So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. – Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

Last night a bunch of our local area worship leaders met at a restaurant for encouragement and connection. The ten of us represent thousands of worshippers collectively, but only a small portion of those that lead worship in our area. (Over 40 worship leaders connect on our Facebook group page.) Some lead worship as a full-time employee, others are either part-time workers or volunteer entirely at their churches. Some lead at large churches. Some at smaller churches. Worship leaders already are a tribe of cats, so when you also consider the different expressions it may seem hard to find connection. You could not be more wrong to think that. In fact, not only do these connections provide immediate encouragement, they might save your life. After all, there are some hidden things about the role of leading worship that those not in your shoes miss. Let’s not get tired in our work simply because we are not there for each other.

Read More

Chris Tomlin’s latest “Burning Lights” releases TODAY, January 8. Read a review on my blog and if you leave a comment there, you can enter to win one of 5 FREE CDs being given away!

Worship Leader Media interviewed me about the workshop I will be teaching at the National Worship Leaders Conference in Escondido, California next month (October 9-11). Here is a 3-minute cut of that interview. Embedded in the video is a code for 12% off the registration.

This is Episode 16, September 2012.

My name is Rich Kirkpatrick and you are listening to WorshipMythbusters.com. This podcast is about debunking popular thinking about worship that may be more myth than truth. Presenting a myth each episode, we employ the socratic method with guests from all over the world as we talk about praise and worship. We invite you to join in the conversation.

ESSAY:

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Psalm 96:9

Beauty is a word that some of us apparently are afraid of when it comes to worship. Some have said it is not “manly” enough to describe God. Romantic language might be good for some, but there indeed is a sub-culture among some leaders that is calling for an end to God-and-girl-friend lyrics in our songs. I appreciate the discovery and manhood movement. However, beauty is biblical. And, men love beauty! Yes, we love feminine beauty, but we also love the sight of a mountain vista, the expanse of the sea, and the power of a storm raging. Beauty, is not wholly owned by romantic love. Beauty is in the story of a soldier sacrificing for his fighting brothers, saving them in the battle.  Beauty is what makes us inside go “awe” at the sight of it. In fact, that word “awesome” explains the kind of beauty the psalmist speaks of here.

Our savior was beautiful on the cross during that awful moment of his crucifixion. Look at the word awful and then the word awesome. The are very close in meaning. Beauty can also be like both of these words. For us men, women are beautiful because they can dethrone our power with simply the design of their curves. Why be afraid to explore beauty and believe God wants us to see his glory in such a way? We love to hate our culture, but we copy it far too much on this issue. To be moved by the beauty of God is a gift and blessing. It is one that requires us to gasp for air, realizing that God is the source of each breath.

So, make his praise glorious. Make it beautiful. Be like the young hymn writer of another era, Isaac Watts, and employ poetry. In fact, be like the psalmists of the Bible and express your worship in a way that reflects the magnificence of God. To make his praise beautiful is simply to be honest about who God is and revel in it. It leads to a trembling like the most amazing sunset that your eyes have ever gazed upon. Indeed, dare I say, that the beauty of a woman that stops you in your tracks is like how seeing God is. Now, its not romantic! In fact, seeing a beautiful person is not romantic. It is a split second of seeing an image bearer of God shine. What we do with that after that moment is our depravity talking. This in fact is what beauty does. It reveals God’s holiness and perhaps our lack it. So, of course we fear it.

Some of us would rather keep things more rational in our worship. But, we are to worship God as humans, not as Spock! A scientific dissection of God through theological words may be useful in anchoring our creed, but we also need to simply see God and respond humanly. There can be beauty in theology. Yes. And, to not take theology that far is to also cheat ourselves from blowing our minds about how beyond us God is. If our theology does not bring us to be in awe of God then we are empty from it. So, make your praise full of beauty. Offer it with the trembling that we humans should naturally feel when our Creator walks in the room.

CD GIVEAWAY

On this Episode of Worship Mythbusters we have artist, worship leader and singer songwriter Staci Frenes. And, we are going to give away a free CD. All you have to do is go to worshipmythbusters.com (this post!) and leave comment that says you want in the drawing. On next Monday September 17, I will announce the winner! Also, if you go to RKblog.com and leave a comment on the post about Staci Frenes and this Episode you can be entered a second time!

Show Notes:

• Staci Frenes links: www.stacifrenes.com
• World Vision www.worldvision.com

The Worship Conference, SoCal on October 13 is a one day event that is very affordable. If you are a smaller church, this might be a time to bring your whole team. Even lunch is included.

Discounts are not a bad thing, right? If you are out west in October here is an event for you worship leaders. On top of being what I think will be a powerful one day event, I’m going myself and would love to meet you. I am teaching two workshops. I would love to see you!

REGISTER HERE

Discount Code: RKBLOG20 gets you my readers 20% discount!

Besides hosting this podcast, I also have for the last seven years written and published a blog titled “Rich Kirkpatrick’s Weblog” which is now “Rich Kirkpatrick’s Blog.” Here is the scoop:

I launched Rich Kirkpatrick’s Weblog about seven years ago. Back then, “weblog” meant something, and my name was easy to recall since fewer people blogged back in the first decade or the 2000s. But, now its time to rebrand, relaunch and help a whole new crew of readers find me in the noisy world of the WWW. So, my blog “rkweblog.com” is now “rkblog.com” and if you forget that, well the 301 redirects will get you here. But, doesn’t that URL rock?!

In 2010 a web developer and friend coded a site and designed the look of my blog for me and I wanted to badly to have the URL rkblog.com. When I found out it was available I was so excited until the price tag for bidding started above $2000 for the aged domain. A wholesaler of domains was kind enough to allow me to have a bulk price, even after the sale ended. And, presto, for under $100 I have rkblog.com!

So, PLEASE, if you already link to this blog, please change to rkblog.com. If yousubscribe, all feed coding will follow. Thanks to so many of you that have encouraged me to keep writing and who have engaged in meaningful, life-changing conversation these past years. Here is to another seven years…at least!

I am humbled by some of the feedback I have been receiving on my recent EP release “Drink The Divine.” As a blogger and writer, many of you have known that I lead worship and such. But, it is likely that few of you have heard of my original material. The five-song EP is offered FREE for you to download and share. Please, donate on Noisetrade, or purchase a copy on one of the available outlets such as iTunes or Amazon if you enjoy it. And, you my friends are the only distribution that I have, so spread the word!

Here are some very nice things people have said about the project!

“Drink The Divine” is well produced and well written.  That is not what impresses me about this particular offering.  You get a real sense and awe and reverence from this music.  This music is lived out in a walk of faith that is not trying to follow trends, but follow Jesus in a real way and express something real.  His honesty shines deeply as I am encouraged to drink deeply of the well where this music sprang forth.  A drink of the divine indeed.
- Freeworshipmusic.com

“…I am struck with the depth of the lyric and the emotion, but even more so with Rich’s courage in releasing a project that simply is what it is. The songs range in style and influence, with a thread of the theatrical woven throughout. In a culture where art is measured almost exclusively by its “commercial” viability, this music dares to demand the listener to actually listen…”
- Trent Smith, Worship Pastor/Recording Artist

“… It seems this EP was written from the heart of someone discovering more and more the beauty and the depth of loving and being loved by Jesus. I was encouraged by the lyrical truths & heart behind the EP “Drink the Divine”.”
- Adam Herod, Worship Pastor/Songwriter/Blogger

“…Through his heartfelt lyrics, Rich boldly asks us all to think harder about serving each other as a our religion, rather than having religion as our religion. Through his extensive musical experience and ability to command the emotion of the instruments he directs, Rich boldly asks us all to feel deeper the love surrounding us…”
- Page Lynch, Filmmaker/Recording Artist

“With conviction in his voice, Rich pours out his heart into every melodious line and lyric.
As I continue to listen intently to each song, I’m captivated by the mature – yet humble – approach to follow Jesus in faith and action. This EP inspires me to not only continue to nurture my passion for songwriting, but more importantly draw me closer to my Redeemer and King.”
- Anson Sexton, Worship Leader/Youth Pastor/Blogger

“What I love about this project is – it feels very honest. It’s not contrived. Beautiful melodies, cool production, solid lyrics and a lot of heart. …this is just great to listen to, it lifts me up. “Grace Found Me” is gorgeous, love the vocal. “Sacred Place” really does take me to a sacred space. I dig the whole project…”
-Rob Still, Worship Leader/Producer/Blogger

Mel McGowan of Visioneering Studios

Show Notes:

Learn more about Mel McGowan and his work with Visioneering Studios with the links below.

• Mel’s blog: http://melmcgowan.com
• Visioneering Studios: http://www.visioneeringstudios.com/
• My Refuge House: http://myrefugehouse.com/

This is Episode 15, July 2012.  

My name is Rich Kirkpatrick and you are listening to WorshipMythbusters. This podcast is about debunking popular thinking about worship that may be more myth than truth. Presenting a myth each episode, we employ the socratic method with guests from all over the world.

Sacred Spaces

Its not just an old piano, it’s a functional musical instrument that tells a story. It’s 100 year history is seen in the patina of the finish, and the scars on the ivory keys. By ship from San Francisco, via train from Chicago, this piano was brought to a city called Eureka up the coast in California where it lived a life of many years leading worship. Eventually it ended up in the church basement. Then a family rescued it. A musician played on it and composed music in his living room, leaving the rings of a coffee mug and other gentle scarring. It ended up in a storage unit, locked away in a garage for months after some hard transitions in life for the owner of this piano. It came time to empty out this storage unit. So, as a token of friendship he gave it to me as a special gift, only allowing me to pay him for the furniture dolly underneath. And, only after much insistence on my part.

Now, I write music on it, leaving my own rings from coffee drinks. When people come to my front room, they see an old piano with handwritten notes, computer printouts of lyrics and microphone cables. They also see the scarves and ceremonial knives from Ethiopia. The message is not just “old piano” it is “writing companion” and inspiration. It is a sacred space in my home for me.

Design of space is indeed important in our houses of worship. What messages are we sending with seats facing forward in a square concrete tilt-up? Do we realize our spaces as opportunities for human interaction, or just the hearing of a sermon and reception of a worship team’s performance? Often we do not. The rush to fill a space and be efficient often falters with the very goals and core beliefs. A sacred space must intentionally lead people to see the messages we intend. And, with that we invite response and interaction that matches the message. I’ve led worship in multipurpose rooms with scoreboards and basketball hoops to Orthodox churches with icons and mystery.

Part of my experiences with sacred spaces led me to write the song, “Sacred Place”.

From the walls of the cathedral, let me heart echo your praise.

From the heights of the steeple, let me thoughts of you be raised.

The spaces we design matter, as they are the context we communicate the most important messages about our faith and devotion to God.

We do need to have a discussion as creatives about the spaces we design and execute. Often, it is not just the platform and sound system that will impact the response. How did people arrive from the curb? What does the front door say as you enter? How does the ambient lighting reflect the mood of the moment? All of these and more go beyond the front of your church. And, all of them add up to setting the expectation of the worshipper in your environment.

For this episode, I interview Mel McGowan of Visioneering Studios. Mel, before founding this company that designs spaces, he worked for Disney. Here is the interview we had just a few days ago.

This podcast/blog has been updated and facelifted with Standard Theme 3.0. I already have moved my main blog, Rich Kirkpatrick’s Weblog to Standard Theme and it looks great. Now that 3.0 is out, I am happy to move WorshipMythbusters.com to the upgraded platform.

WordPress is a web 2.0, PHP-driven platform that is open-sourced and international. I self-host several sites. What makes WordPress work well is having a well-tuned theme chock full of features while being lean in the coding area. Thanks to the guys at 8BIT, the WordPress platform works so well for me.

I host a paper on www.paper.li that gathers worship leader tweets. Key words from well over 500 worship leaders are filtered and listed for The Worship Leader Stream. Subscribe today to learn best practices, new conversations, and worship leading tips from all over the world.