Clutching the Altar

Closing the Doors

2009-06-19T14:47:00.003-05:00

So for anyone who has been checking in on me, you notice that I post once or twice a month at best. I have decided to officially close the doors on the blog for a little while. I will re-open when I get a better picture of what I have to offer as a blogger and can post often enough to make it worth everyone's time.

Thanks.

VOY o Voy

2009-05-12T14:17:00.002-05:00

Hey all, this Sunday is Vitality of Youth Sunday, which means that the spotlight will be on our Junior and Senior High students. Please make sure to come support our students as they help lead us in worship in all three services. Then, stay for the picnic afterward where we will welcome members of other congregations that meet at Hope and OCMC.

3 Chapters a Day

2009-04-27T14:54:00.003-05:00

Did you realize that if you read 3 chapters of the Bible each day, you can read the whole thing in a year? Ok, so you have to read 1 extra chapter a week to make it work out, but that is more than manageable. There is an average of about 700 words per chapter, which means reading around 2100 words a day. For ease, let's call it 15 minutes a day. Can you carve out 15 minutes a day to read God's revelation to us?

(Is it wrong to suggest you skim genealogies?)

If you've never read the whole Bible before, I encourage you to challenge yourself to do this in the next year.

Why I should stop being a muscial snob

2009-04-02T11:11:00.004-05:00

I found this article by Bob Kauflin through another blog. I am guilty of a lot of this. Are you?

I Hate That Music

by Bob Kauflin

I’ve been musing recently about how we express our musical opinions. Why do we feel so strongly about songs, bands, and styles? And why do we draw conclusions so quickly? Someone plays a new song or band for us and we have an immediate response:

Nope. Don’t like it.

That stinks.

I can’t stand that kind of music.

You like that stuff?

Is there anything wrong with raving about the music/artists we love and being swift to trash those we despise?

If we’re Christians, yes. Let me suggest ten reasons why musical forbearance might be good for our souls.

1. Being a self-appointed music critic is often just a sign of pride.

Using exaggerated or biting words to put down certain songs, styles, or artists can be a symptom of selfishness, laziness, or arrogance. Music is a vast topic, and no one knows everything there is to know about it. I know at times I haven’t taken time to consider whether or not my assessment was accurate because I was busy sharing my opinions. (Prov. 18:2)

2. Music doesn’t define us.

Why do we become offended when someone critiques our favorite song, group, or style of music? Often it’s because they feel like they’re insulting “our” music, which means they’re insulting us. The problem might be that we’re viewing music as an idol, the thing that satisfies us and gives meaning to our life. Music isn’t our life — Christ is. (Col. 3:4).

3. Great songs don’t always sound great the first time through.

Some songs require repeated listenings to appreciate their value. Albums and songs often grow on us over time. Is the best music always instantly accessible or appealing? If we’ve learned anything from hundreds of years of music making, the answer would have to be no.

4. Listening to music the masses have never heard of doesn’t make us better.

Some of us derive a particular joy in finding and listening to obscure, undiscovered artists. I sure like coming across a great band I’ve never heard of. But finding an unknown artist isn’t admirable in and of itself. Some bands are undiscovered because they’re not very good. And if we do happen to discover a talented unknown band, it’s an opportunity to serve others, not look down on them.

5. Listening to music that is massively popular doesn’t make us better.

This is the opposite craving of the previous point. It’s the mindset that says if the song or artist hasn’t been on the radio, at the top of the charts, or on TV, it’s not worth listening to.

6. Learning to appreciate unfamiliar music is one way to prefer others. I can find this hard to believe at times, but not everyone likes the music I do. And patiently seeking to understand why my friends like the music they do will not only cultivate humility. (Phil. 2:4) It might broaden my musical world!

7. Learning to like other kinds of music can open my eyes to God’s creativity.

In his book, Music Through the Eyes of Faith, Harold Best addresses musical elitists. “Among all this stuff that needs aesthetic redeeming, there is also goodness, a whole lot of integrity and honesty, from which they themselves can learn.” (p. 89) That means I can actually enjoy music that is less sophisticated than what I’d ordinarily listen to.

8. We may have to eat our words.

It’s happened more than a few times. I mouth off about how bad a song is, and later on start to think it’s actually pretty good. Or I tear up a song on my blog and later find myself talking to a person who loves it or the person who wrote it. Oops.

9. We might be missing an opportunity to be grateful for God’s gifts.

Our tendency is to assume that God’s gifts all look and sound the same. They don’t, and that shouldn’t surprise us. What would happen if the first time we heard a song we were grateful rather than critical? James 1:17 tells us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” Those good gifts might include that new song that sounds so strange to our ears.

10. Being opinionated about music can affect our ability to worship God corporately.

How many times have you heard the first few bars of a worship song on Sunday and thought, “Oh no…I can’t stand this song.” Or maybe you’re talking with a group of friends at lunch on Sunday, and you’re letting them know which songs you really didn’t like. In either case, we’re giving more value to our musical preferences than God’s command to sing his praise and to love him with all our hearts. Do we really want to let our musical opinions keep us from worshiping the God who gave us music in the first place?

Let me be clear. No song is above evaluation and some songs are better than others in a particular genre. But we just might serve others and ourselves more effectively if we expressed our musical opinions with a little more grace.

Worship is Eternal!

2009-03-06T15:39:00.004-06:00

Did you realize how big a deal worship is? This morning as I was torturing myself on a stationary bicycle, I read something that may change the way I look at worship forever.

Reflecting on Ephesians 1:3-6, Bob Kauflin had this to say:

God chose us before the foundation of the world because he loved us. But why did he choose us? Not so that we might endlessly reflect upon ourselves, but for the "praise of his glorious grace." When we worship God, we join an activity that began in eternity and will continue forever - the triune God valuing his beauty and worthy above everything else
(From Worship Matters page 176.)

When we worship God, we are joining in something that began in God's mind before time began and is going to continue on forever. When we worship Jesus Christ, we are tapping into eternity! That may change my attitude every time I offer my meager worship to God.

Find what works for you

2009-03-02T15:39:00.003-06:00

I spent a lot of years and a lot of money trying to get the sound that other guitar players had. In fact, a few years ago, I had the exact same set up as a friend of mine who is an amazing guitar player. We had the same guitar running into the same multi-effects pedal, running out to the same amp. The only difference was that it sounded good when he played, and it sounded mediocre when I played. A lot of people have put all their money into gear that is named after their favorite musicians, but don't have the same results.

It turns out that the most important factor in determining your individual sound comes before the pedals, before the pickups, before the strings, and before your pick. It starts with the notes you choose and how your fingers play them. Finger pressure on the strings, the strength of your attack with your right hand, and a multitude of other techniques all make a significant difference.

Once I realized that I was the main reason my guitar sounded different, I started to find what worked for me. Turns out my friend thinks I am way better than he is at other things. Why? Because we play differently. Don't worry about sounding like your favorite musician. Find your style and do the best to make it better.

Let Your Kingdom Come

2009-02-18T12:42:00.001-06:00

We are doing a new song this week. I have really appreciated Bob Kauflin's work as an author and blogger. So we are singing a song he wrote called "Let Your Kingdom Come". Enjoy.

The Challenges of Writing Music for Corporate Worship

2009-02-16T13:08:00.000-06:00

Zach Nielson over at Take Your Vitamin Z has eloquently summed up much of what I was trying to communicate with my "Examining Worship" posts. Here are the 3 most common problems facing songwriters:

1. Catchy Yet Simple Melodies: Writing melodies that are easily accessible to a large group of mostly non-musicians is very difficult, especially when most of our churches don't use musical notes on a page. If I were your average artist on the radio, I would just write melodies that are really catchy and sound good when I sing them. The worship songwriter cannot approach his craft so selfishly. The worship songwriter has unique constaints: Is this too high for the average non-singer? Is this melody too rhythmically challenging? Can this melody be quickly remembered? Is the range of the melody too extreme (like Silent Night or The Star Spangled Banner)? Writing for a large group of mainly non-musicians is not easy.

2. Unique But Not New: Writing songs that have lyrics beyond "grace, place, see your face, run the race" is difficult as well. Expressing great theological truth without sounding awkward is very challenging. We have a fixed message. Our Biblical content is unchanging. Within these fixed theological boundaries, saying something in a unique way (being creative) without saying something new (this would potentially be heresy) is quite daunting for the worship songwriter.

3. Creative and Clear: If I were a typical artist that was just looking to sell some records I could be artistically creative and to some degree could care less if my audience totally understood all my metaphors. They might just write me off as "arty" and that would be a good thing. For example, I love Radiohead and I seriously could not tell you what one of their songs is about. The worship songwriter does not have this luxury. They have to be creative enough to be respectable as an artist, but clear enough to have the mind quickly engaged in the truth that is sung. This again, is no small feat.

I recommend Zach's site for anyone with an interest in Church music, jazz, adoption, and pro-life apologetics.

Wednesday Meditations

2009-02-11T18:47:00.000-06:00

During 2009, I will be reading the book of 1 John ever so slowly. During February and March, I will read chapter 1 each day, then move on to chapter 2 for April and May, and so on. And as a blogging exercise, I will take a few minutes each Wednesday to express what the Lord is teaching me as I read His word.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1-4; ESV)

Just as John started his gospel talking about the Word, so he begins this epistle talking about the Life. And just as the Word was with God and dwelt among us, the Life is eternal and yet is among us in Jesus Christ.

I think it is a wise thing to spend some time pondering the eternal nature of God, the unsearchable depths of the uncreated Son, and the immanence of Jesus, who emptied himself and became a servant, dwelling among us.

John begins his letter with the absolute truth of God. This is not a series of philosophical theories that may or may not work. This is the revelation of the eternal God from before the creation of the earth. But it is also the direct revelation that he has seen with his own eyes. There is no ambiguity, and there is no questioning the facts. The only variable is how we respond to this truth.

So the truth is revealed, the truth is clear, and the truth is proclaimed. John does not keep this to himself. Because God has revealed Himself, John must also proclaim what has been revealed. It is what brings fellowship between people because they have fellowship with God through Christ, who is the Eternal Life and gives us eternal life. And the truth makes our joy complete.

Are you sharing the truth of Christ with those who have not heard, and are not in fellowship with Christ? Are you in fellowship with those who are in Christ? Do you speak the truth to one another? It seems that John doesn't see any other way.

In Defense of Contemporary Worship

2009-02-11T15:22:00.000-06:00

By no means can I present the definitive debate-ending argument for the use of contemporary worship in Churches, especially on a tiny little blog like my own. But I will offer these short thoughts.

First, nowhere in Scripture are we commanded in what our music should sound like. While we read descriptions of harps, lyres, and cymbals, we can never know if they played in 4/4 time, fast or slow, one part or SATB, major or minor, and so forth.

Second, the demand for exclusively traditional music is counter intuitive. When a man is converted, he is being asked to die to himself, his old habits and sins. There will be many changes. Yet he may work the same job, live in the same house, be married to the same woman, drive the same car. Does it follow that he should be made to abandon his old tastes in music for an outmoded and irrelevant style that is completely foreign to him? I believe that it could well be a hindrance to his worship. It would be much like the Latin Mass or the Arabic Koran. Most pre-Vatican II Catholics do not understand Latin, and most Muslims do not read or understand Arabic. It is not edifying to instruct people in a language they can't understand. Yes, he will probably have to stop listening to some bands because of their lyrical content, but Scripture encourages him to sing, and he will be most likely to sing in a way that is familiar to him. And unless he is a big fan of classical music, his comfort zone is within the realm of contemporary worship.

Contemporary worship music is merely a tool to help the body of Christ as they offer worship to God, just like traditional worship. I would contend that the arguments of traditionalists rarely deal with the style of music, but instead deal with the way in which it is presented. But these arguments can be made toward traditional music as well.

Let me know what you think.

coming soon... in defense of traditional worship!

Examining Worship: part III - Who is the focus?

2009-01-19T15:57:00.000-06:00

This post is a follow up to Lecherous Worship

I think Louie Giglio put it well. "You know your church is healthy when people are going to lunch going 'God, how'd you feel about it. Did you like it? Did you get a lot out of it? 'cause we came for you.'"

In my last post in this series, I left out one category that could really have fit in either entry, the issue of over-emotionalism. I decided to address the problem of over-emotionalism under the heading of focus because it has a different effect than the other two. Songs and worship 'experiences' built primarily on emotions remove God and His works as the central foundation of our faith, and instead places our faith in how we feel. When our faith becomes captive to our emotions, our picture of Christ can become morphed and twisted to suit our desires. This is when we start hearing songs that talk about Jesus as though he is our boyfriend.

A close cousin to over-emotionalism is what I would call self-righteousness. It is singing to God of all the things we have done and will do on His behalf. This does not celebrate the Gospel of Grace. It is work righteousness.

Jesus Christ did all the work on the cross for us, while we were dead in our sins. Worship begins with a grateful recognition of who God is and what He has done. Yes, we can have emotions, and yes we can declare what we will do in response to God's work in our life, but it begins with God.

Practice Before You Practice!

2009-01-17T11:22:00.000-06:00

Sorry I haven't posted very frequently. I have been wrestling with a long post for a week or two. So in the mean time I will leave this short word of wisdom.

I have been thinking about the idea of practicing before you practice. This is specifically aimed at musicians, but it may apply to other areas too. I will consider this the musical equivalent to "measure twice, cut once."

It is helpful to me when preparing for rehearsal to walk through each song in my head, and perhaps on my guitar so I have an idea of what direction I am going with it. I also can brush up on specific riffs and make sure I start on the right fret. When I do this, I can play what I intend to play during rehearsal without messing up (too bad), and I can hear if it works, and the rest of the worship team have a solid example to try their performance against. Then, if anything needs adjusting, it can be adjusted more easily and confidently.

I don't always do this, and it shows. I would encourage everyone to take 5 minutes when they see the set list to think through it so we can bring our best and be unified in our efforts.

God of This City

2009-01-06T12:00:00.000-06:00

I hear a lot of songs that do nothing for me, and God of this City is one of them. But I had an opportunity to see Chris Tomlin explain this song in concert and it clicked. I developed a picture in my mind of people in every city in the world looking to do God's work in that city, and how the work of each Christian where they are at could have a profound cumulative effect for the Gospel throughout the world.

So this week we are introducing "God of This City." I hope you are blessed by this song and are praying for God to reveal how you are to be used in your city.

Examining Worship: part II: Is it helpful?

2008-12-16T15:13:00.000-06:00

In my post, Lecherous Worship, I laid out two extremes of lyric writing that prevent music from being helpful in corporate worship; over-simplification and over-complication.

1. Over-simplification: These are songs that have helped create the label of "7-11" worship that is applied to contemporary worship - "sing the same 7 words 11 times." The most egregious example is the song "Let It Rain." Here are the lyrics in their entirety:

Let it Rain
Let it Rain
Open the floodgates of Heaven

That's the whole song. Sing these 11 words for 3 to 5 minutes. How, I ask, does this help anyone? Is it asking God to pour out blessings on us? Is it asking for the Holy Spirit to come in an abundant way? Overly-simple songs can easily create confusion and open the door for errant theology and intentional truth twisting.

2. Over-complication: Have you ever sang a song and found yourself asking "what did that even mean?" A common temptation for songwriters is to insert Biblical language into a song because it sounds nice, with no regard to the original context. So why is right now the days of Elijah, where the word of the Lord is being declared. I don't see the dry bones becoming as flesh, or David rebuilding the Temple. What is a temple of praise?

Writing poetic lyrics is like free jazz. It is easy to sound poetic, and hard to tell what is deeply imaginative and what is simply wordy. Congregational worship is not only for the high-minded or the literary, but for all who love Christ. We need to employ words that evoke powerful imagery and roll off the tongue, but also speak clearly. Good poetic language reminds us of the beauty of God, bad poetic fakery draws attention to the cleverness of the author and disengages the individual from worship.

Examining Worship: part I - Is It Biblical?

2008-12-09T14:30:00.000-06:00

"Would you believe me if I said 'all of the dreams in your heart can come true today?'
Would you believe me if I said 'life can be all that you want it to be today?'"

These lyrics were written by a worship leader for one of the biggest and most influential churches in the world. This song was recorded in front of thousands and traveled halfway around the world and found its way into my CD collection. This is the age we live in, where ideas can travel around the world at the speed of light. With so much information, misinformation, fact, and opinion flying all over the world, the need for discernment is at a premium these days.

Any Bible-literate Christian should read the lyrics above with alarms going off in their heads. Jesus never promises a life of comfort and riches. Just the opposite. That is where the danger is. A song like this will leave the undiscerning Christian wondering if God is faithful when hard times do come, and could leave their faith in shambles.

Music in the Church has just as much power to instruct people as any sermon, and can find its way deeper into a Christian's mind. Let me ask; what was the main point of last week's sermon? Last month's sermons? What scriptures were used? Now, recite the lyrics to your favorite songs, some old hymns, or what you sang this last Sunday. Music is a powerful tool to convey the truth, but it can carry destructive lies, too.

We are to worship God in spirit and in truth. He went to great lengths to reveal Himself to us. We should never take lightly the responsibility we have to know him rightly and proclaim the truth.
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This post is a follow up to Lecherous Worship

Salvation is Here

2008-12-03T11:30:00.000-06:00

This Sunday we are introducing another new song; Salvation is Here by Hillsong United:

For those of you who like the work of Lincoln Brewster, here is his version:

Band on the Run

2008-11-26T13:09:00.000-06:00

For those of you who haven't checked out Bob Kauflin's blog, WorshipMatters, I highly recommend it. That is why it is on my blog list. I found this video there of him along with his band explaining how to play as a cohesive unit.

Band on the Run from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

It is 74 minutes, but I encourage everyone who is involved with contemporary worship at Hope or elsewhere to set aside some time to watch this video.

An Encouraging Word from Oliver

2008-11-24T13:31:00.000-06:00

Last night was Hope's annual meeting, and I was especially encouraged to hear about some of the work that is happening in the Oliver Christian Ministry Center (formerly Oliver Presbyterian Church, formerly Bloomington Avenue Presbyterian Church). God is definitely doing great work through that building, and I am thankful to all the former Oliver members who have been committed to leaving a legacy in the Phillips neighborhood that is bigger than themselves. You can check out what is going on down there at the OCMC website:

www.hopeocmc.com

21 months after the union between Hope and Oliver, I am fully convinced that it was the right decision. Pastor Bruce, all the members of Oliver, and the Oliver building have been a blessing to Hope Church, and I hope the blessing has been mutual. God has so richly blessed Hope Church in so many ways. Let's all be sure to do our part in the work God has for Hope Church.

Lecherous Worship

2008-11-17T11:30:00.000-06:00

A trend has come to my attention recently in a most disturbing way. I was reading the lyrics to a song that I had heard a number of times and often found myself singing along to. It is a sweet and gentle song of surrender to the Lord. But with the change of one word, or a change of focus, the song went from worship to a syrupy love song that would blend in seamlessly at a Journey concert. If the phrases directed at God were directed at a boyfriend (or girlfriend), they become almost pornographic.

Chuck Colson wrote an article a while ago lambasting a popular song for its cotton-candy substance and syrupy consistency. While his view of contemporary worship is lamentably low, he caused me to think on the nature of some of the music I present for times of corporate worship. Whether hymn or praise chorus, there are thousands of songs that have been written that are not worth hearing beyond the 4 walls of the author's residence. Yet many of these songs are performed, recorded, and distributed throughout the world without even a cursory analysis to determine if it is fit for consumption by God's people.

When it comes to lyrical content, I look at 3 categories:
1. Is it Biblical? Do the lyrics reflect the Truth found in scripture, or am I presenting a false understanding of God to the congregation?
2. Is it helpful? Do the lyrics make sense or are they confusing? Is there a clear message or is it simple to a fault?

3. Who is it focused on? Does it magnify God and his attributes, or is it about me, what I think, how I feel, and what I do for God?

The good news is that there is an abundance of songs that meet these criteria. There is no excuse to be lazy and select a song just because it is catchy, and it is the job of each Christian to evaluate what they are singing. If you ever see me singing a song that fails to meet these criteria, please make sure to ask me about it.

I will expound further upon the 3 categories listed in the coming weeks.

The Definitive Worship Leading Blog Post

2008-11-13T19:00:00.000-06:00

To this day, I consider this to be the definitive blog post on worship leading. Let me know if I ever get too close to matching that description.

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Update: The link was not functioning properly. It has been fixed as of 11:30 on Friday morning.

Jesus Paid it All

2008-11-12T15:43:00.000-06:00

This week we will be officially introducing "Jesus Paid it All." Many of you know this song already. It is another great reworking of an old hymn by the Passion folks.

I hope to hear everyone singing boldly this Sunday.

Why Did You Pick That Title?

2008-11-07T15:46:00.001-06:00

I admit, my choice of blog title is a bit obscure. It was late and it seemed like a good idea at the time. After a couple of days, it still seems like a good idea. I was thinking of the quote "The problem with living sacrifices is that they tend to crawl off the altar." I believe Jim Elliot said that, or C.S. Lewis. Maybe it was Rick Warren. But just as Jesus scorned the shame of the cross, we are to gladly accept the call to die with Christ so we can be raised with Him to live a life of worship and service.

With those thoughts running through my head, I remembered where the phrase "clutching the altar" appears in the Bible (or something close enough). It is the story of one of my favorite Biblical figures, Joab. If ever there was a man who relied on the strength of his own hand, it was Joab, and he did many great things as David's General. He was fiercely loyal to David, but his lust for power lead him to kill Abner, Saul's general, and David's son Absalom. So as one of his last acts, David ordered Joab's death. At that point, Joab ran to the Tabernacle and "took hold of the horns of the altar," seeking mercy. He was shown none, just as he showed none.

Do we come to the altar like Joab, seeking to escape the consequences of a life driven by our lusts, or do we come to the altar to die with Christ so that we may be raised to new life in the Holy Spirit? Do we continually lay down our life for Christ's sake, or do we merely run to Christ when there is nowhere left? I hope that on any day you see me, I will be clutching the altar where Christ intercedes for me.

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I encourage you to read more about Joab in 2 Samuel.

What You Can Expect...

2008-11-07T15:03:00.000-06:00

I've decided to take up blogging, which these days is a lot like saying "I've decided to continue breathing," so I think it is important to spell out what will make my efforts worth reading. Because I am a big fan of lists and logical order, here are my objectives:

1. As co-contemporary-worship-leader at Hope Presbyterian in Richfield (yes, that is my official title), to let the people of Hope Church better understand better how I seek to lead us in Worship as a part of our Sunday morning contemporary service.

2. To provide a forum for introducing new songs before Sunday mornings. That is to say, if you read my blog, you can spend less time learning and more time worshiping.

3. To expound upon the technical aspects of worship leading. I love my guitars. I love gear. I work with the soundboard and power point. I hope to help anyone interested in these things learn how they are integrated into the worship experience. I also hope to provide plenty of humorous material for those who know way more than I do about these things.

4. To provide a place for constructive dialogue about worship. Whether you have a song request, ideas for a more compelling worship experience, or a complaint about how bad I am at my job, you can stop by and drop a comment. If you don't attend Hope, feel free to stop by and bounce some ideas. Just be polite, or I will retreat to the corner and hide in my shell.

If you are reading this, you are my intended audience, so please stop back often.
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DISCLAIMER: Even though I am tying this in to my work at Hope, this is my own personal blog. It is not endorsed, sponsored, or sanctioned by Hope Presbyterian Church.