading, but the more ownership you can give your fellow leaders, the more we all will grow.

  • Recognize that we all have preferences, don’t throw your weight around to get your way. Allow space for others to learn, and allow their own personality, skills, and gifts to shine through.

What would you add?