Addressing Chaos

Not long ago, one of our friends experiencing homelessness interrupted our worship gathering while our pastor was preaching. It brought the gathering to a stop, and he had to be escorted outside the building, where they received care, counsel, and prayer. We don’t plan for this kind of interruption, so it makes them all the more difficult to know how to address them in real-time. What can we do when chaos threatens to completely derail our corporate gathering?

Pray. Prayer communicates dependence and acknowledges our needs both to ourselves and to God. We need supernatural wisdom and discernment - always - but in a unique way in these moments about how to lead ourselves, and those we serve through these types of interruptions.

Ignore. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all. If we can manage our way through without having to address distractions or interruptions head-on, we may be able to tune out some of the noise.

Engage. Our friend experiencing homelessness did just make a loud statement but was trying to engage in conversation with our pastor - while our pastor was preaching. If ignoring the interruption will not solve the issue on its own, it’s time to engage.

Enlist help. In moments of chaos, it can be hard to think clearly, it can be incredibly disorienting. Are there other people whom you can call to action to step in, and help settle a chaotic situation?

Speak to reality. People need to be shepherded, always, but especially through seasons or situations that are confusing and disorienting. How can you use words to guide people through uncertainty?

Move forward. Is it best to wrap up for the day? Or to move into a different piece of the service than planned? Don’t freeze, just move forward.

I hope that you will not experience chaotic interruptions to your corporate worship gathering that you have to determine how to manage. But the truth is because we are human, even if we do not have chaotic interruptions outwardly, inwardly, our lives are full of chaotic interruptions, even when we are leading worship. May we pray, ignore, engage, enlist help, speak to the reality, and move forward with much grace towards ourselves and others.

When Songs Don't Matter

I know, I know. Last week I wrote about how there are songs for the season, and this week I am saying songs don’t matter.

Let me explain.

Building a song master song list takes a lot of time, energy, and intention. It must be tailored to the congregation, conscious of the skill and ability of the worship leader and team, and be made up of songs for the season, as well as songs with staying power. Your master song list should include songs that are scripturally sound, theologically rich, artistically and musically compelling, and emotively engaging. Or more simply, as one worship leader described to me: thinking songs and feeling songs. Needless to say, this is a task that requires more thought than merely choosing your favorite song each week.

Several years ago, two interns were working with me to plan set lists for the Summer weeks that I would be away. We were reading the passage of Scripture that would be preached, and trying to list a smaller group of songs from our master song list that they could choose each weekend to lead. About halfway through this process one of the interns said, ‘We could sing any of these songs! They all fit, because we are always singing about Jesus, and always preaching the Gospel.’

If we do the hard work upfront of building, refining, adding, and trimming our master song list we lessen the pressure to make our songs fit the sermon week to week, because the reality is that they all fit! And when they all fit, we can refine even more as we look for through line concepts, same text inspiration, and repeated refrains in songs and sermons alike.

Do songs matter? Of course. But they matter less when you do the hard work upfront.

Songs For The Season

They say, “Write what you know.” And for the most part, everything I share on my website is things that I have learned and feel that I can grasp with enough familiarity to share. Today, I want to share something I am learning in real-time.

Songs are important. I care deeply about the new songs we choose, as well as the way we introduce those songs to the congregation. I care deeply about the canon of songs that make up our master song list, as well as the way those songs shape our theology of God and the Gospel. I care deeply about whether our songs are purposed for personal devotion, or corporate worship because all songs are prayers. I even believe there are guiding principles that can help us determine what is a good song.

But what I am learning in realtime, is that there are songs for seasons.

I read an article in Worship Leader Magazine last month titled, “Worship At The Speed of Sound.” In it, WLM published the findings of a team of researchers who had studied the lifespan of corporate worship songs registered with CCLI from 1988 to 2019. The researchers had a hunch that the creation, distribution, ascent, and decline of a corporate worship song has increased rapidly over that time period. And understandably, they were correct. Social media, online distribution, ‘worship artists,’ conferences, touring, and radio, were all contributing factors both in the number of songs available, as well as their availability.

Some songs have staying power - think of many of the hymns that have been passed down through the ages or songs like Chris Tomlin’s “How Great Is Our God.” Some songs cut through the noise for a season, and all but disappear - one such song cited in the research is Jesus Culture’s “Fierce.”

I truly believe that the bulk of our diet when it comes to song choice should be songs that have staying power. Songs that ring with resonance in different seasons and stages of our lives. Songs that are sung in the hospital room, at the altar, and during the midnight hour as a parent rocks a child to sleep. But what I am learning is that there are songs for seasons. Songs that are still good, beautiful, and true. Songs that capture a moment in the life of our churches - both locally, and globally. These are the songs that we will look back with sheepish affection, and fondness as we are reminded of the Spirit’s movement in our lives and histories. These are the songs for the season.

What have been songs for the season in your life?

Surviving The Summer

You have survived the Advent season.

You have managed through Easter celebrations.

You are almost home free - until Summer.

If your experience is anything like mine - whether your team is made up of a handful of volunteers, or many - Summer is hard. School is out, people travel, the pace of life slows, and most people want to chance to take a break from responsibilities, and recharge. But Sunday happens whether we are ready or not. And that means, we still need to be prepared to lead sung worship each week. So how do you navigate this season so that you can get a little rest, remain tender-hearted towards those with whom you serve, and execute a weekly corporate gathering? Here are a few thoughts:

Try something different. Smaller gatherings and teams create a safer environment to try things that may seem riskier in the normal rhythms of our serving. A new, or less experienced team member? Have them serve for the first time. Give a new worship leader you have been developing the opportunity to build a set list, lead a rehearsal, and lead the congregation in sung worship. Or perhaps you want to try incorporating some more liturgical rhythms in your gathering - corporate confessions, or readings, you can begin to formulate the why behind these choices as you incorporate these new means of worship in your gathering.

Think through song choice. With attendance - even for church members - being mostly inconsistent through the Summer, this is probably not the time to entirely revamp your master song list. Introduce songs sparingly, if at all. You would not want your regular attendees and members returning in the fall to a completely new set of songs they have yet to learn. Stick to a smaller pool of songs, and maybe try different arrangements to add more variety in the midst of the familiarity.

Simplify. The team, as well as the responsibilities. Maybe you go unplugged or build smaller, acoustic teams for the weeks of the Summer. How can you pare down the moving pieces of your order of service, including the number of songs.

Create space for vision and long-term planning. Where might God be leading you, the team, the congregation in the next months and years? What have you been putting off that you can accomplish now? For me this Summer, that will look like creating a comprehensive inventory of our gear. What we have, the model number, where it was purchased, and where we can buy replacement parts. As well as clarifying our onboarding process for new team members, and ongoing training for the team.

I find, when I acknowledge that something will be different than normal (e.g., Summer and the amount of people I am able to schedule to serve), I am much less likely to be frustrated and discouraged. Summer can be life-giving rather than soul-sucking if you embrace, rather than fight against reality.

Fine Art Of Worship

Worship is a fine art. As in any art, love is involved, and so is discipline. - Father Thomas Pinkel

More than songs.

More than music.

This fine art of worship is a reflection of Romans 12 - responding to the mercies of God in sacrifice to Him, and in-service toward others.

Love toward God comes from first experiencing God’s love toward us. Experiencing the love of God frees us to give love to even our enemies.

Discipline is the result of deep discipleship. As we offer ourselves in obedient, spiritual worship to God, our lives are given away for the glory of God and the good of people.

More than songs.

More than music.

May our leading in worship look like love and discipline in action.

Learning to Listen

I read somewhere that singing in-tune and on pitch has less to do with your ability to vocally hit a note, and more to do with your ear’s ability to hear a note. If it wasn’t obvious, playing music involves listening. In my experience, musicians are often so concerned about playing the right thing at the right time, that they have not created the space for listening to one another. Thus making it difficult to pay attention to what we are trying to create at the moment.

Communication is key in any relationship. And communication is as much about listening, understanding, and interpreting the other as it is about speaking and responding. Musicians who are leading worship together need to learn to listen to one another, but also listen individually and collectively to the voice of the Holy Spirit. In fact, I believe that learning to listen to the Holy Spirit is the first step toward being a team that can listen well to one another. As we grow in attentiveness to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we naturally grow in attentiveness to the voices - or instruments - around us.

You will know your team is struggling to listen to one another when there is no awareness of what other people are playing or singing. There will be multiple points of contrasting melodies and harmonies, as well as dynamics. One practical step is speaking to dynamics before you begin a song. Describe where certain instruments, tones, and voices should layer into the song. Be more specific than vague and general - especially at first. If you are using in-ear monitors, rather than have each musician have only what they want in their ears - there should be a little bit of everything. Same with floor monitors, there should be a little bit of everything so that those who are serving can become aware and conscious of what the other team members are playing and singing.

Ultimately as leaders, we must model what we would like to see. We need to listen to our team on and off the platform. We need to listen and obey the voice of the Spirit in His leading. We need to listen to our team as they play and sing and give specific feedback and encouragement in humility and love that is able to be executed with the team we have, not the team we wish we had.

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…” James 1:19

Technology In The Gathering

Last week I wrote about what makes a good song.

Production is important in our corporate gatherings but it cannot be paramount. Technology is a beautiful tool, but a terrible master.

I love that we can project lyrics and see the faces of our brothers and sisters as we sing together. I love that we can use sound to amplify a room, instead of having to shout over one another. I love that lighting can illumine and focus our attention as we worship. I love that we can meet indoors at temperatures that are comfortable in the heat of Summer as well as the cold of Winter. Yes, technology is an incredible resource and tool. But technology can also have a mind of it’s own. Malfunctioning or breaking without warning in a moment. Does this mean we should avoid technology all together? Of course not. We receive and use technology in the corporate gathering as a gift of God.

In a similar way to what makes a good song - stripped down to all it’s simplicity - I think we should consider what makes the best use of technology in the corporate gathering. If our corporate worship is completely hindered or halted by a technology failure, is it worship that we are leading, or an experience?

Matt Redman shares the inspiration behind his song ‘Heart of Worship’ in this video. Maybe we do not need to remove the entire sound system from our church for a season, but perhaps it is always worth evaluating our use and reliance of technology as gift or god.

Dynamics

I have had the opportunity to lead in many different settings. Large churches, and small churches. Higher church liturgy, and lower church spontaneity. I have served with professional musicians, and those who had only recently picked up an instrument. One of the things that I have observed as having the biggest impact on the quality of the musical production regardless of the location or skill level is the intentionality of dynamics.

I believe that it is not what we play or sing, but what we do not play or sing that makes the dynamic difference.

A musician will play. A vocalist will sing. What I have noticed among worship teams is that people often feel confused, or not useful if they do not play and sing from the very start to the very end of a song.

As worship leaders, we need to be able to coach our teams to understand how to lead in silence as much as in their playing. Our teams can lead in their silence by learning to lead off the platform, but also in their presence and posture when it is not their ‘part.’ Encourage your team to sing along, be at worship, listen intentionally as the worship leader guides and directs the congregation. I have often felt more intentionally led by musicians and vocalists leading in their silences than by the primary worship leader.

But what about leading in our playing and singing? How do we create movement, tension and release, builds and drops, particularly for those churches who are serving with smaller, or less experienced teams? Percentages. One of the sound guys at my church was a band director in a former career. He started suggesting to me that instead of saying ‘build and drop,’ or ‘big and quiet,’ or even using the classical musical terms, we started coaching our team in percentages. If we want the bridge to be the loudest part of the song, that would be 90% or 100%, and the chorus being the second loudest part of the song would need to be in the 70% to 80% range. If we are looking to incorporate a dynamic drop without going completely acapella, maybe the band goes to 10%. This kind of language has been so helpful for our team in being able to identify the higher dynamics in contrast to the lower dynamics both within a song, but also across the setlist.

If you’re struggling with every song sounding the same, and no movement in dynamic range, try using percentages as a way to lead your team to listen for dynamics. Much of this will begin with the worship leader thoughtfully and intentionally leading the team through rehearsal. Here are some ideas on how to run a rehearsal.

Competition

Have you ever felt envious or jealous of someone else’s gifts?

Perhaps they seemed to naturally possess that for which you had to labor?

Or do they exude a confidence and charisma that easily engaged the congregation when they served?

Maybe they had more visible, prominent, or frequent opportunities to lead?

We are prone to comparison. Especially when roles are visible, and gifts are similar. Just because we are followers of Jesus, does not mean that we are free from the trap of comparison and competition. Just because we seek to employ the gifts that God has given for His glory and the good of His people does not mean that our motives are always God-honoring and pure.

If jealousy or envy has surprised or saddened you as they ran hot through your body, you are not alone. Whether serving in the same church, city, or across the internet, we are all tempted to compete by comparison. In the parable of the talents we see that in God’s kindness, providence, and grace, some of us have been given little, and others much. But each is called to invest our talents ‘according to his ability’ (Matthew 25:15). Here are some ways that I am attempting to shepherd my own heart in those moments:

Thank God. For the individual with whom I feel jealous. For their gifts. Their skill. The way that they are using their God-given gifts, and the way that reveals the generosity, and beauty of our Creator.

Confess. To God and to others the natural inclination of my heart is to devalue that which is entrusted to me, to covet what is not.

Practice Gratitude. In confession, I realize that I do not value what God has given. In practicing gratitude, I learn to value what God has given.

Pray. For those with whom I feel jealous, and for myself. All we do is give back to God what always has been His. May we be open-handed toward the one who gives and takes away.

How about you? What are the ways God is teaching you to celebrate the gifts, skills, talent, and opportunities of others? What are the ways that you are learning to grow in contentment, and practicing gratitude for the talents God has entrusted to you?

Two books that I have found so helpful in putting language to the kind of Jesus-follower and leader I want to be are The Prisoner in the Third Cell, and A Tale of Three Kings, both by Gene Edwards. If this short post resonated with you, and you’d like to dig deeper, I highly recommend these books to you.

Easter Recovery

You made it.

Whether your Easter celebrations went exactly as planned, or you would prefer a redo - you made it. Although there can often be additional time, energy, and effort that is spent on Easter, the truth is that every Sunday is a mini Resurrection Sunday.

Every Sunday we remember and rehearse the truth that Jesus is alive, and that Satan, sin, and death have been defeated.

As you recover physically, mentally, and emotionally from your Easter celebrations, don’t let this coming week be just another Sunday - let your heart be steadfast as you view all things in light of the resurrection of Christ. Lead your team and congregation toward the Hope of the Gospel again this week, and the week after that, and the week after that, until we arrive at Resurrection Sunday once more.

The First 48

They say the odds of solving a murder go down drastically outside of the first 48 hours. Now, as worship leaders, you probably are not having to solve many murders, but one of the things I have found happens best within a 48-hour window is feedback. It is so important to create, establish, and maintain a culture of feedback when serving together.

I have both given and received feedback that was too early as well as too late.

When we give feedback that is too early, often we are reacting rather than responding. It is easy to speak from being held hostage by our emotions, rather than taking a moment to collect ourselves to respond with love, grace, and humility. Waiting a day or two gives us the ability to calm down, and ask ourselves if addressing this is really necessary. It gives us time to consider the individual and their story - is the most loving thing to address this, or simply let it go?

When we give feedback that is too late, we are often remembering our emotions more than the ins and outs of the experience. Bringing something up so far past the time it occurred can begin to seem petty or silly. As though you’ve been holding onto something for the purpose of hurting someone rather than healing what may have been broken.

How can you better love, serve, encourage, and equip your team by finding the sweet spot of feedback?

Grumbling and Complaining

People can be hard.

Ministry can be hard.

And there is something about corporate sung worship that feels personal to those within a church community. Congregations have ownership of songs and singing in unique ways - more so than maybe any other area of ministry. Because of this, songs and singing can often feel precious to the people and can feel tied to people’s experience of God, His Church, and worship.

So how do we deal with grumbling and complaining from the congregation?

Or our team?

Listen. I love how Tim Keller talks about listening for a kernel of truth, even in harsh critique or criticism that seems unfair. What is really being said? Is there a thing under the thing? How can we make sure that people feel heard, rather than ignored or disregarded?

Learn. We must learn our people and context. Is there a history for which we are unaware? Have we inadvertently or carelessly stepped over a line or triggered something? We must be willing to admit that we don’t know everything and that in seeking to lead and serve the people of God our posture must be one of humility and teachability.

Communicate. Some of the best advice I was ever given was - you have thought deeply about what you’re doing and why, you have to help your team see the thought process. In a spirit of humility and gentleness, we must be able to clearly articulate the reason for our decisions. Have you thought deeply about what you are doing and why? Have you taken the time to ‘show your work,’ and lead people through a process of understanding?

Love. Let even the painful interactions be an invitation toward dependence upon the Holy Spirit for the grace necessary to love. To lean away from your own strength and toward the strength and grace of Christ. How might God be using people from your congregation or team to keep you humble and tender? How can you watch over your own heart to not respond in kind? How might you see this person the way that Christ sees them?