Tuesday Refocus: September 19

"I want the presence of God Himself, or I don't want anything at all to do with religion... I want all that God has or I don't want any." - A.W. Tozer

My theology should not just shape my thoughts, but shape my life. Not just shape my ideas about God, but inform the practices, habits, aim, and direction of my daily life. If I am not being conformed to the image of Christ, experiencing a renewed mind, and being deeply transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit - then why even bother? 

My life - your life - does not need any more accessories, activities, or excuses. I need - we need - whole life discipleship.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” - Romans 12:1-2

Father, we are too easily satisfied. Give Your people a greater longing for Yourself. In Christ’s name, amen.

Amen,

AB

17 September: Liturgy + Set List

• GRAVES INTO GARDENS

  Call to Worship: Romans 11:33-12:2

  All we do is give back to God what always has been His. We live in response to the mercy and grace of God by offering our lives as an act of worship. Part of what we do as we gather is reorient our lives around responding to the mercy and grace of God. Let’s do that together as we sing:

• ALL I HAVE IS CHRIST

• HOLY IS OUR GOD

  Sermon: Mark 10:1-12

  Scripture says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Some of us have sin that is loud and obvious, all of us have sin that is subtle and subversive and deep in our hearts. As we continue in worship, we’re going to confess our sins to God and one another:

  Book of Common Prayer Corporate Confession

  Now that we have confessed our sins to God and one another, I want to give you a few moments of silence to consider and confess your own sins.

Brothers and sisters hear the good news: The Lord who loves you says in His word: Go and sin no more.

• HOLY FOREVER

• LAMB OF GOD

  Benediction

Choosing A Key

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.

Tuesday Refocus: September 12

“Lord, though I possess outward things, yet let outward things never possess me.” - Puritan George Swinnock

I am always struck by the reality that ‘…the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head (Matt 8:20).’ The One who holds the universe together by the word of His power, claimed no possession over His own creation (Heb 1:3).

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:25-33

Father, You know my need before I ask, You clothe and provide, You sustain and fill, and may all things from Your hand be received with grateful dependence upon You. Amen.

Amen,

AB

10 September: Liturgy + Set List

• 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

The Most Important Part Of The Gathering

What is the most important part of the worship gathering?

My Anglican friends would likely say the Eucharist.

My extroverted friends would likely say the time of fellowship.

My musical friends would likely say sung worship.

My worship-leading friends would likely say sung worship as well.

My reformed, gospel-centered friends would likely say the preached word of God.

Most pastors would likely say the sermon.

My charismatic friends would likely say what is unexpected, or surprising.

Whether we realize it or not, every portion of our corporate gatherings is formative. We are shaped in subtle and significant ways by years of repetition. What we emphasize, and where we place the most resources (time in the service, staff, money, etc) is likely what the churches we serve value most. But if everything portion of our gathering is retelling the gospel story, if every part of our gathering is intentionally placed to form our people, then each component has a role to play in the importance of our formation.

What is the most important part of the corporate gathering? It all is important.

Tuesday Refocus: September 5

“We must learn to grow like a tree, not like a fire.” - Wendell Berry 

The presence of a fire is visible in all our senses.

But a tree? 

Almost invisible. 

Slow and underground.

A tree is nourished more than it is fueled.

In the same way, the spiritual life is experienced and rooted in the depths before it is stretched and sustained in the heights.

“Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.” - Psalm 1

Father, may our lives be rooted in You. Jesus, may we abide in You. Spirit, may we be led by You. In Christ’s name, amen.

Growing,

AB

3 September: Liturgy + Set List

• ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING

  Call to Worship: Psalm 40:16-17

  When we gather, we gather to seek God. God is not hidden or hiding, He has revealed himself in his Word through His Son and in the gathering of His people. So let me encourage you - don’t just sing, seek. Seek the God who reveals Himself, who draws near to those who draw near to Him. Let’s sing about who Jesus is, what He has done, and who He has called us to be:

• ABIDE

• O PRAISE THE NAME (ANASTASIS)

Sermon: Mark 9:14-32

Scripture tells us, that faith is a gift. So let me encourage you, the right response to God’s Word preached this morning is not: ‘I know what I’ll do, I’ll go and have more faith.’ You and I are incapable of drumming up faith in our own strength. And that is a bit offensive to our American sensibilities of wanting to try harder, do better, and pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. The failure to pray is an admission of our own pride and attempts and self-sufficiency. And I don’t want to leave this moment and say, ‘Go pray out there, but let’s pray right here and now.‘ Maybe that prayer needs to be a confession of sin, maybe that prayer for you needs to be silence as you listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to you, maybe that is a prayer that looks less like words and more like action as you walk in obedience to God as you are sent this morning. But let’s take a few moments to pray individually, and then we will use the words of these next songs to pray corporately.

• ONLY A HOLY GOD

• RAISE UP THE CROWN (ALL HAIL THE POWER)

  Benediction

Quotes [Part 4]

I like to spread out my ‘quotes’ posts - but these were too good to hold on to for much longer!

WINFIELD BEVINS

“In many ways, worship is theology in motion.”

JOHN ELDREDGE

“Modern worship bands not only need to be extraordinarily talented musicians, young, and beautiful, but their live events employ multimedia to keep your attention as well. Now church service compete with concert-level staging, lighting, special effects, and films. The terrible, unspoken assumption creeping in is this: if you’re going to find God, if you’re going to have more of God, it’s going to come through some amazing experience, something totally wild and over the top. Or we think that once we have God, the proof will be an over-the-top life. Not true. So unhelpful, and immensely unkind. This expectation actually makes those deeper experiences of God seem inaccessible for most of us.”

OSWALD CHAMBERS

“We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself. If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you - and His experiments always succeed.”

ROBERT E. WEBBER

“Worship does God’s story! In worship, we remember God’s story in the past and anticipate God’s story in the future.”

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Tuesday Refocus: August 29

"Be so preoccupied with good that you have no room for ill will." - E. Stanley Jones

Right worship leaves no preoccupation for self in the same way that filling our minds, hearts, and lives with good leaves no room for ill:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” - Philippians 4:8

May our minds, words, actions, and lives be marked with nothing other than a preoccupation with the only One who is good. “You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.” - Psalm 119:68

Father, fill our minds and mouths with things that are good, beautiful, and true. May our hearts be an overflowing cup of life-giving love in response to the love we have received through you, in Christ’s name, amen.

Preoccupied,

AB

27 August: Liturgy + Set List

• HOLY HOLY HOLY

  Call to Worship: Psalm 99

• GRACE ALONE

• HOLY IS OUR GOD

  When God reveals a little more of his holiness, we become increasingly aware of our own sin and brokenness. As we sing and respond to the holiness of God, I want to give you a few moments to invite the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of your own heart and life in which you need to confess to God, repent of your sin, turn to Christ, and then together we will pray a prayer of confession.

  Let’s pray this together:

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.

Brothers and sisters, hear the good news: God does not treat you as your sins deserve - praise the Lord. Amen, you may have a seat.

Sermon: Mark 9:2-13

The Lord’s Supper

The Apostles’ Creed

• ALL HAIL KING JESUS

Benediction

Scheduling a Team

If you are leading in a context where you have enough musicians to serve on a rotation, then considering how to schedule a team will become an increasingly more regular part of your weekly responsibilities gearing up for a weekend.

Of course, you need to think through the practicalities of how you communicate with a team. What kinds of rhythms and expectations to set with the team, you will also need to think through some of the intangibles.

Intangibles like:

What voices sound the best together?

What team members can complement one another’s style of playing?

How can I balance stronger musicians with less experienced musicians?

What are the rhythms for serving that work best in the lives of our team?

How will these songs work with the specific team that will be tasked with leading the setlist in a weekend?

As my team has grown, my month has a similar outline:

• Two weeks before a new month, I send my whole team an email letting them know to enter any blockout dates for weekends they will not be available to serve.

• I start listing out songs that I think will work with the sermon text, determine any new songs, and begin to get a 30,000-foot view of the services a month at a time. This helps me keep an eye out for things like Baptism, Communion, or special announcements that need to be included in our gathering and will shift the time, or amount of songs in a service.

• The week before a month begins I schedule my team via Planning Center. As people confirm or decline, I know there will be specific spots to fill, and as this happens I have a better sense of how to tailor the set list to fit the team.

• Every Tuesday I email the team who is serving to confirm for them the set list and song keys.

This pattern has taken time to develop, and in every place I have served as found a unique rhythm. Consistency is key in your scheduling and communication. But because people are not widgets, you have to invest time into being a student of your team, to serve them well in your scheduling.

If you’re looking for other resources for your team, you may find these posts helpful as well:

How to build a team without musicians.

A team of worship leaders.

Identifying and developing new leaders.

Making space for new leaders here and here.