Passing the Faith Along

I’ve had to sit back and take a week to digest all that happened here on the weekend of October 24th and 25th. It was the weekend of our Student Choir Reunion. For that weekend we had invited back some 500 Youth Choir alumni and two previous Ministers of Music whose combined ministry years spanned 40 years, almost one third of the life of this congregation. We had over 100 responses to the invitation. Combining those forces with our current Student Choir we had a mass choir of over 125. I don’t use the word awesome very much, but that’s the only word I can find to describe the music of that weekend. The concert on Sunday afternoon was beyond words and I would have stood in front of that mass choir and pulled music out of them all afternoon. I’m quite sure that John and Laverne could say the same.

While the music was indeed grand, and the renewal of old friendships for most and the making of new friendships for some was indeed special, the thing that struck my heart was the fact that for many of those folks who sang in Youth Choir under John Dyer some 30+ years ago, the notes were still there. It really did not require a lot of effort on John’s part to put their music back together. The same was true for many of Laverne’s students. Her challenge was a bit different since her ministry among us spanned 30 years. There was almost a whole generation’s difference between the music that her early choirs sang and the music that the choirs in her last few years sang. Still, the notes were there for Laverne’s students on the music that they sang when they were in Youth Choir.

Why? Why was it so easy for these folks to pull this music together and sing? It is simply because John and Laverne were after the very same thing that I am after when it comes to Student Choir Ministry. They were building and investing in lives, not just musicians. They were more concerned about a teenager’s ability to live the life of a walk with God with integrity and wholeness than they were about whether this note was right or that crescendo happened. Don’t hear what I’m not saying. The music is important. There is nothing that gives us the opportunity to express praise to our creator that can touch the power of music. That’s why John, Laverne and I have chosen to invest our lives in using this tool to shape the lives of believers from chidhood through adulthood.

Every movie has a soundtrack. This is the music that accompanies the scenes of any great movie. When the scene is one of sadness and pathos, the music reflects it. When the scene is one of love or romance, the music reflects that emotion. When the scene is one of great tragedy you can hear it in the music. When the scene is one of joy and triumph, again, the music paints the picture. The music that we use in our choir ministry, whether it is the children, students or adults, is about laying a soundtrack for life that supplies us with the incidental music to accompany all that happens to us or within us. That’s why so many people who came back for the reunion requested that John include “Jesus, My Lord, My Life, My All” and that Laverne include “God Is Our Refuge” on the program. These songs have been sources of inspiration and strength when these former Student Choir members have needed a source of strength from which to draw. To go back and reflect on these songs has given so many of them quiet places of refuge when the world was crushing in around them. I know. I had the privilege of reading the many letters that were written to John and Laverne for the books of letters that we presented to them on Saturday evening. Many of these letters referred to a special song that had given solace and comfort, hope and encouragement along the way.

And now this faith is passed from one generation to the next. We are simply passing the faith along. Having these songs, often filled with the words of scripture, hidden in our hearts will enable us to say, “This is my song…” when we are faced with joy and triumph or adversity and difficulty. It will help us in the living of these days to honor God with all of our life. The music isn’t just for Sunday, it’s for life! Think about it.

On Passion and Purpose

Here lately I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking about how our passion to do certain things impacts our effectiveness at doing those things. It just makes sense to me that if a person is passionate about doing something, they would be better at doing it than someone who might be just as gifted but is not passionate about doing that same thing. This scenario of someone who is not passionate about doing something they are asked to do being less than effective in that task is played out in churches all over our land. So many times nominating committees take on the gargantuan task of finding people to do kingdom work and because that task is so overwhelming it often becomes just finding names to fill in a slot on a report. How many times have you seen people just “fill a slot” and be ineffective in that area of ministry? Why are they ineffective? So often, I fear, it is because they have no passion or sense of calling to do that task.

That thinking has really come into play as I have thought about developing new choir officers for our choir. I want to find the right persons for the right roles as we develop leadership to set the pace for our choir in years to come. Why, you might ask, do we need officers for our choir? Why doesn’t the Minister of Music just call all of the shots? Because Proverbs 14:11 says, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.” We want our victory to be sure. We want all of our people on the same page. That’s why officers, the “many advisers” for our choral ministry, are vitally important.

The right people, with the right passion, in the right place at the right time. That’s what we’re after. I think that’s what Jesus was shooting for when he called his disciples. Think about it. Who comes to your mind first if I ask you to name the disciples? The list usually begins with Peter, James and John. They seemed to be the most effective leaders of the group, this group that Jesus said he would make into “fishers of men.” Peter, James and John understood the concept of becoming a fisherman because they were fishermen. Fishing was something about which they were passionate. It’s how they made their living. When Jesus began to look for people to become fishers of men he looked for people who understood fishing. He looked for people who not only understood it, but were passionate about it. Think of Matthew, the tax collector, one who was probably despised in the eyes of many of the Jews because of his position. This is one who would understand grace. The disciples needed to be avenues of grace. They needed some among their number who understood the hand of grace when it was extended. Matthew was such a one. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother was one who brought others to Jesus. In John 1:40 we find that he brought his brother, Peter, to Jesus.

Jesus sought out those to be his closest followers who could bring a variety of gifts and passions to the table. For us to be effective in ministry we need to do the same. Find the passion…find the need…match them with one another. What is your passion for ministry? What drives you on? Working out of that passion in an area of ministry that matches your passion with a need is where you will be the most effective.

Dinner on the Grounds and Church Music

This past Sunday was a busy day. We went from exploring our future possibilities to remembering our past and reflecting on the fact that our church will soon mark the completion of its 150th year. That part was especially enjoyable for me. The reason for that is that I love covered dish lunches. “Dinner on the grounds” is what we used to call it in my home church. I never could understand why we called it that when I was a little boy. We never ate on the ground. Anyway, I love covered dish fellowship meals. 

One of the biggest reasons that I love them is because there is such a plethora of tastes available for me to sample. Now if you are just a meat and potatoes kind of person, I’m sure you were satisfied on Sunday. There were plenty of meats and several bowls of potato salad. Personally, I like to sample most anything. Yes, I do have my favorites that I gravitate toward, but I really like to sample this casserole and that salad, this cake and that pie. The tastes that are available for the palate are almost endless. If you like to have your taste buds tickled, there’s no better place to be than a covered dish lunch. Yep, I love covered dish lunches.

You know, when you stop and think about it, the musical makeup of our church is very similar in makeup to the menu at a covered dish lunch. There are many here who like traditional choral literature. These are meat and potatoes kind of folks. They can’t conceive of eating a casserole. Just give them meat and potatoes. There are also many who like the more contemporary flavors of our day. These folks live on the edge. You got a wild recipe for spicy wings or an Asian salad? They’ll take that. Then there are those who like Southern gospel. This is the fried chicken, butter-beans and banana puddin’ crowd.  There are some who like classical music. These folks look for those classic dishes. Is there a prime rib or London broil on the table. They’ll go for that instead of a casserole. Then there are folks who are like me…they like everything from Bach to rock. These folks are ones that say the plates aren’t big enough because they like a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Indeed, we are all different. I once heard it said that if we were alike one of us would be unnecessary. It is indeed the fact that we are all different that makes each one of us necessary…needed in the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul paints this picture for us in I Corinthians chapter 12 where we find these words…

“But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members sufer with it; of if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”

I Corinthians 12:20-27, emphasis mine

So we are one body. Yes, we all have different tastes, but that is what makes our congregation ’s offering of worship to God a beautiful thing. It’s like a tapestry of color and texture that, hopefully, we will continue to weave with a wider and wider variety of musical colors and textures…yes, everything from Bach to…(well, maybe not rock, but almost.) And that is not so that we are all entertained, but so that we  all will, at some point along the way, have a best vehicle to use to express our great love for our creator God and our great love for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So come to the table this Sunday and let’s see what’s there. Feast on it with me and together, let’s worship as one body as we celebrate our great diversity. By the way…what are you going to bring?

On Being “Minister Musicians”

Sometimes I have to remind myself that the first word in my “job title” is the word “minister.” I put “job title” in quotes because what I do is so much more to me than a job. It is a calling. Just as our pastor, Jim, exercises his calling through the ministry of preaching, I exercise my calling through the ministry of music. In my case that sense of calling depends on the participation of others, so that calling is very literally to be an “equipper of the saints for the work of ministry” as Paul reminds those of us who are called by God to be in Ephesians 4:12. If my calling is to “equip saints for the work of doing ministry”  through music, then most of the ministry that those particular saints do as it regards my preparation of them, is during our times of worship together.

 

Music for worship, whether it is for the choirs, soloists or the congregation is chosen because it reflects the truth of God’s word about Himself that we are dealing with on any given Sunday. I start in selecting music for worship with the Word of God. That’s why the pastor’s preparation in advance is so important to our overarching worship ministry. Everything we do in worship should find its roots in the Word of God.

 

This has implications for a philosophy of ministry that incorporates choirs and/or soloists into the worship ministry. Choirs and/or soloists must see themselves as “minister musicians” in the worship experience. There are at least five roles that minister musicians can fill as they participate in worship. They can serve:

 

As a Priest – one who offers a song of praise to God on behalf of the worshipers

In Leviticus 16:32-33 we see a picture of the priest who would succeed his father as high priest being the one set aside to make atonement for the sins of the people. In essence he was presenting an offering to God on behalf of the people. That is what our choirs do sometimes in saying something to God in ways that our congregation as a whole cannot say it to God. We offer our praise to the Father on behalf of our congregation.

 

As a Preacher – one who proclaims a message to believers and the unsaved

In Romans chapter 10, verses 14 and 15 the apostle Paul says, “How can they call on one in whom they have not believed, and how can they believe in one of whom they have not heard, and how can they hear without a preacher…” Sometimes the “minister musicians” in worship act as a preacher, proclaiming the message of the gospel or of some other significant truth about who God is to both believers and to the unsaved.

 

As a Counselor – one who brings words of encouragement and hope to the hurting

In Colossians 1:27 Paul refers to Christ living in us as the hope of glory. In I Peter 3:15 we are encouraged to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us. There are hurting people all around us who need to have hope for the circumstances that they face. So many times a song like the medley of “I Must Tell Jesus” and “Blessed Assurance” that the choir sang a few weeks ago, helps us to act as counselors, encouragers of fellow pilgrims on the journey.

 

As a Pray-er – one who speaks a musical prayer to the Lord on behalf of the worshipers

Jesus gave us the very best example of this in his prayer for us in John 17. In scriptures like Romans 1:9; Ephesians 1:16; Colossians 4:12; and I Thessalonians 1:2-3 we see wonderful exhortations to pray for the saints and we see wonderful examples of people who did just that. When we sing a song like “Lord, Listen to your Children Praying” it not only helps us invite others to pray, but it invites God to listen as we do.

 

As a Worship Leader – one who encourages and exhorts the congregation to encounter God in worship

II Chronicles 5, especially verses 11-14, gives us a wonderful picture of this. It says that when the trumpeters and singers were in one accord making one sound with one voice to God, then the glory of God filled the temple so that that the priests could not stand to minister for the glory of God has so filled the place. O that God’s glory would fill our place of worship every Sunday. What a wonderful day it will be when God’s glory is so powerfully strong that we just have to stop and be still in His presence!

 

The Quality of Worship

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.  I Corinthians 3:10-15

When we approach worship on Sunday, I believe that we should give God our very best. This idea goes all the way back to my childhood when I was taught that I should always look my best on Sunday, not for show, but because of the idea that if I am going to worship God, then I need to present myself to Him wearing the very best that I have.  If the best that I have is a new pair of jeans, OK, that’s what I wear. But I always wear my best. This idea may seem a bit superficial, and if the motive that drives us to dress up on Sunday becomes anything other than presenting ourselves to God, then it is quite superficial. If we wear the new suit or the new dress to be “seen by men” then we have our reward as soon as the new threads receive the compliment. The principle is the same as the one Jesus describes in Luke 18:9-14. In this passage Jesus told the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee and drew some clear lines of distinction between the two when it came to their public praying. The Pharisee, prayed to be heard by men. Being heard by men was his reward. He had no eternal reward. The publican, or tax collector, went home justified or made right with God, because the attitude of his heart was one of humility. The motivation for his prayer was not one of seeking to be heard by men, but only one of seeking to be heard by a forgiving and loving God.

This same principle applies to all that we do in  our corporate worship times when it comes to the music of worship. I must admit that I, like every other living, breathing musician, have an ego. All musicians do, whether they will admit it or not. The problem with ego comes into play in regard to worship leadership when and if we do what we do for the accolades of men, or even for the personal “high” that we get from making music that just sounds good. You see, the motive behind what we are doing is perhaps the most important factor in determining whether God receives the glory that is due unto his name. (I Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 29:2, Psalm 96:8 ) It’s not performance for the sake of performance that counts when we enter into a sanctuary to worship our Holy God. It is giving to God the glory due unto His name that counts. Does that mean we don’t strive for excellence in all that we do? Absolutely not! Our God is a God of excellence and he does deserve our very best offering, but not so that we receive any glory. The glory all belongs to him. We need to be very careful that our language when speaking of what we do in worship reflects the true intent of our heart, our motive: that we do it for Him. If there is any other motive, then God does not get the glory and we have become much less than lead worshipers, perhaps even much less than worship leaders.

Remember, worship is not the servant of our music. Our corporate worship times are not to become times of entertainment. The motive cannot be that we use our corporate worship times to give talented individuals an opportunity to be heard. No, worship is not the servant of our music, rather, our music is the servant of worship. A servant seeks the pleasure of his master. As long as the motive for our singing or playing music in worship is to serve the purpose of helping others and ourselves to meet God, and to seek the pleasure of God, then our motive is pure.

Pure motives behind our music mean that we are building with costly stones, gold or silver. Those works will stand the test of the refiner’s fire. Having the wrong motives behind what we do is like using wood, hay or straw to build upon the foundation that is laid in Christ. Those works will be burned up when they pass through the refiner’s fire. There will be no reward.

Here is the tricky part of all of this. Motives lie  hidden in in the depths of our hearts. I can’t judge anyone else’s motives, nor can you.  Only God can do that, and in due time He will. I Corinthians 4:5 says, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”

In all that we do as musicians in the church, let us remember to sing or play with the heart of a servant; with one motivation for what we do…the pleasure of our master, our Holy God, and His one and only Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Worship Leaders or Lead Worshipers… there is a difference

I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life when I have not felt that I was ready to encounter God in corporate worship. Perhaps my own personal worship and devotional life in that week prior to the Sunday in question had not been what it should have been. This reminds me of the story of the young man who woke up one morning and told his wife, “Honey, I just don’t feel like going to church today. I’m tired. It’s been a really long week at the office. My quiet times this week have been just that, weak and I don’t think my prayers have made it past the ceiling. What I want more than anything is to roll over and sleep all morning then go play golf this afternoon.” But his wife replied, “I’m sorry dear, but you can’t do that. After all, you are the pastor.”

Have you ever found yourself in that place, especially if you are one of the up-front ones, one of the ones called to be a leader? Choir members, this could be you. Accompanists, staff ministers, Sunday school teachers (yes, we should approach Sunday School with an attitude of worship) and many others who lead could fall into this trap of not being “ready to lead.”

We can find ourselves in that situation and still just “show up” to function as worship leaders, but when that attitude describes our heart we can never really be lead worshipers. There is a difference.

Worship leaders can make sure the songs are all sung at the right times and all the prayers are well said. They can preach the sermon well, sing the anthem well, play the offertory well, but when it comes right down to it there is really no life in what they do. They may not be actually worshiping for themselves.

Lead worshipers are those folks who model real worship, true worship for their congregation by really connecting to God themselves as they lead. For them, leading worship is a lot more than just making sure the right things happen at the right time. It’s about everyone connecting with God. Remember from my last post, worship is a heart thing. It does involve all of who we are.

What makes the difference? I believe that the time we spend with God on a daily basis prepares us to be lead worshipers. In my years of ministry I have heard many people say that the one hour of corporate worship that they experience on Sunday morning “gets them through their week.” How sad it is to think that they only experience one hour, or at best (if they come on Sunday night,) two hours of communion with their heavenly Father each week and depend on that to last them all week long.

It’s not the quality of the one hour between 11:00 and 12:00 Noon on Sunday that determines the quality of the other 167 hours in the week. It’s the quality of the other 167 that determines the quality of that 1 hour!

This is true whether you are a “lead worshiper” or a member of the congregation at large. This attitude can also find its way to the pew. Put it to the test. Let a week go by without encountering God at all during the week and see if you know Him when He shows up on Sunday. In my experience, when I have had a week where my walk with God is weak, I’m more prone to being critical of “how the service went” instead of just experiencing the presence of God. You will be that way, too, if you don’t walk closely with Him every day. You will find yourself paying attention to things that really don’t have to do with worship at all…”My, it’s too hot in here,” or “Look! That tenor put his stole on backwards and it looks terrible,” or “That accompanist must not have practiced at all this week. She’s missing way too many notes,” or “Boy that preacher sure does talk too fast,” or “I wish the music minister wouldn’t make us stand up to sing that medley. It was way too long.”

So this coming Sunday morning, what will we be, whether we are an up front person or one sitting in the pew? Up front folks, will we be a worship leader or a lead worshiper? Congregation members, will we be just worship participants who came to the event or will we be true worshipers. The other 167 hours will decide.

Worshipping in Spirit and Truth

When you hear the word “worship,” what comes to your mind? For most of us, when we hear that word we think of that which happens at a specific time and in a specific place. To be honest, most of us think about what happens between the hours of 11:00 and 12:00 on Sunday mornings. We so often tie that word, “worship,” to the singing of songs, the reading of scripture, the praying of prayers, the sharing of sermons and any of a multitude of other things that together make up the “happenings” of our Sunday morning worship times.

When Jesus encountered the woman at the well in the 4th chapter of John he dispelled the idea of time and place having relevance to true worship. This Samaritan woman was deeply concerned over whether the Jews’ worship in Jerusalem was any more valid that the Samaritans’ worship on Mt. Gerazim. Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21-24

On another occasion, in Matthew 22:37-38, Jesus said, ” ‘You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”  Jesus was quoting from the writings of Moses, from Deuteronomy 6:5, and I find an interesting parallel between Jesus’ words to the woman at the well and this passage. Remember, Jesus told the woman at the well, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”

Think of the parallel this way…

Spirit and truth…heart, soul and mind

Spirit…heart…emotions…

Truth…mind…intellect…

These are two sides of the same coin and both are vitally important if we are to become true worshipers.

Show me a person who divorces their intellect from worship and worships only with their heart, their emotions; a person who is not willing to, or has no desire to be challenged in their thinking; a person whose only barometer of whether they have worshiped is whether they “feel like they have worshiped,” and I will show you a person who has not truly worshiped.

On the other hand, show me a person who divorces their emotions from worship and worships only with their mind, their intellect; a person who cannot stomach the warm, almost heart-bursting moments of fullness that can overwhelm the worshiper who has come face to face with the reality of a Holy God and of Jesus’ love for them; a person who has to reason everything out to the point that it fits neatly into a logical framework. Show me that person and I will show you a person who has not truly worshiped.

In the great commandment Jesus used a third word, “soul.” We are to worship Him with our very soul, the essence of who and what we are, our very being. And we are to worship Him with ALL of who or what we are. We can’t leave out the emotions or the intellect. Remember, the true worshipers God seeks are those who worship Him in Spirit AND in Truth.

When those of us who sit in the stands put on our team colors and “go to the ballgame,” that’s one thing. We sit in the stands and cheer on the team. We are going to an event. But when the Thomson Bulldogs’ quarterback puts on his team colors and says, “I’m going to the ballgame,” that’s an entirely different matter. He is going with one intent and purpose in mind and that is to engage all of who he is, mentally, physically and emotionally, in the game.

So, when you come to worship this Sunday; when you say, “I’m going to worship,” think of the word “worship” as a verb and not a noun. Think of it as somthing that you do, not an event that you attend. Don’t just become a spectator. Engage your heart and love the Lord your God with all your heart. Engage your mind and love the Lord your God with all your mind. Love Him with all that you are, your very soul, and together, let’s worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

The Language of Worship

We all have a language that we speak. I speak English. I grew up speaking English. I speak it all the time. I have never spoken any other language. I took French in high school, two years of it, but I never really learned to speak that language because I never used it. I have a language that I speak and that language is English.

Within that language that I speak there is a set of words that I use more often than the other words that are available to me in that language. That set of words makes up my spoken vocabulary. Some of  the words that make up my spoken vocabulary are words that I have heard from my family and friends since I was a child. Many of these words are words that I have read or words that I have heard in classroom lectures. They are the words that I have written to complete assignments. These are, most often, words that roll off of my tongue with ease and I don’t have to think very hard to come up with them. They are as familiar to me as an old pair of blue jeans or a comfortable pair of sneakers. I’m always working to grow my vocabulary because sometimes I can’t find just the right word to express what I am thinking. So I am always looking for new words to add to the set of words that I use all the time…my vocabulary.

It is much the same way for each of us in terms of our own unique musical experience. All of us come from a set of life experiences that shapes the music within us: our musical vocabulary. For some of us those life experiences my be broad and may include many different musical flavors. For others, our musical vocabulary may be narrow because we have not been exposed to a wide variety of musical styles. So each of us has a unique musical vocabulary.

The diversity of musical vocabularies in our congregation directly impacts our corporate times of worship each and every time we gather together. All of us come to worship each Sunday with different life experiences that have shaped what we “like.” Through my years of ministry I have heard many people say, in reference to the music chosen for worship, “I know what I like.” What I have come to believe is that for most people, the truth is not so much that they “know what they like” as it is that they “like what they know.” What we like, or in terms of our musical worship vocabulary, what we are most comfortable using as an expression of who we are to our Heavenly Father, comes directly from what we have known for a long time. Don’t we tend to like what is familiar to us? Aren’t we often hesitant to venture out into something new because it is just that, NEW.  For all of our congregation to experience talking to God individually with the most comfortable vehicle of expression on any given Sunday would be impossible. The challenge is to find, as nearly as possible, the common musical vocabulary that we all share. But we do still need to grow. So the Psalmist encouraged us in Psalm 96 to “Sing to the Lord a new song.” This gives us a reason to stretch our musical vocabulary in order to learn new musical expressions that help us to say to our God what is on our heart concerning our praise of who He is and our thankfulness for what He has done.

So join me this Sunday, and together, let us “Sing to the Lord a new song!”