Think Worship

Episode 8 - New Songs For CCCC - Part 1

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:01:00 PDT

In this episode I discuss the system we use to choose new songs and then walk through 5 of the 18 songs that we are going to be introducing to our church - Clear Creek Community Church - over the next 12 months. Below are links to the songs on iTunes where you can purchase the songs.

The Father's Love - Sovereign Grace Music - "SONS AND DAUGHTERS"

Alive and Running - Kristian Stanfill - "ATTENTION"

God is Alive - Steve Fee - "HOPE RISING"

Refuge - Sojourn - "OVER THE GRAVE"

We Sing - Sovereign Grace Music - "SONS AND DAUGHTERS"

Episode Length - 45:00

Episode 7 - Sam Perry Interview Part 5

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:01:00 PDT

This episode features the final part of the interview with Sam Perry. Thanks to Sam for taking the time to be a part of the show! If you would like to get in touch with Sam you can do so by emailing him at sam@grandparkway.org.

Also - I'd love to hear what you think about the podcast so far - email me at brad@thinkworship.com and share your thoughts.

Episode length - 62:00

Episode 6 - Interview Sam Perry - Part 4

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:08:00 PDT

This is part 4 of my interview with my friend and mentor Sam Perry. Sam is the Worship Pastor at Grand Parkway Baptist Church in Sugarland, Tx. You can get in touch with Sam by emailing him at sam@grandparkway.org . Also - please feel free to leave a comment below this post or send me your thoughts by email to brad@thinkworship.com .

Enjoy!

Episode Length - 45:00

Episode 5 - Sam Perry Interview Part 3

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:01:00 PDT

We continue with part 3 of the interview that I had with Sam Perry. Sam was very influential in helping launch the Passion Worship Ministries and is now the worship pastor at Grand Parkway Baptist Church. You can email Sam at sam@grandparkway.org .

Also - if you haven't done so already take part in the poll that I have on the left side of the webpage - and then leave a comment about your response on posting underneath this title "WORSHIP MUSIC INDUSTRY" - GOOD OR BAD for the Church?

Thanks for listening!

Episode length 37:00

"Worship Industry" - GOOD or BAD for the Church?

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:18:00 PDT

Take part in the poll to the left and then post your reasoning here in the comment section.

I'm very interested to hear what you THINK about this!

Episode 4 - Sam Perry Interview Part 2

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:01:00 PDT

Part 2 of our conversation with Sam Perry.

Episode Length - 38:00

Episode 3 - Sam Perry Interview Part 1

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:01:00 PDT

In this episode I interview my mentor Sam Perry. Sam is currently the worship pastor at Grand Parkway Baptist Church in Sugarland, Texas. Sam played a major role in getting the Passion Worship movement off the ground. This will be part 1 of 4.

Episode Length - 44:00

Episode 2 - Interview with Bruce Wesley - Part 2

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:01:00 PDT

We finish up the interview with Bruce Wesley - Senior Pastor at Clear Creek Community Church in League City, TX.

Also give my first album review of Sojourn Music's latest release "OVER THE GRAVE".

Would love to hear your comments and critiques! Email me at brad@thinkworship.com

EPISODE LENGTH - 42:00

Episode 1 - Interview: Bruce Wesley - Part 1

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:01:00 PDT

Welcome everyone to the re-launch of www.thinkworship.com as a podcast! It's been a long time coming and the day has finally arrived. All of the feeds are working properly and you can now subscribe to this podcast via your favorite podcatcher. I have listed this podcast with a few directories (iTunes, podcast alley, etc.) but you can also click on the orange "Subscribe" button and it will get you setup so that you can download each new episode as it becomes available. You will also be able to listen to each episode here at ThinkWorship.com via the little player at the bottom of each post.

In this first inaugural episode you get a little background information on me (your host) and then we dive into the first part of a two part interview I had with Bruce Wesley. Bruce is the founding and senior pastor at Clear Creek Community Church in League City, Texas, where I have had the privilege to work under him. He has a passion to see unchurched people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. He started CCCC more than 15 years ago and has watched God grow the church from nine families to a multi-campus church of thousands. He offers unique insights into leadership, church planting, pastoring and of course music and worship.

I'd love to hear from you about what you think about the podcast, questions you'd like to see addressed, people you would like to hear interviewed, etc...

Please email me at brad@thinkworship.com

Enjoy the show

Think Worship Podcast - Introduction

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:48:00 PDT

Just continuing to test the feed for iTunes and other catchers...nothing new just yet.

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-6616d274548846311ac92e5dc1a9d5f7}

New Look

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:43:00 PDT

Hello all,

I'm rolling out the new look to the blog side of the podcast early because I will be going away on vacation next week and won't have time before the release of the first episode to make sure everything is up and running smoothly.

Everything is still on track to have the first episode available on Monday August 3rd. You should be able to download it directly from iTunes at that time and you will be able to listen to it online here as well with the player like the one at the bottom of this post. Click the title of this post or on the player below to get a quick snapshot of what the podcast is going to sound like. Getting that up there now so all of the feeds to the different podcatchers get worked out before we launch.

Thanks for hanging in there and check back soon for more updates!

RE-LAUNCH Update

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:39:00 PDT

Hey everyone - just an update on the re-launch. It's just a few weeks away and I'm really excited about it. We've got a new look coming to the blog with a new graphic for the headline and accompanying artwork for the podcast. I've completed two interviews already and will be completing two more before we re-launch. They include a senior pastor of a large growing church, a teaching pastor and stud theologian, a worship movement icon that helped birth Passion Worship, and a VP of a record label. These are just the beginning - I've already confirmed with a few others as well that I know you all will want to hear. God is good!

Stay tuned for more news right here at THINK WORSHIP!

THINK WORSHIP RE-LAUNCH DATE

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:27:00 PDT

Thanks to everyone who voted at the poll and to those who didn't but spoke to me through twitter, facebook, and email, as well. There was an overwhelming positive response to re-launch thinkworship.com as a podcast. I'm very excited about this and have been making plans for the re-launch, getting the tech-side down so everything goes smoothly and planning out the first few podcasts. I'm also working on a new look to the blog when we re-launch as well.

As of right now thinkworship.com will re-launch as a podcast on Monday, August 3, 2009 with our inaugural episode. Then we will release new episodes every other Monday after that.

In the meantime - I would love to hear any comments that you have about possible content - subject matter to be covered, books to review, cd's to review, interviews that you would like to hear, etc...

I will be working on getting the first few recorded and "in the can" over the next couple weeks....so stay tuned to this blog for any future updates.

THINK WORSHIP - RELAUNCHING AS PODCAST?

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:16:00 PDT

So it's been several months since I have posted anything on the Think Worship blog. I have been asked multiple times by several people for new content, but have yet to make it happen. There are many reasons for my lack of attention to the blog - which I will not go into right now - but there are very many good reasons why I need to begin regularly posting again here at Think Worship.
However, I'm seriously considering relaunching the blog as a podcast. I'm thinking right now that it would be a bi-weekly podcast (meaning 1 new podcast every two weeks) and that it would cover a wide range of topics. The format would change regularly - some episodes would be monologue thoughts about a particular issue involving worship and how it intersects with life, some episodes would be reviews on new music and books, some would be to work through original songs and releasing finished tunes, some would be a breakdown of recent services that I have led out in, but a lot of the episodes would be interviews with people in the trenches (pastors, worship leaders, music artists, movers and shakers, volunteers etc.) and picking their brains on ministry, worship, life etc... Right now I'm envisioning a 30 min episode - but that could be shortened or lengthened depending on the quality of the content for that episode.

My question to you is - would you listen? Is this something that would be of interest or of value? The blog side of things would not disappear entirely - but the focus would be on producing a quality podcast for people to use as a resource in their own lives and ministries.

For those of you who are new to podcasting or have never heard that word before - do a quick google search on it and come up to speed and then bounce back here and let me now what you think.

I have added a POLL over to the top left of the blog - please leave your vote there and also please leave a comment - I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Slaying The Beast

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:08:00 PST

Below is my response to some friends of mine on a worship leader forum that were having a discussion on whether or not churches should offer different services with different musical styles.

Which style of worship does God prefer?

Classical, Chant, Hip Hop, Jazz, Loud, Soft, Complex, Simple, Organs, Guitars, Choirs, Soloists, Eastern, Western, Opera, Country...????

We have created a consumer Christianity monster with our segregated worship. We have made worship about our wants, desires, preferences and conceptions and not about gospel-centered, cross-focused, biblically based corporate gatherings. We have become hypocritical pharisees and tell people that worship is all about God from the pulpit, but then, with our actions, we communicate that worship is really all about them. In fact we believe it so much that we will create a service with ANY style they ask for if we have enough people that demand it. If we want to slay that beast and create a more biblical culture we have to stop defining what church we attend with adjectives like emergent, modern, contemporary and traditional. The gospel unifies the body of Christ - it does not divide.

Every church has a musical center that they orientate around, but the word that describes that center should not be the label we attach to promote our church gatherings. The only word I find in the Bible consistently attached to worship is GOD or a name referring to Him - not a style, method, demonstration, activity, or organization.

In fact - New Testament worship revolves around the reading of God's Word, prayer, exhortation, encouragement, sharing meals together, encouraging one another - the edification of the Body! And the only description of music we find useful to a corporate setting in the NT is when Paul exhorts us to "sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16).

How can the Body be edified when it is separated and divided seeking to satisfy it's own personal desires rather than putting others interests ahead of their own?

I wonder what Paul would have to say to us if he were here in this discussion?

"Beloved - why are you so concerned with meaningless quarrels over musical styles. Is God not infinite? What musical style is there that can, by itself, capture the profound and complete mystery of the Divine? Brothers, do not be mislead into the deceptive thinking that some would have you believe about musical styles. For they say, "This style is better and reaches more people", and, "I prefer this style because it's what I'm used to." No, you gather in the name of the Lord at the foot of the cross celebrating the gospel in which we ALL find forgiveness and redemption. Set aside your petty differences and let the world see the power of the gospel as it unifies and cleanses His bride."

or maybe not...

Corruption and the Gospel

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:00:00 PST

Have you ever gone to your computer to retrieve a file and received an error message that said something like - "the file you tried to open is corrupt and non-readable"? It basically means that this file is jacked up. I know that some of my more intellectual (see nerdy) friends would be able to tell me exactly what it means - but ultimately it means - it's jacked up!

This week I was reminded that it would be extremely appropriate if I should put that error message on a t-shirt and wear it around because I am one jacked up dude. I am corrupt! That felt really weird typing - but it's true - I am corrupt. You see in the beginning God made everything and declared it to be "very good" (Gen. 1:31), and then, through one man, sin entered the world - and with that sin came corruption. With that corruption came death and separation from a perfect Creator. If I want to co-habitate with that Creator I must not be corrupt. Herein lies the problem. How can I, a corrupt creation become "uncorrupt"? Anything that the corrupted creation tries to do to become uncorrupt will ultimately still be tainted by the corruption that is inherently there, thus remaining corrupt. The Creator deals with corruption much the same way we deal with corrupt files - deletion. While that is a crude term to use - it does carry the same connotation - we would call it death.

Corruption in our lives means we must die - and not just physically but spiritually as well. Our souls have been corrupted along with our bodies - that part of us that will live on long after this shell has been cast aside. It will live on eternally separated from the Creator for which it was created to have a relationship with. There is nothing that the corrupted creation can accomplish to remove its own corruption. The Creator set out a long litany of rules and rituals to follow so the corrupt creation could be restored, but sadly, our corruption keeps us from being able to follow all of those laws. The Creator demands that blood be shed for our corruption to be purified - but all of creation has been corrupted so even the blood of innocent animals still carries the curse of corruption. Thus, sacrifices need to be continually offered - for there is no perfect sacrifice to be made once, for all corruption.

This is where it gets crazy.

The Creator - ultimate perfection - offers himself as a perfect sacrifice for his corrupted creation. He sets aside his own glory and enters his creation and lives a corrupt free life. He sheds his corruption free blood, thus securing the payment He himself demanded of corruption. The corrupted creation may now be purified of its corruption by the perfect blood shed by the perfect Creator. This is the only way the creation can be corruption free and thus, restore the relationship the Creator intended to have with its creation from the very beginning.

Jesus' sacrifice on the cross purifies the corruption that the stain of sin has left on our lives and allows us to draw near to an awesome, holy, and perfect God. The blood that he shed on the cross purifies our corrupt conscience and allows us to serve the living God again (Heb. 9:14). It can do this because Jesus was the ONLY person to live a perfect life - his life was lived as a perfect expression of worship - the ultimate act of which was his sacrificial death for others. Just as one mans sin brought corruption into this world - so one mans righteous sacrifice brings purification from that corruption (Romans 5:18-19).

This is the good news of the gospel - My life, stained with corruption, can be restored. The relationship God intended from the very beginning to have with his creation is possible because of the sacrificial death of Jesus.

So now instead of wearing a t-shirt that says - "file corrupted" - I can wear one that says "file restored". That's why I worship. More directly - that's HOW I CAN WORSHIP!!!!

Come Weary Saints

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:56:00 PDT

Things happen in life that you don't expect. Things happen that you were not planning on. Something happens and you suddenly find yourself looking around in shock wondering how in the world you are going to cope and deal with the circumstance. I have found myself living with and ministering to people who are in the valley at this very moment.

Hurricane Ike has thrown a HUGE monkey wrench into my life and the lives of thousands of others a couple of weeks ago and people are still coming to grips with the devastation it has caused and realizing how long the journey really is back to recovery. IKE was not planned. No one asked for it to come up Galveston Bay like it did. No one purposely steered it into our backyard - but it did. It came and did what a hurricane does - devastates!

So what now? Beyond the physical process to recover and rebuild how do we recover and bring relief to our souls? How do we continue to worship God? How do we keep a biblical view while we walk through this catastrophe?

There are MANY answers to these questions. Many of which need to be answered by people smarter than I. BUT, I want to tell you about one tool that God has brought into my life that has been an extension of His grace and helped me stay biblically focused and gospel centered through all of this. It is a CD put out by Sovereign Grace Music called "Come Weary Saints". I have never heard a worship CD like this before. Every song on the album was written for people that are going through trials and tribulations in their lives and helps them to worship God through it all. It helps them to sing and confess biblical truths that center their hearts and lives on the gospel.

It is so easy when you feel the lick of the flames to run away from God instead of to God. We all need to be reminded that He has ordained EVERYDAY! And that no matter WHAT happens He is STILL worthy to be worshipped.

I would HIGHLY recommend that you pick up this album and at into your mp3 rotation. You may not connect with it right now, but I guarantee you that you know someone who does need it, AND i guarantee that you will need it one day - and I know that God will use it to reveal His grace to You as He has used it in my life and the lives of others around me.

"thank You for the trials, for the fire, for the pain; thank You for the strength knowing You have ordained everyday!" (EVERYDAY - COME WEARY SAINTS)

Is This Worship?

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:02:00 PDT

A friend of mine recently sent a video to me that really made me laugh. I watched it three times because I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing - laughing hysterically each time. The next day I began to THINK about what I saw and wondered whether or not it could be considered worship. I will share my conclusion with you in another post after I hear from a couple of you on whether or not what you are about to watch below is worship - in the biblical context of the word. Please don't just leave a yes or no answer. I would really like to know why you think it is or is not worship.

More on the "Healer" controversy

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:05:00 PDT

Below you can watch an interview that an Australian television station conducted with Mike Guglielmucci. He confesses and begins to explain what happened.

Continue to pray for him and for God's glory to resound through this devastating deception.

Punch In The Gut

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:09:00 PDT

You usually never see it coming. A phone call out of the blue, an email announcement or possibly on the 6 o'clock news. Such and such pastor of so-and-so church was arrested for soliciting underage girls online - or - Such and Such pastor was caught having an affair with a member of his congregation. It sickens your stomach, it hurts your heart, and it makes you mad. I feel much the same way right now. This morning I learned that the author of the latest hit song from Hillsong called "HEALER" was lying about his terminal cancer. Mike Guglielmucci told everyone that he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Upon receiving the news he went home and sat down at his piano and began crying out to God and the song "HEALER" came out of it. It is a GREAT song! Unfortunately - Mike was lying! He never has had cancer. It was a total sham! You may have seen his "story" on youtube leading worship at a Hillsong event - Hillsong has since pulled all of these spots and is working with authorities to resolve the matter. It is my understanding that NO ONE knew this and therefore no blame or criticism should be cast upon Hillsong.

So many emotions run through your mind when you hear a story like this - anger, frustration, sadness, shock, etc...

What then should be our response - - a friend of mine at www.theworshipcommunity.com has written an article addressing this that I think you might helpful - you can find it here.

You never have to look very far to be reminded that we still battle indwelling sin daily. This is yet another example of why staying on our faces in prayer and living in His Word daily are not just suggestions for the Christian life but necessities! Opening our lives up to others in accountability is a must. We need people that have full access to our lives so that they can point out the pimples when they pop up.

All right ----- now catch your breath and pray. God will use this to bring glory to Himself! He wasn't caught off guard by this or shocked that this happened. He is still King of Kings and Lord of Lords reigning sovereignly on His throne. Worship Him!

The Worship Community

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:46:00 PDT

I am always trying to find ways to sharpen my skill and hone my craft. I've come to realize that I am going to be a life long learner - and - that if I stop learning then I will soon cease to lead effectively.

I have been turned on to a new website called The Worship Community where worship leaders, tech team members, worship team members or anyone for that matter can interact and discuss all of the issues and questions that come up in regards to corporate worship. I have found the interaction so far to be helpful and inspiring.

The website has a "magazine" feel to the home page where you can access articles, reviews and such, and then there is a forums section of the website where members are encouraged to participate and ask and answer questions.

I would greatly encourage you to check it out and join the conversation!

Worship Matters - Part 7

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:53:00 PDT

I love it when I pick up something to read and the meaning behind the words on the page is perfectly clear. Exactly what it says is exactly what it means. This is one of the reasons I have enjoyed reading "Worship Matters" so much. Bob Kauflin doesn't dance around topics or write with poetic descriptions - he very simply constructs his thoughts so that the greatest number of people can grasp the intent with which they were written. His continual use of scripture throughout the book bears witness to his love for God's Word and his desire to see others lead based on biblical definition rather than on man's traditions. I am so grateful for his ministry and his passion to see others engage with God. I know that it has stirred a very healthy conversation within our own staff at CCCC - and I would highly recommend all church leaders reading through this. You may not agree with everything he has to say, his theology or practices - but this book will challenge you to defend and define your theology of worship and corporate gatherings.

Today we met and continued to work our way through the third section of the book - Healthy Tensions. Below our my thoughts on the chapters we covered and some quotes that I found helpful.

Chapter 20 - Head and Heart. I've been amazed recently at the number of people that lead corporate worship that haven't thought about how much the head is involved with the corporate worship experience. Every time we open our mouths to address God, sing about God, talk about God, pray to God etc... we are defining our theology. The issue is whether or not it is good theology or bad theology. The songs we sing help entrench thoughts of God on our souls - WE MUST be sure that we are proclaiming right thoughts about God as we lead people in times of corporate worship. Kauflin says, "For more than a hundred years we've favored emotional, response-type songs over songs that magnify the nature, attributes, and works of God. We tend to favor devotion over doctrine. That order needs to be reversed, without losing either. We need more songs that help us think deeply about God and help us respond with wholehearted emotion." (pg. 168 - emphasis added) Our greatest and deepest affections and expressions of love will be grounded and built upon the nature of God as He has revealed Himself to be in scripture and most completely in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). Our minds must be engaged first before our hearts can respond appropriately. Our hearts respond subjectively to objective truth. We cannot and must not allow our subjective experiences to dictate what we hold to be objective - namely our theology. Our doctrine determines our devotion and it should never be the contrary.

Chapter 21 covers the healthy tension of Internal and External. When we observe a corporate worship gathering it is easy to make judgement calls on who is engaged and who is apathetic. The problem with those judgements is that we can NEVER know who is truly engaged with God during a corporate worship gathering based on the physical demonstrations of a particular worshipper. Just because someone is "painting the sky" with their hands raised does not mean that that person is expressing worship that pleases God, and nor does a person standing with their mouth closed and hands in their pocket mean that they are disengaged with God. God looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7, Matt. 15:8-9) of the worshipper to see if what is going on inside that person matches the physical demonstration on the outside. The external is important though and should not be ignored. The Bible clearly describes many physical acts of expressive behavior in response to God's revelation of Himself. Kauflin states, "Some Christians are simply unaware that physical responsiveness to God in worship is encouraged and modeled throughout Scripture. Various physical actions can bring God glory, including clapping, singing, bowing, kneeling, lifting hands, shouting, playing instruments, dancing, and standing in awe (Ps. 47:1, Ex. 12:27, Ps. 95:6, 134:2, 33:1, 150:3-4, 33:8)." (pg. 171). Many corporate worship leaders assume that a service was succesful if the majority of people had their hands raised or clapped loudly. However, the same atmosphere and physical demonstrations we equate with success are regularly demonstrated by unbelievers at secular concerts every week. The people we lead may just be caught up with the crowd or feeding off of the emotion in the room. Our goal should be to paint a clear and compelling picture of God and His nature as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. When a persons mind engages with that revelation then we have laid a biblical foundation for appropriate physical expression.

Chapter 22 addresses the healthy tension of Vertical and Horizontal. Every time we gather as believers for a time of corporate worship our goal is to exalt and magnify the greatness of God. We are gathering with the saints of old around the Throne to proclaim His wonder and mighty deeds. The consumeristic culture in which we live has crept in to our churches and our corporate worship services. Kauflin states, "Most of the time when we think about worship, we start with what we do. Our intentions are noble; we come with our songs, our prayers, our offerings, and our lives to tell God how great he is. But we assume that acceptable worship ultimately depends on our efforts, sincerity, or gifts. It doesn't. It never will." (pg. 176). We worship God because He is God. "That's why biblical worship is God-focused(God is clearly seen), God-centered(God is clearly the priority), and God-exalting(God is clearly honored)." (pg. 177). With that as our focus there is the other side of the same coin - there is a horizontal element to our corporate worship services. Everything that we do should be to build up the body of Christ (1 Cor. 14:26). As we are singing with and to each other we are at the same time worshipping God in all of His glory (Eph. 5:19)

Chapter 23 is built around the healthy tension of Planned and Spontaneous. Many people think that the only way to engage with God is to show up and listen to the Spirit's leading, and others think that the best way to engage with God is to plan every minute and word spoken and never deviate. I personally lean on the "planned pole" more than on the "spontaneous pole". Kauflin states, "Planning can't replace dependence on the Holy Spirit." (pg. 182). He also states, "It's not unspiritual to determine ahead of time when things will take place, where transitions should be explained, how many songs to sing, what creative elements to include, or how the meeting will end. We've found that the Holy Spirit's most important guidance often comes before the meeting even begins." (pg. 182). It's a healthy tension. Don't let your plans rule you - they should serve you! This next quote is one that EVERY worship leader should read and/or think about before they begin to prepare for a service: "We have God's Word, four or five songs, and thirty minutes to help them see that God is bigger than their problems and that Jesus Christ is a magnificent Savior. How can we arrange this time so people are best positioned to hear from God and receive his grace? What can we do to serve the church most effectively?" (pg. 183). Those are GREAT thoughts to think - that is the perspective we should take when we begin to arrange songs, prayers, creeds etc. . Planning should not take the place of relying on the Holy Spirit for guidance during the actual service. We need to plan for times of spontaneity. We may realize that the song after the message isn't going to work or that another song needs to be dropped or repeated. Scriptures will begin to pop in your head (if you've spent time in the Word lately) that will move your plans in a different direction. Kauflin then describes some suggestions for growing in spontaneity. These were very helpful for me as I continue to grow in this area.

Chapter 24 and 25 discusses the tensions of Rooted and Relevant and Skilled and Authentic. I loved what he had to say on these topics and I'm going to wait to expound on them in a future post.

Those who lead corporate worship services should continually be seeking out how to do what they do better. We need to be learners. No one has cornered the market on leading worship, no one has figured it out and doing everything perfectly....and we never will. We can only continue to immerse ourselves in the Word and expose ourselves to what others smarter than ourselves are doing. Bob Kauflin is smarter than most of the worship leaders I know (author included) - he's not perfect, nor does he claim to be - but he has spent more time than most trying to put handles on this thing that should encompass every aspect of our lives. Worship matters - and we need to continually THINK about WORSHIP!

Worship Matters - Part 6

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:34:00 PDT

I've come to the realization that I am never going to fully grasp what it means to worship God as He intends for us to worship Him, but I have to come a place of desiring for that issue to be all my life is about. The more I study what it means to worship God and how that effects how I live my life the more I am amazed at His glory and His majesty, the more I am amazed that He would seek me out to have a relationship with Him, and the more I am amazed that He would make a way for that relationship to happen by crushing His son on my behalf. Because of the cross I can now approach God and give Him the worship that He desires. It is joyfully frustrating that I can never fully know and understand it - though I will pursue that 'til the end of my days!
We met for the sixth time today to continue our journey together through Bob Kauflin's book - "Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God". We were able to finish the second section of the book, The Task, and move into the third section of the book, Healthy Tensions. We have thoroughly enjoyed the conversation that is taking place and continue to recommend this book to all that minister and lead as well as lay people. This book continues to challenge and inspire and seeks to help illuminate what we should be doing when we gather corporately to worship God. Below our my thoughts about what we discussed and this section of the book.

Chapter 16 focuses on Cherishing God's Presence. We have continued to go back to the idea that we must fight against the christian culture and attitudes about worship that has grown up out of the latest "worship movement". People have begun to associate God's presence with singing, music, styles of worship, leaders, churches etc... We MUST begin to be intentional in our teaching and leading to instruct those we lead that music is not a spiritual talisman that we pull out when we want God's presence to "show up". God created music, like everything else, to be used to help drive us to a deeper knowledge and affection for who He is and to use it to glorify Him.
The only thing that can bring us into the presence of God is Jesus Christ. He is now our great High Priest living and interceding for us in God's presence. Music and/or the worship leader is not our High Priest, it/he/she is not where we are to look to "bring" God's presence into the corporate gathering. Kauflin quotes Harold Best and I shall, also - "Christian musicians must be particularly cautious. They can create the impression that God is more present when music is being made than when it is not; that worship is more possible with music than without it; and that God might possibly depend on its presence before appearing." pg. 139
In chapter 17 - TO LIVE FOR GOD'S GLORY - Kauflin states, "As we behold the Lord's glory, the Spirit of God is at work to transform us into the image of God's Son. This is one of the primary reasons we gather - to behold and be changed." pg. 143. So often we have so many other goals and/or expectations when we meet corporately. Our focus first and foremost should be on beholding God for who He is by exalting Jesus Christ and what He did for us through the power of the Holy Spirit - when a group of believers gather with that as their expectation LIFE CHANGE begins to take place. The christian life is lived with that as the starting point. Everything else flows and grows from there. If the people we lead can leave a service without feeling the call to change then our goal for gathering has not been attained.
Kauflin goes on to state, "One reason we so often fail to be humbled by worship is that we focus on other things and end up obscuring God's glory." pg 144. We must worship with the cross and the gospel in constant view - no matter the topic or theme of the service - if it doesn't connect to the gospel we have not led well.
The third section of the book focuses on what Kauflin labels HEALTHY TENSIONS. Healthy Tensions are things that appear to be contradictory at first glance, but, when explored, work together to paint a clearer picture of who God is and how we need to engage with Him. He also notes that most churches tend to lean towards one of the tensions, that he describes, or another. We usually gravitate to what our personal feelings or preferences dictate - which ultimately begins to draw an image of God that is not found in the Bible - or what is commonly called idolatry. Issues about what kind of music to sing, how formal or informal should we be, is it going to be meticulously planned or free and spontaneous - these are the tensions that need to be addressed. Kauflin lays out 3 guiding principles in preparing an order of service. - 1. Do what God clearly commands, 2. Don't do what God forbids, 3. Use scriptural wisdom for everything else. pg. 155
The first tension addressed is in Chapter 19 - Transcendent and Immanent. God is to be feared - He is holy, awesome, majestic, righteous - One whose glory no eye can look upon - He is NOT like us. And yet - through the incarnation - He has become like us and through the cross we can now draw near to Him. He is not some far off God that is to be worshipped from a distance - no, we can gather around His throne and fall down at His feet and, and not only is He near to us - He DWELLS in us, as believers. This God of gods and King of kings now lives inside of us. The quote that sums up how this works in a corporate worship setting was from Charles Spurgeon - "I can admire the solemn and stately language of worship that recognizes the greatness of God, but it will not warm my heart or express my soul until it has also blended therewith the joyful nearness of that perfect love that casts out fear and ventures to speak with our Father in heaven as a child speaks with its father on earth. My brother, no veil remains." pg. 163

Think worship! It cannot be approached lightly and thrown together. The entirety of the service must be thought through from beginning to end and upon ending must then be evaluated to see where it fell short of accomplishing its task and where it succeeded in hitting its mark. Leaders must prayerfully prepare to lead. They must work hard at understanding why they are singing certain songs, why they are praying certain prayers, why they are using certain media and how it all ties together to make much of God! God has called us to lead His people to worship Him and to instruct them on how He is to be engaged - do not approach this lightly. Continue to deepen your own understanding of God through worship by reading His word and reading others that are wiser and more experienced than you. We do all of this so that when we meet together to lead others we are building a worshipping community that is built upon God's word and not the traditions and preferences of men. Will we always get it right? No. Will we always have room for improvement? Yes. But we press on until that day when we are all gathered around His throne with believers from ages past - from every tribe, tongue and nation - and we will worship together perfectly around His throne for we will see Him as He is! Lord, come quickly!

Book Review - Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship - David Peterson

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:06:00 PDT

What am I here for? Why am I walking around this planet? What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose for being here? The way a person answers these questions has dramatic ramifications on the way they choose to live their lives. By the grace of God and the illumination provided by his Spirit, Christians have to come understand that the reason we were created was to worship God and enjoy Him forever. With that being said - the question that naturally arises is - HOW do I worship God and enjoy Him forever. The issue of how to worship God has been debated vigorously since the Church's inception. Modern Christianity has associated worshipping God with meetings, buildings and styles of music. The question we must ask ourselves is - are we worshipping God as He wants to be worshipped? We are not in a position of authority to declare the correct way to approach God and give Him the worship that He alone deserves. We are in a position of humility and servitude - and that requires that we seek out how the One we are worshipping wants to be worshipped. How we desire to worship God is secondary to how He prescribes for us to worship Him. As in every other aspect of life - we must become biblically informed in how we worship God. God has revealed Himself to us in the scriptures and He has revealed how He is to be approached - it is our duty, then, to seek out what He says is the correct way to worship Him. David Peterson does an excellent job of taking a snapshot of worship in the Bible from beginning to end and puts forth a well constructed biblical theology of worship in his book "Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship". I would highly recommend this book to all believers as a way of truly understanding what it means to not only worship God corporately, but how our relationship with God effects change in every other area of our lives. This book is not for the light reader. Peterson digs deep into original texts and language and breaks down that language in the context and culture for which it was intended and then draws meaningful conclusions to the modern believer. Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 were the most useful to me and that is only because the first six chapters lay the foundation for understanding the content in those chapters. I came away convicted and challenged as God revealed areas in my life that I continue to struggle to bring Him glory with and I came away inspired to pursue Him more passionately because of what He has done to provide a way for me to approach Him and give Him worship in the first place. Put this on your list of must reads if you are pastor or corporate worship leader. Below are my "TOP 10" quotes from the book that served me well.

"The fact some worship in the Old Testament was regarded as offensive to God (e.g. Gn. 4:3-7; Ex. 32; Is. 1), is a reminder that what is impressive or seems or appropriate to us may be offensive to him." pg. 17
"Worship in the New Testament is a comprehensive category describing the Christian's total existence. It is coextensive with the faith-response wherever and whenever that response is elicited. Consequently, 'our traditional understanding of worship as restricted to the cultic gathering of the congregation at a designated time and place for rite and proclamation will no longer do. This is not what the New Testament means by worship." pg. 18-19
"Again and again, the Old Testament makes the point that the Holy One can be approached only in the way that he himself stipulates and makes possible." - pg. 35
"With one eye on the past and what Jesus has done for us, we need to express our gratitude to God for his grace towards us and reach out together to experience afresh the forgiveness and restoration he has promised us. With another eye on the future and what it will mean for us to share with Christ in his coming kingdom, we need to encourage one another in this hope and to learn what it means to live as the redeemed community in the present." pg. 130
"Preaching about Christ must be at the heart of a Christian theology of worship. As in the Old Testament, the word of the Lord is central to a genuine encounter with God. Those who are concerned about God-honouring worship will be concerned about the proclamation of the gospel, in the world and in the church, in public teaching and private dialogue. If worship is an engagement with God on the terms that he proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible, preaching Christ is a key to that engagement." pg. 144
"Formality and informality are not theological categories. Yet sometimes people imply that formality in church services is somehow more conducive to acceptable worship than informality. Others argue that informality is preferable because it allows for greater expression of biblical teaching about the congregation as the body of Christ. Formality may be the expression of a very narrow and inadequate view of worship and informality may be an excuse for lack of preparation or any serious attempt to engage collectively with God. " pg. 160
"When Christians become preoccupied with the notion of offering God acceptable worship in a congregational context and thus with the minutiae of church services, they need to be reminded that Paul's focus was on the service of everyday life." pg. 187
"Although the conversion of an unbeliever in the course of a church service is much to be desired, however, evangelism is not the primary purpose of the gathering, according to 1 Corinthians 14." pg. 195
In Hebrews it is clear that the blood or death of Jesus is what actually removes sin and makes it possible for sinners to draw near to God. Yet is is because he offered himself as a perfectly obedient and unblemished sacrifice to God that His death has atoning significance. The perfection of his sacrifice makes it possible for him to enter heaven itself, 'now to appear for us in God's presence.' " pg. 229-230
"Fundamentally, then, worship in the New Testament means believing the gospel and responding with one's whole life and being to the person and work of God's son, in the power of the Holy Spirit." pg. 286
"...they must come to grips with the New Testament perspective that acceptable worship is an engagement with God, through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit - a Christ-centered, gospel-serving, life-orientation." pg. 293

Worship Matters - Part 5

brad@thinkworship.com (Brad Loser) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:20:00 PDT

This is the 5th installment on a series of posts concerning the book "Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God" by Bob Kauflin. Some of the staff at my church (CCCC) are meeting weekly to discuss the material in this book. It continues to bring about healthy discussion as we navigate our way through a subject that has, quite frankly, distorted the view of worship and the role of the worship leader in the modern church. We are building a worshipping community - the question that we continue to ask ourselves is what kind of community are we building. Every time we gather and step up on that stage another brick is being laid - I was challenged today to make sure I am very intentional about which brick is going down, why it's going down, and where it should be placed. This demands correct theology and sound doctrine coupled with discernment and wisdom to have the foresight to plan, prepare and lead appropriately. We covered chapters 12 - 15 today. Below our my own personal thoughts from this section of the book.

Like everything else that pertains to leading others in a time of corporate worship, we must grasp a biblical understanding of music and what role it plays when we gather to encounter the greatness of God. Music is a gift that God has given to us. Music stirs our emotions. Look at Hollywood - they understand this better than anyone. Soundtracks are placed behind scenes to help capture the emotion of the moment. Songs with minor chord progressions are thought to be dark and foreboding or sad and depressing, while songs with major keys are thought to be happy, joyful, exuberant, celebrative. This is why many unbelievers can attend secular worship concerts and walk away in a state of euphoria much like believers experience in a corporate time of worship. The music has moved them and touched them emotionally. Corporate Worship Leaders need to understand how music works and use it to serve the body well. Wisdom must be used so that music serves us and we do not abuse it.
Music can be abused when it is used to manipulate peoples emotions so that they desire the emotion rather than the God they have come to worship. Emotion and feelings take the place of God and our worship turns into idolatry.
Kauflin states 4 ways that music can help us as we lead corporate times of worship. (1)Music stirs up and expresses God-glorifying emotion(pg 98). (2)Music helps us reflect the glory and activity of the triune God(pg 99). (3)Music helps us remember truth about God (pg 99). (4)Music helps us express our unity in the gospel.
It's interesting how music has become such a hot-bed of discussion for the church. What style should we play, should it be contemporary or traditional, should we sing hymns or choruses, should we use a choir or a band, should we sing acapella or have an orchestra - what Kauflin points out is that "God is too great and the human experience too complex to think that one kind of music will always best express the dynamics of our relationship with a living God." (pg 104). There isn't any one form or style that we should use to help the people we lead encounter the greatness of God. In fact, we should be seeking to use as many different styles to help guard the hearts of those we lead from believing that one style is better than another or that only one style can really "usher in the presence". There is no style that can usher into God's presence - there is ONE mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Gordon Fee's comment - "Show me a church's songs and I'll show you their theology."(pg 101) encouraged and challenged me to continue to write. People remember what they sing, better than what they read or even say. Words set to music stays with us. One of the most important jobs a worship leader has, along with the pastor, is to ferociously guard the content we allow into our congregations from the stage. We are the gatekeepers. We should be aware of the theology and doctrine in EVERY song that we lead our people to sing together. AND - we need to be writing music that serves our church. Who knows your congregation better than those that lead it. Who knows the theological weaknesses and doctrinal shortcomings of those people better than those who are teaching them. Write songs that teach them what you want them to know. The more they sing it, the more they are exposed to truth and who God is. If you have trouble coming up with lyrics, ask your pastor to write some lyrics and you set them to music - if no one can write lyrics - then sing the scriptures. Help people memorize the scriptures by setting them to melody.
I was challenged in chapter 13 to be more diligent in selecting songs. There are more songs for us to choose from right now than ever before in the history of the church. My job is to find the one that says EXACTLY what I want the congregation to get. Don't settle - do the work, don't be lazy and pick a song because it's familiar or because you don't want to expend the energy looking - pick the song, THE song that says it better than all of the others. It's a challenge - and I'm not sure I can do that EVERY time considering the volume of songs available - but the spirit of the thought is - DO YOUR HOMEWORK and don't settle for mediocrity when it comes to content.
I am planning to post soon on the way we plan and prepare our services at CCCC - so I'll save that for later.
Kauflin comes back around again to communication during a worship service. I've seen, led, and been a part of thousands of worship services. I've been led well and led poorly - and the ones that I would consider being led poorly focused around the transitions. Transitions can be a huge distraction - or be huge compliment to the service. The leader is responsible for all transitions - it could be a prayer, a musical interlude, an exhortation, - regardless, it all falls on the leaders shoulder. You can usually tell when a leader has thought about the transitions - usually because you don't notice them, and you can usually tell when the leader hasn't thought about transitions because they are so awkward and distracting. You almost begin to feel sympathy for the leader because of the embarrassment it seems to cause them. When they fumble a phrase or their thoughts sound disjointed it is evident to all. PLAN, PREPARE, PRACTICE, EXECUTE - don't just sing and play the songs well - connect them with thoughtful prayers, encouragement and exhortations. The key word is THOUGHTFUL - think about it! "But I figure if I can't remember what I'm going to say, no one else will either." (pg 115)
The Twenty Year Rule - "If someone was born in our church and grew up singing our songs over the course of twenty years, how well would they know God? Would these songs give them a biblical and comprehensive view of God, or would they be exposed only to certain aspects of his nature and works?" (pg 119).
If the people I'm leading do not seem engaged or otherwise complacent to what is being sung then it is my job to stop and explain the song, why we are singing it, why it matters, how it connects to the gospel etc. Paint a clear and compelling picture of God and that will instill the proper engagement. We can't make people engage - even if they clap because we tell them to doesn't mean they are celebrating the works of God. It means they are following directions! Hearts are captured by His glory and His majesty and His love - bring those things into view and you probably won't have to direct people to perform. This isn't to say there won't be times that you should teach on physical expressiveness and encourage people to be use their bodies to display their joy, but in general - worshippers enthralled with God as He reveals Himself to be usually don't have to be directed to sing, clap, dance, shout etc....
Chapter 15 is another chapter that was mostly highlighted and "starred". TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL. That is the drum that we will continue to beat every time we gather corporately to worship God. My friend, Yancey Arrington, says "That is the hill that we will die on." We will not move away from it. One of our worship leaders, Keri Lilley, stated it very succinctly (and a statement that I hope to expound on more fully in a later post) when she said, "Everything is one degree of separation from the cross." That is so profound. No matter what your theme is or what the topic is being taught on - everything is only one degree of separation from the cross and it's our job as leaders to help the people we lead view their lives through that lens. All of life - suffering, marriage, work, parenting, recreation - everything is affected by the cross of Christ! Keep it in view and bring their attention to it every time we lead.

As I read this book and talk about it with my colleagues, I continue to be challenged to immerse myself in correct theology and sound doctrine. No matter what it is I'm doing - picking songs, planning services, preparing prayers or thoughts - it all flows from a correct understanding of scripture and a greater grasp of God as He has revealed Himself to be. The only way I'm going to gain that understanding is by reading and studying God's word and reading and studying men wiser than I who have explored these things much further than I.