Worship Leader Magazine Volume 30 Number 3

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FEATURES

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Loving Our Baton-Passing, Triune God

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Sent as a Song into the World

Lester Ruth

Constance Cherry Mike Colaw

VOL 30 NO 3 2

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LE AD ER SHI P

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Missional Worship Life As A Psalm

WORSHIP LEADER MAGAZINE VOL. 30, NO. 3

By Tanya Riches

CONTENT/DESIGN/PRODUCTION

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Lost & Missing Sung Prayers Awakening Prayer

By Josh Lavender

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Worship Radar Skye Reedy

With Caitlin Lassiter

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Songwriting Tips

Nine Foundational Pillars of Worship Songwriters

By Chris Clayton

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Technically Speaking Moving Beyond I Do to I Am

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Songwriter's Toolbox

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Letters with Love

Worship Leader® (ISSN 1066-1247) is published six times a year by Worship Leader Partnership (P.O. Box 1539, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693). Copyright: Worship Leader magazine © 2021 by Worship Leader, Inc. Worship Leader® is a registered trademark.

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Loving our Baton-Passing, Triune God B Y

L E S T E R

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R U T H

n a culture celebrating individual responsibility and

But, despite the danger, I’d like to suggest it is a

rights, idioms that talk about passing something to

helpful—even necessary—vision for the Triune God we

another can create negative images. While it is a

are to love and with whom we are to be in relationship.

good thing to pass an exam or to pass go and collect

Obviously, I am not suggesting that God the Father

$200, to pass the buck is a bad thing. It means to

was the only one active in creating and saving until

try to avoid responsibility for something by making

Jesus came on the scene, and then the Father passed

someone else the responsible party. Passing the baton

the baton on to Jesus who did a great job until He

is perhaps a tad better in its nuanced meaning, but a

ascended into heaven and handed the baton on to

quick online search still pulls up hits that would seem

the Holy Spirit.

to have a negative connotation at first glance. To pass the baton—a metaphor pulled from the world of track and field—suggests someone has finished one’s part and has handed the responsibility and spotlight to another. Of course, in a relay race that’s exactly what you want to happen for the team to win the race. But outside of racing, passing the baton could imply in a

What I am suggesting is that, when we direct our love to God, there is a deference that takes place among the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In other words, when we seek to love One of these, that Person directs our attention to Another within the Trinity. The baton of love is passed among the Three.

worst-case scenario that one is wishing to duck the limelight and avoid contributing to the collective enterprise at all. It is a potentially dangerous image.

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Understanding the Triune God The idea of the Triune God as a baton-passer when it comes to our loving God is not completely foreign

to be full of faith and the Holy Spirit. And so I began to pray about it. And that’s when I learned the first instance of God’s baton passing.

The Passing of the Baton

when we consider how the Bible portrays the love we receive from the divine.

“God, make me to be a man full of faith and the Holy

THE FAMILY AT WORSHIP.

Spirit,” I prayed. Okay, admittedly, it was not the

As the Father has loved me,”

most original of prayers, being so dependent upon the Scriptures themselves, but the direct approach

Jesus told His followers toward the

seemed fitting at the time. As I prayed this prayer time

end of His life, “so have I loved you.

attention was turned more and more to Jesus Christ.

JOHN 15:9

was not just to focus narrowly on the Holy Spirit, but

and again, do you know how it was answered? My The key to becoming more full of the Spirit, I learned, it was to focus on Jesus Christ. I looked for the Spirit

I like to think about this verse whenever I wonder how

and had the divine hand adjust my alignment to

Jesus could love me (He loves me!), or what it means

Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Specifically, the answer

for Jesus to love me (He loves me!), or, for that matter,

to my prayer to be more full of the Spirit was to love

whenever I sing that children’s song, “Jesus loves me,

Jesus Christ. Listen. That sound you hear is one Person

this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” It’s a staggering

of the Trinity passing the baton to Another.

thought: the boundless, overwhelming, unifying love the Father has had for the Son for all eternity is the same love that Jesus has for me and you. Pass that baton, please. Indeed, I often find myself now singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Father loves Him

Love Jesus and do that more and more. I had my direction set, one that shaped my discipleship for decades. Eventually, however, I started to ask the natural (“supernatural” is perhaps the better word)

so.” That’s what this Bible verse tells me.

question: how can I love Jesus even more than I do

But what about when the issue is our love for God? I

loving Christ, I found I had no more quick answers to

think even then the baton-passing still occurs among

that question. And so, I decided to take the issue up

the Father, Son, and Spirit. Indeed, I’ve become

with Jesus Christ Himself, again posing the question

more and more convinced this realization is a key to

in prayer. Do you know what I heard as the answer? I

Christian maturity in the faith. Let me tell you how I’ve

was to love the One whom Christ loved. To plunge into

come to that opinion; it’s been a forty- year journey

an even deeper pool of love for Jesus Christ meant to

of contemplation.

concentrate on the One whom He loves, that is, God

It all started when I was a new Christian decades ago in college. I was reading my Bible closely for the first time ever and had begun to notice the most interesting phrase in the Acts of the Apostles: so-and-so was a person “full of faith and the Holy Spirit.” As a new Christian, I wasn’t quite sure what this meant, but Luke, the author of Acts, always seemed to portray each particular so-and-so as someone who was a good Christian. “If it was good enough for them,” I thought forty-plus years ago, “it’s good enough for

now? After several decades of dedicating myself to

the Father. As soon as the fog lifted in my mind and spirit and that realization became clear, it seemed obvious: how could I grow in love for Jesus if I wasn’t as mesmerized, taken up with, dedicated to, and in love with the One with whom Jesus Himself was mesmerized, taken up with, dedicated to, and in love with? Look. That sight you see is one Person of the Trinity passing the baton to yet Another. To love Jesus deeply and fully involves loving God the Father deeply and fully.

me.” My problem was that I didn’t quite know how

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for one more passing of the baton of eternal, triune unity. As I contemplated what it might involve to love

How could I grow in love for Jesus if I wasn’t as mesmerized, taken up with, dedicated to, and in love with the One with whom Jesus Himself was mesmerized, taken up with, dedicated to, and in love with?

God the Father more fully, the period of wondering was relatively short. (Being a Christian for a while doesn’t necessarily make you smarter; it may just mean obvious answers can come quicker.) The path to loving the Father more robustly? Seek the Spirit. Who searches the depths of God? Who knows the mind of God? Who knows the things of God, including the love of God (1 Cor 2:10-11)? The Holy Spirit. The power to love God the Father more fully is only found within the fullness of the Spirit. Ponder. The wonder you feel is the baton being passed yet again.

And so, after more than forty years, I am back to where I started: seeking to be a person full of faith and the Holy Spirit. But I am not disappointed or frustrated.

In fact, I have grown to believe that the way forward

And so, it seemed, my course was fixed: to be someone

in the race, which starts in this life and continues

full of faith and the Holy Spirit means loving Jesus

onward through eternity, is to become enamored

Christ. And to love Jesus Christ involves loving the

with the baton-passing, eternal relationship of loving

One He loves, God the Father. But you can guess

mutuality between the Father, the Son, and the Holy

where this is going. What does a Christian do to

Spirit. Compared to that divine passing, our passing

love God the Father ever more deeply? Get ready

exams and passing go are mere trifles.

BY

L E S T E R

R U T H

Lester Ruth is a historian of Christian worship. He works as the Research Professor of Christian Worship at Duke Divinity School. Before arriving at Duke in July, 2011, he taught at the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary, and Yale Divinity School. Interested in all eras and forms of worship, his main concerns are worship in the early church, Methodism, and recent developments in contemporary praise and worship. His passion is seeing how worship of the past might enrich the church today.

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SENT AS A

SONG I N TO T H E WORLD

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C O N S TA N C E

M I K E

C H E R R Y

C O L AW

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S E N T AS A S O N G I N TO T H E WO R L D

BREATHING IN

THE RYTHM OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

B Y

C O N S TA N C E

C H E R R Y

“Take a deep breath. Exhale.

Again: deep breath; exhale.”

There is a similar rhythm to our spiritual lives. Plenty of people have made the case for the connection between what we put into the development of our spiritual lives and our maturity level (or lack thereof)

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as a result. Junk in, junk out. Healthy in, healthy out.

y family doctor was listening to my lungs

However, I would like to think of this dialectic in terms

through a stethoscope as he checked off the

of “song in, song out.” Think metaphorically of living

items required for my routine physical. He

our lives as one big, unending song that we sing to

was functioning according to the obvious: no oxygen

the triune God, which also overflows to others. Song

can be exhaled without it first being inhaled. It is the

in, song out is a profound rhythm of the spiritual life.

rhythm of life.

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minister to others. This, in turn, becomes a sweet-

There is a text to your life’s song. You don’t have to find it or create it.

smelling sacrifice to God. So go ahead and exhale; sing your life song as it comes to you and get ready to be surprised at how your song encourages others.

One day about twenty years ago, I was going

through a very challenging time. I recall driving through my city and a tune was stuck in my head.

At first, I did not even realize there was a tune going on. Then at one point I thought, “Hey, there’s a song

It begins with “song in.” There is a text to your life’s

in my heart. But I don’t know what it is!” So, I just

song. You don’t have to find it or create it. Instead,

listened to the melody for a while and let it take its

it comes to us as a gift from Jesus who speaks truth

course. Eventually, I identified it as a Sunday School

into our lives, giving us the narrative wherein we find

song that I had sung as a child. Soon, ever word came

our identity as his disciples. It is none other than the

rushing back to me even though I had not sung that

living Word of God (Jesus) that gives us the very

song for thirty years. It was the very word I needed

words that form the song for our lives. It is composed

for the day! This little song was part of my life song.

over time, in stanzas that are added throughout the

A tiny text was part of the grand narrative. It was a

years. Sometimes the melody has a lively dance-like

gift from Jesus that overflowed into consolation.

character; other times the melody is conducive to lament. Either way, our whole life becomes a living, breathing psalm sung to the triune God. So go ahead and inhale!

Inhale…exhale. Song in…song out. Embrace

the life song God is writing for you. Then sing it back to God and to anyone who will listen. The Spirit will take it from there, sending you into the world not only

But “song in” is not worth much without “song

out.” Song in must overflow to bless God and others.

to sing your song, but also to listen to the songs of others.

As we reach out to the lost, the lonely, the enemy, whatever stanza we are on will be used of God to

D R . C O N S TA N C E M . C H E R RY Rev. Dr. Constance Cherry is Professor Emeritus of Worship and Pastoral Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University.

She teaches at several institutions of higher education internationally. She is the author of six books on worship.

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S E N T AS A S O N G I N TO T H E WO R L D

SENT AS

SELFLESS LOVE

B Y

T

he first thing that comes to my mind when I think of believers in Christ being God’s workmanship, His art, His poem, His song sent and shared with

those we encounter in the world is the reality that the charitable love of Christ is the engine. That love is embodied in the Trinity: the Father is always pointing to the Son who is always pointing to the Father and the Spirit, each always pointing to the other, always lifting up the other, always aware of the needs of the other.

M I K E

C O L AW

What love looks like The church ought to be a place where charity, as defined by God—that selfless agape love modeled by the Trinity—is practiced. When that is practiced, it becomes natural for us to see the needs of others and respond to them. I define love to my children as “that selfless charity and posture of your heart that does good to another independent of their ability to reciprocate.”

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Christ at the center

We as a church value social justice highly, but social justice is not our god — Christ is. Social justice and righteousness is the byproduct of Christo-centric living.

We sometimes have this post-modern competitive way of viewing the world and each other, but in the church, it’s way more familial. We are to do life together as a family and that’s how we grow in and practice charity.

We as a church value social justice highly, but social justice is not our god—Christ is. Social justice and righteousness is the byproduct of Christocentric living.

The song is Christ and we simply sing it. The best way to put this into practice is always turning our eyes and hearts to the true definition and source of love and letting that outpour to the people around us. it’s very important that our worship is Christocentric. I preach, but the reality is it’s probably the music that sits with my people more than the sermons do. Our worship preached and sung is always seeing and defining and expressing the love of God, not just His love for us, but His love at work through us. Then we are truly a song to the world.

BY M I K E C O L AW Mike Colaw is the lead pastor at Trinity Church in the Indianapolis area.

He graduated with a degree in Exercise Science Specialist from The Cooper Institute in 2001. He received his degree in Philosophy of Religion from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in 2002, and in 2014 he attended Wesley Seminary where he earned his degree in Ministerial Leadership.

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WO R S H I P

1 8

LEADERSHIP.

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LEADERSHI

LEADERSHIP MISSIONAL WORSHIP

In a recent chat with one of my friends, Scott Groom (one of the authors of the song “Crowns” on the Let There be Light Hillsong album), we discussed how the Psalms provide the soundtrack to accompany the highs and lows of the Christian journey. The Bible refers to Christians as living epistles, or letters (2 Cor 3:2-3). In fact, we are the letter, and the message we bear testifies to Christ. But similarly, what if we saw our own lives and their ups and downs as a psalm? As in, what if we were a song that was being sung to the glory of God?

LIFE AS A

PSALM

B Y

TA N YA

R I C H E S

Suppose we become lost—how can we find ourselves?

How much burden can we bear?

Overwhelmed we cry out, but who hears us?

Unfailing God fills our mouth with prayers for the battle, and a voice to love.

Through the Psalms.

Faithfully songs call us out of the murky valleys to ascend in trust.

Of course, we might refuse to sing to the LORD. Relentless are the heart-cries of King David; and the prayers of Asaph pursue our souls.

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SHOUT FOR JOY ALL THE EARTH

Just lurking beneath the surface, our spirits crave the honesty.

Our heroes’ lyrics rush to our core like magnets.

Yes, life has its lows.

A world now analyzes mental health in detail, prescribing suitable remedies precisely.

Little do we remember the Psalms spoke of this first.

Lovingly He preserves our lives in the midst of distress.

There are times that we immerse ourselves to suffer the LORD’s silence.

He is intriguing us; testing us; training us.

Each wordless moment grows in us an appreciation of a volume of reply.

Equally, some days we pray one letter at a time.

As if by design, suddenly glimmers of breakthrough erupt!— strength to rise up and praise.

Rising war chants empower us to sing to our battle, “He will rock you”

Through the ancient passages; but when we cycle back to tiredness and fading courage,

He lays us down in green pastures, and leads us beside quiet waters, reminding us to rest.

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WORSHIP THE LORD WITH GLADNESS

[Selah]

We know the love songs that define our era, but the LORD sings His Endless Love.

Out of all humanity, who hasn’t been haunted by weakness and failings?

Reading His Psalms implores us to confess.

Such mistakes washed by compassionate and merciful oceans; wrongs meet righteous shores.

How is it that pilgrimage sometimes makes the Psalms seasonally foundational; and at other times, the foundation of every season?

In both, the LORD’s composure remains.

Psalms have no conclusion; they continue to resonate.

The young find them to be fire; the old treasure their timelessness.

How do you carry the weight of the world?

Even cut the rope from your neck?

Lift your desires from the floor of the sea?

Only 150 strikes of the chisel, and we remember our Davidic likeness.

Remember the LORD’s heart through sorrows.

Don’t forget the LORD’s strength through battles.

When we sing the Psalms, we hear accents of praise.

In our acceptance of life’s troubles, we evade our complacency within them.

This is the prize we’ve set out to win.

However, our hearts don’t know it initially.

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Ghosts glow in the doorways calling us to self-pity and apathy, vanishing in the face of faith.

Let Psalms beckon us to our next summit and remind us where our help comes from.

As Psalms give us wings, we soar above valleys with eagle eyes.

Desperation transforms into victory as we’re intimate with the LORD Himself.

Naturally the epistles approve of our dogma.

Every Psalm however, breaks into the dungeon, hugs us, and shepherds us back to His courts.

Singing the Psalms mentors us through the parallels: high & low; light & dark; doubt & trust; death & life.

So even if only on our death-beds the songs make complete sense, we still get to step into the freedom of knowing that…

HIS GOODNESS AND LOVE FOLLOWED US ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES, AND WE SHALL DWELL IN HIS HOUSE FOREVER.

BY

TA N YA

R I C H E S

Tanya is a Senior Lecturer and Masters Program Coordinator at Hillsong College. She co-leads the research pillar at The Centre for Disability Studies, an affiliate of the University of Sydney.

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WATC H

V I D E O

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MUSIC. LO S T

&

M I S S I N G

S U N G

P R AY E R S

WO R S H I P

R A DA R

S O N G W R I T I N G

T I P S

2 4 2 7 2 8

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MUSIC L O S T + M I S S I N G S U N G P R AY E R S

AWAKENING PRAYER T

his past week I had the privilege of visiting some “awakening” cites in Kentucky and Tennessee. If you’re not familiar with the word awakening, it is frequently used in Methodist circles to

remember moments where God’s Spirit meets with a group of people in such a profound way that it opens their eyes to God’s activity in the world, renews their sense of purpose, and marks their lives forever.

One of these awakenings happened on the campus of Asbury College in 1970. It was reported that the gathering continued without interrup-

B Y

J O S H

L AV E N D E R

tion for 185 hours because the presence of God was so evident that people didn’t want to leave.

Renewals or revivals are not only marked by the Holy Spirit’s activity in a gathering, but by the ripple effect of confession, reconciliation, charity, and justice that happen in the surrounding areas long after the gathering ends.

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MUSIC

Stories of awakening remind me of the rich history of God renewing his people. The Bible is full of stories like 2 Kings 22 where God’s people literally rediscover Scripture and it starts a revival, or Acts 2 where God’s Spirit invades a prayer meeting and gives birth to an unstop-

L O S T + M I S S I N G S U N G P R AY E R S

pable movement.

What is interesting about these awakening, renewal moments is that they are so frequently connected to a certain type of desperate prayer that many call travailing prayer. To travail means to labor or give deep and often painful effort. Paul describes this kind of effort in Galatians 4:19 when he says,

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.

Paul understood the persistent labor of prayer. Prayer is certainly the place where God takes away the heavy things that weigh on us, but it is also a place where God gives us new, holy weights to carry—the burdens of carrying God’s heart for a world that needs awakening. This is the same kind of weight that the prophet Isaiah carried when he said,

You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

ISAIAH 62:6B-7

Prayer is certainly the place where God takes away the heavy things that weigh on us, but it is also a place where God gives us new, holy weights to carry...

This is the same kind of weight that the prophet Jeremiah carried when he said,

Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the Lord brought on me…

LAMENTATIONS 1:12B

This is the same kind of weight that Jesus carried when Luke 22:44 says,

...being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

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MUSIC

I’ve heard it said that the first blood of atonement were the drops of blood Jesus shed in prayer. May his Spirit wake us up to the great needs around us and give us zeal, persistence and the singular focus to

L O S T + M I S S I N G S U N G P R AY E R S

contend for God’s Spirit to fill our homes, churches, cities, and world.

WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO WRITE SONGS OF TRAVAILING PRAYER? HOW COULD A COMMUNITY USE WORSHIP TO CONTEND TOGETHER FOR AN AWAKENING?

BY

J O S H

L AV E N D E R

Josh is a Worship Director at Trinity Church Indianapolis.

He is the co-founder of Wesleyan Worship Project and Awaken Worship Collective. He is a composer, artist, author and Song Discovery Alum.

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MUSIC WORSHIP RADAR

Skye

Worship leader and solo artist Skye Reedy joins us to talk about the parts of her story that led her to get involved in music, the inspiration behind her newest singles, unity on worship teams, working with family, and what upcoming projects are in the works.

REEDY

REEDY WATC H

V I D E O

W I T H

C A I T L I N

W I T H

C A I T L I N

L A S S I T E R

L A S S I T E R

Caitlin Lassiter is a worship leader, writer and college student with a passion for worship ministry in the church. She is currently studying worship and journalism at Trevecca Nazarene University and lives in Nashville, TN.

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MUSIC

SO N GWR ITI N G

SONGWRITING TIPS

T I P S //

BY

C H R I S

C L AY TO N

NINE FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS OF WORSHIP SONGWRITERS

T

oday, more than ever, there is a steady flow of worship songs being released to the world. Every Friday, the day that most new music is released in the music community, we are given new musical offerings from some

of the most influential churches and ministries, as well as from congregations who do not have record deals or massive followings. Regardless of the situation, there is a responsibility that comes with songwriting for the Church. With this responsibility comes great influence. That said, while there are not any certain rules for songwriting, there are some foundational pillars to consider when writing for the most powerful voice on the planet.

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01. Focus On Writing for YOUR Church, and Not “THE Church.”

Perspective is everything in writing worship songs. If you are a worship pastor, your main objective is to shepherd the people that you stand in front of week after week. You are tasked with giving your people songs that declare the truths of God. As a worship pastor who writes worship songs, your job is to write for your people. That is part of the shepherding assignment of a worship pastor.

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MUSIC SONGWRITING TIPS

The goal of your songwriting is to give the church you lead week after week a unique and personal voice of worship. It is another tool used to shepherd, teach, and encourage your people.

Next time you are up on your stage leading, ask yourself the question, “What do these people need to be singing?” The beauty of the Church is that there are not two congregations alike. Every church is unique in their makeup. So why do we think that as worship songwriters we need to write with a certain style or with certain language like other churches do? Write for your people! Write songs of hope for the family in your church who is walking through the loss of their mom and wife. Write songs of faithfulness for the man who has been jobless for months, yet, God is still providing. Write songs about the cross for the skeptic who keeps coming on Sunday but is holding out on embracing the love of Jesus. All of these are real situations from my church and what I push myself and our team to write towards.

The primary goal of writing worship songs is not for other churches to sing your songs. It is not to make the top 10 CCLI chart or get the latest worship band to cut your song on their record. The goal of your songwriting is to give the church you lead week after week a unique and personal voice of worship. It is another tool used to shepherd, teach, and encourage your people. If God chooses to breathe on your song and take it to national or global arenas – GREAT! That is a bonus! However, if only your church sings them and is able to encounter God

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through them, it is still a win.

02. Write Singable Songs.

Have you ever wondered why sometimes your congregation is not singing? There could be many reasons that attribute to this. However, one reason is because we are failing to write singable songs. As mentioned above, part of your job as a worship pastor is to shepherd your people through the songs you lead. But if you are not writing songs they actually can sing, then you are defeating the purpose.

Practically speaking, when writing worship songs both lyrics and melody have to be taken into consideration. There is always some debate on whether the lyrics or melody should be of the highest importance when writing worship songs. I would offer that both equally hold weight. Lyrics are the life blood of every worship song. Lyrics in a worship song hold higher value than lyrics in a general market pop song.

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MUSIC

In addition to lyrics, melody is just as important when writing songs for your church. If the songs we write are melodically challenging, then our people will have a difficult time engaging in singing. Remember, the vast majority of your congregation are not trained musicians or singers. If you bring a song to a Sunday service that is all over the scale melodically, it can be intimidating and will cause your people to shut down. Again, worship songwriters should reach to find a balance of breaking new ground with melody and rhythm while still making it

SONGWRITING TIPS

accessible for the average person to sing.

A great example of both lyrics and melody working well in this area is the song, “Living Hope” by Brian Johnson and Phil Wickham. Lyrically, this song marries together some great familiar imagery with new lyrical landscapes. For instance, they write in one of the verses:

Then came the morning that sealed the promise Your buried body began to breathe Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion Declared the grave has no claim on me “LIVING HOPE” BY PHIL WICKHAM AND BRIAN JOHNSON ©2017 Phil Wickham Music (BMI) / Seems Like Music (BMI) / Sing My Songs (BMI) (admin. at EssentialMusicPublishing.com) Bethel Music Publishing (ASCAP).

All Rights Reserved.

Melodically, “Living Hope” is well crafted. While it brings fresh melodic lifts and hooks, it feels comfortable and familiar. It brings a very hymn like feel to the modern worship landscape which allows it to reach a wide audience of worshippers. It has proven to be a song that the church can easily sing along with and will engage in worship for years to come.

Overall, as worship songwriters we should seek to write songs that are singable by our people. We should pursue new territory both lyrically and melodically.

The best worship songwriters know how to meld together the new and familiar

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in both areas.

03. The Value of Co-writing.

Brian Johnson from Bethel Music once said, “Co-writing changed my life.” 1 I personally can relate. When I first started writing songs, I would agonize over lyrics and melody and often times feel like I was in a “songwriting rut.” I remember my first real co-writing experience with my now friend, Tony Wood.

1

“Brian Johnson - The Value Of Co-Writing | Teaching Moment.” YouTube, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5IXEhc5awA&t=2s.

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Just as it changed Brian’s life, it changed mine too. It opened my eyes to what my strengths and weaknesses were in songwriting. It revealed what I needed to work on in my craft. Most of all, it gave me freedom to not feel like I had to carry the complete weight of the song.

It has been said that two heads are better one. But did you actually know that

SONGWRITING TIPS

the popular phrase comes from God’s Word? ECCLESIASTES 4:9 says,

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.

This is extremely applicable to writing songs. Is co-writing the only way songs can be written? Not at all. But, take a look at the most influential worship songs in the last ten years and the vast majority of them have been written been by two or more songwriters. For instance, the song “This Is Amazing Grace” was written by three songwriters (Jeremy Riddle, Phil Wickham and Josh Farro).

“How Great is Our God” was also written by three songwriters (Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash and Jesse Reeves).

One of the many benefits of co-writing is that it allows potential for a good song idea to evolve into a great masterpiece. In 2018, I was in Sydney, Australia at the Hillsong Conference and I picked up an incredible book entitled, Songs of Heaven

by Amanda Fergusson. In this book, she discusses this idea of co-writing. She says, “There is such a fine line between a good song and a song that has a touch of greatness about it. A co-writer who refuses to allow or settle for an ordinary lyric or an average melody can make that difference.”2 This is why there is value

4

in co-writing songs.

04. Hold On Loosely to Your Songs.

One of the most unique places in the world is the songwriting room. It can be a room that is full of creativity and excitement. At the same time, it can be a place of insecurity and tension. Songwriting as a whole is an extremely personal exercise and it requires the songwriter to be vulnerable no matter the genre being written.

Songs are often equated as precious jewels mined out of the depths of the earth. A writer can spend anywhere from minutes to hours coming up with an idea to bring into the room to then only have that idea dismantled or even disregarded. The beauty of co-writing is that it exposes a lot about our ideas.

That’s the point. It is meant to stretch us, grow us and take us to new heights as songwriters. Thus, we must hold on loosely to the ideas and songs we have.

Jason Ingram, acclaimed worship songwriter once said, “Collaboration teaches

2

Ferguson, Amanda. Songs of Heaven: Writing Songs for Contemporary Worship.

Hillsong Church, 2005.

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us to hold loosely to our ideas and let others speak into our songs. Songs for the corporate body aren’t about us anyway. They are for us, but they are just as much for everyone else who walks into the back door of a church desperately needing to connect with God and know his presence.”3 Finally, it is important to remember that people are the precious ones in this

SONGWRITING TIPS

equation. Songs will come and go, but the community you build with other songwriters should always trump the songs. Songs are important to the body of

5

Christ, but relationships with other co-writers is the most precious commodity.

05. Choose One Theme and Stick To It. One of the telltale signs of new worship songwriters is the desire to “overwrite.”

They try and fit way too many themes and concepts into one single song. By the time the song is “finished,” they have included a single concept from all sixty-six books of the Bible. I write that tongue-in-cheek. However, the most seasoned writers know that a song should contain one idea or concept.

Tony Wood, who has over thirty #1 songs to his credit once said, “Every great song tells one truth.”4 One of the things that Tony taught me early in my journey as a songwriter was the idea of the “north star.” Tony quotes songwriter Stephen Sondheim where he once said, “You ought to be able to write in the top lefthand margin of the page, in one sentence, what is the truth in this song?” If you cannot find the single theme in the song then you have overwritten the song.

So why just one theme? Remember, songs are written to convey a message.

In the case of worship songs, they are designed to point to a singular attribute or truth of who God is that people can sing about. As songwriters this requires focus. Writing about one truth allows songwriters the ability to fully unpack every nuance of that truth in all sections of the songs. If a song contains multiple ideas and themes, it can confuse the listener/worshipper. Again, the idea of worship

6

songwriting is to use it as a tool to shepherd people and not confuse them.

06. Exercise your songwriting “muscle.”

Songwriting is a lifestyle. For some of us, it is our occupation. Regardless of whether you are a signed or independent writer, it is an art to which you must dedicate yourself to. Songwriters must consistently immerse themselves in the culture and discipline of crafting songs. I once heard Jason Ingram say, “Your

3

Worship Leader. “Collaboration and Community in Worship Songwriting.”

Worship Leader, 27 Jan. 2019, https://worshipleader.com/music/collaboration-and-community-in-worship-songwriting/

4

“The Interview - TONY WOOD.” YouTube, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV5DHBVkoho.

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Crafting songs is an art that must constantly be cultivated. calendar will tell me if you’re a songwriter.”5 There is not a more accurate statement on the discipline of songwriting. Aodhan King from Hillsong Worship once said, “Once, I did not write for around two months and it was the worst thing I ever did because it took so long for me to get back in the rhythm of things.”6 Crafting songs is an art that must constantly be cultivated. Most professional songwriting friends tell me they average between seventy-five and one hundred songs in a year. While the vast majority will never get cut on a record or even see the light of day, every professional songwriter knows that with each song they get better at their craft. I often tell young songwriters to think of Chris Tomlin’s biggest songs for the church. Songs like “How Great Is Our God,” “Our God,” and “Jesus Messiah” are some top songs we know of Tomlin’s. But what we have to remember are the hundreds and hundreds of songs written by Chris to get to those top songs. So, the takeaway is to always be working out the songwriting

7

muscle within you. Keep honing the craft. Your best song is always your next song.

07. The Rewrite.

So, you have spent hours working with a co-writer on what you feel is an incredible worship song. In your mind, the lyrics are spot on, the melody lifts and falls in the write places, and the music feels angelic. At this point, seasoned songwriters lean into the feedback process. This is often the step that gets overlooked by novice songwriters. But honestly, the feedback process is the most important step in authoring a well-crafted song.

The key is to find people who will offer you honest and detailed feedback. Find other songwriters and ask them to listen and critique your songs. Play your songs for other musicians to get feedback on melodies and chord structures. Visit websites such as mysongassist.com and submit your song to get an in-depth critique from a pro worship songwriter. All of these are valuable places to get honest thoughts on where your song stands.

5

Music, Full Circle. “Episode 12 - Writing 100 Songs A Year with Jason Ingram.”

Made It In Music Podcast, Full Circle Music, 17 Apr. 2018, https://madeitinmusic. com/writing-a-one-hundred-songs-a-year-with-jason-ingram/.

6

“10 Ways to Become a Better Songwriter.”

10 Ways to Become a Better Songwriter, https://hillsong.com/collected/blog/2014/09/10ways-to-become-a-better-songwriter/#.Xa596CV7nOQ.

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The next phase is just as important. Take the feedback of your songs and get back in the room to rewrite the song. Sometimes this constitutes a complete implosion of the song, while other times it may just be touching up a few lines or a melody. Either way, this step in the journey is designed to take the song from good to great. Phil Wickham once told the story of the song “Living Hope” that he and Brian Johnson rewrote the third verse five or six times (all over text message by the way) before landing on the final version that we know today.7

SONGWRITING TIPS

A great song is not written; it is re-written.

...He tends to speak in what we may call the most inopportune times. It is in those moments that we have to learn to pause, reflect and capture the spark that He is giving us.

8

08. Always Be Listening.

I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as “writer’s block.” Some may disagree, but here is why. Whether you realize it or not, song ideas are always around us. Specifically, in writing for the Church, ideas are in our prayers, our sermons, conversations within life groups or Sunday School classes and even out in the hall between services. They are in all aspects of daily life like a conversation with your spouse or friend, a book or movie or even overhearing something in a store. They key is training our ear to be aware of those moments. In other words, start to listen like a songwriter.

More than anything, worship songwriters need to learn to decipher the voice of the Holy Spirit. It most likely will not be in an audible form (though, all things are possible) but He tends to speak in what we may call the most inopportune times. It is in those moments that we have to learn to pause, reflect and capture the spark that He is giving us. Don Moen once said, “I am convinced that those times…when you are sitting in a quiet time and you hear something. Just a thought comes to you. I think that is the Holy Spirit give you a seed, a hook, a starting place.”8

7

“Phil Wickham - Living Hope (Behind The Song).” YouTube, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhMf5qotNeQ&feature=youtu.be.

8

“Keep Writing & Listening | Songwriting Workshop.” YouTube, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2hNKP4utXc.

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Practically, what do you do in these moments of inspiration? You may not always be able to run to a piano or guitar to start writing the song. First, you need to capture that spark that got dropped in your heart. I tend to always grab my phone and begin to sing or hum the idea into my iPhone’s voice memo app. Next, I will type any lyrics, titles or themes into my Notes app as well. Most people always have their phone with them; thus, it becomes a great songwriting tool. Overall,

SONGWRITING TIPS

the key is to train your ear to decipher the world around you and learn how to

9

funnel it into an amazing song.

09. Error On the Side of Sound Theology.

Lastly, the most important pillar is to never loose site of correct theology in worship songwriting. J.I Packer said, “Theology is for the purpose of doxology.”9 For worship songwriters, this simply means that we are tasked with the incredible call of being top tier theologians. We are to know the Word of God so what we can impart the Word of God through our songs.

Years ago, I heard the term, “Portable Theology.” “Portable Theology” is simply music that carries the truths of God within them. I often tease my pastor that people will remember songs more than his sermons. Given culture’s attention span, often times a thirty to forty minute sermon does not always anchor into a person as much as a three to four minute song. If people are more apt to remember songs, it is of the utmost importance that we are writing worship songs that reflect the accurate truth of Word of God. Music shapes the beliefs of five year kids as they learn the song, “Jesus Loves Me,” and it sustains the eighty year old grieving widows who declares “It Is Well.” The call for all worship songwriters to be a student of the Bible so that we never have to second guess whether what we write is accurate.

Final thoughts.

The call and responsibility of a worship songwriter is a lofty one. No matter the genre of music you write, it requires discipline and skill. However, writing songs for your church carries a weight like no other. As my friend Jennie Lee Riddle (writer of the song, “Revelation Song”) constantly reminds songwriters that you are putting words on the lips of the most powerful entity on the planet—the Church. What a privilege to be used by the King!

BY

C H R I S

C L AY T O N

Chris Clayton is a producer, songwriter and worship pastor at Gateway Church in Franklin, TN. As a producer/songwriter he has worked on worship projects with a variety of worship leaders and churches across the country. You can learn more about Chris at chrisclaytonmusic.com. Follow him on Instagram at @chrismclayton.

9

“Jeremy Riddle - Become a Theologian - Songwriting.” YouTube, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIZEemO6OWg.

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S O N G

D I S COV E RY

E XI STS

S O N G S

T H AT

N E E DS

TO

&

PR OV I D E

R E S O U R C E S

A D D R E SS

O F

S U B M I T

T H E

T H E

C H U R C H .

YO U R

S O N G

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T E C H N I C A L LY

S P E A K I N G

3 8

S O N G W R I T E R ' S

TO O L B OX

4 0

TECH + GEAR.

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TECH + GEAR T E C H N I C A L LY S P E A K I N G

Technically Speaking.

A

C R I T I C A L

L O O K

N E E D -T O - K N OW

AT

T H E

T O O L S

O F

L AT E S T T H E

T R A D E

Kent Morris lends his insight to uncover and evaluate the latest technological products and developments you need to know.

PROVERBS 18:6 states,

A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.

As part of God’s plan for our lives, the gifting He has entrusted to us opens the door to many an opportunity. For techs, our gifting lies in being able to understand technology and bring it to bear as an effective

Moving Beyond I Do to I Am

tool for others to use in ministry. A speaking pastor without access to audio, video and lighting elements is limited in the number and scope of people they can reach. Tech gifting exponentially expands the pastor’s ability to connect with people. While vital, tech harbors the dark obverse of self-importance. As such, it becomes a simple step to move from using our gift to relying on our gift. The result can be a

38

TECH + GEAR T E C H N I C A L LY S P E A K I N G

turn inward toward self-reliance, bolstered

worthwhile since most successful techs ascribe to

by pride. Eventually, we can change from a

the adage, “you’re only as good as your last show”

person used by God to a person with god

meaning if you have a bad night, your value meter

illusions.

plummets and can only be restored through a string

To guard our hearts, we must transition from doing to being. Typically, techs are known and rewarded for doing things: fixing computer problems, solving video playback issues and getting an iPhone to behave properly. At a social event, attendees are more likely to inter-

of well-executed events. The natural ebb and flow that follows creates internal strife as the tech struggles to maintain an external equilibrium required by society (aka Steady Eddie) with no outlet for feelings of inadequacy or failure. After time, many seasoned techs “numb down” in order to push past their inability to resolve these issues.

God has a remedy and it entails immersion in His Word, continual release of any thoughts of self-value

God has a remedy and it entails immersion in His Word...

and some practical steps to move away from identifying and being identified as the doer of tech. First, stop doing on a constant basis. Needs aren’t seen because they are never allowed to rise to the surface if we as techs always fix them. Second, go away in order to learn the world keeps spinning without us. Third, get a hobby; especially something in contrast with technical pursuits, such as bee keeping or gardening.

face with us over a technical glitch than over our view

Fourth, enjoy the moment instead of dreading the day.

on climate change. This perspective of techs as solvers

Stop eating at your desk while soldering XLR connec-

is pervasive inside and outside the church. Despite

tors as solder fumes ruin the taste of any sandwich

this line of thinking, we cannot look at ourselves in

and, instead, sit outside listening to the birds and

light of value based on doing; we must embrace our

watching clouds move across the sky. If leadership

value in light of God’s love for us which is eternal and

understands the gravity of the tech role, they will

unmerited. Doing is conditionally centered on success

encourage such behavior as it practically guarantees

while being is existential; requiring nothing of us to

long-term employment.

obtain or maintain.

The Psalms were not written while frantically trying to

A tech with self-awareness derived from years of

get a mover to respond to DMX or while resetting the

fixing things with gum and a paperclip a la MacGyver,

router for the third time, but when the writer was still

is not capable of relinquishing that hard-won iden-

enough to listen to God and contemplate a response

tity overnight. Just as it took time to assemble, it

and that, my tech friend, is the best doing of all.

will take time to dismantle. However, the effort is

BY

K E N T

M O R R I S

40-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge digital is a temporary state.

39

OOLBOX

TECH + GEAR SONGWRITER'S TOOLBOX

SONGWRITER'S TOOLBOX

B Y

J U S T I N

M O R R I S

S

ongwriting is heart work. From the Psalms of David to the latest corporate worship album, it’s always the raw honesty in the truth of these recorded moments that keep us coming back.

If you are an artist of any kind, you know these moments of honesty are rare, beautiful, and fleeting. But making art is a lot of work. As if ushering these connections between God, ourselves, and listeners isn’t enough, we are expected to be able to consistently reproduce these moments. Thankfully, we can record ourselves. Most writers serious about their craft will want some way to record and produce some simple demo tracks. While modern computing has streamlined the recording process, most songwriters I know are more interested in getting their ideas down in a simple way that doesn’t interrupt the creative process than being a recordist or sound engineer. No matter where you stand on the spectrum though, I think we can all agree that the last thing we want to worry about during the creation process is gear. Recording equipment, setting up an interface, messing with a DAW; the technical elements of home recording, while usually not too difficult these days, are an annoyance that can break the creative and spiritual flow that is so necessary for meaningful music to be born. With that in mind, my goal here is to give songwriters of all levels some equipment and software suggestions that both make sense in the context of a songwriter looking to make good sounding recordings at home that favor realistic quality over luxury (i.e. you won’t find any $5000 microphone suggestions here) and offer a streamlined workflow from idea to song with as little creative interruption as possible.

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Before we can begin talking about mics and interfaces, we first need something to record into. Most computers from the past several years are more than capable of recording and editing audio with a Digital Audio Workstation with few issues. If you use a Mac, I highly recommend Apple’s Garageband (free!) or its fully-featured big brother Logic Pro X ($199.99). Logic is great because it is a onestop production shop with dozens of plug-in EQs, compressors,

SONGWRITER'S TOOLBOX

and virtual instruments. You could make a developed, professional sounding track using nothing but Logic (it has absolutely been done before). Another free cross-platform DAW is Audacity, although you miss out on the excellent stock plug-ins and music-tailored workflow.

Now we are ready to talk hardware. Every singer loves to sing into a big, expensive mic—and for good reason. Microphones are the first step in the audio chain, and probably the most quality dependent piece of studio equipment you can buy. This means that there’s not much you can do to a mic that sounds bad for your voice. Thankfully, bad-sounding mics are hard to come by these days, especially if you’re willing to invest at least a hundred dollars on a tried-andtrue design. Past this point it really comes down to taste, as all of our voices are different and respond to mics in complex and hardto-predict ways, so its always good to try out as many mics as you can. The most expensive one might not be (and probably won’t be!) your favorite. Great sounding music has been recorded with the $99 Shure SM58, which is also the standard live vocal mic, so it’s nice to have around for a backup at the very least. Shure also makes the studio-standard SM7B ($399), renowned for its versatility on sources of all kinds. Like the SM58, the SM7B is a dynamic microphone. Without getting too technical, this means that these mics are not very sensitive to background noise, are often less detailed than their condenser counterparts, and take a little “push” to get sounding great. This tradeoff is many times worth it if you’re recording in an untreated room (acoustic treatment is a subject unto itself and I don’t have room to cover it here, but you should Google it!) as lots of ugly reflections and resonances get rejected, leaving a more “pure” source sound.

That being said, condenser mics are the “studio sound” standard. I would recommend spending a little more on one, as cheap Chinesemade condensers can have an unpleasant “nasal” or honky sound that doesn’t flatter many voices. Of course, if your goal is to get a workable sound into your DAW as efficiently as possible, a dynamic mic is probably your best bet. Otherwise, prepare to meet a more detailed and honest translation of your source with something like the Avantone CV-12 ($499) or the Neumann TLM-102 ($699).

Again, try to test mics like these out on your voice if you can before you buy them. Some people really enjoy the tube flavor of the Avan-

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TECH + GEAR SONGWRITER'S TOOLBOX

tone, or the so-called Neumann warmth. Others prefer cheaper options; some don’t seem to care or notice a difference. There is no right answer here, and choosing a mic for your voice and intentions is a seriously personal decision.

Condenser mics on the whole (huge generalization with plenty of exceptions!) tend to work on sources besides vocals (stringed instruments, piano etc.) better than dynamic mics because they capture more high-end detail like the shimmery sparkle of a strummed acoustic guitar for example. If you are looking to record instruments as well as vocals, I would choose a neutral largediaphragm condenser like the AKG C214 ($349) as it will give you an accurate reproduction of nearly anything you put in front of it.

Next, we will need a way to hook our mic into our computer. This is accomplished through an audio interface. I’m going to assume that most readers are familiar with the basics of an interface. They are used all the time on the worship team, sending tracks and click, getting sound out of MainStage, and plenty of other uses. When recording at home, however, your interface has two specific important jobs: bring up the gain of your microphone (the signal from a mic is very quiet on its own) and translate that signal into the digital realm. This last step is known as analog/digital conversion. The A/D conversion of almost all modern interfaces is excellent and not something that’s likely to make a big impact in a small home studio environment. Preamps are by-and-large the same story; all but the lowest end interfaces will amplify your condenser (and most dynamic) microphones just fine. The cheapest reliable interface I’ve tested out is the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 ($169.99), with two inputs for maximum versatility or growth down the line. Two inputs allows you to record guitar and vocals simultaneously, or plug in stereo sources like synthesizers. Aside from more inputs and outputs, which aren’t necessary without equipment to fill them up with, more expensive interfaces will give you extras like the 4K analog circuits in the SSL2 ($229.99) or the (really good) built in plug-ins that run natively on the UAD Apollo Twin Duo ($899).

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By now you may be questioning why you would need to buy all these separate pieces of equipment to record some simple tracks when all-in-one solutions like the Blue Yeti ($129) exist, no interface required. I did say my goal was to give you streamlined suggestions, right? The simple answer is versatility. These USB Microphones

SONGWRITER'S TOOLBOX

as they’re often advertised work well for getting sound into your computer, but aren’t very convenient to gain, are hard or impossible to position optimally, and typically don’t sound very flattering. They also preclude the possibility of plugging in a guitar or bass for direct recording. By the time you work around all of these limitations, you’ll usually find that another mic works better for your intentions, and that mic will require an interface, so I’ve found it’s almost always better to skip these kinds of units unless you are absolutely sure you’ll be happy with all their compromises.

The final piece of the recording puzzle is finding a way to listen to the sounds you’re recording. This is typically done with studio monitor speakers that plug into the outputs of your interface. The goal of these speakers is to sound as neutral as possible so you can get an accurate sonic image of what you’ve recorded. You’ll find that home studio monitors are branded and priced according to the size of their drivers. I would recommend something around 5”, as this size seems to be the sweet spot for reproducing bass frequencies while maintaining a reasonable size and staying away from the “tubby” sound of bigger speakers in small, untreated rooms. The JBL 305P MkII ($298/pair) are a mid-tier favorite of mine that offer a good balance of size, sound, and price. However, if you don’t have a permanent recording area or are working in a very small space, studio monitors might not be possible. In this case, you can resort to monitoring on headphones, which you will need anyway to hear yourself and your track or click while recording. A good set of closed-back headphones can be used to track and do some basic mixing. Headphones come in two main varieties: open and closed back. Open is good for mixing, as it keeps certain frequencies from “building up” in the cups and lets sound come through in a natural and relatively flat way. The downside is that they have a tendency to bleed audio, which will most likely be picked up by your mic if you try to record with them. Closed-back headphones are more versatile because they provide a good degree of isolation, even if they can sound a bit more, well, closed, when listening critically. Like studio

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monitors, you want your headphones to produce an accurate and unhyped version of your recording. Some of my favorites for this purpose are the Audio Technica ATH-M40X ($99) and the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro ($159).

These are all the basics you’ll need to get a song from paper to speakers. There are many more steps to a complete demo; instru-

SONGWRITER'S TOOLBOX

mentation and arranging to name a few, but once you are set up with a simple workable recording situation it becomes much easier to explore these finer points. In fact, you’ll probably notice yourself writing with these elements in mind if you begin laying your song ideas out in a DAW from the onset. If you are a songwriter who hasn’t explored home recording seriously, I encourage you to experiment with a simple setup and see how it influences your creative moments. You may find something beautiful.

BY

J U S T I N

M O R R I S

44

ENCOURAGEMENT. INTRO TO ENCOURAGEMENT

L E T T E R S

W I T H

LOV E

4 3

45

ENCOURAGEMENT LETTERS WITH LOVE

C O N N E C T E D T O

T H E

M O M E N T B Y

DA R L E N E

Z S C H E C H

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you.

Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

ISAIAH 60:1-3 NIV

I love an inspired song list. I love to sit and ponder and play and pray over what I feel would work in the moment we are leading into.

BUT...I am sensing this growing need for us to be bravely connected to the moment we are given, not just simply the plans we have made, as well-intentioned as these plans may be. Jesus modeled the way of ministry as His life was continually poured out for others, a pure response of worship to the Father.

As we reflect God’s heart, a new level of vulnerability is required as we lead into these days when people are broken, raw, hungry for encounter, and more transparent than ever before. And as always, the Spirit of the Living God is ready to meet them with His living

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ENCOURAGEMENT

water. This sounds remarkably like a woman who many, many years ago was met by Jesus at a well. Her brokenness and hunger created ears to hear as Jesus, the living song, came to her and ministered truthful, life-changing worship.

Truthful worship invites every person into an experience with God and invites us to taste and see His goodness. This also means that WE, as His ministers of these moments, need to be ready, our inner lives rich with His Word and our lives overflowing with His love, as we step out and sing what the Holy Spirit whispers to us in the

LETTERS WITH LOVE

moment. Thank God Jesus said to the woman at the well that He was looking for worshipers, not performers. Time to arise and shine with His glory as HOPE in Christ breaks through even the darkest of nights.

Let me leave you with a quote from A.W. Tozar as food for thought:

Truthful worship invites every person into an experience with God...

I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb. To great sections of the church, the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the ‘program.’

This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the public service which now passes for worship among us. We must never rest until everything inside us worships God. With love and encouragement always,

Darlene BY

DA R L E N E

Z S C H E C H

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