Corporate

Participation Vs Observation

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“The church must worship, and worship and entertainment are at opposite ends of the table.” - A.W. Tozer

I have been thinking quite a bit about the line between worship and entertainment these days. In part because over the past 18 months, our church has been in the process of finding quotes, establishing a budget, raising money, and seeking grant monies for a major audio-visual update of our space. More than just the physical reality of new equipment, we have had to determine how our convictions shape not only the kind of equipment we purchase but how it is used during the weekly gathering.

Like many things in our world, there is an opportunity for polarization when it comes to style, equipment, and the implementation of technology in the corporate gathering. There are churches by conviction or default have a simple setup. Sometimes these churches will accuse the high production value of another church of being distracting, performative, and putting on a concert rather than leading people in worship. And there are churches that are early adopters of new technology, always at the cutting edge of the latest and greatest technology, style, or song. These churches can often accuse simpler churches of being distracting, unwilling to use technology to engage the world, and behind the times.

Everyone has personal preferences tied up in music, volume, aesthetics, and style that are important to acknowledge. I think it’s also important to acknowledge that in many cases the convictions we carry about the implementation of technology and how we chase the latest and greatest or cling to simplicity is a second and third-tier issue. Jesus-loving, Bible-believing Christians can hold different convictions around these ideas and still be in fellowship with one another.

This is an area that can be gray. But I have started wondering if we are asking the wrong questions. Perhaps the better questions here would be: Are the decisions we make encouraging participation or observation?

Participation is worship - it is liturgy - the work of the people. Observation is entrainment - it is passive and encourages consumerism.

I believe in some ways this question frees us to make decisions with our unique congregation in mind. It does however require an awareness of the culture, the people we serve, and a clear philosophy of worship that is rooted in something longer-lasting than style and technology.

Are the decisions we make encouraging participation or observation? In some ways, this question seems almost pre-Reformation. One of the things we see during the Reformation is the tendency all Christians have to outsource their faith to “the professionals.” The Mass was observed in a language many did not speak or understand - they became passive observers, rather than active participants. What was true 500 years ago is true today - participation is an essential part of the corporate gathering.

Choosing A Key

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Choosing a key is a tricky business in this world of corporate sung worship. Trying to land on a key that allows men and women, young and old, competent and tone-deaf to sing out their praise to the Lord is nearly impossible. Like many things, you can likely find resources online that coach you through the key-to-key range that is best suited for congregational singing, but I am not a theory teacher, and this is not that post. Rather in this post, I want to offer a few points to consider when it comes to choosing a key:

  1. What is comfortable for your range? Who is going to be leading this song? If something is out of range (low or high) for the vocalist who will be leading the song, it will automatically become more difficult for the congregation to follow along.

  2. The original key. Many worship songs these days end up on the radio, which means they are likely pitched higher than even the worship artist would play or lead them live. Just because you can sing something in the original key doesn’t mean you have to. That being said, sometimes putting something in the original key can make it a lot easier for musicians and vocalists to learn their parts.

  3. What else are you playing? A larger consideration for me in choosing a key to a song is the other songs surrounding it in the setlist. Now, this is not something I have to worry about as much using tracks and pads to smooth transitions, but I want to be able to move seamlessly from one song to another. As a guitar player this means thinking about things like - will I need to change a capo? Retune my guitar? If it is not in the exact same key, what are the transition chords I need to play to move me into the next song?

  4. What key will be on the edge? Where can I pitch this song to encourage people to be right on the edge, and have to really sing out, but still be singable enough that they simply stop singing because it feels completely out of reach. I think about this with lighting in the worship gathering as well - I want it to be bright enough that people can see one another, but dark enough that they don’t feel exposed in their worship.

  5. Consider the song. People will often give modern songs a hard time about the anthemic octave jump from one part to the next, but truthfully, if you sing a lot of hymns, the melody range can be just as significant. The only difference is that we have become familiar with these melodies in such a way we do not notice the jumps.

Ultimately, there is trial and error involved. One of the reasons I like Co-Leading, especially with men and women on the team, is that you can choose keys for a man to lead that will be comfortable for men, and choose keys for a woman to lead that will be comfortable for women. We need to be willing to serve our congregations, serve the song, and be willing to sacrifice some artistry - just because you can sing that high doesn’t mean this is the right place to make that known.

10 September: Liturgy + Set List

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  • ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK

    Call to Worship: Psalm 18:1-3

    If you are here this morning as a follower of Jesus, your life is held secure regardless of circumstances because your life is hidden with Christ in God. We sing to our Rock and our Redeemer about who Jesus is, and what He has done:

  • WHAT YOU SAID

  • LAMB OF GOD

    Sermon: Mark 9:33-50

    If you start early enough, work hard enough, and spend as much time, energy, and effort to pursue greatness in the world, you just might get there. But every follower of Jesus can be great in God’s kingdom and economy when we - through the power of the Holy Spirit - pursue true humility and deep discipleship. Following after our Servant King. Let’s sing to Him together - would you stand if you’re able:

  • I STAND AMAZED

  • GOD YOU’RE SO GOOD

    Benediction

12 March: Liturgy + Set List

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  • GLORIOUS DAY

    Call to Worship: Psalm 24:7-10

    We get to do this as we gather - lift our eyes, lift our hearts, lift our lives to behold the King of Glory. But that only occurs when the Holy Spirit does what only the Holy Spirit can do - lead us in all truth, and reveal more of the character and identity of Jesus. We have been in the Gospel of Mark for several weeks, and we have seen the question about Jesus’ identity come up several times - ‘who then is this…’ this is the King of Glory. And this morning we will learn a new song that both asks and answers the question of Jesus’ identity - the one and only, the Holy God. We’ll teach you the chorus first, it goes like this:

  • ONLY A HOLY GOD

  • COME THOU FOUNT

    More than words we sing, that song is really the testimony of every follower of Jesus, because we all are prone to wander, we all are faithless. And still, God always remains faithful. We are entering the third week of Lent. And if the whole of your journey of faith has been as a part of churches that look and feel like ours, the season of Lent and its rhythms may feel unfamiliar to you. Because in Lent we pause, we reflect on our sins, we look to the cross, we confess our sins to God, and one another, we repent and turn from our sins, and turn to Christ. These rhythms and practices do not belong to a specific denomination, but they belong to the people of God. So we are going to spend some time now in quiet reflection, as you find your story in those words we have just sung - prone to wander - and we look with joy to the cross. Then we will confess our sins to God and one another:

    Corporate Confession

Merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against You
in thought, word, and deed,
By what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved You with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

In Your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us amend what we are,
And direct what we shall be,
So that we may delight in your will and walk in Your ways, To the glory of Your holy name.

Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. [From the Book of Common Prayer]

Brothers and sisters, hear the good news - God does not treat us as our sins deserve. He is faithful when we are faithless.

Sermon: Mark 5:1-20

No true encounter with Jesus ever leaves us the same. And if you are here this morning as a follower of Jesus, you were not a good person made better by Jesus, you were not even a demon-possessed person freed by Jesus, you were a dead person who has been made alive in Christ. Let’s behold the power, wonder, grace, mercy, and kindness of the Lord. Would you stand if you’re able, we’ll sing together:

  • RAISE UP THE CROWN (ALL HAIL THE POWER)

  • GRAVES INTO GARDENS

    Benediction: Jude 1:24-25

24 July: Liturgy + Set List

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  • HOW GREAT THOU ART

    Call to Worship: Psalm 96:1-6

    African Church Father, Augustine said, ‘He who sings, prays twice.’ Our songs are more than words and music put together. Our songs are prayers. We pray the things we believe, we pray the things we need to believe, and we pray the things we desire to believe. And when we gather in this room we sing to God, but we sing to one another. We pray to God and we pray with and for one another. Even if you are not a singer, even if these songs are not familiar to you, don’t withhold your songs and prayers from your brothers and sisters in this room. We need to hear one another confess and profess these truths about who God is, what He has done, and who He has called us to be. Let’s pray and sing together:

  • CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED

  • SON OF SUFFERING

    Sermon: James 5:13-18

    The arms of Christ extended upon the cross are the same arms that invite you and me to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace to receive mercy and help in time of need. So let’s draw near with confidence together and confess our sin to God and to one another:

Merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done, and what we have left undone.

We have nto loved You with our whole heart and mind and strength.

We have not loved our neightbors as ourselves.

In Your mercy, forgive what we have been, help us amend what we are, and direct what we shall be, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your holy name.

Through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Brothers and sisters, hear the good news: for those who are in Christ, there is a never-ending stream of mercy towards us in and through Christ. Let’s sing together:

  • COME THOU FOUNT

    Benediction

January 9: Liturgy + Set List

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  • GREAT THINGS

    Call To Worship: Psalm 98:1-3

  • ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING

  • HIS MERCY IS MORE

    Sermon: Joshua 1:1-2; 24:29-33

    The book of Joshua is marked from beginning to end with the faithfulness of God. Just like every book of Scripture from beginning to end is marked with the faithfulness of God. And for the life of every follower of Jesus from beginning to end is marked by the faithfulness of God. The faithfulness of God is not dependent on your faithfulness to Him, in fact, Scripture tells us that even when we are faithless, He remains faithful. Let’s respond to our faithful God together.

  • COME THOU FOUNT

  • LIVING HOPE

December 26: Liturgy + Set List

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  • ADVENT (Andrew Newell, Aaron Bucy, Joy Faulkner, Michael Baggott)

Glory, the earth is full of Your Glory

Immanent, transcendent, incarnate

The heart of God is found in flesh

And the earth is filled with Your Glory

Joy, the silent stars are shouting joy

Salvation sleeps and wakes and breathes

The Timeless One bursts into time and the silent stars are shouting joy

Holy, angels sing You are holy

You are come, silently, suddenly

The darkened hills ablaze with light

And the angels sing You are holy

CALL TO WORSHIP: Philippians 2:5-11

  • GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN

  • GREAT ARE YOU LORD

    Sermon: Romans 8:18-25

    Psalm 68:5-6 - Father and protector. Not a God that is far off, but One who is near. One whose nearness is our good. For every follower of Jesus is adopted now, and will be adopted forever.

  • GOD WITH US

  • O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

    Benediction: Galatians 4:4-7

Sending Song: SILENT NIGHT (SON OF GOD, SON OF MAN)

Responding To Current Events

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We know that part of living in a fallen world is experiencing pain and suffering. We feel the weight, and taste the bitterness of sin every day. But what about the days when we are deeply aware of the brokenness of the world, and we are more conscious of our own fragility? Natural disasters, national tragedies, global crises, and local upheaval - every one of those are the results of the fall. Even in the past several years, we have seen outcries against police brutality, racism, sexism, sexual abuse, political unrest, and COVID-19. What role does the corporate worship gathering play in speaking to, and addressing current events in the world?

If we acknowledge that the corporate worship gathering is formative, we must see the chance to engage with current events as an opportunity to form, and counter-form our people to look at the world biblically. The rate at which we consume information about current events from social media, the news, our relationships, and are filtered through our own experience can feel dizzying. And if sin has distorted, warped and broken everyone and everything - that would also include our minds - which may lead us to feel anxiety and fear, anger and rage, apathy and indifference, or chaos and disconnection. Like a loving parent, like a Good Shepherd with a non-anxious presence, I believe that the corporate gathering should be a place where we acknowledge the reality of the world, while inviting people to lift their eyes to the Maker of heaven and earth who does not slumber or sleep. And in this way, point to the peace that passes all understanding, the Prince of Peace - Jesus Christ.

When it comes to responding to current events in the corporate gathering, the first step is to respond. Because when we do not respond to the obvious pain, brokenness, and suffering in our world, our nation, our states, our cities, or in our congregation we are subtly communicating that the corporate worship gathering is disconnected from the rest of life. We are saying that what we do in this room, has no bearing on who we are meant to be when we are sent out.

Give people language. When I think about having ‘the talk’ with my children, I do not want them to learn about sex from the internet, their friends, or their school. I want my wife and me to give them language, shape their framework, and form their understanding. I believe the same is true with current events in the gathering: we want to shape our people more than they are being shaped by the world. By giving them an understanding which helps them make sense of a senseless world, through the Gospel, and through Scripture.

Prepare in advance. This could mean conversations ahead of time about how you will respond in the service - what are the tipping points for you body? At what point do you acknowledge, at what point do you change songs, at what point does the entire service look different than you had planned? But being prepared also means forming people before tragedy. It means connecting the corporate gathering to everyday life, so that when it is time to engage a specific tragedy in the gathering, there is a language for pain, familiarity with lament, prayer, trusting in the sovereignty of God, and seeing the world biblically.

Give space. Maybe there needs to be a time of quiet personal prayer, or guided reflection in the service. Perhaps you should make volunteers available to pray and process with people after the gathering. What kind of communication, training, and equipping do you need to provide for community group leaders to lovingly shepherd and care for those they serve? There can be many questions that accompany grief and loss, and processing those realities does not have a neat timeline, or endpoint. We have a responsibility to loving lead, not hurry people through pain, and tragedy.

Ultimately, we cannot prepare for everything. We are as sinful and broken as the world, and we will pass over opportunities to speak to current events that may hurt and wound some of our people. And we may choose to engage some current events that anger and frustrate others. But in all things, let us be aware of the formative power of the corporate gathering, and the formative power of engaging with - or not - current events of the world.

Songs As Prayers

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Our songs are doing more than filling space before a sermon.

Our songs are forming us, shaping us, giving us language.

Our songs speak to us and speak for us.

Our songs instruct us as little pieces of portable theology.

But our songs are also prayers.

Prayers that say:

‘This is what I believe!’

‘This is what I desire to believe!’

‘Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!’

Our songs are confessions of sin, and professions of faith.

Our songs remind us of who we are, and who God has always been.

As worship leaders we must choose songs with wisdom and discernment.

As congregations we must sing out - not mumble - these prayer songs.

We must sing our prayers like we believe they are true.

We must sing our prayers like we are trying to believe they are true.

‘The one who sings, prays twice.’ - Augustine

Songs of Devotion, Songs of Corporate Worship

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Corporate worship is an industry. With worship leaders, songwriters, and churches releasing new music to radio, going on tour, and selling tens of thousands of records. With the rise of an industry, there is also something of a hybrid - the worship artist. A blend of contemporary christian music sensibilities, corporate worship production, and singer-songwriter confessionals. For me, artists such as United, Maverick City Music, and several Bethel artists would fall into this category. Much of this music I enjoy, and find personally beneficial. But something that gives me pause is how undiscerning worship leaders can be about introducing - what I would call - songs of personal devotion - into the corporate worship space.

I do not believe that there is anything wrong or heretical about singing songs of personal devotion in the corporate gathering. Songs of personal devotion like, ‘I Love You Lord,’ and, ‘Give Me Jesus,’ have their place in the life of the Church. And clearly we see in the Psalms (the song and prayer book of the people of God) very personal pleas, confessions, prayers and celebrations from the Psalmist - intended for corporate use. What I am primarily contending for here is best practice - bringing songs to the congregation that will serve the people well in the corporate gathering and daily life.

Here are some filters for consideration when a song connects with you personally, or is being suggested by someone in the congregation, as to whether it may fall into a category of corporate worship, or personal devotion:

True.

Everything we put in the mouths of our congregations should be true. Not just truth adjacent, but true true. Can you trace every concept, idea, and even lyric back to Scripture? The lyrics should reveal what God has first revealed to be true of Himself - His heart, and His character. The content of the song should also be universally true for the life of every believer - not just telling a story of personal experience. An example of this kind of song of personal devotion is a song like ‘Talking to Jesus’ from Brandon Lake - ‘Grandma used to pray out loud by her bed every night. To me it sounded like mumbling like she was out of her mind. She said, ‘Boy, this kind of praying is what saved my life you outta try it sometime,’ and now I know she was right.’ - Clearly, this is a lyric that is personally meaningfully, but not necessarily universally true.

We Over Me.

Corporate sung worship is corporate. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a fan of changing all personal pronouns in corporate worship songs to plural pronouns (I have known of churches who have done this), but our corporate worship songs should be filled with more ‘we’s than ‘me’s.

Accessible.

Melodies and lyrics should be accessible to the congregation. Songs that contain multiple parts lyrically or melodically can make learning and ‘entering into that song’ difficult for the average congregation. Choose lyrics that are poetic, thoughtful, unique and unfold with meaning the more they are sung, absolutely! But will what you are singing make sense without any explanation, or if someone walks in halfway through a song? Songs of personal devotion can often have compelling melodies, that change from verse to verse, or never come back to repeat specific parts - this can be especially difficult to teach, let alone grasp in the corporate worship gathering.

Regardless of whether a song leans more corporate worship, or personal devotion, choosing songs for your congregation should be something done with a critical ear, and a discerning heart. One that is familiar with your congregation specifically - what do they need to sing right now? What will we need to sing a year from now? What songs will they need to sing over their crying baby in the evening? What songs will they need to sing in celebration of the care and provision of God? What songs will they need to sing around the gravesite? Whatever songs we choose, may they be ones that are good, beautiful and true.