Volume 23 | No. 1 by Worship Leader Magazine

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WORSHIP LEADER | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | VOL 23 NO 1

CONTENTS LEADERSHIP 10

BLIND SPOTS: FACING THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU | RORY NOLAND

LET THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST DWELL RICHLY AMONG YOU | MARK D. ROBERTS

HEART SONG & THE JOURNEY OF WORSHIP | DARLENE ZSCHECH

THE 6-WORD STORY | REGGIE KIDD

THE PSALMS: PRAY & LIVE | N.T. WRIGHT Find out from the World’s leading New Testament scholar why reading the Psalms is not optional, but “essential”

MARTIN LUTHER: THE CHAMPION OF SPIRITUAL SONG | WARREN ANDERSON Find out the truth and fiction surrounding Luther in reforming the Church and its spiritual songs.

MUSIC 28

SEEDS OF SONGS | PAUL BALOCHE

HYMNING: A MATTER OF PRINCIPLES | KEITH GETTY

SPIRIT-LED WORSHIP | TIM HUGHES

SKILL 38

THE MIX | ANDY CHAMBERLAIN What 3 things will help your congregation hear and sing?

YAMAHA WORSHIP | ANDREA HUNTER

THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF UPDATES | MICHAEL A. LEE

PRODUCTION 44

THE WORSHIP GEAR LANDSCAPE 2014: TRENDING NOW | KENT MORRIS A rundown of gear and instruments coming your way.

NEW YEAR OF NEW GEAR & INTRUMENTS | SPECIAL ADVERTISING

WHAT’S NEW | ANDY TOY

GEAR REVIEWS | ANDY TOY

IN REVIEW 56

EVAN WICKHAM | FEATURED REVIEW Make Us One—expansive, cinematic, refreshingly original

MUSIC FOR LEADING

PERSONAL LISTENING

THE BOOKSHELF

PROGRAMMING RESOURCES

DEPARTMENTS 6

THE WORDS WE USE | JEREMY ARMSTRONG

FORUM

74 4

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DESPERATE THANKS | CHUCK FROMM

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THE WORDS WE USE: 6 WORDS FROM GOD ABOUT MUSIC T

he Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love. - Margaret Atwood

The truth of this statement is perhaps found more in the poetry than in the data. In fact English has about the same amount of distinct words referring to snow as the Eskimos do. But the metaphor helps us recognize the need for nuance in the world around us—and the words we use to describe it. Twice in the New Testament the apostle Paul decided to broaden the landscape of his musical language by referring to the songs used in worship as “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). Though Paul might not have been intentionally inventing the worship genres with his poetic triad—in fact a number of scholars believe, he was decidedly not—for those of us attempting to prayerfully and with great care steward the sung prayers of our worshiping communities, it might be a helpful place to begin thinking about our mu-

sical language and the diversity of music we offer in worship. So let’s dig in a little. What would our services of worship look like if we traded the all-inclusive “worship song” or even “hymn” with the triad of the Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, where appropriate? And what if we assigned them a descriptive meaning? Would we be more intentional about our setlists? … (Hmmm perhaps setlist is not a good term either.) Would we be more intentional about our musical orders of worship? Worship Leader magazine is not the first to conceive of this. The Father of English Hymnody, Isaac Watts named his first book of songs intended for congregational singing (songs that were doused in Scripture but were not biblically verbatim) Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Watts of course was one of the most controversial religious figures of his day because he dared to bring songs of “human composure” into services of worship; something we take very much for granted today.

BY JEREMY ARMSTRONG

Because biblical worship makes us more like Christ, we want to be as biblical as we can with the songs we choose to form our communities. It is easy for our weekly song selection to get determined by tempo: two fast, one mid, one slow. Tempo and flow is certainly important; however, there is another biblical checklist that we may want to keep an eye on. Is your service of worship diverse with the biblical triad of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs every week? At the very least, we hope to encourage an intentionality with words. If we choose to continue to use the term “worship song,” then at least let us know what it means. To begin this conversation this issue is dedicated to the six words from God about music: “… with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” Join us as we question and pray and learn, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” W

– Jeremy Armstrong managing editor

worshipleader CEO/PUBLISHER Chuck Fromm, PhD

EDITORIAL BOARD Warren Anderson, Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown, J. Robert Clinton, Maggi Dawn, Craig Detweiler, Jeff Deyo, Carlton Dillard, Stan Endicott, Susan Fontaine Godwin, Shaun Groves, Tony Guerrero, Debby Kerner Rettino, Reggie Kidd, Roberta King, Greg Laurie, Hughes Oliphant Old, Andy Park, Matt Redman, Robb Redman, Jason Ritchie, Mark Roberts, Lin Sexton, Martin Smith, Brian Steckler, Laura Story, Rick Warren. SUBMISSIONS See our submission guidelines at worshipleader.com. For all other feedback or inquiries, contact jeremy@wlmag.com. SONG DISCOVERY 110 LISTENING BOARD Jeremy Armstrong, Shane Ball, Edgar Black, Joe Brookhouse, Beth Day, Shawn Denton, Daniel Doss, Marshall Drake, John Elliott, Gord Evans, Dave Gauthier, Kevin Goldstein, Charles Hammell, Christopher Hart, Randy Hitts, Andrea Hunter, Johnny Lewis, Josh Lopez, Bob Marshall, Judy Meinzer, Dave Pentecost, Ben Schoffman, Phil Sillas, Norman Silver, Debra Stacey, Tim Walsh, Cindy Wilt, Lindsay Young

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Jeremy Armstrong DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE & PUBLISHING SERVICES Andrea Hunter ART DIRECTOR Katie Noel SONG DISCOVERY SONG DISCOVERY A&R Phil Sillas SONG DISCOVERY ASSISTANT Andy Toy EVENTS DIRECTOR OF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT Suzie Stablein ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING Daniele Kimes SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Alissa Smith OPERATIONS AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Nicole Fromm ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Judi Coffin

TO SUBSCRIBE/MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION: worshipleader.com/subscribe CUSTOMER SERVICE: 888.881.5861 FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS: 714.226.9782 WORSHIP LEADER OFFICE: 949.240.9339 ADVERTISE IN WORSHIP LEADER CONTACT daniele@wlmag.com PERMISSIONS We grant duplication permission for up to 100 copies of any original article for use in a local church. For any other quantity or use, email jeremy@wlmag.com. NOTE ON BIBLE QUOTES Unless otherwise noted, Worship Leader defaults to the NIV 1984 version.

song DISCovery Worship Leader® (ISSN 1066-1247) is published bi-monthly by Worship Leader Partnership (29222 Rancho Viejo Road, Ste 215, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-1046). Copyright: Worship Leader magazine © 2014 by Worship Leader, Inc. Worship Leader® is a registered trademark. Periodical postage paid at San Juan Capistrano, CA and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address corrections to Worship Leader, P.O. Box 91388, Long Beach, CA 90809. Printed in U.S.A. CPM #4006 5056.

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WRITE US // EDITOR@WLMAG.COM OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE AT WORSHIPLEADER.COM

FORUM This month, there was a good amount of chatter on worshipleader.com. Here’s a little of what’s being said. About the article “7-part Guide to Speaking Between the Songs” by Gangai Victor. Read the article: go.wlmag.com/speaking-guide Gerry Leino said: These are helpful suggestions. The focus needs to stay on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The idea is to draw the congregation into deeper worship. Too much talk or talking about a topic that gets people off of focusing on God ends up distracting us from the proper focus, which is Jesus. Gary Townsend said: Wonderful wisdom! Thanks for sharing. Another thing that has helped me is to sing/play through the whole set by myself—just me and God in the environment I will be leading in (if possible). As I go through I meditate on the lyrics, consider how one song flows into another spiritu-

ally, consider the day’s theme or pastor’s sermon topic, and pray for direction for that service before I even get there. Many times this will bring Scriptures to memory that I can plan on sharing, or a personal testimony, or song story. Then I try to rehearse what I may say between songs. … Rowena said: I would also like to stress on the “speaking well” part too, as in diction/clarity/pronunciation. Mumbling words, talking too fast or too softly or loudly can be very distracting. Even the most meaningful sentences get lost if not conveyed effectively. I guess more practice helps! About the article “How Can I Grow As A Volunteer Sound Person?” by Brendan Prout. Read the Article: go.wlmag.com/volunteer-sound Neal said: The guys at North Point have put together a website (ownthemix.com) that has become

worshipleader THE APP IS NOW AVAILABLE! NOW YOU CAN BROWSE THE ARCHIVE AND PURCHASE SINGLE ISSUES TO READ ON YOUR iPAD. Single issues and subscription available • 99¢ sampler May 2012 iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc

an invaluable tool for me to use to teach my volunteers. It has lots of videos that do a great job of explaining just about every aspect of live sound. There is a small membership fee, but it is a lifetime membership. Jim Hinrich said: My pastor is also a guitarist and sound engineer. He’s asked me several times to step into the booth and train people. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been disappointed by the sound tech’s attitude when I step into the booth. It’s sad because the sound tech is so important to creating the right atmosphere for the service. Rarely do I find a sound person ready and willing to grow into the position. Allen Brocato said: … The sound tech is usually the most overlooked, most unappreciated person in the lineup, always getting blamed (even if its not their fault). That being said, I think it also helps to have a musical background of sorts. But nothing beats good old fashioned, on the job training. W

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LEADERSHIP

BLIND SPOTS:

BY RORY NOLAND

FACING THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU.

I’ve come to the sobering realization that I’m a control freak. In the past, people have kidded me about it, but I never thought of it as a character flaw. That is, until some of my volunteers complained to my pastor that I am “defensive, rigid, and not open to suggestions.” They said I “micromanage.” Thing is, they’re right. For the first time in my life, I see it. I don’t delegate because I don’t trust others to do things the way I think they should be done. When hiring staff or choosing leaders, I avoid those who are more talented or stronger leaders than I am because they’re more difficult to control. I manipulate to get my way and justify it because I’m doing the Lord’s work. It’s painful to admit all that, but also discouraging to discover just how pervasive this problem is. How can I change a behavioral pattern that’s developed over the course of my entire life? Makes me wonder if there are any other personal issues to which I’m blind.

I highly commend you for facing this difficult truth about yourself and for taking it seriously. I can’t guarantee there won’t be other personal issues surfacing in the future, and I understand your frustration over how long it takes to change deeply entrenched behavior. However, the fact that you know this about yourself will enable you to eventually make different choices whenever you notice the compulsion to control starting to kick in. Though difficult to hear, it truly is a gift of grace when someone points out our flaws. Early in my ministry, someone 10

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pulled me aside and confronted me about my being chronically defensive and overly sensitive. “We all feel like we have to walk on eggshells around you,” he said. Another friend told me that I’m too serious and that, if I’m not careful, my intensity can come across as anger. In both cases, I had no idea I was coming across negatively. Everybody else could see these things but me. I guess that’s why they’re called “blind spots.” We need others to point them out.

PAINFULLY VALUABLE Those brave souls who confront us are to be thanked and applauded for their courage. I have a friend who is six-feet, twoinches tall. His wife recently shared with him that some people might find his large frame intimidating. My friend is one of the friendliest, warmest, nicest persons you’ll every meet. His intentions are far from threatening. Heeding his wife’s advice, my friend now scales back his intensity around those who may be intimidated by his size. It behooves all our readers to consider their blind spots. You may not be overly controlling. Instead, you may be carrying around deep-seated anger, unaware that it leaks out in toxic ways. Your perfectionism may be subtly sowing seeds of discontent in your soul. Your insecurity may cause you to manipulate conversations to make yourself look good. Your stubbornness or grandiosity may cause you to think you’re more talented than you are. Your fear may be paralyzing you from making decisions you know need to be made.

PREPARE TO GROW If you’re unaware of your blind spots, I suggest you talk to your spouse or a friend, someone who will tell you the truth about yourself, and ask any of the following questions:

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In what ways do I come across positively to others? In what ways do I come across negatively? What do I need to do or stop doing to be a better leader? Is there anything about my personality that, if I’m not careful, could turn people off? What is it about me that needs to change if I’m to be the person God wants me to be? In addition to the questions above, I would also ask whether you’ve heard any recurring comments about yourself over time. Do any common themes emerge from what others say about you? Answers to those questions may provide more clues about how other people perceive you. When it comes to those inevitable blind spots, may we be as open to the truth about ourselves as David was. May his prayer become our own: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24. W RORY NOLAND (heartoftheartist.org) directs Heart of the Artist Ministries and is the author of Worship on Earth as It Is in Heaven.

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LEADERSHIP

LET THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST DWELL RICHLY AMONG YOU BY MARK D. ROBERTS

ccording to Colossians 3:16, we are to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.” How can we do this? If we are going to figure out how to do what Colossians 3:16 commends, we should notice that “teach” and “admonish” are not the main imperatives of this verse. They are subordinate verbs that express in greater detail the implications of the main verb of the sentence. And what is this main verb? “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish….” Dwell is the primary imperative, both in English and in Greek. The main command is: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly.” In the rest of this article, I want to carefully unpack this verse so that we might be able to put it into practice in our lives, and so that our “psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” might find their rightful place in our individual and communal life.

WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST? “The message of Christ” translates the Greek phrase ho logos touchristou. Most literally, it means “the word of Christ.” The translators of the NIV (2011) opt for “message,” a reasonable version of the Greek, because they want to emphasize that the “word of Christ” is something spoken by the community. “Of Christ” in this phrase most probably means “about Christ.” The message of Christ, therefore, is what we call the gospel, the announcement of who Christ is and what he has done for us.

HOW DOES IT DWELL AMONG US …RICHLY? Paul could have written, “Let the message of Christ be spoken among you often.” But

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the peculiar language of this verse points to the value of something more than recurring repetition. Our translation, from the most recent version of the NIV, improves upon its older cousin. The 1970’s version reads, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” The 2011 version chooses, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly.” Both “in you” and “among you” are possible translations of the Greek en humin. But “in you,” when read in our individualistic culture, allows us to think that Paul is mainly concerned about our having the Gospel live in our own hearts. The context of Colossians 3 makes it abundantly clear that Paul is focusing on the community. Thus, “among you” draws out the original meaning, focusing on the presence of the gospel in the community of believers. To be sure, the message of Christ will not dwell in the community if it is not also living in the hearts of its individual members. But the main point of Colossians 3:16 is the presence of this message in the life of the Church.

WHY THESE PRECISE WORDS? What is the meaning of the odd phrase, dwell richly? This unusual language suggests that the gospel isn’t just an occasional visitor. Rather, it has made a home right in the middle of the church, and from this central place it gives out lavish gifts. The role of the good news about Jesus is not unlike that of my boyhood friend’s grandfather who came to live with Dan’s family. His grandfather was always doling out gifts of candy, toys, and other treasures to Dan and his siblings. Paul might have said

J AN UARY /FE BR UARY 2014

that the grandfather was dwelling richly with Dan’s family. The message of Christ will dwell richly among us when it has a central, permanent place among us so that it might dole out its treasures, thus transforming us.

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? Practically speaking, how might the gospel of Christ dwell richly in your community? As the rest of Colossians 3:16-17 makes clear, this happens as all the members of the body—not just the leaders—teach and admonish each other in light of the good news. It happens when the music of a community embodies, conveys, and celebrates the gospel. It happens when a congregation regularly offers thanks to God in song for what he has done in Christ. And it happens when people learn to do everything in life as an act of worship, as an expression of and response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As worship leaders, we have the privilege and responsibility of seeing that the gospel of Jesus Christ dwells richly in our communities, so that our people might teach and admonish each other in the language of worship, so that God might receive continual thanks, and so that all of us might learn to worship God in everything we do. W MARK D. ROBERTS is Executive Director of Digital Media of Foundations for Laity Renewal. Blog: patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts. Daily Reflection: thehighcalling.org.

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LEADERSHIP

BY DARLENE ZSCHECH

HEART SONG & THE JOURNEY OF WORSHIP

henever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of His face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 MSG The Gospels begin with an outpouring of worship … Mary the mother of Jesus sings a love song of hope and devotion, pouring out her love in worship, grateful to God for choosing her and trusting God for all that she knew lay ahead.

GOD’S WORSHIP STORY As the baby is born, shepherds and wise men travel to bow in worship, to give out of their personal treasures and worship Jesus, the precious Son of God. A heavenly choir joins in the praise, heaven’s anthem being sung over the promised King. As the years go by—in the wake of the King’s life, death, and resurrection—people continue his worship: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). And Paul speaks about Christ-followers sharing in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Can you even begin to imagine the raw beauty of some of these moments? God’s presence is continually revealed to his people, reflected in the invitation of James 4:8, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (NASB). God coming close … that’s what I live for.

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SINGING OUR LIVES Through Jesus we have complete access to the Holy One, with ritual and form giving way to a rightness of heart, a hunger for the truth of the presence of Jesus in our lives. So then, looking at music in this context: How does this even relate? How does the song of God’s worship find its place in a new covenant of grace and relationship? Music, given to bring expression to the song of our lives, now needs to be expressed with devotion over brilliance, heart over head, hunger over comfort—in solitude and within the context of community. The beauty is that the more we understand just how much we are loved, we become so much more passionate and free to serve with our very best, to bring our absolute finest, to get vulnerable in his presence, and to allow the song of our lives to truly be heard. Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs seem an appropriate way to express the sound of the Church at large, diverse in her expression, but kindred in her pursuit of Christ.

JESUS REVEALED As we hear the rise of worship music around the planet, as we reveal Jesus through our praise and thanksgiving and pursue him through our dedication of service and love to one another, the world will truly see the glory of our God. I have played music professionally since I was 10 years old, even before I knew the Lord.Yet, when my heart finally opened up to the gift of Jesus in my life, music for me and its reason changed forever. I questioned everything about my life and how I lived it, and when it came to music and song, I was very reluctant to step into this territory. I could hardly sing for a moment of Jesus’ love without releasing a sob—as

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“…THE JOURNEY OF HEART SONG IN THE FABRIC OF MUSIC, THE SOUND YOU CAN NEVER FIND ON A CHART OR EVEN REPLAY THE SAME WAY EVERY TIME.” this new heart tried to negotiate the telling of revealed truth in my spirit.

BEYOND WORDS & MUSIC Over the years I have come to realize that God is not asking for anything I don’t have to give, only what I do have to give. In my heart of hearts, this has been revelation to me: that in every season all that is required is my best. Yes, part of our joy and our worship is that we sing, play, create, serve, dance, rejoice, pray, believe, craft, pursue—all to the glory of his name. All we do revealing the journey of Jesus and his magnificent salvation in our lives. As his Church, his body, our gathered and unique expression is a part of his glory expressed on earth. This is the miracle of union and relationship as we do life by his Spirit, as his body expressed individually and together. If you listen carefully enough, you hear the journey of heart song in the fabric of music, the sound you can never find on a chart or even replay the same way every time. This is the journey of worship. W With much love, Darlene Z DARLENE ZSCHECH (darlenezschech.com) wrote the classic “Shout to the Lord” and has a new album and book both titled Revealing Jesus.

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LEADERSHIP

BY REGGIE KIDD

THE 6 WORD STORY

here’s a story that novelist Ernest Hemingway won a bet that he could write a six-word novel:

“For sale: baby shoes, never used.” It’s hard to imagine so much punch being packed into so few words. But there it is. The story recently prompted a “flash fiction” movement, along with books like Larry Smith & Rachel Fershleiser’s Not Quite What I Was Planning and a website (smithmag.net) offering collections of life stories in six words: “Birth, childhood, adolescence, adolescence, adolescence, adolescence…” “Bad brakes discovered at high speed.” “Stole wife. Lost friends. Now happy.” “Barrister, barista, what’s the diff, Mom?” “I still make coffee for two.” Many six-word stories make me pensive. Somehow, they remind me that the most common funeral inscription of the Roman world in which Christianity emerged was just such a six-word memoir: “Non fui. Non sum. Non curo.” (“I wasn’t. I’m not. … Don’t care.”) They also remind me that what got imprinted in me growing up was a similarly despairing six-word formula: “Expect bad.You won’t be disappointed.”

PSALM 136’S SIX-WORD STORY In the ESV, RSV, and NRSV, the second half of every verse of Psalm 136 is the six-word chorus: “For his steadfast love endures forever.” Over the course of 26 verses we extol the glory of Yahweh as creator of the universe, then rescuer of his people. Twenty-six times we interrupt the flow of the psalm’s story with praise of Yahweh’s “steadfast love.” 16

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The universe, the psalm explains, didn’t have to be there. Everything that exists does so, not as the result of sheer randomness, nor for any other explanation than the steadfast love of the Lord. The only reason our world—and we in it!—are here is God’s steadfast love. The psalm skips over the fall, the flood, and the call of Abraham and goes directly to a celebration of the rescue of Israel

Verses three through five recount to my soul God’s six-word story for my life: “Forgiven. Healed. Redeemed. Crowned. Satisfied. Renewed.” Sometimes I chant those verses in plainsong (in his Plainsong Psalter, James Litton renders the psalm in Tone VIII.2). Sometimes I hum Paul Baloche’s “Praise the Lord, O My Soul.” Regardless, it’s as though the psalmist understood my “Ex-

“I’M GLAD PAUL SAID TO SING “PSALMS, HYMNS, AND SPIRITUAL SONGS”; THEY’RE THE WAY WE KEEP TELLING THE RIGHT STORY ABOUT OUR LIVES.” and the violent takeover of “lands for an inheritance.” The rescue and the takeover happen; we are invited to sing, because of God’s steadfast love. Through the obscure nation of Israel, seemingly doomed to expire in Egyptian captivity, God intends to right all that has gone wrong under the heavens he made “by wisdom.” The Bible’s whole storyline—from creation through recreation— is a long study in steadfast love. So, even while we puzzle over the mysteries of creation, and the enigmas of the texts that tell Israel’s tale (such as including the deaths of Egypt’s firstborn and of “great” and “mighty kings”), we take the long view. In God’s story, Psalm 136 reminds us, everything will be made right.

PSALM 103’S SIX-WORD STORY The first two verses of this psalm have an unusual audience: me. The psalm tells me to tell my soul to bless the Lord—which, of late, Matt Redman and the whole Church are echoing—and not to forget his benefits. It seems to know that such may not be my default mode of being. Several of my preacher friends talk about “preaching the gospel to myself.” I’d rather sing it—and this psalm shows me how.

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pect bad…” mantra. It’s as though he had his own despairing six-word story: “Sinful. Sick. Doomed. Ashamed. Dissatisfied. Decaying.” And it’s as though he perceived writing a psalm to the Lord was the only way to reverse it: “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” I’m glad the Apostle Paul said to sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16); they’re the way we keep telling the right story about our lives. Each kind of singing can have a particular effect. “Spiritual songs” remind us of the freshness of the Lord’s moving ... in our lives right now, in our particular church right here. “Hymns” unite us in the whole Church’s celebration of the fact that Jesus Christ is the center of history. “Psalms” keep our own stories centered in God’s story. Thank you, Lord, for your six-word exhortation: “With psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” W

REGGIE KIDD wrote the book With One Voice and teaches at Reformed Theological Seminary and the Robert. E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.

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NEW WORSHIP MUSIC ON

JAN/FEB 2014 VOLUME 114

1. SING TO THE LORD

7. YOU ARE WITH ME STILL

As heard on Our God Is Faithful. Words and music by Jordy Searcy. For more information visit: 8eightyrecords.com

As heard on Mariners Worship-Fall EP. Words and music by Brandon Collins/Caleb Clements/Todd Proctor/Travis Ryan. For more information visit: marinerschurch.org

2. FOR ALL OF US

8. YOU AMAZE US

BY UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE

BY NATALIE GRANT

As heard on Hurricane. Words and music by Michael Farren/ Craig Felker/Jesse Grisham/Joel Purdy. For more information visit: nataliegrant.com

3. THE LIGHTS

BY THE ROYAL ROYAL As heard on The Lights. Words and music by Gabe Finochio/Nathaniel Finochio. For more information visit: theroyalroyal.com

4. GREAT & GLORIOUS

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5. GLORIOUS CROSS BY NEW HOPE OAHU

As heard on Hope Is Alive. Words and music by Joseph Lauer. For more information visit: enewhope.org

6. I STAND BEFORE

BY PEOPLE & SONGS FEAT. TRAVIS RYAN AND JENNIE LEE RIDDLE As heard on I Stand Before. Words and music by Brandon Collins/ Jennie Lee Riddle. For more information visit: peopleandsongs.com

BY CALEB CLEMENTS

BY SELAH

As heard on You Amaze Us. Words and music by Douglas Fowler/ Matthew Adcox/Jordan Mohilowski. For more information visit: selahonline.com

9. TIS SO SWEET

BY NICOLE C. MULLEN As heard on Crown Him. Words and music by Louisa M.R. Stead/ William James Kirkpatrick Public Domain (arr. By Nicole C. Mullen). For more information visit: nicolecmullen.com

10. DRY BONES

BY CROSSPOINTE WORSHIP As heard on Take This City. Words and music by Camille Ralston/ Andy Doster/Spencer Parkerson/Seth Rice. For more information visit: crosspointechurch.cc

11. AT YOUR TABLE BY CASEY MCKINLEY

As heard on At Your Table. Words and music by Casey McKinley. For more information visit: holytrinityladera.org

12. HALLELUJAH FOR THE CROSS BY ROSS KING

As heard on This Hope Will Guide Me. Words and music by Ross King/Todd Wright. For more information visit: rosskingmusic.com

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LEADERSHIP

The Psalms:

and

PRAY LIVE N.T. WRIGHT

F (Abridged and Adapted from Chapter 2 of The Case for the Psalms: Why they are Essential, HarperOne, 2013)

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or me to think about the Psalms is like thinking about breathing. I breathe all the time but seldom stop to think about it or about what might happen if I tried to stop. In the same way, I have sung, said, and read the Psalms all of my life, from early churchgoing days in the Anglican tradition through glorious years in the English Cathedral tradition, and with my own daily reading of them as a constant backdrop—or should I say backbone—for everything else. Alongside that lifelong habit, I have been pondering the Psalms for a long time from the perspective of devout Jews in the second-Temple period. That is part of the regular task of anyone trying, as I have done for many years, to understand the origin of Christianity in its historical context. The Psalms are enormously important in the New Testament, as a glance at any list of biblical quotations and allusions in the New Testament will reveal. Jesus him-

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self quoted and referred to the Psalms in the manner of someone who had been accustomed to praying and pondering them from his earliest days. Everything we know about Jesus inclines us to say, of course, that he read the whole of Israel’s Scriptures, the Psalms included, in a fresh way. This was part of his own dramatically different understanding of what Israel’s God was wanting to accomplish in and through his people. But his fresh vision of Israel’s vocation, the sense of his own calling within that, and the sense of how Israel’s Scriptures pointed him in that direction and sustained him in his resolute announcement of God’s kingdom, even though it led him to the cross, were nevertheless a new twist within that great tradition, not a move outside it. This means that Jesus and his first followers were living within an implied worldview that they shared with their Jewish contemporaries but emphatically not with the modern Western world.

LEADERSHIP change, development, decay, and death the sheer material world of God’s creation Profoundly Mistaken People have often supposed that the main itself operated entirely under their own is infused, suffused, and flooded with difference between the worldview held steam. At a popular level, the message was God’s own life and love and glory. The by the early Christians and the worldview this: shrug your shoulders and enjoy life Psalms will indeed help us to understand most of us grew up with is that the first is as best you can. Sounds familiar? This is the all of this. But it will be an understand“ancient” and the second is “modern.” It is philosophy that our modern Western world has largely ing that grows out of a deeper and richer kind of knowing—something that brings then often assumed that because we “live adopted as the norm. The problem we face when we read, pray, together imagination, insight, and love. in the modern world” we are bound to or sing parts of the Bible is not that it is “old” As you sing the Psalms, pray the Psalms, dismiss the “ancient” worldview as out-ofand our current philosophy is “new” (and and ponder the Psalms, you will find yourdate, prescientific, and based on ignorance therefore somehow better). The problem is self drawn into a world in which certain and superstition and accept the “modern” that, out of many ancient worldviews, the things make sense that would not otherone as, supposedly, up-to-date and based Bible resolutely inhabits one, and much of wise do so. In particular, you will be drawn on science, technology, and all the wisdom the modern Western world has resolutely into a world where God and Jesus make of a modern “free” society. This, however, inhabited a different one. sense in a way they would not otherwise do. is radically misleading. Epicureanism, then, is of course an an That is why this is not so much an in The main difference between the cient worldview, but it has been retrieved vitation to study the Psalms—though that, worldview of the first Christians and the in Western modernity as though it were too, is an immensely worthwhile exerworldview of most modern Western pera new thing. Creational and covenantal cise—but to pray and live the Psalms. sons has nothing to do with “ancient” and monotheism is likewise both ancient and Many Christian traditions, including “modern.” It has almost nothing to do, modern, rooted in God’s covenant with my own, have assumed that this is an abexcept at a tangent, with the development Abraham as described in the book of Gensolutely basic component of Christian livof modern science. The main difference is esis, elaborated in the great covenantal ing. However, some in recent years have that the first Christians, being first-century writings of the first five books of the Biseemed to give them up or to marginalJews who believed that Israel’s God had ble, developed in the traditions we find ize them, turning one or two of them into fulfilled his ancient promises in Jesus of throughout the Old Testament, and still modern “praise songs” and letting the rest Nazareth, were what I and others call “crethriving where the followers of Jesus learn lie fallow. That is the Christian equivalent ational monotheists”: that is, they believed to pray and live his Psalm-soaked gosof a musician who assumes she can still that the one creator God, having made the pel. Part of my reflection is that when the perform at concert level without the daily world, remained in active and dynamic rePsalms do their work in us and through discipline of practice, or the soccer player lation with it. What’s more, they believed us, they should equip us the better to live who still expects to score goals in games that this God had promised to return to his people at the end of their long, sad years of desolation and misery to dwell in their midst and to “Sing these songs, and they will renew you from head set up his sovereign rule on earth to toe, from heart to mind. Pray these poems, and they as in heaven. And they believed will sustain you on the long, hard, but exhilarating that in Jesus of Nazareth, and in the power of his Spirit at work road of Christian discipleship.” in their lives, this God had done exactly that. The ancient Jews who shaped this belief by and promote that alternative worldview. without ever showing up for training. The in creational monotheism, and the early The biblical worldview, I will suggest, is Psalms are the steady, sustained subcurrent Christians who developed it in this star- far more ancient than Epicureanism and of healthy Christian living. They shaped the praying and vocation even of Jesus himself. tling new way, were doing so in a world of also far more up-to-date. They can and will do the same for us. many philosophies and worldviews. One At the Intersection of Time, The Psalms do this to begin with, simof these, every bit as “ancient” as that of Space, and Matter ply because they are poetry set to music: the first-century Jews, was the philosophy The Psalms, I want to suggest here, are a classic double art form. To write or read of Epicurus, particularly in its developed songs and poems that help us not just to a poem is already to enter into a different exposition by the great Roman poet Luunderstand this most ancient and relevant kind of thought world from our normal cretius (who lived about a century before worldview but actually to inhabit and celepatterns. A poem (a good poem, at least) Jesus). He proposed that the world was brate it—this worldview in which, contrary uses its poetic form to probe deeper into not created by a god or the gods and that to most modern assumptions, God’s time human experience than ordinary speech if such beings existed, they were remote and ours overlap and intersect, God’s space or writing is usually able to do, to pull from the world of humans. Our world and and ours overlap and interlock, and even back a veil and allow the hearer or reader our own lives were simply part of an on(this is the really startling one, of course) to sense other dimensions. going self-developing cosmos in which

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LEADERSHIP But when you take a poem and set it to music, you add a further dimension still. Music is classic right-brain activity. It creates a new and wider world within which the rational analysis of the left brain can do its proper, though subordinate, work. All this is true of what we might think of as “secular” music and poetry. But when the poetry in question is a set of remarkably diverse and yet remarkably coherent songs whose aim is to praise the God of Israel, to celebrate his love and power even in the midst of pain and sorrow, and indeed to bring all of human life into his

them once a month) are putting themselves in the position where, when faced with a sudden crisis, they will discover close at hand a line or two of a psalm that is already etched into the heart and mind and says just what they want to say, only most likely better than they could say it themselves in the heat of the moment. This is an unashamed encouragement for all Christians to weave the Psalms into the very heart of their devotional life and to expect to find as they do this that the way they look out at the world will change bit by bit.

“Scripture is, at its heart, the great story that we sing in order not just to learn it with our heads but to become part of it through and through, then that in turn becomes part of us.” presence, then there is a third dimension. Words, music, and worship: the words and music themselves are simultaneously acts of worship (all human art and skill can be and should be brought before the creator God in glad offering) and expressions of worship itself. Why the Psalms Are Essential? I am very much aware that there are many different styles and subcultures within the musical world, and that the way I was brought up to sing the Psalms is quite different from many other ways. But I hope the point is made. The Psalms are there for every church to use in public worship, in creative and imaginative ways but also in ways that become familiar and traditional in the best sense so that worshipers can slip into them as one would into a comfortable suit of clothes. They are also there for every Christian—child, woman, and man—to use in their private prayers, both in the regular discipline of morning and evening worship and in the thousand moments during the day when something happens to which the first response should be prayer, whether in praise or in panic. The first use, of course, sustains the second. Those who pray the Psalms day by day (my tradition suggests getting through

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In part, this will happen simply because people who pray the Psalms will be worshiping the God who made them, and one of the basic spiritual laws is that you become like what you worship. More particularly, however, it will happen because people who pray the Psalms will be learning (whether they necessarily think it out like this or not) to live in God’s time as well as their own, in God’s space as well as their own, and even in and as God’s “matter”—the stuff of which we’re made—as well as in and as our own. Most of all, the Psalms are designed as worship: the multidimensional worship in which every aspect of human life, love, fear, delight, anger, despair, and gratitude is laid as an offering before the God who himself comes to stand at the crossroads of time, space, and matter. The Psalms might not always seem to us particularly pure or worthy, as sacrifice should be. But I think part of the point is that they are truthful, the sincere outpourings of who and what the worshiper actually is. And when we worship the creator God with our whole, truthful self, we trust—and the Psalms strongly encourage this trust—that we will be remade. As Paul puts it, we are to be “renewed in the image of the creator, bringing [us] into possession of new knowledge” (Col 3:10).

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Jesus at the Heart All this points to the specifically Christian use of the Psalms. From the very beginning, the Christian church has seen the Psalms as containing, embodying, and expressing a thousand hints and forward pointers to Jesus himself. This is more, then, than simply saying that some psalms are to be seen as “Christological,” meaning either that some seem already to have been looking ahead to the coming of the ideal King or that some were read in that way by the early church. My point is deeper. I am suggesting that the entire worldview that the Psalms are inculcating was to do with that intersection of our time, space, and matter with God’s, which Christians believe happened uniquely and dramatically in Jesus. In the same way, the story the Psalms tell is the story Jesus came to complete. It is the story of the creator God taking his power and reigning, ruling on earth as in heaven, delighting the whole creation by sorting out its messes and muddles, its injuries and injustices, once and for all. It is also the story of malevolent enemies prowling around, of people whispering lies and setting traps, and of sleepless nights and bottles full of tears. Part of the strange work of the Psalms is to draw the terror and shame of all the ages together to a point where it becomes intense and unbearable, turning itself into a great scream of pain, the pain of Israel, the pain of Adam and Eve, the pain that shouts out, in the most paradoxical act of worship, to ask why God has abandoned it. And then of course the Psalms tell the story of strange vindication, of dramatic reversal, of wondrous rescue, comfort, and restoration. Living God’s Story All these stories live together in the Psalms, side by side and frequently rolled into one. This isn’t so much a matter of “typology”.... It’s a matter of learning to live within the great complex narrative, that, with hindsight, Christians have discerned as the story of Jesus himself. In Luke’s Gospel, the risen Jesus explains to the puzzled and previously downcast disciples, “Everything written about me in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets and the Psalms, had to be fulfilled” (Lk 24:44).

LEADERSHIP This looks more like a way of reading the entire scriptural story, and within that the entire book of Psalms, than an attempt to pluck a few key texts out of a mass of otherwise unhelpful material. The Psalms thus exemplify and embody the actual “authority” of Scripture in its specifically Christian sense. (See my book Scripture and the Authority of God.) Scripture is not simply a reference book to which we turn to look up correct answers—though it’s full of those when we need them. Scripture is, at its heart, the great story that we sing in order not just to learn it with our heads but to become part of it through and through, then that in turn becomes part of us. And if that is true of Scripture as a whole (and, in the New Testament, of the Gospels as a whole), we might say that the very heart of Scripture, working properly like this, is the book of Psalms. Sing these songs, and they will renew you from head to toe, from heart to mind. Pray these poems, and they will sustain you on the long, hard, but exhilarating road of Christian discipleship.

the very word from which the English word “poem” is derived. God gives us the poems, the Psalms, as a gift, in order that through our praying and singing of them he may give us as a gift to his world. We are called to be living, breathing, praying, singing poems. There are, of course, different types of poems. Some of us perhaps, are sonnets. Some are haiku, or even limericks. Some are long, epic narrative poems. Some of us are in strict form, complete with rhymes. Some of us are in blank or free verse. The Psalms themselves come in many shapes and forms, because God wants peoplepoems of many shapes and forms. And he wants this rich variety so that through it all he may challenge the small and sterile imagination of his wider world (Eph 3:10).

The Psalms are not only poetry in themselves; they are to be the cause of poetry in those who sing them, together and individually. They are God’s gifts to us so that we can be shaped as his gift to the world. W

N.T. Wright is the former Bishop of Durham and now serves as the chair of New Testament and Early Christianity at the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. For 20 years he taught New Testament studies at Cambridge, McGill, and Oxford Universities, and has taught in various contexts around the world. He is an award-winning author (How God Became King, Simply Jesus, After you Believe, Surprised By Hope, among many others), and recently translated the New Testament (The Kingdom New Testament) into fresh and powerful contemporary language.

Human poetry One final word. Paul speaks at one point of Christians as “God’s poem,” God’s “artwork.” We are his “Workmanship,” say some of the translations of Ephesians 2:10. The Greek word Paul uses there is poiema,

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LEADERSHIP

Martin Luther THE CHAMPION of SPIRITUAL

SONG BY WARREN ANDERSON

Myth #1:

surveying both the past and present of the Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that grace our congregational singing today, the contribution of Martin Luther cannot be overstated. Most of us know that it was he, more than any other Reformer, who—having come to abhor what worship had become, a performance by the priest and a concert by the choir— kick-started the effort to return the Church’s song to the people in corporate worship. But over the past 500 years or so, the truth about Luther’s reforms has, from time to time, morphed into legend. Dispelling five of the myths surrounding his musical efforts—and, especially, balancing a scholarly overcorrection for one such falsehood— helps us appreciate even more the important role he played in fostering the kind of passionate singing in worship that so many of us enjoy in the 21st century.

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Luther was the first major theologian to propose reforms. Actually, 100 years prior to Luther, Czech priest Jan Hus had begun to question the Church’s interpretation of significant doctrines and practices. And a generation before Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, Italian friar Girolama Savonarola had called for renewal in the Church.Yes, Luther was the primary mover and shaker at the onset of the Reformation, but he was building on the work of a handful of reform-minded theologians who went before him.

Myth #2:

Luther wanted to abolish all vestiges of the Catholic liturgy, much like the proponents of late 20th-century seeker sensitivity seemingly desired to remove all symbols of traditional Christian worship. Not so. In many respects, Luther was a reluctant agent of change. The writer Raymond Abba refers to Luther as “the most conservative of Reformers,” one who was “slow to change anything in the mass which was not expressly forbidden in Holy Scripture.” Indeed, Luther expressed concern for “the weak in faith, who cannot suddenly exchange

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It seems that however sympathetic Luther’s theology of congregational song might appear in hindsight to the question attributed to him, it is highly unlikely he posed it. Some scholars cite the 18th century’s George Whitefield or Charles Wesley as the original author, while others make a case for the 19th-century’s Salvation Army founder William Booth.

Myth #5:

Luther raided the local drinking establishments for songs that would be familiar to the masses.

an old and accustomed order of worship for a new and unusual one.” Five hundred years later, Luther’s temperate approach to change surely serves as a marvelous model for all of us looking for worship renewal.

Myth #3:

Luther’s goal was to stop immediately the use of Latin in worship in order for worshipers to use their own vernacular, in this case German. In fact, Luther initially proposed only slight changes in the content, structure, and style of the liturgy, advocating a sermon in the common tongue but allowing for the rest of the service to be “in the old language of the church, sung by the priest and a choir, with the people sometimes entering in, if they knew the chant.”1

Myth #4:

In an effort to make his case for the use of music the people could sing, Luther famously asked,“Why should the devil have all the good tunes?”

Of all the misinformation about Luther, this myth is the most famous, to the extent that it has ascended to the rank of common knowledge. Paul Westermeyer, among others, has shown the association of Luther’s music with taverns comes from a misunderstanding of “Barform, a German word that means a poem with more than one stanza, each stanza in the form of AAB. It has nothing to do with bars in the sense of pubs.”2 That said, conventional wisdom’s folly thus allows some scholars to assert, with fervor, that Luther did not use popular music in bringing new songs to the Church— but often their arguments seem steeped in semantics and, particularly, latter-day connotations. On the subject of Luther and popular music, one writer considers popular music to be “mass produced with the intention of making vast amounts of money,” a money-changers-in-the-temple line of reasoning that would certainly make such music’s use in corporate worship problematic (if not, perhaps, historically inaccurate at every turn); Luther, with his well-known antipathy for indulgences, would never have associated himself with a process so linked to mammon. Too, the well-respected hymnologist Erik Routley once lauded Luther’s discriminating musical sensibilities, opining that the “very last thing Luther was, or could have been, was what we now call an adapter of popular styles. He had no use for the ‘popular’ in the sense of the careless, or [in relation to] standards of ignorance.” Certainly, if “popular” means “careless” and “ignorant,” Luther did not use popular music. Inclusive and Accessible If, however, by “popular music” we mean music known and appreciated by the ma-

LEADERSHIP jority of the people (especially the laity), music accessible even to the illiterate by virtue of its familiarity, then Luther most definitely did use popular music. Evidence abounds—and for all of Luther’s discriminating musical taste, he was passionately and purposely indiscriminate where source music for his new songs was concerned. Historians attest that he mined the existing music of the Church, modifying tunes with his new theology. He utilized “school songs, children’s songs, folk-songs [and] carols,” one writer notes. Another praises Luther for his use of “well-known, well-liked secular tunes,” for which he set Christian texts. Scholars still disagree as to the extent of Luther’s appropriations, but if, as respected musicologist Jeremy Begbie asserts, “It is going beyond the evidence to presume he regarded any and every style as suitable for church use,” it is no less true that Luther freed the Church’s song from what one writer calls “parochial exclusiveness,” in time pushing the stylistic and structural boundaries of acceptable congregational song significantly beyond where they had ever been pushed before. To be sure, if Luther did not specifically express in word his concern for the devil’s ownership of the best melodies, his deeds demonstrated a desire to do something about the situation nevertheless. We’ve Got Rhythm In addition to utilizing familiar melodies, Luther became a serious student of basic patterns of speech. Some scholars note that rhythmic “vitality was a distinctive trait” of Luther’s early congregational songs, distinguishing them from the isometric chorales that were the rage prior to his innovations. One writer even suggests that Luther went so far—in his effort to craft hymns in a manner that would resonate with the common man—as to query everyday people “when he went among them asking them how they would express certain phrases,” which “increased his own understanding of the type of syllabic singing which the people enjoyed.”3 The results—somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 hymns—speak for themselves. The most famous of Luther’s compositions, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” is a rendering of Psalm 46. Robert J. Morgan, in his wonderful Then Sings My JA N U A RY /F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 4

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“‘…what Luther contributed to the Church’s corporate worship were psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, yes, but greater still, from psycho-emotional and evangelistic perspectives, a “new spirit that captured the interest of the people.’”

Soul, notes that during times of difficulty and duress, of which he had plenty in the aftermath of his posting of the 95 theses, “Luther would often resort to this song, saying to his associate, ‘Come, Philipp, let us sing the 46th Psalm.’” Millions of Christians since that time have done the same. Having, Harvey Marks notes, “rescued hymnody from its monastic existence and put it into the hands of the people” what Luther contributed to the Church’s corporate worship were psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, yes, but greater still, from psycho-emotional and evangelistic

perspectives, a “new spirit that captured the interest of the people.”4 Five hundred years later—or, as Luther would have put it, “from age to age the same”—our best Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs continue to attest that “God’s truth abideth still” and “His kingdom is forever.” W

1 Gordon Lathrop, “Luther: Formula Missae: Order of Mass and Communion for the Church at Wittenberg (1523),” in Twenty Centuries of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber, vol. 2, The Complete Library of Christian Worship (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994), 189.

Warren Anderson is the director for the Center for Worship in the Performing Arts and a professor of worship arts at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois.

3 William Lock, “The Chorale,” in Music and the Arts in Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber, vol. 4, The Complete Library of Christian Worship, 258.

2 Paul Westermeyer, Te Deum: The Church and Music (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998), 148.

4 Russel N. Squire, Church Music: Musical and Hymnological Developments in Western Christianity (St. Louis: Bethany Press, 1962), 113.

DUSTIN SMITH • PAUL BALOCHE

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NEWLIFEWORSHIP •TIM HUGHES

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SEEDS OF SONGS BY PAUL BALOCHE

filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Eph 5:18b-20 Seeds of songs germinate and spring up when we are living in spirit-filled community with other believers. When we are involved in the lives of others, not only Sunday to Sunday, but day-today where LIFE happens.

ADJUSTED VISION Sunday morning begins with a planned setlist, but when I step up to the microphone and look out into the congregation I see faces of people I love and live among. I’m reminded of circumstances they are walking through, challenges they are facing, and my heart swells with compassion. I’m reminded that my task to lead worship isn’t about performance; it’s about honoring God and pastoring his people. Sunday is our family table recognizing God as our Father and honoring him as his children. It’s recognizing Jesus as God—the bridegroom—and as his bride revering him. We remind ourselves that we are bound by blood to him and one another. Our worship rising up from shared lives that are filled with both joy and sorrow We are more than what we do. You and I are more than pastors or songwriters, just as my friend John is more than a plumber. We are people doing the best we can with what we have to live a godly life, serving our community with the jobs we hold. 28

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MORE THAN A SONG Worship is not music, but music can be worship. God must love music because the Bible says there’s a lot of it in heaven and invites us to come before his presence with singing (Psalm 100:2). If we use music as an expression of our love to the Lord, he is pleased and we’re refreshed. God made us that way. A song doesn’t have to be congregational to be a worship song, but for the purpose of this discussion, I’m defining a worship song as a song to be sung together by a group of worshipers, or a congregation. That’s what I take away from the Scripture above in Ephesians: The musical part of worship is to be expressed in the local body of believers. Paraphrasing the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:16, he says to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly....” And, as a by-product of being immersed in the Word, filled with his Spirit, and rooted in a vibrant faith community, songs will happen: “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” These songs were meant to encourage and edify the fellowship of believers by “speaking to one another” through this creative act. It’s a beautiful picture of love that meets the need of every human soul: to belong, to be loved, to be encouraged and supported.

BORN OF THE SPIRIT Many of the most prolific worship songwriters are worship pastors. You don’t have to be a lead worshiper to write strong worship songs, you just need to be a worshiper. In my observation, the best worship songs are not usually crafted for commercial purposes by lone-ranger Christian rock stars. The best songs seem to be born in the context of community.

J AN UARY /FE BR UARY 2014

Many songs, or at least the beginning “nuggets,” come when we’re not trying to write a song. Often they come when we take small risks during congregational singing. Maybe something in the worship—a word, a phrase, a line—sparks off something in you, and you continue singing your own prayer in your heart, spinning off into your own melody. Capture that inspired moment by recording it on your smartphone after service or write it down in your journal. Later in the week, you can take that idea and spend some time “worshiping with it”—singing prayerfully out loud until you feel a sense of inspiration and authenticity. Turn to the Scriptures to find passages that support the idea of where your song wants to go. Meditate on them. Sing them, insuring that your lyrics are biblically accurate. Often it’s at this moment when I imagine my community of believers singing this idea. I picture John and Mary, Burt and Patty, Tom, Julie, etc.—my friends—singing this prayer on a Sunday morning. This is where we should take on the role of servant with our songwriting. Be mindful that we have the holy task of putting words and melodies into the hearts and mouths of the people we serve. It’s quite profound actually and should give us a sense of pause. This is sacred work. This has the potential to shape the theology of those who will sing this, as well as form their image of who God is. W PAUL BALOCHE (leadworship.com, @paulbaloche) has written songs such as “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” and most recently released The Same Love.

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Matt Bronleewe

Giving Their All

There’s no better example of a hardworking band effectively sharing the modern musical message than MIKESCHAIR. This Nashville quintet has received multiple Dove Award nominations and tours incessantly. Plus, they’ve partnered with several nonprofit organizations to help those in need — both at home and abroad. Lead singer/ guitarist Mike Grayson, guitarist Kyle Schonewill, drummer Nate Onstott, bassist Seth Penn, and keyboardist Dustin Wise will be celebrating the release of MIKESCHAIR’s soon-to-be-released album, All or Nothing, with a tour that also features Plumb and Josh Wilson. We spoke to Mike about his calling, his commitment, and his approach to making music that makes a difference. Tell us about your new record. This was the first record where, from a writing standpoint, I actually had a theme in mind. The first song I wrote for the record was the title track. From that moment on, I knew that the theme was set before me, of this idea of literally abandoning everything and giving all to Jesus. Throughout the album, there are three or four titles that have the word “all” in them, with the last song on the record being kind of a remake of the old hymn, “I Surrender All.” The album kind of became a journey, starting with “All or Nothing.” This is the goal of the record: bringing people through the journey of what it might look like to get to that point of saying, “I’m done with the mediocre; I’m done with the gray. I’m just ready to go for it.”

Take us through your writing process. Songwriting is a really organic thing for me. MIKESCHAIR has been around for almost 10 years, and this is our third national release. I’ve spent a lot of time traveling all over the country and figuring out what works and what doesn’t, what connects with people and what doesn’t. I feel like this record is more focused. I had a lot more to pull from. Sometimes it’s a quote from what my pastor said, or from when people come up after a show and share their stories. There’s a song on the new record called “Forever Faithful.” That song came directly from a story that was told to me after a show. For me, songwriting is definitely a platform not only to personally get things out, but I feel that some of my job as a writer is to view the world from an outside perspective and see what God is doing in other people’s lives.

A lot of people ask, how does a song start for you? Is it a melody? Is it a lyric? Is it a chorus? For me, it’s always different. The music usually comes first for me. I’ll have a melody I’m messing around with. From there, I’ll really dive into what I want to say. On this record in particular, I wanted to make sure there wasn’t a line in a song that didn’t make me feel something. I didn’t want fluff; I didn’t want to say what I thought people WANT to hear. I wanted it to be very genuine and true to what MIKESCHAIR is about. There was a lot more time spent on lyrics for this record and just making sure that everything that was said was worth saying. How does your approach in the studio differ from your live approach? The studio really is a different animal. Live, I tend to really focus on the emotion of the lyric — to the point where maybe in a studio setting it might not come across as well. Live singing and playing for me is more about connecting with the person in front of you, as opposed to the studio, where I’m always trying to be true to the song and the emotion. We’re also a radio band; a lot of our music is played on the radio. So that’s a factor in the studio. But, I don’t feel like we ever have to put limits on what we do because of that. We’re trying to create the best moments that relate live but also are communicated best in a recording situation. Matt Bronleewe mentioned that the new album sounds bigger. We’ve taken more of an organic approach on this album. The listener may have a harder time distinguishing between what a live drummer has done and what a programmer has added. MIKESCHAIR has a pretty large, epic sound, and things are kind of related in a movie sense for me, creating different scenes. Even when it comes to writing, it’s very visual to me. I can see what I want the song to express, and at the same time, I have ideas in my head for how I want it to sound in the end. There are lots of big gang vocals, going back to our first record. One of our first songs that we did on that album was “Let the Waters Rise.” That one had a really anthemic, epic vibe to it. We definitely carry that into the new record, but at the same time, there are more organic elements involved, as opposed to synths or very obvious programmed beats. How did you approach your gear choices for the new album? We use a lot of Fender gear. Our bass player uses a P Bass. Our lead guitar player, Kyle, plays an American Tele, and I use a Tele Deluxe live. On previous records, we had this vault of 20 or so guitars. With this album, we focused on three or four things rather than focus on 20 different things. A lot of it was gear that we use live. Obviously, we’d supplement it with gear the studio had, but for the most part, it was all gear that we use on a day-in/day-out basis. What do you use for monitoring and wireless gear live? Onstage, I use Westone in-ears with dual drivers, and we have wireless Sennheiser instrument packs. I use a Sennheiser EW-135 for vocals. ested in making music. Tell us about your biggest influences and how you got interested quar As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been drawn to music. My grandma grew up singing in a quartet. My dad always loved music. When I was a little kid, I was always singing — to the point where my parents put first guitar guitar, I me in a boy’s choir. I remember desperately wanting to play an instrument. Ass soon as I got my first remember learning to play an “E” chord, and I learned that you could move it up the neck and that it sounded ted writing music as soon as I learned that one chord. I’ve never been one who good in different places. I started focused on being a virtuoso. I’ve always been more drawn to the songwriting aspect of what playing allows me to do. As far as early influences, Jars of Clay was a huge influence on me. I grew up listening to Christian music; Jars of Clay, Chris Tomlin, and Delirious? were huge influences.

Photos by: REID ROLLS PHOTOGRAPHY

What’s next for MIKESCHAIR? Definitely a lot of touring. With the release of any new record, we hit the road hard. Whenever we do a project, Ultimately that’ that’s why I do Christian music. it’s all about, “What can we do to get out and connect with people?” Ultimately, ts and what He’ss given us to communicate. The best We love getting out and sharing what God’s put in our hearts way to do that is by going on the road.

MIKESCHAIR’s latest album, All or Nothing, is coming soon. mikeschair mikeschair.com ! To find out more, go to mikeschair.com!

The Nashville-based engineer and musician brings plenty to the producer’ss chair when he works with MIKESCHAIR in the studio. Matt acts as a sounding board, helps to define arrangements, and challenges the band to do their best work. He tells us about what it’s like to work with the band, how he was an early proponent of Pro Tools recording software, and why he relies on Sweetwater to give him the scoop on new gear. How does the production on the new album differ from past MIKESCHAIR projects? as, how do we take what One thing that Mike and I talked about was, ther? I think the new album has we’ve done before and move it further? trying to marr a bigger sound. There was kind of a notion of tr marry the ying to find digital universe with real players, trying find harmony between those two things. Any thoughts about working with Mike? One great thing about Mike is that he really does strive for the best. He gets up early, stays up late, and works really hard. When he comes joy I always know he’ in and we work together, it’ss always such a joy. he’s going to pick up the ball and run with it, and push everybody to do their best. ools when you rrecor ecord, ecor d, corr You work primarily with Pro Tools record, correct? T for a ver I’m a Pro Tools guy. I’ve been working in Pro Tools very,y, ver very long time; it’s like pen and paper for me. When I first first started, it was T with 2" tape. Then, I was one of the first guys to have a big Pro Tools rig in Nashville, back when a lot of people told me I was crazy and should be buying ADATs. Do you use the Eleven Rack in your projects? I use it a ton. During a project a few years ago, I had to just blast out all the guitars in Eleven Rack. I didn’tt have the chance to go to another studio and replace anything. But I was immediately impressed. I love being able to play through all those presets on the Eleven Rack — definitely tist presets that came with it when I definitely the artist got it from Sweetwater Sweetwater.

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What did you use for Mike’ Mike’s vocals? We used a combination of things. Most of the vocals were recorded W on the U-47. I went through a VVintech intech X73 into a Distressor Distressor. The Distressor is great for that “modern” vocal sound. Which plug-ins and virtual instruments have you gotten a lot out of? I love the Native Instruments Komplete collection. W We’ve used the Alicia’s Keys piano quite a bit. I also use the Abbey Road drum kits and ‘80s kits. As far as vocals, I really like the Sound TToys plug-ins and some of the W Waves plug-ins. What would you most love to add to your studio setup right now? The U UA Apollo Quad interface is definitely one of the things I could see in my studio at one point. I love the U UAD plug-ins. Sweetwater is great about letting me know when something I’d be interested in comes out. This gear is my lifeblood, and being able to talk to people at Sweetwater and have a company like yours out there ser servicing the needs of people like me is huge.

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HYMNING: A MATTER OF PRINCIPLES BY KEITH GETTY

journey toward becoming a hymnwriter began in my childhood. Life for my family centered on the Church. As a young student I began writing music for my church near Belfast, a city where faith and spirituality historically have flourished.Years later, the culture I experienced while studying music at university in England vastly differed. I faced the theism and universalism so prevalent in our time. I went through a period of questioning and examination as so many of us do in those formative years. Yet I finished university more convinced of my faith and of my desire to celebrate it through music. Around the same time, contemporary worship songs were flooding most churches. My background in classical

table as songwriters. I do, however, adhere to a few key principles that have greatly shaped my own direction as a songwriter during the past decade of writing new hymns, many of which are influenced by the classic hymn structure.

THEOLOGY MATTERS We are what we sing. From the earliest Old Testament accounts, the Israelites learned about God’s character, the story of redemption, the faith of their forefathers, and an overall sense of their spiritual and cultural identity through the songs they were taught. The song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32 ends with Moses cautioning his people to take to heart God’s commands, for they served as the people’s very source of life and blessing.

allowing Scripture to dwell in us richly, are front and center in my mind with each song I compose. The Church today desperately needs songs full of sound doctrine. My pastor friend Alistair Begg frequently describes our culture as one where, “Many people live in quiet desperation suffering from private battles with no one they can turn to for help.” Those we serve through music need to be fed truth. And there is so much more about the truth we could address. Study J.I. Packer’s Knowing God. Reread the Psalms, which present a wonderfully broad depiction of God. Demonstrate in your writing a grasp of the whole biblical context. Singing songs rich in content allows us to experience the relief of lifting our eyes off ourselves and toward the vast characteristics of God.

CONGREGATION AS ARTIST

“THE CHURCH TODAY DESPERATELY NEEDS SONGS FULL OF SOUND DOCTRINE.” Church music and traditional folk music—paired with my growing belief in the need for rich theology put to song— pointed me toward the classic hymn format. With this in mind, “In Christ Alone” was one of the first songs I co-wrote with Stuart Townend. I share this because I believe writing a modern hymn in the classical style isn’t about following a specific format. All of us bring our own background and gifts to the 30

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During the Reformation, Martin Luther recovered this, asserting that the renewal of the individual, Church and society came through the preaching and singing of the Word. He reestablished the classical hymnwriting tradition as one that many of the major denominational movements and its leaders, including Calvin, Watts, and Wesley, since then have emulated. In my own songwriting today, the words of Colossians 3:16, which speak of

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Leading the body of Christ in worship is helping to fulfill God’s command for his people to sing, a charge given more than 400 times throughout Scripture. Songs that stand the test of time are ones written with the congregation in mind. Tunes with simple, irresistible melodies and a timeless feel. Lyrics that can be bellowed from massive choirs or contemporary rock bands. Our friend Jill Briscoe, a Bible teacher, recently offered a beautiful illustration of the power of congregational worship during her travels abroad. She met with a group of believers around a table in North Vietnam who whispered hymns together with sheer joy. They truly understood the holy act of singing together. My grandfather lived past 90, and until his death he still remembered and sang

great hymns of the faith. With hymn writing, the focus should not be the genre, the accompaniment or the worship leader, but the body of believers. The first question we should ask after any service or time of worship is, “How did our congregation sing?” The traditional hymn format finds its melodic richness and simplicity in its purpose as a song written expressly for the congregation.

ROOTS REQUIRED An essential part of learning to write in the classical format is becoming immersed in the Church music history that our generation seems so determined to ignore. Studying songs from previous generations is vital because it corrects our current blind spots. For example, hymns from the Reformation emphasized a high view of the Church and the spiritual warfare that accompanies sharing, protecting and preserving the gospel message. Hymns from the era of Wesley and Watts focused on the journey of coming to faith and the individual’s ability to fully believe. Salvation Army hymns stressed a greater sense of sharing the gospel and meeting the needs of others. Music from our own generation has highlighted the joy and emotional fulfillment found in a relationship with Christ. Remembering the music from our past also points us to a higher sense of excellence. For the most part, music that has lasted has something to say. It offers a unique message with an attractive melody that’s easy to sing. And it’s often composed by the greatest musicians, poets, and culture-makers of all time. I hope these ideas bring fresh encouragement for songwriters and worship leaders who desire to create new music for the church today. Soli Deo gloria~~Glory to God alone! W

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Keith and his wife Kristyn Getty have been writing hymns for more than a decade, bridging the gap between traditional and contemporary, and creating what is described as singable theology. Their songs, many co-written with Stuart Townend, have pioneered a new generation of modern hymns.

MUSIC

SPIRIT-LED WORSHIP BY TIM HUGHES

every moment, on every occasion, in every context, during every time of worship we lead, we need to be asking God what he’s doing, where he’s leading, and how we should respond. We should never just assume or switch off. God has a plan and a purpose for our gathered meetings that he is keen to share with us. Our role is to tune into this and obediently follow.

HOW ARE YOU LEADING? Generally speaking there are three ways in which worship can be led. 1. BADLY LED WORSHIP The first is where basic mistakes are made, songs are sung out of tune, the choice of songs seems unimaginative and random. People are distracted by the glaring mistakes, and it is hard for people to enter in. 2. GOOD SOLID WORSHIP The second is where the basics are done well. For instance, the band is led effectively, the songs are well thought through and the congregation can easily respond. For many of us this is where we settle, but there is so much more. 3. SPIRIT-LED WORSHIP The third way has little to do with style, form or tradition, but rather where there is a deep and dynamic exchange between the Holy Spirit and the congregation. It is here that we see breakthrough, where we see lives changed, vision birthed, and passion fueled. But, we can’t make it happen by simply reading a book or taking a course. It takes time. We have to wait in God’s presence, dwell on his Word, and practice the art of listening to the leading of the 32

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“ULTIMATELY WE ARE CALLED TO LEAD WORSHIP, NOT SIMPLY TO LEAD SONGS.” Spirit. It also involves us allowing space in our worship for God’s Spirit to move, to not hold the reigns so tightly as we try to drive our agenda or setlist through.

ESSENTIAL & TIMELESS Allowing God’s Spirit to lead our corporate times of worship isn’t an issue of style or preference. It is a foundational truth that is essential in our worship today, as it was for the early Church. Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, said: ... [B]e filled with the Holy Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18b–20 Without the Spirit we are left with lifeless religion, something dead and mechanical, something fruitless, something worse than useless. A. W. Tozer warned: “If God took his Holy Spirit out of this world, what the church is doing would go right on and nobody would know the difference.” We mustn’t let this happen. It’s only as we allow the Holy Spirit to be our chief worship leader, revealing the person of Christ, that we will see explosions of life, freedom, joy, creativity, healing and blessing.

CRUCIAL CONNECTION To grow and develop in the leadership of this, we need to embrace and value the relationship between Word and Spirit. Paul

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writes to the church in Corinth, “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind” (1 Cor 14:15). We need to engage both people’s heads and hearts. As worship leaders, understanding this should influence our song choices and setlists. Whenever I lead I look to find a balance between songs of substance and simplicity. Songs of substance, packed full of truth and content that feed the mind and inspire the heart. But we also need simple refrains that enable people’s spirit’s to soar—that enable us to move beyond just songs in our worship. Ultimately we are called to lead worship, not simply to lead songs. As we prepare to lead are we genuinely open to God changing our plans? Are we attentive to what he is doing amongst his people? Are we bold enough to take a few risks? If we are to lead in a way where we see people respond with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, we need our worship to be Christ centered and Spirit led. We need to lead in a way that allows the truth of God’s Word to shine, but also allows space for the Spirit to release freedom—to awaken those spiritual songs that the church desperately needs to sing again. W TIM HUGHES WORSHIP CENTRAL Writer of songs such as “Here I Am to Worship,” “Happy Day,” and “The Cross Stands.” He co-founded and leads Worship Central, an international worship training and resource center (worshipcentral.com).

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Outstanding delity With the A360, your monitor mix will sound clear, natural, and open.

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THE NATIONÊ¼S PREMIER EVENT TO TRAIN AND EQUIP WORSHIP LEADERS TO ENGAGE THEIR COMMUNITIES FEATURED ON SELECT 2014 DATES: PAUL BALOCHE NICOLE C. MULLEN MEREDITH ANDREWS MATT MAHER TOMMY WALKER CHRISTY NOCKELS TIM HUGHES ALL SONS & DAUGHTERS MARVA DAWN MARCOS WITT LEONARD SWEET AND MORE

2014 DATES & LOCATIONS

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LEARN HOW TO BETTER LEAD YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD

NATIONALWORSHIPLEADERCONFERENCE.COM PSALMS, HYMNS, & SPIRITUAL SONGS â&#x20AC;¦ ALWAYS GIVING THANKS EPHESIANS 5:19-20

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SKILL NEW ARTISTS FEATURED ON SD

ATTENTION SONGWRITERS! BY PHIL SILLAS

ong DISCovery will be setting up camp at The National Worship Leader Conferences in 2014. For those who have attended the conference over the past seven years, you may be familiar with the Song DISCovery listening panel. This is where you can bring your own songs to get critiqued by publishers, worship leaders, and artists. It’s been a great opportunity to get a second set of ears on a song in whatever stage it happens to be. With the ever growing number of NWLC-ers that are songwriters, hymnwriters, and poets for their church, we’ve added a pre-conference for NWLC that focuses on the major aspects of songwriting. So before the general conference begins, you can attend a three-and-a-half hour session that will include “The Theology of Songwriting” which ties into our theme of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs and covers biblical content and congregational considerations that help you effectively write new songs for the Church. We will also focus on poetry and lyrics, music styles, administration and the business of songwriting, followed by a live listening panel of publishers and industry leaders assembled to hear your songs and offer feedback and guidance. This pre-conference will be available at all four locations in 2014. Dallas, Texas (Feb 24), Washington DC area (May 12), San Jose, California (June 16th) and Kansas City, Kansas (July 14). For more information and how to register visit: nationalworshipleaderconference.com. I look forward to seeing you not only at the NWLC but at the Songwriter pre-conference as well. Until then enjoy our latest offering of new songs for the Church.

ROSS KING Bryan/College Station, Texas Song on Song DISCovery 114: “Hallelujah for the Cross” WHAT’S YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND?

I didn’t grow up doing music in any formal way, but I was always interested in it. I had a few piano lessons, played drums (poorly!) in a high school rock band, sang a little in church youth choir. But I started writing songs as a teenager, not even really knowing how, just tinkering on the piano. When I was 15, the band I played drums for recorded some of our songs at a studio, and I was hooked. I got my first (really cheap) guitar in college, and by some weird miracle, I had paying gigs within six months. I’ve been a working musician—leading worship, writing songs, studio work, etc—ever since. WHAT SPARKED “HALLELUJAH FOR THE CROSS”?

My friend Todd Wright brought me some lyrics he’d worked on with the phrase “hallelujah for the cross” in them. Neither of us loved what he had, but we liked that phrase a lot so we started there and built around that. I can’t speak for Todd’s motivation or inner thoughts, but I can tell you that I was, at the time, deeply affected by the recent death of my dad. He drowned in May 2012, and I became almost obsessed with singing about Jesus’ victory over death. I’d never really needed to believe it the way I did after that loss. I needed to write something that confidently affirmed Jesus’ victory over death at the cross. I remember that Todd wrote most of the verse lyrics, but we couldn’t land a chorus. One day I just sat at the piano and started singing the verses and thinking about my dad, and the chorus just sort of came out. I showed it to Todd and he said, “That’s it!” WHAT ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE SONGS OF ALL TIME?

PHIL SILLAS (songdiscovery.com, @songdiscovery) is A&R director for Worship Leader’s Song DISCovery.

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This question seems impossible to answer. But here are five songs that represent a wide spectrum of music that moves me (in no particular order): “When the Saints” by Sara Groves; “Secrets” by OneRepublic; “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’” by Billy Joel; “There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood” by William Cowper; and “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. W

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IMPACT THE WORLD THROUGH A HEART OF WORSHIP

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BY ANDY CHAMBERLAIN

THE MIX:

WHAT 3 THINGS WILL HELP YOUR CONGREGATION HEAR AND SING?

ecently on the Musicademy blog, I posted a loaded question. I asked readers to “List in order of importance which voices/instruments in your worship team you think the congregation needs to be able to hear?” And followed with, “If you could only hear three things what should they be?”

Really I was most interested in which three things the worship team thought the congregation needed to hear to properly follow the song. Most people agreed that the lead vocal was a priority but the rest of the answers were pretty jumbled up. Some folks said that keyboards or acoustic guitar should be next; others said BVs, drums; some thought that only voice was really important, and the guitarists only wanted to hear more guitar—but then they are guitarists after all. Since opinion was so divided it makes me think that most churches aren’t really aware of what best helps the congregation hear a song or aware of what could be prioritized in a front-of-house (FOH) mix to make that song understandable. This may surprise you but I’d say the three most important elements to be audible in your mix are (1) lead vocals, (2) drums, and—perhaps surprisingly—(3) bass, in that very order.

then harmony. Play a track to someone not very musical and ask them to pick out what they can hear, and most people will hear the lead vocal, then drums and not understand much else. Why? Because melody only makes sense in the context of its rhythm, i.e., people need to clearly understand where the first beat happens and where the repetitive rhythms are, and that’s what the ear searches for first. So vocals and drums make sense, but why choose bass as option three and not guitar or keyboards? The bass’s role is essentially where rhythm meets harmony, so again it underpins the rhythm, but because it should primarily play chord tones, those chord tones help define where the melody is going and it pushes the congregation towards singing the right notes. Yes guitar and keyboards do that too, but because they mostly play in the same octave space as the vocals and because bass plays an octave below, the congregation actually find it easier to hear those notes if they are spread out over the full sonic spectrum. This is why if you ask a good mix engineer what elements they work on first to define the parameters of a song mix they’ll say “vocals, drums, and bass.” Other instruments of course have value, but they all fill in around those three key elements.

HELP THEM HEAR

BALANCING SOUND

As we know, a basic song arrangement needs to contain melody, harmony and rhythm to sound like it covers the full sonic spectrum. But for most people the order they need to hear it in is melody, rhythm,

Have you ever listened to a band, and the mix somehow sounds thin or tinny? It’s often because there are too many instruments competing in that same range as the lead vocal space and not enough low

SEARCHING FOR THE MELODY

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end to balance things out. Conversely if the mix sounds muddy there might be too much in that low register: bass and keyboard left hand, rhythmically working against each other, being classic examples. Too many instruments competing for any octave space actually can confuse the ear of the congregation and typically make a song harder to follow. Now I’m definitely not advocating bass-heavy mixes, but I am suggesting the low end is much more important than many church mixes make room for. Some churches I’ve been to even have subs but refuse to switch them on because they think it’ll make the band too loud. Actually, the opposite is true. A properly balanced mix utilizing the full sonic spectrum reduces perceived loudness into the ear and brings a sense of space and intelligibility. But what we often find in church is too many instruments fighting for space in the same octave range. So what instruments in your team are taking the low end, the mid, and the high end? Are they working together to define the rhythm in the melody in the low end? Are they cutting across and confusing the melody in the same range? If you have no bass player, could the guitarist switch? Or could the keyboard focus more on left hand rhythms? W ANDY CHAMBERLAIN is co founder of Musicademy. com and Worshipbackingband. com that produce instructional DVDs for musicians involved in worship and Multi-track backing tracks for churches with missing band members.

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Use the included DAW software on your PC or Mac to build entire multi-instrument arrangements or mind-blowing patches. Explore an entire library of tonal choices to help your music stand apart.

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Experience TriplePlay

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INSIDER:

PROFILING COMPANIES, MINISTRIES, AND INNOVATORS IN WORSHIP

YAMAHA WORSHIP We don’t make instruments of praise … we equip instruments of praise. Yamaha’s Manager of Worship Resources Mike Overlin gives worship leaders an inside view of Yamaha’s longstanding musical partnership with worshiping musicians. WL:

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO YOUR CURRENT POSITION WITH YAMAHA WORSHIP, AND WHAT YOUR ROLE IS PRESENTLY?

MIKE OVERLIN: It was a meandering journey, but I guess the short version is that I went into the Air Force right out of High School as a photographer but ended up serving in the Air Force Band as a sax player for six years. From there I purchased a recording studio, earned a pair of Gold records for engineering and was approached by the Disney organization to put together a group to perform in Tomorrowland. While at Disney, I began to work with Yamaha, and almost 20 years ago they hired me fulltime to do a number of jobs, none of which existed before I held them. One of those positions, and certainly the most fulfilling, is my current role as the Manager of Worship Resources. WL: EVERYONE KNOWS THAT YAMAHA IS AN INTERNATIONAL FORCE IN MUSIC, BUT MANY HAVE NOT EVER HEARD OF YAMAHA WORSHIP. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT HOW IT CAME TO EXIST AND EXACTLY HOW IT SERVES THE WORSHIPING COMMUNITY?

MO: The existence of this position had a lot to do with the changing face of live music in America. When I was growing up, 40

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it seemed like there were opportunities for musicians to play everywhere, but in the 1980s, there was a bit of a shift as we saw more and more clubs switch from live entertainment to DJs. At the same time, there was a transition in worship styles in many churches from traditional services to a more contemporary worship model that employed pretty much the same instrumentation as most club bands did. So from a pure “market perspective” the church represented a community of musicians and technicians that was actually growing while many outlets for live music were in decline. Yamaha knew that I was a worship leader and they approached me to write a proposal as to how we might best interact with the Church musician and technician. I felt we could best serve this community by resourcing them, and I guess Yamaha agreed, because that is what we have been doing ever since. This takes place in a number of ways, but primarily it consists of providing training and information at events, worship conferences, and through our online presence. To continually operate with the basic understanding that we don’t make instruments of praise … we equip instruments of praise.

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BY ANDREA HUNTER

WL:

THIS IS NAMM SEASON. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YAMAHA’S HOUSE OF WORSHIP SESSIONS AT NAMM? WHO ATTENDS AND WHAT IS THE TAKEAWAY?

MO: The NAMM show is huge for the music industry as it represents our main opportunity to showcase new products and meet with our dealers. NAMM also recognizes the importance of the worship market, and in the last few years has set up training opportunities for select music manufacturers to train and resource NAMM attendees involved in worship. We are offering classes dealing with technology in worship at this years show since technology can be one of the most daunting aspects of contemporary worship. Approached artistically and with preparation, current technology in musical instruments, audio, lighting and media presentation can add a great deal to any worship service. WL:

DO YOU DIRECT WORSHIPERS TO PRODUCTS THAT MAY SERVE WORSHIP TEAMS WELL, OR DO YOU ACTUALLY DEVELOP PRODUCTS FOR WORSHIPING MUSICIANS AND TEAMS?

MO: The musical instrument and audio products that a worship team may utilize

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are actually driven by the style of music they are presenting to their congregation. As worship styles parallel popular music styles outside the church, the needs of the musicians and the audio techs do as well. In other words a musician playing a rock tune in his local club really has the same needs as the musician playing a rock worship song at church on Sunday morning. The same applies to a traditional service that may be presenting traditional music like a choir with piano accompaniment. One of the things that sets Yamaha apart from all other musical instrument companies is that we make some of the finest instruments available in all of these categories: contemporary and traditional; acoustic and digital pianos and drums, electric and acoustic guitars as well as analog and digital audio equipment. And we have been making them for 125 years. Where we will cater to the worship musician and audio tech is in the area of training. As the church embraces popular music styles, the church musician may not be as familiar with the technology employed as his or her counterpart playing in a Top 40 band. Also, issues dealing with volume can be much more critical in a church than they might be at a performance venue. The typical Sunday morning worship service has to program for an audience from eight to 80 years old. There is nothing easy about choosing song styles and playing at volumes that will satisfy that audience, so we spend a lot of time training the Church on the technology that can help them cover all of the musical styles they need as well as taming out-of-control stage volumes. WL:

WHAT ARE SOME PRODUCTS AND INSTRUMENTS THAT YOU BELIEVE ARE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL FOR THE WORSHIPING MUSICIAN AND/OR TECH TEAM?

MO: Many smaller ministries are portable churches that set up and tear down every week, so I really like some of our audio products that are portable, yet sound amazing. The DXR powered speakers and StagePAS PA systems are great examples. Musicians that choose a performance workstation like the MotfiXF8 can duplicate virtually any musical instrument, including

incredible piano sounds, making performing in multiple music styles a breeze with just a single keyboard. Also, much of contemporary worship is guitar driven, and the A Series electric acoustic guitar allows us to provide an extremely high quality instrument at prices that the typical worship leader or musician can afford. As we mentioned earlier, volume can be a huge problem in churches, especially smaller ones. This makes solutions like the DTX electronic drum line very attractive, providing drummers with the feel and sounds of an unlimited number of acoustic kits and percussion instruments, with volume levels that can be better controlled by the front-of-house engineer. WL: YOU ARE A REGULAR SPONSOR AND PROVIDE FACULTY FOR NWLC. CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE PREVIEW AS TO WHAT YOU WILL BE SHOWCASING AND WHAT CLASSES YOU WILL BE TEACHING THIS YEAR?

MO: We are fortunate to have a number of really great worship product specialists that do an incredible job of showing folks music technology, how to use it, and more importantly, why they should use it. Well-known songwriter, keyboardist, and producer Ed Kerr has joined our team and brings a wealth of background and experience to our worship keyboard classes. Also, Eric Hailstone will continue to bring his years of experience as a professional guitarist, sought after worship musician and music producer to the events we participate in. Professional drummer and Saddleback regular Tom Dante has also joined us to showcase the power and flexibility of digital drums in worship. Add these to the classes that I teach and you will see training opportunities this year at NWLC for keyboards, acoustic and electric guitar, live audio, drums, and computer-based recording.

place where visitors to the site can interact with Yamaha, our Worship Product Specialists and each other. Probably one of the most useful areas will be the calendar section which provides visitors the best way to keep track of where Yamaha and our team will be offering training events all over the country— as well as free webinars online. WL: HOW DO YOU SEE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YAMAHA, WORSHIP, AND THE CHURCH GOING FORWARD IN THE NEXT DECADE(S)?

MO: I know this sounds sort of cliché, but the relationship with our customer does not end with the sale, but in a very real sense, begins there. Yamaha is a music company in every sense of the word. We love to partner with musicians, especially passionate ones. And let’s face it; nobody is more passionate about what they do than the worship community. One of the foundations of ministry is stewardship; how we deal with what we have been given to work with. Relationships are important in ministry, and it is good to know that those you have chosen to partner with will be there for you in the future. If the first 125 years are any indication, Yamaha will be there for the worship community for years to come. W

WL: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING IN DEVELOPMENT OR LAUNCHING THAT PARTICULARLY EXCITES YOU?

MO: We just launched a Yamaha Worship website dedicated solely to the worship community. This has been an important project for us as it offers a source of information and training on our products as well as best practices on how to utilize them in a worship setting. The site also contains a worship forum that serves as a JA N U A RY /F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 4

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THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF UPDATES: 6 ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES

Between Pro Tools 11, Logic X, MainStage 3, Windows, and Mac operating systems, our tech team was swimming in updates last year. It seemed like every time we updated our system, something would break and we would be in panic mode for the weekend services. Any advice you can give on how to manage updates without the sky falling down around us?

This last summer, I was playing keyboards for a big show at the Navy Pier in Chicago. The beating heart of the whole thing was my MainStage rig, running off a MacBook Pro laptop. A few minutes before the show started, a little notification popped up in the corner of the screen on my laptop, asking if I wanted to update my software. My mouse was half-away across the screen before my brain caught up with it and started screaming, “STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” There’s a right and a wrong way to do software updates. Updating minutes before a performance is definitely the wrong way. Here are some guidelines to make sure your team is doing it the right way.

SHOULD WE UPDATE? The very first question to ask is, “Do I need this update?” Fight the urge to be the first kid on the block with the new version, and take a minute to figure out what the update does. A working system is a useful tool, so weigh carefully the advantages of the update against the risk of breaking something that you rely on every week. Updates fall into three groups: security, bug fixes, and new features. If this is a security update, the answer is quick and easy: yes! Do the update. Leaving software vulnerable with a known security risk is asking for trouble, especially if the computer is online. On the other hand, if it’s a bug fix, think about whether or not the bug affects the way you use the software. Not all bugs affect all users. If it’s a features 42

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update, pause and consider how important those new features will actually be for your workflow. Having the latest version is nice, but having a working version of the software is even better.

THE UPDATING CHECKLIST I help manage the music technology lab at Azusa Pacific University, and over the years we’ve developed a set of “Best Practices” for doing software updates—steps that helps us avoid making mistakes. Here’s that list, slightly adapted for the worship environment.

1. GOOGLE IT! The very first step in the update process is to see how it went for other people. If you can, wait a week or two after the update comes out, and then go poke around the online forums and help sites to see how users are responding to the update. A little research might save you a world of hurt.

2. TIMING. Give yourself as much time as possible before the next critical use. Plan ahead so that you have enough time to find and solve any problems caused by the update. In our lab, we update on Friday morning so that we have the weekend to solve problems. In your church, that might mean updating on Monday instead.

3. BACKUP. Before you do anything to your system, do a full backup. Both Apple and Windows

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operating systems have built-in utilities that allow you to do this. Before you do surgery, make sure you can resuscitate the patient if you need to!

4. START SMALL. We start by updating software on one computer, then testing it. When we know it’s working, we roll the changes out to the rest of the lab. If you’re planning to update software, start with a computer that’s not mission-critical. If it’s going to crash, you want it to crash in the fellowship hall, not on the main sanctuary’s media computer.

5. LOG EVERYTHING. This isn’t just the rule for updates; it’s the rule for anything that gets installed on the machine. Keep a written record of everything you did during the installation, including user names, install locations, license keys, which options were selected, any warnings; everything that happens during the installation should be logged. If something goes wrong, knowing what steps led to the problem will help you figure out how to solve it.

6. DO A TEST RUN. This one is obvious, right? Do a test run of the updated system before you take it live. If you have a new version of MainStage or ProPresenter installed, run through a full Thursday night rehearsal before you run a Sunday morning service. All of these precautions are designed to do one thing: to limit the problems that a new update can cause, and to give you a path back to a working system if problems do show up. Nobody in the congregation will know if you’re using version 7.1 or 7.2 of a program, but they will know if your tools are working for you or against you. W MICHAEL A. LEE is a professional keyboardist, composer, and a professor at Azusa Pacific University. He leads worship at Crossline Church. michaelleemusic.com

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THE WORSHIP GEAR LANDSCAPE 2014: TRENDING NOW BY KENT MORRIS

he amazing array of tools, creative support and inspiration for worship leaders through instruments, accessories, software and sound gear are multiplying at unprecedented and dizzying speed. In order to better equip you for service and give you perspective, we’ve selected a few of the emerging trends and products that are part of the current musical landscape. Thoughtfully, prayerfully, and proficiently used, they have the potential to enhance the sound and vision of your service of worship.

RESURRECT: ANALOG RETURNS Even though digital technology continues its entrenchment in the music equipment industry, there has been a steady pushback against the digital tide by those who prefer the sound, look, and feel of analog gear. From modded old guitar distortion pedals sold as new to the latest analog synths from classic industry names sporting dozens of large rotary dials, analog is back in 2014 and hotter than ever. Many of today’s musicians were not alive when the SCI Prophet 5, ARP 2600 and Tascam 38 became catalysts for many storied musical careers of the 1970s and 1980s. However, the new Moog Sub Phatty and the recently introduced Novation Bass Station II lead the charge in emulating those classic tones and creating a re-analog of music generation. Analog is the origin and destination of all sound, for it is how sound is generated and how our ears receive it. Digital, then is a temporary format, but it is useful for storage, recall and manipulation. The best approach to live music then, is to select the right technology for each application. One analog technique now making its way onto worship platforms is remote amping via Radial Engineering’s SGI (Studio Guitar Interface). Though originally designed for recording environments, the SGI is perfectly suited for worship settings because it allows the guitarist to use a tube amplifier at full volume 44

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without offending others or disrupting the mix through remote location of the amp in a back room.

EXPAND: MULTIPLE TRACKS Hybrid selection is a term for combining the most appropriate technologies together in the most effective manner. As an example, recording the worship team in a multi-track format was once considered useful only as a pretext for releasing a fully produced CD album. Now, teams create a virtual soundcheck at every rehearsal with all channels recorded individually to a hard drive. These tracks can then be played back in realtime through the board as if the band is there, even when the stage is empty. This process allows newbie engineers to mix the band without affecting rehearsal and also makes it possible to have the bassist play the set on Thursday evening and be heard Sunday even though she had to go out of state for a wedding. Initially, virtual soundcheck was only within the realm of PreSonus StudioLive and Avid VENUE SC48 consoles, but thanks to Reaper software and outboard interfaces, Midas, Soundcraft, Yamaha and others can perform the same function. For keyboardists, hybrid selection means the Yamaha MOXF8 on the platform can be mated with a Novation Launchkey Mini keyboard controller to handle the loops and triggers normally associated with the drummer running Ableton Live on a Mac. Not to be left out, though, the drummer can take Roland’s TMC-6 Trigger-to-MIDI Converter kit and produce sounds from any synthesizer.

MINIMIZE: BIG SOUND, SMALL SIZE Electronic minimalism; what Windows 8 started and iOS7 confirmed, is trending in musical gear now. IK Multimedia’s iRig PRO audio and MIDI interface for Macs is an example of minimalist design. About the size of a Power Bar, it provides phantom power via battery for condenser mics and includes

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a suite of apps and all the necessary connecting cables to make recording a snap. Ukuleles, such as Lanikai’s Baritone Koa, can also be considered a musical minimalist statement as they, in effect, condense guitars to their essence. Similarly, a small hand drum or a Cajon, in lieu of a complete drum kit, is a solution for churches on a budget, or those who prefer a primal sound in worship.

TEXTURIZE: MUSICAL SEASONING Textural environments go beyond immediate boundaries to create an enlarged sense of space or time. With video and images, Environmental Projection (EP) takes standard projection and with the brilliance of mapping software, builds a cathedral inside an elementary school cafeteria or paints a crystal-clear starry night during a snowstorm. In the same vein, musical gear is moving toward horizontal textures and layers. In place of yesteryear’s scorching guitar solo, today’s electric player is more apt to bring in sustained tones over time and build their complexity as the song progresses, thus putting the focus back on the lyrics. Instead of competing with the vocals, the guitar now enhances them. This technique can be facilitated by a single, integrated pedalboard such as the Line6 POD HD500X or built around individual components like the TC Electronic Ditto Looper, Mad Professor Golden Cello and Visual Sound Time Bandit (to keep your delay in sync).

TRENDING NOW NAMM 2014 is one of the best places this year to observe some of these trends of re-analog, hybrid drive, minimalism and textural environments as well as a host of new and newer instrumental fare and quality mics. But those who don’t make it to NAMM may stay tuned to our Church Install, Gear, and What’s New sections for a reveal of the never-ending musical story in 2014.

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GET INSTRUMENTAL Yamaha B1

YAMAHA B1 There is something about the touch and tone of an acoustic piano and the Yamaha B1 gives you much more music for your money than some other options. Responsive, clean and clear tonality.

Blast Cult 145

BLAST CULT 145 Upright bass will add a fresh dimension and rhythm to your worship set. This bass was made for slapping and will add unexpected soul to modern rock. FENDER RUSTLER 6-STRING BANJO Plays just like your trusty guitar, but sounds like a banjo. Move over Mumford. Hold off on the Lattes and you can easily afford this under $500.00 instrument…soon.

Fender Rustler

RE-ANALOG

EXPAND

MOOG SUB PHATTY With the monophonic Sub Phatty, you only get one note at a time, but that note is sure to be the biggest sound on stage.

CUSTOMMIX Not only can you download supplemental tracks to enhance your worship, but you can mix any track from the MultiTrack.com catalog from within your web browser and create a customized mix for live performance.

NOVATION BASS STATION II A throwback of the original Bass Station with some new modern features, the Bass Station II is perfect for retro synth bass and leads.

WORSHIP BACKING BAND MULTITRACKS Loop, repeat or navigate to any section of a song, change key or tempo—footswitch and hot key control. LOOP COMMUNITY Sound Park is a great way to search for and quickly find sounds, instruments and software patches for anything from 10,000 Reasons to Prince’s “Raspberry Beret.” YAMAHA MOXF8 MATED WITH A NOVATION LAUNCHKEY MINI Handle loops and triggers and expand the possibilities. Two or more can be far better than one.

Moog Sub Phatty

NORD LEAD 4R Today’s hip worship band must contain a Taylor acoustic, vintage Fender P-Bass, Duesenberg electric, Risen drum kit and a Nord keyboard. So, here is the latest offering from the Red-set. Four synth sections, each with dual oscillators makes this one thick-sounding keyboard.

Novation Bass Station II

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CREATE VISUAL & SONIC TEXTURE SONY VPL-FHZ55 As a lamp-less laser-based light source projector, this Sony can go 20,000 hours maintenance free. 4000-lumen output is enough for dim rooms while the BrightEra 3LCD engine gives a natural look to any image. VDMX5 $349 gets you a package to tie audio and visuals together through a myriad of processes including image streams, film clips, live cameras and text. The choices are essentially endless and the output, when done correctly, can be amazing. ARKAOS GRAND VJ2 Eight layers of visual manipulation give Grand VJ2 serious depth and capability. Sound, MIDI and Quartz Compositions control are available elsewhere also, but Grand VJ2 adds automatic mapping of the inputs as effects parameters. LINE6 POD HD500X Amp modeling has become a bit of a taboo in today’s modern culture, but with the advances in digital technology, it’s hard to tell the Line6 POD HD500X from the real thing! Perfect for silent stages and incredibly portable, the POD HD500X is a great one-box solution for any guitar player.

Sony VPL-FH255

Arkaos Grand VJ2

Line6 POD HD500X

ARTISTS GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY. Douglas Mann is a published songwriter, and a former music business and book-publishing executive. He is an accomplished visual artist whose art can be found in collections throughout the world. He divides his time between Colorado and Ukraine.

“Douglas Mann has the hands of an artist and the heart of a pastor. This book will show you how there really is no difference. The artist is the new pastor.” —Ben Arment, creator of Dream Year and the StorY Conference

l e A r n M o r e At

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ivpress.coM/tAoho 1.8 0 0.8 4 3.94 87

PRODUCTION

TC ELECTRONIC DITTO LOOPER Looping could not be easier with the TC Electronic Ditto Looper. Featuring just one knob and button, the Ditto Looper offers intuitive looping in a tiny package and a great price. MAD PROFESSOR GOLDEN CELLO Named for its cello-like tone it gives to the electric guitar, the Golden Cello is an overdrive and delay pedal combined into one great sounding unit.

Ditto Looper

MAD Professor

VISUAL SOUND TIME BANDIT Takes the sound of a click track or metronome and converts it to a signal readable by any delay pedal with an external tap tempo jack. ILIO ASCENSION If you are assigned “pad person” role, here is a great addition to your repertoire. The rises and swells here can be timed to coincide with 2, 4, 8, and 16 bar sections in the song. So now your pads have more life and sound intentional as well. W

Time Bandit

Ilio Ascension

KENT MORRIS has mixed with Paul Baloche, Tommy Walker, Israel Houghton, and many more.

rooted & relevant

Longview, Texas 1-800-759-8811 www.letu.edu/worshiparts JA N U A RY /F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 4

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING

AUDIX corporation | MicroBoom

worshipleader’s

New year of

NEW gear

and

instruments

The Audix MicroBoom™ Choir Miking Solution now offers three lengths to choose from. Description: Audix was the first microphone company to introduce a low profile carbon fiber boom arm with detachable microphone for portable choir miking. Church Use: Known simply as the MicroBoom, this award winning choir miking solution has earned its place as one of the most innovative and effective choir miking methods ever produced. The MicroBoom (now available in 50", 84" or 24" lengths) is lightweight, portable and easy to position. They are designed to be used in conjunction with either the M1250B Micro series condenser or the higher output M1255B Micro condenser. Suggested retail prices range from $590-$730 (depending upon the model and microphone selection). audixusa.com

Aviom | A360 Personal Mixer Digital Audio Labs | Livemix

Description: Aviom’s A360 Personal Mixer allows musicians to control monitors on the platform with more channels, advanced controls, and unique customization. Church Use: Because the Aviom system is easy to install and economical, using Aviom Personal Mixers can be a fast and cost-effective way to improve the performance of a church’s sound system. By giving musicians the ability to customize and control their own monitor mixes, A360s can dramatically reduce stage volume. $899 aviom.com

Description: The volunteer friendly Livemix personal monitoring system gives both pros and non-pros the tools to be confident on stage. Church Use: Livemix makes it easy for volunteers to get a great mix with a dedicated “ME” knob, mix-at-a-glance touchscreen with custom channel names, and remote mixing for extra help when needed. Pros will love the robust feature set including effects on every channel and built-in ambient mics. $3995 for an 8 mix system digitalaudio.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING

Fishman | TriplePlay

KAWAI | Concert Performer

Description: Compose, perform, record with TriplePlay® Wireless Guitar Controller. Play 4 instruments at once. Fast, accurate tracking. Easy, non-permanent installation for electric guitar.

Description: Kawai Concert Performer instruments feature hundreds of sounds, powerful recording capabilities, and elegant cabinetry—perfect for any house of worship.

Church Use: Compose, perform, and record with Fishman’s new TriplePlay Wireless Guitar Controller. The ultraslim pro design and Fishman’s intuitive software pack get you set-up and working fast. Unlock your guitar’s potential—powerful and unlimited sound capability is at your command—all with the freedom of wireless control. For PC and Mac. MAP $399.95 MSRP $615.31 fishman.com/ tripleplay

Church Use: The Concert Performer can do it all, from being a featured instrument on the biggest stages to serving as a flexible rehearsal instrument or even jamming with contemporary worship team. Find out what so many already know: the Kawai CP series is perfect for churches of any size and style. CP209 $19,999.00 kawaius.com

Steinway & Sons | Pianos Description: Since 1853, Steinway has been dedicated to the ideal of making the finest pianos in the world.

LoopCommunity.com | Looptimus Description: Looptimus USB MIDI Foot Controller for MultiTracks Church Use: If you’re running Loops and MultiTracks in worship, this is for you. Designed by and for worship leaders, Looptimus works simply with any MIDI-capable music software like Ableton Live or MainStage. Use it to start and stop your MultiTracks or jump around to different sections of the song spontaneously. Looptimus also works with Loop Community’s free MultiTrack iOS App: Prime. $299 loopcommunity.com

Church Use: At Steinway we believe that beautiful music enriches our lives, and there are many noble purposes in music performance. However, it can be said that the highest purpose for music is its use in worship. Whatever worship style or size of your church, Steinway has a piano designed for your worship experience. For specific questions regarding Steinway’s house of worship program, please call 814-722-9635. steinway.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING

Ultimate Ears | Ultimate Ears 7 Pro Custom In-ear Monitors Description: The Ultimate Ears 7 Pro are the most robust and powerful custom in-ear monitors available. Ideal for live performances, it offers the most headroom of any professional earpiece on the market. Church Use: UE is the first choice of many Christian artists and local church worship teams because of sound quality, dependability, and customer care. Designed specifically for worship leaders, singers, instrumentalists, engineers and all who appreciate quality sound as a matter of good stewardship and building up your team. The UE 7 Pro is also available with the optional ambient feature to allow for stage bleed while controlling the isolation effect. $850 pro.ultimateears.com

Visual Sound | VS-XO Description: Two-channel overdrive pedal with a pure tone buffer, true bypass, independent controls, I/O, and configuration options for each channel. Church use: Today’s worship musician needs quick access to many different tones. The VS-XO offers a versatility never before seen in an overdrive pedal. Easy to use, amazing to hear! $179.00 visualsound.net

Vu | Headworn Microphones

Yamaha | Avant Grand Hybrid Piano

Description: Vu® headworn microphones have an omnidirectional polar pattern and are ideally suited for vocal and spoken word applications.

Product Description: The best of both worlds. Combining generations of piano building artisanship with nextgeneration technology to create a bold new instrument.

Church Use: These microphones feature a flexible, lightweight design for total freedom of movement and are virtually invisible. A choice of four different connectors allows them to be used with most popular wireless systems. Rugged and extremely comfortable, these low-profile microphones are perfect for houses of worship and stage performances.

Church Use: The Avant Grand Hybrid Piano embodies one of Yamaha’s greatest strengths: combining time honored musical instruments with advanced technology to meet the needs of the future. Providing the same feel and playability of a grand piano, the Avant Grand performs beautifully, never needs tuning, and satisfies the most discerning pianist. Built for artistry ... priced for stewardship.

Starting as low as $91.00! vu-gear.com

Price: $9,999 $19,999 go.wlmag.com /avant-grand

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WHAT’S NEW:

BY ANDY TOY

IN GEAR FOR MUSICIANS, SOUND TECH, AND MEDIA TECH

FOR THE MEDIA TEAM GPT50 Audio/Visual Hard Drive

Church Use: External hard drive for audio/visual application Price: $189 What’s New: How many times has your external hard drive failed, lost data, or had to be wiped clean? The Glyph GPT50 is made specifically for audio/visual professionals and includes an extremely quiet cooling system and internal power supply for added stability. The best part about owning a Glyph is that each hard drive comes with a three-year data recovery plan that ensures your data is safe.

Cloud lifter CL-1

Churchstreaming.tv

Church Use: Streaming service Price: $99 What’s New: One of the coolest new streaming services we’ve seen this year, Churchstreaming.tv (formerly mychurchlive.tv) offers unlimited live streaming, unlimited viewers, HD viewing, mobile streaming, ability to upload videos and automate scheduling when they will play, and DVR services for multi-campus churches, all for $99 a month. Churchstreaming.tv even offers a custom Roku app and custom branding for a completely unique streaming experience. More information and a full 30-day trial is available on their website at churchstreaming.tv.

myMix Radial USB-Pro

FOR THE SOUND TEAM myMix Monitoring Systems

Church Use: Personal monitoring system Price: $679 What’s New: myMix creates straightforward, easy-to-use personal monitoring systems that use highly innovative networking. Not only does each band member have 16 different channels to mix from, but every unit offers individual volume, tone, stereo effects, EQ and panning capabilities. myMix offers “save” and “recall” features to store settings from week to week and even allows anyone to record the service/rehearsal in high-quality WAV files. Read more about the myMix system at mymixaudio.com. (More online)

SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive 32 GB

Church Use: Wirelessly store and sync data over wireless network Price: $59.99 What’s New: A wireless flash drive sounds superfluous at first, but a closer look at the SanDisk connect shows that it’s a really handy device. Not only can you transfer files wirelessly to the Connect, but you don’t need an Internet connection, cables or router. SanDisk Connect can also be used as an in-between hub to transfer data between multiple computers, iPads, iPhones, Androids, or even Kindles. At $59.99, the SanDisk Connect is not that much more expensive than other 32 GB flash drives, and when used in the right situations, could be priceless.

SanDisk Flash Drive

Cloudlifter CL-1

Church Use: On-stage microphone preamplifier Price: $149 What’s New: The Cl-1 is a phantom-powered, in-line microphone preamp that adds 25dB of clean, quiet gain to any ribbon or dynamic microphone. Extremely helpful for long cable runs or quiet microphones, the CL-1 can add a sparkle and help bring out the best in any singer. For more information on the CL-1 visit cloudmicrophones.com.

Radial USB-Pro

Church Use: USB laptop DI Price: $199 What’s New: A unique take on the audio interface model, the USB-Pro is a stereo USB DI made for laptops to convert digital audio files to balanced signals for both PA and mixing consoles. The USB-Pro works like an audio interface, taking the USB from the laptop and converting it to stereo XLR out at 24-bit/96kHz quality audio. Transformer isolation and ground lift switches are included to reduce noise (like many Radial DI’s) and a headphone output make the USB-Pro all you need to use with a laptop on stage. 52

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GPT50 Audio/Visual Hard Drive

GuitarConnect Pro

Novation Mini

Akai MPX8

FOR THE MUSICIAN GuitarConnect Pro

Church Use: iPad/guitar interface Price: $89.99 What’s New: Connect your guitar, bass, keyboard, or anything with a ¼” output to your iPad, iPhone or Mac computer in one convenient instrument jack connector. Simple and intuitive, GuitarConnect Pro converts a guitar’s analog signal into a 100% digital connection so users can play, record and even multitrack in 24-bit, 48kHz quality. For more information about GuitarConnect Pro visit griffintechnology.com.

Novation Launch MINI(S)

Church Use: MIDI controllers for Ableton Live Price: TBA Whats’ New: In addition to the new LaunchpadS, Novation has released three new “mini” sized controllers as supplements to their flagship controller for Ableton Live. Perfect for on-the-go performance and music production, the Launchpad MINI and Launchkey MINI are smaller sized versions of the LaunchpadS and Launchkey, respectively. Launch Control (designed for use with the new LaunchpadS) adds 16 knobs and 8 pads to control every facet of your performance in Ableton Live.

Akai MPX8

Church Use: Electronic drum pad/MIDI controller Price: $99 What’s New: The latest in the long line of the legendary MPC-family of samplers, the MPX8 is an SD-card based sampler featuring 8 pads with built in reverb. Use the classic MPC samples or load your own sounds or loops into the MPX8, or use the pads to control MIDI software or hardware. For the price, the MPX8 is easy to use, offers a ton of features, can be used without a computer and lets you use your own samples, making it one of our favorite drum pads of the year. W

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GEAR REVIEWS LIVE SOUND Shure Microflex MXWS4G5/C Church Use: Easy-to-use Conference Room Wireless Communication System In today’s age of technology, information, and worldwide connectivity there’s nothing more important than communication. The new Microflex systems from Shure ensures that whether you’re having corporate training, presentation, or even a virtual meeting with coworkers across the country, you’ll have the best audio quality available in a reliable, low profile system. Features: The MXWS4G5/C is a 4-channel wireless microphone system that includes 4 gooseneck base transmitters and 5” microphones, a 4-channel transceiver, a 4-channel audio network interface, and a charging station. The system revolves around a low profile, 4-channel transceiver that mounts on the wall or ceiling. Each base transmitter features a 100-foot range and battery status. Application: The Microflex system automatically sets up the wireless system for you, finding unused channels and assigning frequencies to each transmitter, making it extremely easy to use right out of the box. The microphones are legendary Shure quality, and work well for any conferencing application. This system is perfect for a church or company that spans rooms, floors, or buildings and needs instant communication. Microflex gives remote meetings, presentations, and training a personal touch with lifelike sound and ease to set up. More: Easy to use, the Microflex works without hassle, crashes, or network failures. Less: High price tag. Price: $8757

GUITARS & EFFECTS Pedaltrain VOLTO Church Use: Battery-powered Power for Guitar Effects Features: Long lasting, battery-powered pedalpower? Sounds too good to be true…yet here it is: the Pedaltrain VOLTO. Utilizing a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, (much like the ones used to power your cellphone) the VOLTO can power small to medium sized pedalboards for up to 36 hours of continuous use (depending on how many pedals and the draw of each one). The VOLTO uses an included USB power adapter to charge and ships with adapters for UK, EU, Australia, and USA for use around the globe. Application: The VOLTO is a perfect solution for portable stages, outdoors, venues with limited power available, or even OCD guitar players who can’t stand ugly black power cables running to their pedalboards. The ability to charge in every country makes it a perfect travel power to bring on trips or on a plane, and the lightweight, small footprint is great for smaller pedalboards. More: Long-lasting, lightweight battery power perfect for any gig situation. Less: Has trouble handling newer high-fidelity digital pedals for extended periods of time. Price: $99.95

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KEYBOARDS

RECORDING

THE BEST MONITORS

Novation Bass Station II

Yamaha HS8

FOR WORSHIP

Church Use: Analog bass synthesizer

Church Use: Powerful and accurate studio monitors for recording, monitoring, or broadcast applications

In a modern, digital world, is there room for one more analog synth? With the market oversaturated with VST plugins, modeling synths, and digital emulations, the Novation Bass Station II shows us why analog synthesizers will never truly be replaced. Features: Based on the classic original Bass Station, the Bass Station II is a mono synthesizer with two oscillators (and a sub oscillator), two filters, a step sequencer, arpeggiator, and fully analog effects section. The oscillators are capable of generating sine, triangle, sawtooth, and square/variable pulse width waveforms and both oscillators can be synced, detuned, and played at four different octaves. Sound: With its twin oscillators and filters, the Bass Station II sounds huge and focused at the same time. My personal favorite part of the synth is the filter section. The extra large cutoff frequency knob allows pinpoint control over the filter cutoff, and as it’s the biggest knob on the control surface, you’ll never have to look for it in the dark. The LFO’s and modulation section give complete control over every aspect of the synth you could possibly want, and it’s possible to route and assign the mod wheel to control almost any feature. A completely unique sound, the Bass Station II falls (roughly) somewhere between a Juno 106 and Roland TB-303: big and fat but focused and crisp as well. Although made for bass, the Bass Station II sounds great for leads and the arpeggiator makes it perfect for rhythmic, pulsing sounds More: Huge sound, great value for the money. Less: Monophonic, so you can only play one note at a time. Price: $499.99

When talking about Yamaha studio monitors, the classic NS10M is probably the first thing that comes to conversation. Since the late 70s, the NS10M has been the workhorse of countless studios and producers because of its pronounced midrange and for being brutally revealing. The HS8 is the latest studio monitor from Yamaha, and in the tradition of its forefather, offers outstanding sound quality for an extremely accurate mix: a worthy successor of the NS10M for today’s world.

LEADERS AND TEAM MEMBERS

Features: The HS8 is a two-way, bass-reflex, nearfield monitor featuring an 8” woofer and 1” dome tweeter. Controls include one XLR and one TRS input jack, level control, a high trim switch, and a room control switch that cuts frequencies under 500Hz by 2 or 4 dB when engaged. With a frequency response of 38Hz to 30kHz, the HS8 provides an extremely wide range of audio. Sound: The frequency response was flat and balanced, (even flatter than the older HS80M in my opinion) and stereo imaging was amazing! The highs were smooth and clear and the lows powerful and present. Onto the midrange: the mids of the HS8 make them some of the most revealing speakers I’ve ever heard. Not hyped or accentuated, the midrange reminded me instantly of the classic NS10M sound, laying the vocal bare and letting you hear the true nature of your mix. More: True, accurate sound, great bang for your buck. Less: Not much. Price: $349.99 (Each) W

Find out more about our custom in-ear monitors pro.ultimateears.com or Call 800-589-6531 JA N U A RY /F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 4

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FEATURE REVIEW

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FEATURE REVIEW

EVANWICKHAM MAKE US ONE

eyond the borders of the soul There flows a river fast and free It rushes in and swallows whole And carries loved ones out to sea With broken hearts and faith-filled eyes We search for hope behind the hurt To lead us as we grieve Believing we will see The day that he returns Let’s hear it for the handheld drum, for imagination, and the courage to play and sing a new song, for lyrics that make use of language and metaphor and literary devices that not only uphold Scripture, but expand our experience of it. Gratitude for music that reveals, startles, washes, lifts, transforms, and mostly for artists that dare to take a left turn when most are going right.

UNEXPECTED BEAUTY Evan Wickham’s Make Us One is among the most expansive and cinematic modern worship albums since Gungor’s Ghosts Upon the Earth. His explorational and original artistry combines co-writes with Matt Maher, Pete Kipley, Chad Bohi, Tyler Chester, Aaron Keyes, Bryan Brown, and Michael Gungor himself, yielding a refreshingly listenable worship encounter. The songs are each uniquely beautiful, and for the most part each word is easily heard, not lost in the production mix. The lyrical content is poetically, emotionally, and theologically rich. And all members of the Trinity, even the oft neglected Holy Spirit, are included in its rhapsodizing. Like God’s creation, there is endless variation; expect

EVANWICKHAM.COM

the unexpected in this lovely mix of worship, personal listening, and special music. The album borrows from some of Hillsong’s recent retro synthy atmospherics, and there are sprinkles and sweeps of guitar, strings, piano, and a cornucopia of sounds to fly and float and jump into— ear candy, vocal clouds, starry twinkles, and melodic climbs. Occasionally, some of the instrumentation and arrangements sap energy from the words and melody, by stealing too much focus, but this is a small criticism provided the overall creative excellence.

TRUE LOVE The dreamy yet rhythmically anchored title track—“Make Us One”—begins this journey of love and discovery. Next, tribal drums, moody guitar, evocative vocals and layers of sound cry for God to “Come for Us,” addressing both Jesus and the Holy Spirit directly. The bouncy pop of “Intimacy” has a sugary Loveboat theme song vibe that is strangely compelling. Love and adoration are a thread throughout every song. The emotional and spiritual lift on the exquisitely penned “The Day That He Returns” infuses ascendant hope in the face of grief. “Risen” is a new Easter song with a retro 60’s pop feel. The most unforgettable and dramatic song has to be “Human Soul.” Its anguished strings, Broadway meets Michael Card/Mozart meld of Jesus in the garden fused with the listener’s close-up witness has to be not only the center point of this album, but one of the most amazingly visceral experiences facilitated by a worship song in

the past year. “No One Like You” and “Shepherd of My Soul” continue with congregationally-hued love songs to our God. And whether encouraging people in their marriages in the reflective/transparent “Don’t Give Up” or supplying songs for almost every sacrament or service need from weddings to funerals, Wickham gifts us with the joy of being surprised—and with truth in a language we speak and understand. The collection fittingly ends with the perfect benediction to an album or service: “Yours Is the Kingdom”—the kind of send-out and off that reminds us of God’s love for us, presence with us, and his mission through us. TOP SONGS: Most Singable: “Make Us One” Strongest Biblical Content: “Human Soul” Mt 26:36-42; Mk 14:32-36: Lk 22:39-46 (plus more) “Risen” (the gospel story of redemption as told in the Gospels & Epistles) The Whole Package: “The Day That He Returns” ANDREA HUNTER

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IN REVIEW

MUSIC FOR LEADING declarations of emotional adoration and prayers of consecration. Scripture often reflected in honor God-ward, rather than in-depth exegesis, with a few significant exceptions (see below).

BRYAN & KATIE TORWALT Kingdom Come Jesus Culture Music jesusculture.com

Lovely worship invades the heart as heaven invades earth. Intimate to anthemic, vertical, and ascendant. Each song is a prayer from the heart. Lyrically simple

Sounds like: weighty synth, with shimmers of light, guitars, strings, pulsing/pounding drums, classic Jesus Culture TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Let Every Heart” Strongest Biblical Content: “It Was Finished” (Jn 19:30 Gospel accounts of crucifixion, Isa 25:8) The Whole Package: “It Was Finished,” “When You Walk in the Room” AH

rary worship complete with huge dynamic range, choir, musical variety/emotional intensity.

MICAH STAMPLEY Love Never Fails Motown Gospel micahstampley.org

TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Our God” (Rom 8:31, Ps 135:5) Strongest Biblical Content: “Oh Give Thanks” (pieces of many psalms, prominently 118:1) The whole package: “Come to Jesus” (special music) AH

Affirmation, celebration, proclamation and both gentle and high-energy invitation to receive and live in God’s love and praise him for it. It would take a practiced and gifted band to deliver much of this collection of intricately arranged co-writes (primarily with his wife Heidi) and covers, but it would be fun trying. Both raise the roof power and sweet intimacy. Sounds like: Poppy radio Gospel/R&B meets contempo-

A JESUS CHURCH Carry Your Name ajesuschurch.org

It is a rare thing to find such a progressive sound supported with

Lift up

a song.

If you’re called to lead through music, a Malone University bachelor’s degree in music ministry can prepare you for a career as a church musician and worship leader. Study a unique blend of theology and music courses as you observe, plan, and teach in58 a church setting with an experienced church musician. W O R S HIP L EAD ER J AN UARY /FE BR UARY 2014

www.malone.edu/worshipleader

admissions@malone.edu 1.800.521.1146 • Canton, OH

If the Livemix personal monitoring system feature set reads like a live musicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wish list, it should. Nearly every person on the Livemix design team plays or mixes live music weekly. Livemix was designed to be simple enough for volunteers to use, but deep enough to give professionals all the tools they need for mix perfection. With features like 24 channels, effects on every channel, custom channel naming, built-in stereo ambient microphones, color touchscreen and MirrorMix remote mixing, Livemix is the personal monitoring system that helps musicians give their very best in every performance.

WWW.DIGITALAUDIO.COM

by DIGITAL AUDIO LABS

DIGITAL AUDIO LABSJA1266 Rd. 55317 N U A RY /FPark E B R U A RY 2 0 1Chanhassen, 4 W OR S H IP LE A D EMN R 59

IN REVIEW classic hymns revamped for the modern sensibility. Artists include Paul Baloche, Kari Jobe, Darlene Zschech, Robin Mark, Travis Cottrell, and more.

solid theology and biblical imagery. Apparently that’s how A Jesus Church’s music rolls. From a community of people looking to live out the gospel in the city of Portland comes 12 songs seeped in beautiful digital soundscapes and drenched with the Bible, profound lyric writing, and fresh imagery. Sounds Like: M83 and Daft Punk meeting Evan Wickham: beautiful, cinematic, digital washes of sound. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “All Your People Sing” Strongest Biblical Content: “Psalm 8” (Ps 8) The Whole Package: “Carry Your Name” JA

Sounds Like: As diverse as each artist, leaning more to adult contemporary.

VARIOUS

Just As I Am: A Legacy of Hymns and Worship Integrity Music integritymusic.com An elegant collection of 13 spiritual songs performed and written by a variety of worship leaders are presented here as A Legacy of Hymns and Worship. All 13 have been on previous Integrity music releases; some are newly written hymns and others are

TOP SONGS Most Singable: “10,000 Reasons” (feat Rend Collective Experiment) Strongest Biblical Content: “In the Cross/Worthy Is the Lamb/ Crown Him With Many Crowns” (feat Travis Cottrell) (Rev 5:12) The Whole Package: “Revelation Song” (feat Kari Jobe) JA

ROSS KING

This Hope Will Guide Me rosskingmusic.com Ross and his co-writers have put together a collection of lyrically strong singable prayers with heart and spirit, bumping up the quality quotient on depth and clarity. The songs proclaim God’s character and kindness in ways that express personal devotion in universally accessible language rooted in Scripture and every song has a

www.myWC.me 800-921-4561 BROUGHT TO YOU BY WCBCS DOWNLOAD THE APP

DAILYFAMILYDEVOTIONS 60

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IN REVIEW at the same time a beautiful way to worship the Lord on your own. “Holding on to Me” joins classics around Jesus blood with a more gentle expression of love and thanks.

place in the service of worship. One of the year’s best. Sounds like: Acoustic and electric guitar-based modern rock with pop accessibility and folk/ country whispers. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Hallelujah for the Cross” Strongest Biblical Content: “Because He Loved Me First” (1 Jn 4:19); “Sin Is Powerless” (Ps 34:22, 1 Jn 4:18, Gal 3:13) The Whole Package: “Win My Soul” (a compendium of redemption Scripture across Testaments) Resources Available: Lyrics and chords for most songs available in multiple keys (rosskingmusic.com). AH

JEREMY HORN No Other Love Ardent Records jeremyhornmusic.com

Plenty of congregational songs for your service of worship co-written by Horn with some of worship’s best. A range of tempos and themes all centered on our God and why we love him. Recorded live at Horn’s church, this album is anchored to faith and Scripture and provides a great resource and

Sounds like: well executed and deeply felt electric/acoustic guitar-based (some piano) modern worship pop/rock TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Your Glory Is My Fire” Strongest Biblical Content: “Fix Our Eyes” (Heb 12:2, Rev 13:8) The Whole Package: “All to Jesus/I Surrender All” Resources Available: Chord charts, full album streaming (jeremyhornmusic.com). AH

REVOLUTION WORSHIP

Live in Love The Paradigm Collective revolutionworship.ca Revolution Worship is the heartbeat of a thriving church community’s youth, which also happens to be the church Worship Central’s Ben Cantelon came from. The songs are youthy, but quite congregational. Perfect for bringing some unique, uptempo, unformulated songs into your setlist.

Grammy and Dove Award winner Laura Story plays Kawai. Experience the difference our instruments will make in your music.

Available now at laurastorymusic.com

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kawaius.com

IN REVIEW Sounds Like: Hillsong United circa 2009 with a splash of current indie synth pop tones. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Everywhere” Strongest Biblical Content: “Unveiled” (2 Cor 3:18) The Whole Package: “Anchor” Resources Available: Chord charts, lyric videos (revolutionworship.ca)

SOUL SURVIVOR

The Flood Integrity Music | soulsurvivor.com Over 22,500 teens and youth leaders attended the three Soul Survivor events held this past summer with another 6,600 young adults attending Momen-

tum, a Soul Survivor outreach to 20-to-30-year-olds, and The Flood is a live worship recording taken from these four events. Worship leaders include Beth Croft, Tom Field, and Rend Collective Experiment (on one song). The original songs are well worth pulling into a service of worship; in fact The Flood would have

BRENT MCINTOSH Hollows idesirefire.com

Scripturally-infused, strongly-hooked, rootsy mellow rock with some pop inflections and a retro feel. McIntosh’s raspy growl, fresh perspective, and original use of language are thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting. His prayer poetry produced by Vineyard artist Chris Lizotte and Marc Ford, mixes punk simplicity with quirky, unexpected, and fresh lyrical vision. Sounds like: Lou Reedish, raspy singer/songwriter roots rock, moody guitar, bass and drums. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Abundance of Rain” Strongest Biblical Content: “Great Things” (Ps 126) The Whole Package: “Crimson Road” Resources Available: Song lyrics & chords (iDesireFire.com)

Christian Ministries and Theological Studies Online Degree Programs

Sterling College Online offers degrees in Christian Ministries and Theological Studies 100% online. You can be degree-seeking, or just take individual classes for your personal enrichment. Sterling College is a Christ-centered four-year liberal arts college and a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. We offer a free book scholarship for those who qualify and financial aid is available. Apply online at WWW.STERLING.EDU/ONLINE/THEOLOGY

800-346-1017 EXT. 312 | WWW.STERLING.EDU/ONLINE | STERLING, KANSAS

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IN REVIEW benefited with acoustic versions of those songs, because beauty gets a bit buried under all the sound. Sounds Like: Alternating guitar and synth drives the music, and the tone is a sweetly blended mix of Jesus Culture, Worship Central, and Hillsong. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Cornerstone” Strongest Biblical Content: “Your Love Never Fails” (Rom 8:38) The Whole Package: “Let It Be Known” Resources Available: Video of Acoustic versions (YouTube), chord charts (soulsurvivor.com/ song-chord-charts), free music streaming (soundcloud.com/soulsurvivoruk). JA

around the world, new and newish, the songs teach, inform, uplift, and engage. The 2013-2014 theme seeks to help students move from the “clutter” of choices available to the one choice and the one truth: Jesus.

ACQUIRE THE FIRE Epic Truth eOne acquirethefire.com

Youth ministry Acquire the Fire translates the 2013/2014 conference theme “Epic Truth” into highly energetic, dramatic modern pop/rock alternating with quieter more reflective ballads. Presented by various artists (prominently David Duffield and Geoff Hunker). Collected from top worship writers

Sounds like: Big, bold, loopy pop/rock fused with dancey rhythms, augmented by gentler ballads and quiet reflection. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “God of Hope,” “God Most High” Strong Biblical Content: “God of Hope” (Rom 15:13) The Whole Package: “Enough to Cover Me” Resources Available: Resources for select songs available at various sites AH

DAVID BRYMER Beauty Beauty PIHOP davidbrymer.com

From David Brymer, the director of worship of PIHOP in Pasadena, California, comes a collection of simple and beautiful songs of meditation mostly themed on the beauty of the life-giving love of the Father and the freedom found in his holy Son. Sounds Like: Piano driven, cello

Hardbou nd Hymnal also availa ble!

Stir hearts with more than 360 modern hymns and songs for liturgical worship from the new Spirit & Song hymnal! • • • • •

Accompaniments Words only and Chords-over-Text editions Unlimited reproduction permissions MP3 recordings Shareable song lists… and more!

Everything you need to reach youth and young adults— in one convenient, online resource.

Subscribe today! LicenSingOnline.org/Spirit-Song 64

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IN REVIEW accented, and stripped bare, Beauty Beauty is passionate, meditative, and earnest. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Behold the King” Strongest Biblical Content: “Don’t Let Me Go” (Ps 5) The Whole Package: “Come Away With Me” (Jn 8:36) *Communion Song: “Broken Bread” Resources Available: Free record download and chord charts for all songs (davidbrymer.com).

HURON HILLS CHURCH

The Wounds That Bled for Us EP | huronhills.org Down-tempo and highlighted harmonies fill this short release with grace and heartfelt prayers focused on the work of Christ. There is a throwback feel to The Wounds That Bled for Us that is quite welcome.

Sounds Like: Plucked guitars and pianos drive the sweet harmonies of praise with a folk tone. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “O Mighty King” Strongest Biblical Content: “We Remember” The Whole Package: “We Come” (Lk 22) Resources Available: Lyrics (Bandcamp) JA

LUKE HELLEBRONTH Stand Up Integrity Music worshipcentral.org

Quality thoughtful and expressive worship continues to pour out of Worship Central and Holy Trinity Brompton in London, this time at the hand of worship leader Luke Hellebronth. Production help comes from HTB compatriots Tim Hughes and Ben Cantelon, and the music is expansive, theologically rich, and completely congregational. Sounds like: Piano driven with solid Brit-pop tone, synth flair, and guitar underpinnings. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Stand Up” Strongest Biblical Content: “Awesome Is He” (Mt 17:20) The Whole Package: “Spirit Break Out” Resources Available: Free chord charts, acoustic versions, video tutorials (worshipcentral.org) JA

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PERSONAL PLAYLIST real and our very reason for living. Songs veer from aural assault to evocative and beautiful love songs, and lead singer Lauren Wells has warmth and nuance to spare. The album encourages a repositioning of our perception of what’s valuable, leading us to Jesus and his love.

Crowns have a very broad appeal and Thrive will please just about any who are looking forward to this fine release. Sounds Like: Mid ’90s grunge rock with country flair and a couple of flashes of bluegrass. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Thrive” Strongest Biblical Content: “Follow Me” (Mt 4:18-20) The Whole Package: “Dream for You” (special music) Resources Available: A companion devotional book written by Mark Hall, lyric video for “All You’ve Ever Wanted” (Vevo)

CASTING CROWNS

Thrive Beach Street/Reunion/Provident castingcrowns.com Mark Hall’s barreling throaty vocals are back with more songs of personal devotion from this AGNUSDEI.pdf 1 9/12/13 9:37 perennial Christian band. Casting

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ROYAL TAILOR Royal Tailor Essential/Provident royaltailoronline.com

Although not the first to meld dance beats, rap, pop, rock, R&B in the world of Christian music, Royal Tailor are certainly one of the most upbeat …while considering the serious issues of what is

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Sounds like: beat-heavy POP with shades of rock and R&B, vocally driven and harmonically hued. TOP SONGS Most Singable: “Remain” Strongest Biblical Content: “Give Me Faith” (Heb 11, allusions to many Scriptures across Testaments) The Whole Package: “Fight For Freedom,” “You Are My Rescue” AH

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IN REVIEW

RESOURCES

PLANETSHAKERS KIDS Nothing Is Impossible Integrity planetshakers.com

Whether you need a DVD with lyrics to facilitate worship for

children’s church (using bright colors and graphic animation), or a CD to keep your own kids engaged on the way to or from church … or anywhere for that matter, Planetshakers Kids has you in mind. Your kids will be immersed in joy-filled, Scripture-based, faith-building lyrics from songs that kids and adults alike will resonate with (“The Anthem,” “I Call You Jesus,” “Great Is Your Love,” among many others). This is only the first of a series of books, curricula, CDs, and DVDs to resource the Church from Planetshakers Kids and Integrity.

THE

BOOKSHELF

N.T. WRIGHT The Case for the Psalms HarperOne

Most people simply can’t imagine what it might be like to live in God’s world, in his time, in his space, and in his matter. This book is aimed at helping God’s people to imagine God’s larger, richer world as they pray the Psalms. N.T. Wright joins the flurry of publications in the last year that have placed the Book of Psalms at the center of Scripture and faith. If we weren’t already convinced, Wright presents a persuasive argument that the Psalms are as his title indicates, “essential,” and beyond

that, “the steady sustained subcurrent of healthy Christian living.” But this is not a legalistic, required-reading scenario, rather an evocative invitation “to pray and live the psalms.” As he has in recent works, Wright connects God’s rescue of

CASEY MCKINLEY AT YOUR TABLE

Check out the title track

“At Your Table” featured on:

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CONGREGATIONAL WORSHIP

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IN REVIEW

us, our lives, and the earth we live in, and our role in the grand narrative. He and the Psalms won’t let us off the hook. And for those who have relegated the Psalms to a disconnected Old Testament discipline or liturgy, Wright makes it clear that emulating Jesus and New Testament Christians means immersion in the Psalms that formed them and their worldview, which crosses Testaments and stands at the intersection of all time. It also means active engagement in God’s rescue plan of our lives and the lives of those around us, as well as the earth, and the socio/cultural world we live in. Wright wears his gifts as pastor, preacher and teacher well in this book, but also walks beside us as a fellow pilgrim ascending the hill of the Lord.

DOUGLAS C. MANN The Art of Helping Others IVP

ANDREA HUNTER

This confrontational and encouraging tome sees the artist in every person and the potential for ministry and worship in every moment and life. Mann calls us to be creative inciters, claiming our “birthright as one made in the image of our creator,” and reminds us that the pathway to life in Christ is death. “Our opportunity as creative inciters is to worship by re-creating Christ’s ministry of selflessness, selfsacrifice, and obedience to the will and purposes of God.” Mann advocates for a course (which will be unique for each of us) that will cost everything, yet yield freedom in Christ and the joy of living out of our true identity.

DAVID WILKIE Coffee With Jesus IVP

into the types of questions and issues real-life people struggle with daily. JEFF FRIEND

David Wilkie accomplishes in a four-panel comic strip what preachers try to achieve in a 45-minute sermon—making one solid point that delivers a spiritual truth. Wilkie’s popular Coffee With Jesus strip invites the reader to eavesdrop on conversations between Jesus and a diverse cast of characters as they discuss everyday topics including relationships, culture, and church. Worship leaders will gain insight

LESTER RUTH Longing for Jesus Eerdmans Whether the church you attend is one, 10, 100 or 400 years old (any Lutherans) or dates back to the first century (Catholics/Orthodox), Lester Ruth’s book Longing for Jesus: Worship at a Black Holiness Church in Mississippi, 1895-1913 encourages you to

SCHOOL OF WORSHIP

passione

Act on your Let us help you answer the call to lead. Photo Credit: Amanda Ingels

faithak.com/thecommunitysow |

907.243.1777, ext 32

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IN REVIEW look at worship in an expansive and fresh way. Firsthand stories, plus sermons and song lyrics draw us in the drama and power of “one” church—progenitor of a denominational movement— emerging in the wake of spiritual, political, and racial transition and tumult. Add to this a portrait of the church’s visionary, controversial, eloquent, passionate, and prolific worship-writing pastor and you have not only a rewarding and intriguing read, but a significant study with myriad applications. ANDREA HUNTER

MICHAEL KELLY Boring B&H When Christians see pastors and worship leaders on the stage preaching and praising God, sometimes they may feel that their lives are too ordinary to

reach such a level of worship or ministry. Michael Kelly forcefully explains that even “boring” activities like running a household, working in an office, or parenting become meaningful and important when done through God’s presence. Kelly challenges believers to recognize that whenever God is involved, even the ordinary becomes extraordinary. JEFF FRIEND

BETH MOORE Whispers of Hope B&H Publishing Renowned Bible teacher Beth Moore incorporates God’s story from Scripture, wisdom from study, personal experience, and puts it in straightforward and transforming nuggets that catapult you into Moore’s structured approach to daily living and prayer. She has even supplied the

reader with spaces to write in their praise, repentance, acknowledgment of God (his lordship and goodness), prayer for others, prayers for personal needs, and prayers to be used in service. A good way to jumpstart the New Year. ANDREA HUNTER

MICHAEL J. BAUER Arts Ministry Eerdmans Since Genesis 1:1, God has demonstrated his passion for

creativity. In Arts Ministry, Michael J. Bauer relates the importance of Christians expressing their love, adoration, and worship of God through multiple artistic formats. He offers imagination-stirring ideas and valuable insights into arts ministries and how they can enhance a church’s community outreach, encourage crosscultural unity, and provide laity abundant opportunities to worship and encounter their creative God with the artistic gifts he gave them. JEFF FRIEND

PROGRAMMING RESOURCES Yes, you just finished your Christmas celebrations a few days ago, but now you need to gear up for Easter. Every year at this time and in this space we look at a handful of Lenten-season musicals for choirs and praise teams. Here are five of this year’s best DAVID CLYDESDALE Easter Word David Clydesdale might be in the Lillenas stable these days, but that doesn’t stop Word from releasing this greatest-hits package of 15 of his vintage power-praise, Easter anthems, with songs spanning 30+ years. There’s not a dog 70

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in the bunch, but if you’re not familiar with the Clydesdale canon, buy the collection for “Arise,” with its four modulations and an optional high C for your tenor (or soprano) soloist at the end, and “We Shall Behold Him,” marvelously melded with “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.” In addition, Deborah Craig-Claar contributes scripts that allow you to select pieces from the collection to form a full-blown musical, a brief Palm Sunday service, a Maundy Thursday communion service, a Good Friday Tennebrae service, and a brief Easter morning service. If you want one collection to cover your entire Holy Week service needs, this would be the one. WORDMUSIC.COM

DIANNE WILKINSON Good News From Jerusalem LifeWay Worship If you’re not a Southern gospel music fan, the name Dianne Wilkinson might not mean much to you, but a search of CCLI’s database comes up with over 550 songs she has written for the Church over the years. Here she gathers five of her recent creations into a short musical (25 minutes) that covers Good Friday through Easter Sunday. Stylistically, these songs will be well received by a wider audience than just the So-go market, with orchestrations by four of Christian choral music’s most successful arrangers: Cliff Duren, Camp

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Kirkland, Russell Mauldin, and Dave Williamson. For churches looking for a short but powerful Easter-season musical, this is good news, indeed. LIFEWAY.COM

TRAVIS COTTRELL Jesus, Only Jesus Benson The seasonal musicals of Travis Cottrell have become must-have resources for churches looking to bring the most up-and-coming contemporary worship music into the broader context of a throughcomposed narrative musical. This year’s offering features a number of current hits, “One Name” and the title song among them, and

IN REVIEW also reaches into the rich legacy of Easter hymns for “Draw Me Nearer (I Am Thine, O Lord)” and “And Can It Be?” (with the new Phatfish melody). Consider adding the optional narrations and Scriptural references from Sue C. Smith for an even more cohesive rendering. BRENTWOODBENSON.COM

MARK HAYES Requiem Beckenhorst Though not technically an exclusively Easter musical, Mark Hayes’ most recent large-scale choral work is too good not to mention here, especially since so much of the requiem-mass language resonates with Lenten themes. Written following the death of both of his parents over the course of the past four years, Requiem features Hayes at his

high-church best, utilizing interesting, 20th-century-influenced harmonic structure but with (as always, with Hayes) a keen ear for melody, especially that written for the baritone soloist. This one will take a bit of work (for one, your choir will need to brush up on Latin, although there is plenty of English, too), but the results will be well worth the effort. Parts are available for both full orchestra and chamber ensemble, the latter utilizing piano as the foundational instrument. BECKENHORSTPRESS.COM

TRAINING musicians changing culture.

JOEL RANEY The Seven Last Days Hope In his introduction to this piece, Joel Raney reminds us that the gospels, particularly Mark’s, give us quite a bit of information about Christ’s activities during the entire week leading up to the crucifixion. He then takes us on a journey, covering those daily events in song and narration. (Anyone else forget that Jesus kicked the money changers out of the temple on the Monday following Palm Sunday?) Raney

writes for SAB (and optional SATB) choir here, making this a good choice for smaller choirs or those without lots of extra time for rehearsing, and accompaniment can be provided by any combination of piano, flute, oboe, violin, and cello. The haunting closing song (an arrangement of “Were Your There?”) makes this a great choice for a Tennebrae service. HOPEPUBLISHING.COM

"I love Ocean's Edge and their heart… The environment the team creates is both personal and purposeful– they have a way of drawing out every student's best and setting them up to win. Can't speak highly enough of Ocean’s Edge." – MIA FIELDES HILLSONG

Worship Track / Artist Development / Performance / Production

OCEAN’S EDGE SCHOOL OF WORSHIP • FORT LAUDERDALE, FL • OCEANSEDGESCHOOL.COM

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All Pro Sound............................................................................................53 Audix.........................................................................................................61 Aviom .......................................................................................................33 Casey McKinley ........................................................................................68 CCLI .........................................................................................................73 Chalice Press........................................................................................... 23 Christian Copyright Solutions ....................................................................7 Community School of Worship ................................................................69 Digital Audio Labs ....................................................................................59 Essential Worship ....................................................................................17 Fishman ...................................................................................................39 Full Compass ...........................................................................................72 InterVarsity Press ....................................................................................46 Jody Thomae ...........................................................................................75 Kawai .......................................................................................................62 Lee University ..........................................................................................27 LeTourneau University .............................................................................47 Liberty University .....................................................................................37 Loop Community .....................................................................................15 Malone University ....................................................................................58

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MediaShout ...........................................................................................11 Ocean’s Edge School of Worship ..........................................................71 Oregon Catholic Press ..........................................................................64 Planning Center Online ..........................................................................76 Praise Charts ...........................................................................................2 Reliance Ministries ................................................................................65 Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies ...................................66 Salem Church Products ..........................................................................5 Steinway & Sons .....................................................................................9 Sterling College Online ..........................................................................63 Sweetwater ...........................................................................................29 Thomas Nelson .......................................................................................3 TPC Music .............................................................................................67 Ultimate Ears .........................................................................................55 University of Mobile ..............................................................................43 Visual Sound .........................................................................................51 WeAreWorship.com ..............................................................................26 West Coast Bible College & Seminary ...................................................60 WorshipPlanning.com ...........................................................................13 Yamaha Resources ...............................................................................31

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Covering You. Over 158,000 churches across North America count on CCLI for license coverage and worship resources—each and every week. See how CCLI can help cover you.

Music Licensing and Resources

Covers the copying activities that assist with your congregational singing. Over 3,000 publishers/ copyright owners & over 300,000 worship songs are covered.

Song lyrics, audio samples and transposable chord sheets, lead sheets and vocal sheets. Choose the version that best suits your needs.

Allows your worship teams and choirs to legally copy and share commercial audio recordings for rehearsal purposes.

Allows you to stream or podcast your live-recorded worship music on your church’s website or other streaming service.

Movie/Video Licensing and Resources

Movie clips and ideas to use for your sermon/teaching illustrations.

If your church uses movies for any ministry-related activities, you’ll likely need the legal permission that the Church Video License provides.

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BY CHUCK FROMM

DESPERATE THANKS

“THANKSGIVING IS INTEGRALLY INTERWOVEN WITH WORSHIP AND PRAYER.”

was sitting in Mission Hospital last month. It was Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. I was dehydrated with both my blood pressure and sugar levels registering in the stratosphere. What was I thinking? Well, I can tell you, I was not being thankful that God had directed my steps to a place of healing and recovery. No. Instead, I pitied myself for having been caught into the hospital quagmire with no delivery in sight. “Just put me back on insulin.” I thought. “Give me an antibiotic that will help fight the swimmer’s ear infection that started this off! And let me goooooo home, NOW!”

SOME THANKS Of course, as one might expect, the hospital was full of sick people. And my roommate—think cellmate at this point—was one of the most tragically afflicted, and in terrific pain. He was only 29 and had suffered over 30 broken bones and a host of other internal injuries as the result of an accident. I learned he worked as an extreme sport professional. A glimmer of thanksgiving emerged. I was thankful God hadn’t called me, or I hadn’t elected to make my living in that field. Still my real concern was for my own present incarceration and dealing with the medical hierarchy. It would have been nice if I could have blamed Obamacare or someone for all of the administrative and health issues I was facing, but sadly I could not. Then I started to think, “Way to go Chuck. Your own reckless behavior got you into this mess …” My inattention to detail and refusal to acknowledge my physical limitations was proving to be every bit as deadly as the behaviors of my extreme sports roommate. 74

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NEVER AGAIN Realizing that the hospital staff was there to take care of people like me, bad choices notwithstanding, fueled not only repentance, but gratitude. I started thinking about the nurses who could not be with their families because they were serving me in the hospital. I thought of the technology and expertise that meant instead of dying, I would live. I was surrounded by people—people God created. And in the midst of it all, I heard a whisper, “Stop complaining and listen,” God’s still small voice. “And oh yes, be thankful: thankful that you do have a family who loves you and are quite concerned about your health.”

DESPERATE GRATITUDE Bob Webber taught us that the key word of worship is “re-member” or quite literally to put back together again. “People who can’t remember,” he would say “are mentally sick.” And one of the most effective and important means of memory-making is singing songs that help us to remember specific places, times, and people. In this situation, my first inclination was to bury myself in a movie, disconnect from the people surrounding me … plug into the technology and my own private place as I sang a song of woe and lament to the nurses, my family, and friends for being stuck in the hospital. But when I remembered, with God’s nudging, I sang a different song, a song of both desperation and thanksgiving. The two actually go together as strange as that may seem. The thanksgiving that was encouraged in Colossians and Ephesians regarding life in community wasn’t

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because their collective life was a bed of roses without conflict. In fact, church conflict probably was part of the motivation for the epistles.

LAMENT WITH LISTENING And just like my visit to the hospital wasn’t pleasant, when I mixed my lament with listening, I was moved to “thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving is integrally interwoven with worship and prayer. We sing to God; we enter his gates with thanksgiving. It’s not because God is saying, “Be happy, or else,” but because there is an amazing thing that happens in the midst of thanksgiving. We enter into communion—with God, and with each other. We join with the communion of saints across time and space. The word eucharisteo in the Greek means to be grateful, feel thankful. And the Eucharist or Holy Communion as it is also called, not only celebrates Christ’s sacrifice for us, his broken body, and poured out blood, but that Christ has come, that he is with us now, in every situation, even—especially—at Mission Hospital. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Col 3:16) W

CHUCK FROMM is CEO/Publisher of Worship Leader magazine.

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