Biblical Worship

Division of Biblical Worship Guitar Lab

In the Division of Biblical Worship at Southern Seminary we have added several new worship band labs.  These labs provide training for our students in the areas of acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums and recording.  At Southern Seminary we have not left the traditional training of music theory, aural skills, vocal technique, hymnology, and other courses.  All of our students need a good foundation of musical training. We are supplementing our curriculum with some much needed training for our students in the area of the worship band.  This fall we introduced our new Guitar Lab which features Taylor acoustic guitars and Fender electric guitars.  In the spring semester we will have our Drum Lab and Bass Guitar Lab set up.

Our Recording Lab is used by our recording classes and others to produce simple worship song recordings.  Recently the worship team from Ninth and O Baptist Church in Louisville used the the seminary recording lab to prepare three worship songs for their Christmas Advent CD which was given out to church members in December.  Dr. Barry Joslin is the Worship Pastor at Ninth and O.  The recordings feature several worship team members from the church who are also worship students at Southern Seminary and Boyce College.  Gordon McComb, Master of Divinity in Worship Leadership student at Southern and worship associate at Ninth and O did the recording engineering on these songs.  Here is a link to these recordings:

Advent Songs from Worship Team of Ninth and O Baptist Church

Division of Biblical Worship Recording Lab

Years ago I served with a dear pastor who enjoyed the Christmas season, but was quite ready for it to be over after a couple of weeks.  He thought that people are so distracted by the trappings of the holiday season that they are not spiritually focused and not moving forward in their Christian walk.  In our worship planning we would agree to only use Christmas music on certain Sundays which usually ended up being the first 3 Sundays of December – not before or after.  He believed that much of the Christmas music used in worship only led to sentimental reflections of Christmas seasons gone by with little real focus on Christ.

We must admit much of what happens at Christmas often has little to do with the real reason for the celebration – Jesus.  How can a worship leader select music for worship during this season that helps to keep the proper perspective on Christmas?  Here are some suggestions:

1. Avoid songs that over sentimentalize the season such as songs that focus on the “most wonderful time of the year.”  Are we in love with the season or with Christ?

2. Avoid songs that are strictly secular in their association.  Some churches choose to do several of these type songs at the beginning of their musicals at Christmas to either “entertain” or “attract non-believers.”  I believe these type songs have no place in a worship service especially when it is intended to be evangelistic.  What's evangelistic about singing secular songs?  I think sometimes we can be so entertainment focused that we are in danger of entertaining them to hell.  Point your people to Christ.

3.  Choose songs that correctly describe the Christmas story according to Scripture.  Many of our songs really do not portray the story very well.  Look for songs that are clear in communicating the story.

4.  Choose songs that tell the whole Gospel Story- Jesus birth, his ministry, his death on a cross and his resurrection.  The problem with many Christmas songs is that they leave Jesus in the manger.  Christians and non-Christians need to hear the whole Gospel at Christmas.  Look for songs that go beyond the manger.  He came to be our Savior. 

5.  Choose Christmas songs that your congregation can sing.  Many songs of this season (old and new) are difficult to sing in a congregational setting.  Consider the key of the song and the rhythmic structure.

Do all Christmas songs have to fit every criteria listed above? No, but a good group of your songs should.  Let's help our people keep Christ in their Christmas season by using great songs that lead us to the Messiah – Our Savior and Lord. 

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir to God.

Galatians 4:4-7 (ESV)

In our worship ministries it is important that members of our bands and choirs be team players.  This concept drives right to the heart of serving the ministry and serving the church.  Those in leadership know how difficult it can be at times working with a group of Christian artists who are part of our ministries.  Rory Noland in his book, The Heart of the Artist (Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-22471-3), describes what it means to be a team player:

1.  A team player is committed to the cause of the team – putting the church’s mission above our agenda. 

2.  A team player is committed to resolving relational conflict – seeking to promote the unity of the group is a core value of being a team player. We are to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  (Ephesians 4:3)

3.  A team player encourages and supports his or her teammates.  Noland says we should cultivate an environment that is encouraging, life-giving, and supportive.

4.  A team player holds on to his or her gifts loosely.  We should offer our God-given talents to be used in a way the best serves the church.

5.  A team player tries to bring a healthy self to the team.  We should show up rested and physically healthy to serve on our ministry teams.  Your life outside of minstry has a direct bearing on how well you serve with your team.

6.  A team player doesn’t care who get the credit or the glory.  “It’s amazing how much gets accomplished when no cares who gets the credit.”

7.  A team player brings all of his or her spiritual gifts to the team.  God has gifted all Christians with gifts to be used in his church.

8.  A team player sees his or her role as valuable, no matter how small. 

9.  A team player submits to authority.  Noland states that “stubborness is not a virtue.”  Unless your leader is asking you to do something unscriptural then we should be strive to follow his leadership.

10.  A team player doesn’t lose his or her autonony or artistic identity.  When we lose autonomy we stop taking responsibility for ourselves. 

Noland has given us some great points about being a team player.  How do we match up to these?  How are our worship teams working together?  Leaders, are we spending time discipling our teams so that they learn to work and serve together with joy and to the glory of God?  I recommend you pick up this book and read more indepth concerning this concept of team ministry.  This is a good book for any worship minister wanting to be a better leader for your teams.

Southern Seminary recently hosted an Expositor’s Summit on campus.  Norton Hall, our seminary traveling worship band, provided worship music throughout the week for the conference.   Thanks to Devon Kauflin, band leader for compiling this list!

Tuesday 1:30PM  (General Session #1 – R. Albert Mohler Jr.)

Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber)

Our Song from Age to Age (Joel Sczebel)

Tuesday 3:00PM  (General Session #2 – Ray Ortlund)

Come Praise and Glorify (Tim Chester/Bob Kauflin)

How Firm a Foundation (Traditional)

In the Shadow of the Glorious Cross (Brooks Ritter/Rebecca Bales)

Now Why This Fear (Augustus Toplady/Doug Plank)Response:

Our Song from Age to Age (Joel Sczebel)

Jesus Paid it All (Elvina Hall/Kristian Stanfill)

Tuesday 7:00PM (General Session #3 – Alistair Begg)

Nothing but the Blood (Robert Lowry)

Refuge (Isaac Watts/Neil Robbins)

Grace Greater Than Our Sin (Julia Johnston)

In Christ Alone (Stuart Townend/Keith Getty)

Response:

All I Have is Christ (Jordan Kauflin)

Wednesday 9:30AM (General Session #4 – Panel Discussion)

A Mighty Fortress (Martin Luther)

How Great is Your Faithfulness (Matt Redman)

Before the Throne of God Above (Charitie Bancroft/Vicki Cook)

Response:

Grace Greater Than Our Sin (Julia Johnston)

Wednesday 3:30PM (General Session #5 – Ray Ortlund)

Refuge (Isaac Watts/Neil Robbins)

How Firm a Foundation (Traditional)

Now Why This Fear (Augustus Toplady/Doug Plank)

Response:

Jesus Paid it All (Elvina Hall/Kristian Stanfill)

Wednesday 7:00PM (General Session #6 – R. Albert Mohler Jr.)

My Hope is Built (Edward Mote)

In the Shadow of the Glorious Cross (Brooks Ritter/Rebecca Bales)

All I Have is Christ (Jordan Kauflin)

Response:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber)

Our Song from Age to Age (Joel Sczebel)

Thursday 10:00AM (Chapel – Alistair Begg)

Come Praise and Glorify (Tim Chester/Bob Kauflin)

Nothing but the Blood (Robert Lowry)

Jesus Paid it All (Elvina Hall/Kristian Stanfill)

Response:

O Great God (Bob Kauflin)

At Southern Seminary and Boyce College we are training worship leaders for the church.   This training includes music skills, biblical and theological studies, administrative skills, and practical ministry skills.  There is so much to teach and so little time to help prepare these leaders for the church.   Despite all of this training, we must constantly remind our students that our character is of foremost importance in our training and in our serving.

The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy that he should “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”  He instructs Timothy to “keep watch on yourself and on the teaching.  Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”  (I Timothy 4: 12, 16).  No matter how wonderful a musician one may be or how eloquent at leading worship, a person’s character is the foremost trait to seek and maintain.

In Spurgeon’s Letters to My Students he quotes Robert Murray M’Cheyne:  “It is not great talents God blesses so much as likeness to Jesus.  A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”  Worship leaders need to seek to be conformed to the image of Christ daily.  Who we are during the day to day work of ministry and in our homes speaks volumes about how much we love Christ and reflect Him.  Our effectiveness for the Gospel as ministers is wrapped up in our character.

Spurgeon continues on this topic:  ”true and genuine piety is necessary as the first indispensible requisite; whatever “call” a man may pretend to have, if he has not been called to holiness, he certainly has not been called to ministry. . . We are to stand equipped with the whole armor of God, ready for feats of valor not expected of others: to us self denial, self-forgetfulness, patience, perseverance, longsuffering, must be everyday virtues, and who is sufficient for these things? We had need live very near to God, if we would approve ourselves in our vocation. . .  We have need of very vigorous piety, because our danger is so much greater than that of others.”

Worship leader – how are you doing in this area of character?  This is so important to the life of the minister that it supersedes your knowledge of theological issues, your musical abilities, and other gifts the Lord has given you.  If we want to be persons that the Lord uses in ministry, our character must be foremost in our daily lives.  I challenge you as I challenge myself to strive for purity, holiness and integrity in our personal life, family life and ministry. 

(Spurgeon quotes are from Letters to My Students, Henrickson Publishing, chapter on “The Minister’s Self Watch.”  A new collection of Spurgeon’s lectures to his ministry students.  Highly recommended).

In the Division of Biblical Worship at Southern Seminary, you will develop the musical skills necessary to navigate the ever-changing landscape of worship styles. From modern rhythm sections to vocal groups, our curriculum will equip you for the musical trends, waves and challenges of the present and the future.

Scholarships Available.  For more information or an audition please contact us at biblicalworship@sbts.edu.

Watch our new video about the Division of Biblical Worship.

The New Division of Biblical Worship at Southern Seminary

Gospel-Centered/Musically Relevant/Pastorally Focused