Biblical Worship

Recently I have been reading an excellent biography on Martin Luther (Here I Stand, Roland H. Bainton, Abingdon Press, ISBN 0-687-16895-3).  The book was first published in 1950 but has seen many reprints since then. This biography is full of interesting facts and quotes from Martin Luther (1483-1546) who was a strong force in the reformation of the church. 

Here is a quote from Luther on preaching.  Luther had a conversation with a discouraged preacher “who complained that preaching was a burden, his sermons were always short and he might better have stayed in his former profession.” Luther responded:

“If Peter and Paul were here, they would scold you because you wish right off to be as accomplished as they.  Crawling is something, even if one is unable to walk.  Do your best.  If you cannot preach an hour, then preach half an hour or a quarter of an hour.  Do not try to imitate other people.  Center on the shortest and simplest points, which are the very heart of the matter, and leave the rest to God.  Look solely to his honor and not to applause.  Pray that God will give you a mouth and to your audience ears. 

I can tell you preaching is not a work of man.  Although I am old [he was forty-eight] and experienced, I am afraid every time I have to preach.  You will most certainly find out three things: first, you will have prepared your sermon as diligently as you know how, and it will slip through your fingers like water; second, you may abandon your outline and God will give you grace.  You will preach your very best.  The audience will be pleased, but you won’t.  And thirdly, when you have been unable in advance to pull anything together, you will preach acceptably both to your hearers and to yourself.  So pray to God and leave all the rest to Him.”  (Here I Stand, Bainton, 273-274)

Wise words on preaching. I would encourage you to find a copy of this book and enjoy reading about the life of one of the great reformers of the sixteenth century.

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As a worship leader one of the worst days of leading worship is the day when your voice is not healthy.  Have you ever had a day when you tried to lead worship with little or no voice?  It is extremely difficult.  Because of the importance of the voice the Lord has given us, we should be on our guard to protect our voice.  We should also care enough about the singers that we lead in our choirs and praise teams that we help them to make wise choices when using their voices. 

What are some unhealthy practices that singers should avoid?

• Not enough rest - one of the best ways to treat a tired voice is to get sleep!
• Drinking too little water - keep a water bottle nearby when rehearsing and leading worship.
• Drinking too much caffeine - this is not a good substitute for water - in fact it works the opposite of water by dehydrating you more.
• Smoking - bad for your whole body!
• Eating too much late at night - this can give you acid reflux and damage your vocal cords.
• Failure to vocalize before you begin singing for long periods.  Your voice is like any other part of your body that needs to be warmed up before you start a serious work out.
• Trying to sing louder than your congregation or choir.
• Trying to sing in a loud environment - tame the volume of sound you have on stage - can you hear yourself when you sing at a comfortable vocal volume?
• Singing when your vocal cords are swollen or you have a fever - this is a prime way to do permanent damage to your voice.
• Talking too low in your voice range - this can irritate your voice and cause you to have trouble singing in your upper range.
• Taking drying agents like antihistamines on a regular basis.
• Habits of coughing and clearing the throat.
• Shouting, yelling, screaming, cheering, and excessive loud laughing.

Isn’t it amazing how much abuse our voices can take and still operate?  We need to consider that as worship leaders if we cannot sing, we are headed for major problems.  Let me encourage you to be a good steward of the voice the Lord has given you and consider how you can take care of your voice for many years of service to the Lord.  With the current way you are treating your voice, how do you think it will work in twenty years?  Now is the time to make changes and be a healthy vocalist.

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The use of technology in the church continues to increase as progress is made in the area of sound, lighting and video.  It seems a large majority of churches today are using video screens to project the texts of their worship songs.  For the worship leader it has greatly simplified the giving of instructions during worship, making it possible for the leader to focus more on the spiritual aspect of the music in comments rather than where to find the songs (hymnal, bulletin) and exactly what will be repeated, etc. 

The negative side of song text projection is that we are no longer looking at printed music as we have it in our hymnals.  We are raising a generation with little or no connection to actually reading musical notation. I think we also lose a since of the poetry and syntax of the song text since we can only see one or two phrases of the song text at a time on the video screen.

Here are some thoughts on making good use of projected song texts in worship:

1.  When setting up the defaults for whatever projection software you are using (PowerPoint, Mediashout, Easy Worship, etc) - keep the backgrounds to the text simple. Often the backgrounds that feature nature pictures (moving or still) overpower the song text itself.  As people are worshiping they can easily be distracted away from the meaning of the song text to thinking about the picture behind the text.  Sometimes the picture helps to enhance the meaning of the text - but it seems more often it can be a distraction.

2. Avoid busy backgrounds that have constantly moving colorful designs.  If you are using a moving background - keep it slow and simple.

3. Consider using a simple solid color background that doesn’t change - help the people focus on the text alone.  Use a background that helps the text to stand out in a bold way.

4. Use fonts for the text that are easy to read.  Fancy fonts may look nice but can slow down the comprehension of the text.

5.  When setting up defaults for the text itself.  See how many lines of text you can project on your screen at one time- giving a sense of several phrases of the song text at once.  Go in your worship center and see how it looks on the screen as you stand in the back row.  Getting more lines on each slide helps with the understanding of the content of each verse.

6.  Use punctuation.  I know that today it seems to be the default to not use punctuation on projected song texts.  (Who decided this anyway?)  It seems when we are looking at slide after of slide of song texts with no punctuation that it is one more step towards the ‘dumbing down’ of the written word.  Song texts are poetry - use punctuation to show the relationship of words and phrases in the line.  I noticed one worship song software that will put an occassional comma in the middle of a phrase for some reason but not on ending phrases.  If we want to help the worshiper to understand the song text, wouldn’t punctuation help that understanding rather than hinder? 

7.  When using hymn texts from a database make sure the verses match up to what you expect.  Hymns often have many more verses than what we have in our hymnals and some editors put in different verses.

8.  Check your song texts before Sunday morning.  If you have someone else prepare  your projected texts - make sure you have an opportunity to review it before the worship service.  It’s pretty rare today with projection software, but make sure the words are spelled correctly.  How distracting it is when the words are misspelled, or phrases are missing or verses are in the wrong order.  As worship leaders we want to do everything we can possibly do to help the worshiper focus on the Lord and not on our lack of preparation.

I think the old adage of “keeping it simple” works well when it comes to preparing song texts for projection.  Don’t let the technology overpower the main message. 

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Communion or the Lord’s Supper is one of two ordinances given to the church by our Lord Jesus Christ (Baptism being the other).  Communion is reserved for use with the Body of Christ, the church.  I have always believed that communion that is offered outside of the worship of a local body of believers is not biblical.  It was given to the church for us to celebrate with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Recently, some churches in an effort to perhaps address the postmodern culture or a younger generation or to be creative are offering sort of a ’self-serve’ communion within the worship service.  There are several communion stations set up around the worship area with the communion elements.  Worship attenders are encouraged to go to these stations during the service whenever they feel a desire to do so.  This type of set up does not force attenders to partake of the communion but gives each person an option.

Although the actual communion stations are in the main worship area, people who choose to participate in this ’self-serve’ communion are not really celebrating with the Body of Christ gathered in the room.  It is one more way of promoting private, individualistic worship within the main corporate worship time.  So much of the Apostle Paul’s writings about the church seek to encourage us to edify, admonish, forgive, and rejoice together as the Body of Christ.  One of the ways we do this is by celebrating the Lord’s Supper together - all at the same time.

Perhaps Jesus should have had his disciples set up individual serving areas in the upper room that night before He went to the cross.  The disciples could then choose to partake or not partake of the cup and bread when it seemed right or choose not to partake.  I cannot imagine that happening because the institution of the Lord’s Supper that night was for all in the room to partake together.

I think churches who promote this individualized communion are not following the example of our Lord.  Churches using this method should also consider this - is there a time in the service when the communion is explained and the attenders told who may partake of communion?  After all, the communion is for believers and usually there are some non-Christians present in the service.

We need to seek ways to bring the local Body of Christ together in our worship, not promote individualistic private worship in the context of our main worship service.  As we partake of the Lord’s Supper, let’s remember what Christ suffered for us and be thankful —- together. 

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When I was called to my second full time ministry position, I was relieved that a couple of people in my first church who were a source of difficulty or conflict would not be in my new church setting.  What was rather funny now that I look back on serving in these churches is that there are difficult people in every ministry setting.  They are there in your next church but with different names.  One wise minister once said that ministry would be easy if it weren’t for the people.  That’s an interesting thought but a little unrealistic.

Randall Bradley in his book on music ministry makes some insightful points on dealing with conflict and difficult people in ministry:

“If you find yourself dealing with many difficult people, you should examine yourself, especially if these people are not considered ‘difficult’ by other persons. Perhaps you are the one that is difficult.”  Bradley goes on to suggest:

• Many criticisms have a spark of truth.
• Receiving criticism goes with the territory of being in a position of leadership.
• When you receive criticism, resist the temptation to deal with the issue then.  Tell the person thanks and that you would like to take some time to consider what they are saying before responding.

Bradley says that when you are confronted in a more hostile manner, you should:

• Never interrupt, listen to the very end, and respond with clarity questions.
• Don’t attempt to reason with an irrational person.  They probably do not want to hear a logical argument.
• Be gracious.
• Attempt to love difficult people.
• Work at forgiveness.
• Don’t answer at the same emotional level (a gentle answer).
• Refuse to take everything personally.
• Choose your battles carefully.

Randal Bradley speaks from experience having spent many years in music ministry.  I’ve found that one of the best ways to deal with conflict is to make sure you are spiritually prepared and to do your best to be rested before you arrive at church on Sundays and Wednesdays when most people are present.  When I am tired I usually do not deal with conflict very well.

Bradley’s book, From Postlude to Prelude: Music Ministry’s Other Six Days (MorningStar Publishers, 2004, ISBN 0944529364) has an excellent chapter on this topic of conflict (chapter 5).  I have found  the whole book to be helpful for beginning music ministers as well as seasoned ones. 

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Last week I shared 4 guiding principles that I think should characterize an effective worship/music ministry.  An effective worship/music ministry will:

1. Exalt the Lord

2. Edify the Saints

3. Equip for Ministry

4. Evangelize with the Gospel

(for more detail on each of these points click here: http://biblicalworship.com/?p=340)

How does one do all of this as a part-time worship leader?  This is a great question.  I have served as a full-time minister of music for a number of years and also as a part-time minister of music.  For the part-time leader, planning, rehearsing and preparing for the Sunday morning worship service is so overwhelming time-wise that there is not much time (or energy) left for investing in the worship ministry of the church.  Here are some suggestions on how to get started on these principles.

1.  Be vision-oriented.  Your church may not be where you want it to be today musically, but where do you see it going in 10 years?  Set clear goals for 5 years and 10 years.  Plan to stay at your church for the long haul and work towards these goals.  Without a vision or plan, most likely the music/worship ministry of your church will not change from its present state.

2.  Be realistic about how much you can accomplish by yourself.  How can you train and equip others to come along side you and assist with the ministry?

3.  Consider forming a music or worship team of several willing lay people in your church who can take responsibility for carrying out different areas of the music ministry of the church.

4.  Delegate!  Who can help you to reach your goals?  Consider this:  What things are you doing that your church expects only you to do?  What things outside of this expectation can you give to someone else?  Train your lay leaders to do these other things. You equip others when you train them and allow them to be a part of the ministry - one of the guiding principles of an effective music ministry.  Work yourself out of your job.  What happens to the music ministry at your church when you leave?  Will it carry on with trained lay people or fall apart because all of the ability in the ministry left when you left?

Why don’t we delegate more when we know this will help to grow the ministry?  Sometimes we think no one else can do the job like we would like it done.  This is a control issue that is not conducive to effective ministry. Yes, sometimes the person may not do the job exactly like we would do it, but we can continually work with the person so that he/she does do the job in a way that is helpful.  When I delegate I’ve often found that the person who is helping actually does the job better or in a more creative way than I would have done it.

Another reason we do not delegate is because we do not plan enough in advance to bring others alongside and instead we end up doing all of the work by ourselves.  Delegation requires planning months and weeks in advance.

Worship Leaders, let me encourage you to put some goals in place for your ministry for the near future and for 10 years from now.  Pray that the Lord will send you willing lay people who will step up and join the work.  Take time to train and equip these lay people.  Watch the music ministry/worship ministry of your church grow in spiritual depth, effectiveness and in musical skills.

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Many of our churches today cannot afford to have a full time staff position devoted to worship leadership and music ministry.  Often times the person leading is a layperson who is gifted musically but who also works full time at another job.  For that person it can be difficult to develop an effective music ministry at the church mainly because of lack of time. 

What should a part-time or volunteer worship leader be doing in the local church?  The most obvious thing is of course worship planning, preparing music for worship and worship leading.  I have been a part-time worship leader and know the frustration of seeing things that need attention and not having the time to give these things a priority.

I would like to offer my thoughts on what a worship leader/music minister should be doing in this article and then next week offer some suggestions for how a part-time or volunteer leader can carry out these objectives.  It is my contention that there are basic principles of worship and music leadership in the local church that should occur in any size church whether the leader is a full-time vocational worship leader or a volunteer layperson assisting where needed.

What the guiding principles for a music ministry in the church?

1. Exalt the Lord - our first priority in life and worship as commanded in the Scriptures is to Glorify our Great Lord.  Whatever we do in music ministry it should first bring Him glory.  We constantly must model this in our leadership and teach this in our rehearsals and worship services.  Exalting the Lord involves a striving for excellence and an acknowledgement of our own humility before the Lord when we lead.  Musicians need a strong dose of humility and a constant reminder of who gets the glory in music ministry.

2.  Edify the Saints - music ministry should encourage the Body of Christ.  Our people are bombarded all week with discouraging words and events.  We need to build them up with songs that remind them of who they are in Christ. 

3.  Equip for Ministry - this principle has at least two aspects.  First, we want to use our music to teach our people.  So much of our faith can be taught through our songs.  Second, we need to be training others in our church to do music ministry.  What are we doing to train our children and youth to participate and perhaps lead in worship?  This involves not only singing but providing instrumental training as well.  Consider one or two young people to mentor in this area of worship leadership. Who will be the next generation of worship leaders in your church? 

4.  Evangelize with the Gospel - music ministry should support the overall vision and goals of the church.  How can we as worship leaders help to share the Gospel with the lost community around us or in mission settings around the world?  One of the best tools for spreading the Gospel is using Gospel-saturated music.  We need to be sure we are proclaiming a clear biblical Gospel story in our songs.  Use our seasonal musicals as an outreach to the community.  Look for opportunities to take a musical message of the Gospel beyond the four walls of the church. 

I would challenge every worship leader to consider these principles in your music ministry work.  Are you accomplishing these principles regularly - week to week?  How can a part-time or volunteer worship leader carry out these principles with a limited time schedule?  I will discuss this in next week’s article.

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Bob Kauflin in his new book on worship discusses the importance of selecting worship songs with thoughtful biblically based lyrics.  He states that at his church - “we’ve taken to heart Gordan Fee’s comment: ‘Show me a church’s songs and I’ll show you their theology.’ Kauflin says that “people need songs that feed them, not simply songs that feel good….The words to our songs should be as strong and memorable as the tunes we set them to or the arrangements we put behind them.  At times I’ve chosen not to do a well-known song because I thought the music was more impacting than the lyrics.  The catchiness factor surpassed the weightiness factor. . .  When in doubt, leave it out.” 

Kauflin continues “…if our primary criteria for using a song has to do with whether it’s popular or enjoyable to sing, we’re going to have a hard time persuading anyone that truth matters more than music.”  (Kauflin, 101)

I would encourage you to pick up a copy of Bob Kauflin’s book, Worship Matters, (Crossway, 2008, ISBN 1-58134-824-x).  It is an outstanding resource for worship leaders and pastors.

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 Bob Kauflin, director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries has a new book called Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God (Crossway, 2008, ISBN 1-58134-824-X).  I have just finished reading this book and think it is a wonderful resource for worship leaders focusing on biblical principles for worship and practical instructions for effective worship leading. 

One of Kauflin’s main themes when he discusses worship is the role of the Cross in worship.  In a chapter devoted to this topic Kauflin makes a number of helpful comments on the importance of a Gospel-centered worship service:

“The role of the Cross in worship isn’t merely a matter of singing the right lyrics.  No facet of God’s truth should move our affections more than the gospel.  How could the death and resurrection of the Son of God ever seem irrelevant or be sung about in a dull, uninterested way?  But it happens every Sunday.  Because of our sin and negligence, we lose sight of the glories of Calvary.  That’s why pastors and worship leaders must make sure Calvary is always in our view.  One of the most important aspects of biblical worship we desperately need to recover today is a passionate, scripturally informed exaltation of Jesus Christ and his redemptive work.

Every time we step up to lead our congregation, we should present a clear picture of “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).  We come together to retell, remember, and respond to the Gospel and all it has accomplished.” Kauflin, 78-79.

I appreciate Kauflin’s emphasis on the Cross in corporate worship.  It is the center of all that we do in the Body of Christ but I am afraid it is a theme that is forgotten or not clearly presented in worship.  I would encourage you to pick up a copy of Kauflin’s new book, Worship Matters.

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Martin Luther wrote a letter in 1523 to his pastor friend Nicholas Hausman that expressed his desire to have more songs for the congregations to sing in worship.  During this period of time in church history most of the vocal music in worship was sung by a choir made up of priests with the congregation only listening to the performance.  In this letter Luther states:

“I wish that we had as many songs as possible in the vernacular which the people could sing during mass, . . . But poets are wanting among us, or not yet known, who could compose evangelical and spiritual songs, . . . worthy to be used in the church of God.”

Giving the worship songs back to the congregation was a high priority for Luther.  These songs had to also be in the language of the people not in Latin the official language of worship in the Roman Catholic Church.  Today we do not have as much of a problem with the songs being in another language but we do need our songs to be intelligible and clear in their meaning.  Have you ever finished singing a worship song and wondered exactly what its real meaning was?

Luther also mentioned the need for poets who could write song texts worthy to be used in worship.  Through the ages these poets have often been pastors.  This is evident in many of our well-known hymns today. Part of the problem with some modern worship songs is that theologically they do not have much to say and sometimes they are biblically vague.  On a rare occasion some of these songs are heretical when they suggest meanings that are opposite of biblical teaching.

We need poets today who have theological training to pen the words of our worship songs.  I am not advocating that a person has to have a seminary degree to qualify, but I do believe song text writers need a strong theological foundation to be writing songs for worship.  So much of our Christian faith is expressed in our songs.  We need to make sure that these songs are clear and communicate the Gospel to our congregations.  We have the truths of God’s Word to express in our worship songs.  Let’s make them biblically faithful with the message loud and clear. 

A call to write the texts of worship songs is a call to theological training!

(Martin Luther quote from Ulrich S. Leupold (ed.), Liturgy and Hymns, vol. 53 of Luther’s Works (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1965), 36.

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