Songwriting, curating, collecting…

I’ve tried my best to accurately transcribe the following quote from an episode of the new For The Church podcast. There’s some really good inspiration here for church songwriters. You should definitely go and listen to the whole episode and others here.

In this episode, Jared Wilson asks Matt Boswell, “What is your personal songwriting process like, whether with a collaborator or by yourself?” Here’s a chunk of Matt’s answer:

“My process of writing songs is, I’m a curator and a collector first. So in every theological book that I’m reading, I’m collecting words…just specific words. I remember reading Jim Hamilton’s biblical theology, God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgement, and in it he just uses the word “unassailable” six, seven times; and so I just thought that was a beautiful word to write in a hymn. So I just kind of put it in my back pocket, and then when it seems appropriate, throw it in a hymn. And so in all reading I’m collecting words.

“And then, even through sermon outlines, seeing how a preacher is moving systematically through a text or through a subject, and allowing some of those things to help shape how I would write a hymn in response to that. 

“And so I’m always on the lookout for what would be good kindling for a hymn to be written.”

Again, the above quote is from Matt Boswell, in an interview on the For The Church podcast. Subscribe to this one for sure. It’s new, and already super helpful. You can also check out more resources from Matt Boswell and pick up books he has contributed to, at his website Doxology and Theology. If you’re a worship leader or worship musician, you should check there often.

What only Jesus can do.

“We treat our worship leaders as priests, expecting them to lead us into God’s presence in a way that is inaccessible apart from their charisma, emotion, and music. Every time we credit a worship leader with ‘leading us into God’s presence,’ we are anointing them as priests, and crediting them with doing something that only Jesus can do.” (emphasis added)

Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper, from their book Faithmapping (highly recommended book on the church!)

Neil Postman, prophet.

“At different times in our history, different cities have been the focal point of a radiating American spirit. In the late eighteenth century, for example, Boston was the center of a political radicalism that ignited a shot heard round the world – a shot that could not have been fired any other place but the suburbs of Boston. At its report, all Americans, including Virginians, became Bostonians at heart. In the mid-nineteenth century, New York became the symbol of the idea of a melting-pot America – or at least a non-English one – as the wretched refuse from all over the world disembarked at Ellis Island and spread over the land their strange languages and even stranger ways. In the early twentieth century, Chicago, the city of big shoulders and heavy winds, came to symbolize the industrial energy and dynamism of America. If there is a statue of a hog butcher somewhere in Chicago, then it stands as a reminder of the time when America was railroads, cattle, steel mills and entrepreneurial adventures. If there is no such statue, there ought to be, just as there is a statue of a Minute Man to recall the Age of Boston, as the Statue of Liberty recalls the Age of New York.

Today, we must look to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, as a metaphor of our national character and aspiration, its symbol a thirty-foot-high cardboard picture of a slot machine and a chorus girl. For Las Vegas is a city entirely devoted to the idea of entertainment, and as such proclaims the spirit of a culture in which all public discourse increasingly takes the form of entertainment. Our politics, religion, news, athletics, education and commerce have been transformed into congenial adjuncts of show business, largely without protest or even much popular notice. The result is that we are a people on the verge of amusing ourselves to death.”

From Amusing Ourselves to Death, by Neil Postman (written in 1985)

On Creativity: An Interview with Chris Thile on Minnesota Public Radio

This past week we were given a great interview from MPR (Minnesota Public Radio), with Chris Thile about his transition with Garrison Keillor for the job of full-time host of the radio show A Prairie Home Companion. If you’re not sure who Thile is, he is one-third of the progressive folk band Nickel Creek, one-fifth  of the band Punch Brothers, and an accomplished composer and songwriter on his own and in other small collaborative projects. Thile is one of my personal heroes – has been for quite some time now – and it’s super exciting to know he’ll take over creative control and hosting duties on PHC this coming October.

You can read more elsewhere about Garrison Keillor handing the show off to Thile, but please listen to this interview. There’s lots of good stuff here about music, and about creativity in general. I connected with a lot specifically because I’m a worship pastor in a church, and a few things Thile says here are very helpful if you’re involved in the week-to-week corporate worship and music planning aspects of ministry.

Listen A conversation with Chris Thile Apr 9, 2016 8min 44sec 

Again, give the interview a listen; but here are a few of those extra helpful points I mentioned, for musicians and for church worship leaders in particular.

1. The joy of creating something new for people every week. Thile talks in the beginning of the interview about the joy and excitement he has, as an artist, to get to create every week for the joy of others. A responsibility like this can be either a privilege or a burden; for a vocational artist, especially one who is saved and serving a local church, this should be exciting as we plan services and liturgies, arrange, even write, and lead in the song and prayer of our churches. As Thile said in another interview published only yesterday, “The prospect of getting to make things for people on a weekly basis … is beyond compare. It’s what I love to do.”
2. Practice your craft. A lot. Thile says he practices between three and five hours of mandolin every day. It’s that important to his life and work, and he does it because he wants to. Those hours aren’t wasted, but a necessary and good part of his vocation and “calling” (can I say calling here?) as an artist. And we wonder how someone like Thile gets so good at what he does… He puts the time in. Quality takes time and discipline, and it’s worth the effort.
3. Don’t let your instrument “go to sleep.” Thile answers some questions about bringing his mandolins out of a “sleep,” which happens to the wood of a mandolin, or a guitar, or a violin too, the longer it sits without being played. Especially when a newer wood instrument sits, and the wood dries, if you don’t play good sound into it the wood won’t open up to the sound waves. Not many people know about this aspect of stringed instruments, but it’s super intriguing. Play your guitar, or whatever you play, often so that it stays responsive and produces all the tone that it can. Listen to the interview, because Chris Thile can talk more eloquently about this point than I can.

So there you have it! And there’s lots more in the eight minutes of that interview that’s worth your time. And check out A Prairie Home Companion if you’ve never listened.

 

Nothing of these cynical utopianisms…

On reading Augustine, Russell Moore says,

“Exchanging pagan gods for a Christian one will not a conversion make, if the goals are the same: to achieve temporal prosperity and security.

How many times have we seen Christianity used in recent years in precisely the same way the polytheists of ancient Rome used their cultic devotion? Who can forget the television evangelists telling us, as the embers of the fallen Twin Towers still smoldered, that the September 11 attacks were God’s judgments on America for specific sins? How often do we hear the promises of God to his people in the Old Testament applied to America, as though Christian “revival” is the key to economic flourishing and military victory for the United States? And how often do we hear of the vanquishing of “judgmental” and “puritanical” religion as the key to getting America on the right side of history?

“Augustine would have nothing of these cynical utopianisms, and neither should we.”

Russell Moore, in a longer post on The Gospel Coalition here.

Worship Leaders Must Read

Two weeks ago my fellow church staff guys and I got to attend the Shepherds’ Conference at Grace Community Church. There’s always so much I could say about this week each year, but right now I’ll limit it just to books. One of the benefits of going to conferences for pastors is the exposure to resources. At the Shepherds’ Conference they set up a huge circus-size tent, which becomes the conference bookstore. And one of the best things about these three days is having a bunch of chances between sessions to walk the book tent.

I got to thinking this week about my role as corporate worship director at my church, and how necessary it’s been for me to keep reading, even during the extra busy times of the year. For pastors (and I think for professionals in general), you’ve got to keep a regimen of regular reading, to immerse yourself in ideas and encouragements. It will fuel your spiritual health, and your practical creativity and productivity. You may only rarely, if ever, find the one book that totally changes your mindset about something, or gives you the practical tip to solve some ridiculous problem; but you’ll probably see fruit steadily over time, as your maturity and your creative chops refine.

It’s been a lotta work over the years to find the best books specifically written for worship leaders. So I thought I’d list a few of my top picks, for books that have been extra helpful and encouraging, and give you a few short reasons why.

DISCLAIMER: People who love books, and especially Christians who love books, talk all the time about “must-reads.” I often have to keep in mind that there are seriously important books out there that’ll absolutely benefit you as a Christian, and that you really should read. BUT, the only real “must-read” is the Bible, so don’t let anything take you away from time spent with God there.

So here goes with an uber-limited, non-inclusive list of some top picks:

1. Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin. This book was the first really solid, biblical treatment of worship that I came across, and would still be the first one I’d recommend to a worship leader looking for books. It’s excellent, well-rounded, readable, clarifying, and includes both a general biblical theology of worship, and a great discussion of the role of a worship leader.
2. Doxology and Theology by Matt Boswell (and other contributors). In my opinion, this one goes to the next layer of depth after Worship Matters. Boswell provides some helpful, practical stuff, in some areas that Worship Matters doesn’t get to. Each chapter hits a different topic, and is written by a different worship pastor; the whole book is worth it just for the first of these, by Boswell. He clarifies the job and role of worship and music leaders in the church perhaps better than I’ve read anywhere else.
3. Engaging With God by David Peterson. This is the “deep end of the theological pool” book every worship leader should aspire to read at some point. And lots of church folks (leaders and otherwise) would benefit from it too. I was at a conference a few years ago where Bob Kauflin mentioned this book in one of his talks. He asked how many of us had read it, and challenged the over half of us who hadn’t, to read it by that time next year – that we really HAD to get to it. And after reading it, I knew why he loves it and has been helped by it so much. For what is, essentially, a shorter version of this book, check out True Worship by Vaughan Roberts. We sell it at our church book counter, and it’s a GREAT little primer on theology of worship in general, and in the gathered church.
4. Rhythms of Grace by Mike Cosper. This book is really one of those rare game-changers, in my opinion. Another book that’s great for church leaders (not just the worship/music leaders), and also for any church member or attender. Cosper clarifies the purpose of the church worship gathering, and gives some invaluable practical advice for how it should be done according to Scripture’s principles.
5. The Art of Worship by Greg Scheer. This is probably the best practical manual I’ve seen for worship leading, that’s also written from a great theological foundation. Here you’ll find commentary on worship trends, and practical tips for singing, arranging vocals and instruments, band dynamics, managing teams, running rehearsals, and lots of other good stuff. This will help you develop your skill set as a music and worship director, without getting gooey and weird, or unbiblical. Which is sometimes hard to find when you’re looking for practical tips.

So there you have it. I’ve left out a few, so maybe I’ll include a PART 2 post for some more in the near future. What did I leave off? Any “must-reads” you wish were mentioned above??

 

What good stories do.

In a great little collection of Eudora Welty’s essays called On Writing, she says the following in a piece called “Must the Novelist Crusade?”

“Time, though it can make happenings and trappings out of date, cannot do much to change the realities apprehended by the imagination. History will change in Mississippi, and the hope is that it will change in a beneficial direction and with a merciful speed, and above all bring insight, understanding. But when William Faulkner’s novels come to be pictures of a society that is no more, they will still be good and still be authentic because of what went into them from the man himself. Mankind still tries the same things and suffers the same falls, climbs up to try again, and novels are as true at one time as at another.”

Thoughts from our 2015 WORSHIP WORKSHOP

Last weekend about forty of us gathered for a worship workshop for our church team. We’ve been doing this for a few years now, and it’s been one of the best things we do together, in my opinion. It’s the non-negotiable thing we have to do as a team each year, at least once.

I took a chunk of the time (which I haven’t done each year) to teach and discuss something pressing for us as a worship team. This year we talked through ways to fight our culture of distraction, and pour effort, time, and resources into serving our church family with our gifts. Here’s a list of what we discussed, and what we’re striving for in our church family, and specifically as part of the corporate worship and music leadership.

1. Obedience to do what Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 AND Hebrews talk about what we’re to do when we gather. These are some of the significant places that talk about our corporate worship gatherings. Ultimately, these passages restate what Hebrews 12:1-2 says to do when we gather as Christians – look to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith!
2. Faithfulness to be at church every week and keep doing it week-in and week-out. Show up. Whether you sing or not, or run PowerPoint or lights or not, whether it’s difficult or not, show up and be with the church, with the family of God.
3. Orient your life around church, in a healthy way. What I mean by this is, don’t overbook your time, but consider the church in your decisions, and in how you use your time and resources. Ask yourself, will this build and encourage the rest of the church? Will this help me be a part of this church, for the good of my own relationship with God, for my family, etc?
4. Don’t necessarily look for someone else to come along, some professional, to make things better. YOU do it. We’re the ones. One of my pet peeves is when I hear things like, “if only a pro sound engineer came, our band would finally sound halfway decent…” That may definitely be true. But If God hasn’t provided a professional sound tech, guitarist, or French horn player, or whatever, then that’s who God has ordained to have (or not to have) at your church at that particular time. He might be calling one of you (us) to step up and lean into that responsibility more, and to learn more, so we become that person.
5. Improve. Commit and sacrifice to spend time getting better, to serve the church with your gifts. Take lessons, study songs, practice your instrument, start following helpful blogs or twitter accounts (churchsoundguy, etc). Spend time alone to do these things, if it helps make the time that you’re with the church better. Forgo distracting (fun) things for this.
6. Be with God. Pursue your relationship with Him, and fight for your personal holiness and sanctification. Robert Murray M’Cheyne famously said, “The greatest need of my people is my personal holiness.” This is absolutely true of anyone on the worship team, serving at some level of leadership in your church. If the busyness and the “fun” stuff we’re all pursuing is not giving holiness to one another, it’s worthless and unhelpful.

Basically, the driving factor in all of this is, let your identity in Christ free you to give things up for the sake of His church, for His kingdom. Philippians 2:5-8 tells us to “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who…emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant.” Obedience and servanthood that is like Christ’s will take us to the cross, to lowliness, to sacrifice, for the sake of the most glorious things. We’re fighting at our church to sacrifice much effort and expend much energy to building up the body, and refining our various gifts to do this better and more.

 

A Case for Reading Good Books and Singing Good Songs

In his book Desiring the Kingdom, James K.A. Smith builds a case for an understanding or “anthropology” of mankind that is liturgical. He argues that we are liturgical beings, shaped not only by ideas, but also, and even more so by our practices. We practice routines and habits in our daily living, that shape us over time into certain kinds of people.

Now, if this is the case, then reading and thereby immersing ourselves in certain “worlds” in reading fiction, for instance, just might shape us as well. Our imaginations are stirred by the stories we read and hear, and stories have proven to shape us into certain kinds of people in the same way as our real-life routines. Think about this: if I carve out some time to read through a book over, say, a couple months’ time, and this book captures my imagination and brings me into contact with a world where good is lauded and portrayed as good, and evil is exposed for being truly evil, my mind and heart might take on the rhythms and feelings and colors of that world of the story.

May we not neglect to immerse ourselves in the Bible, since it’s truly the only Story ultimately capable of really transforming anyone. God does not work through any other book or piece of art the same way. But I obviously think of Lewis’ Narnia books, or Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, both top favorites of mine, as stories worth reading for their shaping influences. In these stories, we immerse our imaginations in worlds where Hope is real, Joy is solid, and there are sovereign purposes at work in the universe. And spending repeated sittings in these books may, over time, turn you into the kind of person who thinks the same ways about the world and about yourself. If you read trashy fiction, enough exposure to it just might shape you into a trashily-minded member of the created order.

In a similar vein, I’ve thought recently about how this liturgical anthropology has a very specific bearing on the content of our songs in corporate worship in a church setting. Does your church sing songs that are vague, disjointed, and/or theologically messy? Worship leaders, do you listen to, and pick songs for your church families that are rich in truth, and that express that truth clearly and poetically? Smith’s anthropology argues that even the way our songs express truth will shape us, even if everything the songs say is technically correct. Go through enough rhythms of singing true, but sloppily written, vague songs in church and you’ll start to think the same way the songs do.

In my role of picking songs for my church to sing in worship, I’ve had a couple times in the past few months where I’ve had to seriously consider scrapping a song, or a verse of a song, that caused more head-scratching and confusion than not. And I confess I had to get over my own pride in these situations, to stop singing a song I really do love to sing, but that wasn’t helpful for a gathered church.

I want to make sure I feed my own soul with the right kinds of shaping influences, and this is probably needed now more than ever in my lifetime, and in our cultural moment. I want to think clearly about God, myself, and the world; and I want to love good and abhor evil. Not in a gooey, subjective way, but in a real, solid, clearheaded, die-for-what-I-believe-in way. To do this I need all the help I can get.

On Christ’s Active Obedience

“…the Lord Christ fulfilled the whole law for us; He did not only undergo the penalty of it due unto our sins, but also yielded that perfect obedience which it did require… Christ’s fulfilling of the law, in obedience unto its commands, is no less imputed unto us for our justification than His undergoing the penalty of it is.”

John Owen (from a list of quotes on the subject of Christ’s active obedience as part of the Gospel)