Categories
Motivation. Music.

Don’t go at it alone.

Here we are, the day after Valentine’s Day. The day that many people set aside to honor the one they love. How coincidental that I feel led to write about not being alone.

But don’t worry – it has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day.

Two days ago, I was reading from the book of Joshua about Joshua’s interaction with Gibeon in Chapter 9. The inhabitants of Gibeon had heard of how Israel conquered both Jericho & Ai. They were worried that they were next.

So they devised a plan.

The representatives of Gibeon came to Joshua and convinced Joshua to make a league with them, saying they were from a far country and were sent to make a league with these mighty men. Joshua’s decision is recorded in verse 15:

And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.

Joshua 9:15

Within a few days, the people of Israel realized that these men were in fact from a neighboring land and not from a far country. Joshua had made a pact with a group of people of whom they were originally meant to conquer. How could they have been so easily deceived?

The answer is found in verse 14:

And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

Joshua 9:14

You see, Joshua had just come out of a great victory. They were on the mountaintop. They just spoke to the Lord, perhaps, the day before… or even that morning. Surely they were spiritual enough to know what to do… without asking. This was a simple thing, right? They knew what to do.

How may times are we guilty of going at it alone?

How many times have we made a decision without asking the Lord, the giver of all wisdom?

How many times do we have to go through hard times to realize that including Jesus in life decisions will help us prevent major heartache?

How many times?

And let’s apply it to our efforts in leading God’s people in worship.

God desires to move among His people. He knows exactly what an entire congregation needs. He knows every individual need and the criticality of those needs.

Why would we want to try to plan a worship service without His counsel? I’m not talking about a perfunctory prayer. “Lord, we need your anointing.” “Lord, what would you have for us today.” Hear me – I’m not criticizing, and I am not judging your sincere efforts. I have been guilty of going through the motions.

But we can’t afford to go through the motions.

We must have the anointing of the Holy Ghost upon every service. Upon every song.

But, you say, last week you told us to know what to play to create the atmosphere. Yes, I did.

And we are guilty of sin if we create the atmosphere without consulting the Lord with what He wants in a service. Could the atmosphere our flesh creates be contradictory to what facilitates the move that God wants?

It’s very dangerous if I play that progression… you know the one… Bbm/G – F/A – Bbm6 – F/C… the one that “really gets people going,” if I don’t feel the Spirit of God moving us in that direction.

But oh what joy when we allow the Lord to work with us. He desires to be in our midst. When we lift His praises, and we look across the congregation as the Spirit of the Lord settles on the faces of His people! When the Spirit of God begins moving during our worship service and people step out in faith for healing or salvation. There’s nothing better than that experience. To know that God has directed the service, and we just allowed Him to flow through us!

I’m reminded of a story that I heard about a well known Apostolic music director. She was used in a mighty way. Anointed to sing, play, write & direct. Yet, she took the road that many have taken, and to the surprise of many, she fell into sin. She left the Truth.

A close acquaintance asked her, what happened? What changed?

Her response: I just stopped praying. I learned how to do it. I learned how to play it just right. I learned how to move people.

As we prepare for our worship services tomorrow, let us be reminded to ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

Lord, what do your people need to hear and feel in this service? What songs will take us there? Is it slow? Is it fast? Is it faith? Is it consecration? Ask, and ye shall receive. He wants to tell you, but He wants you to want Him.

Don’t go at it alone.

Categories
Music.

You’ve got to flow.

Pre-service prayer had just wrapped up, and everyone was making their way back to their seats. I walked to the platform with excitement & faith for what God was going to do in this service.

As the worship leader, I want to take my responsibility just as serious as I would expect the preacher to take theirs. It could be someone’s last service. Did I do all I could do to make it count?

Yes, that’s heavy.

But if we take a casual attitude towards the work of God, then we will get casual results. We see a principle throughout Scripture in our approach to the things of God. All of your heart. All of your soul. All of your might. All of your strength.

So, I want to give every service my best.

Now, let’s balance that out for a minute. God uses imperfect humanity. Sometimes we miss it. I know I have plenty of times. And there’s grace for that.

But it’s wrong to justify our lack of effort and preparation because we know that God extends grace. That’s dangerous territory that I don’t want to tread.

Okay… so, I walk to the platform, I hand my song list to the the piano player. The song list has up-tempo songs like Did You Come to Give the Lord the Praise? and Look What the Lord Has Done.

The musician looks down at the song list and begins to play. Sounds something like In the Presence of Jehovah.

I turn to the piano player:Do you realize that you are in control of what everyone is feeling?

What do you mean?

As the piano player, you are in control. You are creating the atmosphere with how you are playing. Is it in line with those songs?

Oh.

Instructional moment. Lesson learned. Quick adjustment. And we were off.

Music is a powerful tool. God made it that way. It is an absolute honor to be chosen to help facilitate the move of God that He wants to have in our services.

But THAT is the key.

We MUST realize that we are responsible for how we use that powerful tool. We must be sensitive enough to know what God wants. And then we must be knowledgeable enough to know how to implement what we are feeling.

Enter dynamics. Oh yes, it’s one of my favorite topics when it comes to music. Dynamics are exactly what they sound like. They make the song dynamic! And oh how it ties to Spirit-directed services. They are likewise dynamic!

Here are a few tips that might help you know how to follow what you are feeling:

  1. If you’re feeling slow & worshipful, then simplify what you’re playing. If you’re directing choir, keep your hand movements small and close to your body. Vocalists should sing softer. Well, it’s hard to sing high and soft. Yes, it is. So practice that.
  2. Some people only have two volumes: loud and soft. And those same people only have two tempos: fast and slow. But there’s an entire spectrum of dynamics & tempos. Allow for variety in your services.
  3. When it’s time to move, move. Don’t let fear prevent you from following the leading of the Spirit. If it’s time to change songs, change. If the Spirit and the song requires emphasis on the vocals or on the keyboard, don’t hold back.
  4. Follow your playing with the vocals, whether worship leader, choir soloist, special singer… if they’re pushing, push with them! You can push a slow song without changing the tempo. You can increase your volume by how hard you play the keys and you can create a stronger feel by the rhythmic pattern you play.

Don’t forget this. There is a difference between creating a feeling that is orchestrated by our human will and allowing the Spirit to lead you. We want the Spirit to be in control, but we have to know HOW to work as the Spirit is leading.

We cannot justify our lack of learning and practicing by saying, I just use what the Lord gave me. He gives people many gifts. But He expects us to invest and increase those gifts.

That’s why you’re here… and I want to help!

In my experience with church musicians and especially keyboard players, a common missing piece to their musical knowledge is the area of rhythm. This is CRITICAL to several of my recommendations above.

As a result, I am going to be providing ongoing mini-lessons on rhythm over the next week. If you are a musician and you don’t know basic rhythmic concepts like time signature, measures, beat and note/rest values – please stay tuned!

This information will help you in your desire to be know how to effectively facilitate the move of God that you are feeling. It’s such a great feeling to know you were a help – we’ve all been there. I’m hopeful that these tools will help you find that place a little more often!

Categories
Mentorship. Motivation. Music.

Jesus, pick me.

There’s an epidemic that is plaguing our culture and our country.

It’s not the coronavirus. It’s not vaccines or the lack thereof. It’s not even the liberal media (although a strong case could be made for that).

The epidemic that I am referencing is an epidemic of laziness. It’s a get-rich-quick, do-more-with-less, I-don’t-feel-like-doing-it-now, I’d-rather-escape-on-[insert social media platform of choice], whatever-feels-good-do-it kind of epidemic.

This epidemic is the worst kind. It’s the one that will cause people to not stand for anything. It will cause people to fight for privileges without taking the associated responsibilities. It will cause fathers to abandon their wives and children, and it will cause mothers to abdicate their duties to YouTube and mobile apps.

It’s been said many times that a man’s life is known by what people say when he’s gone. Clearly, Kobe Bryant has left a mark on people that will last a long time. Social media, new channels, everyone is talking about this terrible tragedy.

And what are they saying? Koby Bryant was different.

Honestly, I’m not a sports follower. I didn’t follow Kobe Bryant. Never saw him in action. But this quote resonated with me.

I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.

Kobe Bryant

Our society is giving everyone an excuse. There’s a disorder for everything imaginable. Scared of typing in front of people? You bet. We’ll call that Performance Anxiety Disorder.

As a private school administrator, I sat in front of a young lady that had been told all the reasons why she can’t. She was loaded down with excuses as to why she didn’t have to try, focus or work. Why her bad grades and her lack of attention were all dismissable.

Please hear me. People have legitimate issues. I do not discredit those.

But. People will only rise as high as you say they can.

I slid the large file filled with doctor’s reports and individualized education plans across the table, and I said, I believe you can do anything you really want to do.

Tears welled up in this young ladies’ eyes. And this young lady that couldn’t concentrate. This young lady that had almost two year’s worth of work to do in order to graduate… walked across the graduation platform as her parents looked on with pride. Exhausted and with tears in their eyes, but pride, none the less.

There are TOO many stories of overcomers to believe any different. People with severe handicaps. I think immediately of Nick Vujicic, the man with no arms or legs, that has gone surfing, played golf, fathered children and spoken to huge audiences around the world.

And I think of the blind man who nobody knows. He works here in Tulsa, and for fun, he goes out sailing. The only help he needs is navigating out of the dock. Then he navigates the Oklahoma lake with confidence as he depends on his auditory perception to know where he is and where he is headed.

His story? Oh, he must have been born blind. No. He lost his vision as a teenager. And one day, not long after he lost his vision, his mother told him to take out the trash.

But mom, how can I? I’m blind!

His mother’s response was: are you going to let that dictate the rest of your life?

So, what’s your excuse? Why can’t you succeed? Why can’t you pass that class? Why can’t you live for God? Why can’t you improve your skills vocally or on the piano?

The best things in life require hard work.

I hear many young people pray, Jesus use me! I want to be a vessel you can use. Pick me to work in that outreach. Pick me to do something great.

But when it comes to preparation… Learning to play an instrument. Memorizing the Word of God. Giving of your time to help someone in need. No thanks, I’ve got other plans.

You can’t be passive and win the war against laziness. It’s something that requires intentionality. Whatever it takes. Ask a friend. Hire a coach. Do something to tell your lazy flesh NO.

You’ll be glad you did… when you walk across that graduation stage.
You’ll be glad you did… when the Lord uses you to minister through song or the Word of God.
You’ll be glad you did… when you write a blog post telling someone else they can, because you did.

Jesus, pick me.

Categories
Music.

Either will work.

As a worship leader, I take selecting the songs for a service very personally. It is so important that we get it right. This might be the last service for a guest. I want every service to count.

I remember one particular Sunday, I was scheduled to lead worship. I had agonized over my song selection. I had several slow tempo songs and several up-tempo songs…

But I didn’t know which way to go.

Service was literally about to start, and I was standing by the bass player, who also happened to be our youth leader.

I asked him, “what do you do when you can’t get clear direction?”

His response was frustratingly simple: Pick one.

He said, if you’ve sincerely prayed for direction, and you have two different ways with no clear direction. God will move in either one. He said he had the same experience in times past, and found that God’s Will was accomplished either way.

And so, I looked down at my list, and I picked one. I told the musicians what we were going to do, and I walked to the pulpit.

And God’s presence was incredibly real in that service!

So, seek Him with all your heart. And if you find yourself with two options and no clear direction. Pick one. Either will work.

Have you experienced this same thing? Or something similar? How did it work out for you?

Categories
Music.

Why aren’t congregations singing?

My Pastor recently forwarded an article to me that outlined “Nine Reasons Congregations Aren’t Singing Anymore.” Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen several articles floating around on the subject. I believe we have missed a few more fundamental issues based on true Bible-based worship.  

First, it is important that we start with having Biblical worship services.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 100:4

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

Matthew 26:30

If the Apostles and true Apostolic church carried out the format of services that they had received from Jesus and the Scriptures; they likely continued singing songs and hymns as part of their corporate worship.

A lot of the articles claim that the reason for congregations not singing is because they do not know the lyrics. Articles have claimed that this over-abundance of song choices is a result of the now-popular lyrics being projected on the walls of churches. I’m not sure that is actually what caused churches to have access to more songs. It may have been during the same time frame that churches made the shift to more modern worship, but I don’t think it is THE reason congregations aren’t singing.

 Contrarily, the projected lyrics are easier to follow for someone unchurched and non-musical than a hymnal where the lyrics are mixed in with the musical notation, including codas, etc. 

Some have suggested returning to the hymnals. I personally do not believe that this is the answer exclusively. I feel there are hymns that have depth and application to current times that are effective, and we should certainly keep them and sing them. However, there are some hymns that our worship leaders have tried to sing, and they simply are not effective either because the melodies and/or timing are hard to follow, or the lyrics are somewhat obsolete, so the younger congregation does not connect with them.

Two examples I would offer: 
1. He Brought Me Out of the Miry Clay – we have attempted to sing this song a couple of times in 2019. The lyrics can be a tongue-twister and they are sang quite quickly. There is a huge jump in range from the verses to the chorus, so it is difficult to find the “perfect key” for everyone to be comfortable singing along. Our praise singers cringe with this song is on the list simply because of the range! 
2. On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand – the lyrics contain words such as sweetest frame, stormy gale, within the veil, which are not terms commonly used today, so relating to the lyrics is difficult. But more importantly, the change in tempo between verses and choruses is distracting and hard to follow. I think this was a commonly applied musical technique in older hymns, but is not commonly used today, so when it is, if the worship leader is not really strong at leading those types of musical changes, it becomes distracting. (PS – I really like this song, and would like to modernize it a bit, so we can do it more often.)

Please know that my comments are not in disrespect for hymns. I completely appreciate the value and have found refuge in many of the lyrics. ‘Tis So Sweet & No Not One are two hymns that carried me through a very low place. It Is Well is also a song whose lyrics have helped me deal with personal loss. And many other songs on the topic of The Blood, Heaven, Consecration & Prayer… 

I believe a few missed root causes for lack in congregational participation are the following: 

1. Worship leaders cater to their desires more than the needs of the audience. It is more difficult to play hymns for newer musicians. The chord progressions are not as common or popular. In addition, playing “church music” can get boring, because the chord progressions are so repetitive. We should also consider the lack of focus, or need for constant stimulation, causes younger musicians (and even audiences) to lose interest quickly. As a result of these issues, worship teams are constantly on the search for something of interest to them – forgetting the impact on the congregation. 
This is also the reason for selecting songs that have lack of lyrical depth. The musicians are drawn to the “experience” of the song, and not the actual meaning. They want the chord progression, the dynamics, the instrumentation. It’s all for personal enjoyment at the sacrifice of audience involvement. 

2. Worship leaders lack anointing and direction from the Spirit. Oftentimes, we blame the song… when we really need to look at the worship leader. I am not casting stones. I’ve been guilty on too many occasions of lacking spiritual depth, and as a result, my selection was a list of “go-to” songs rather than songs that are God-directed. 

This is seen many times in people creating “set lists” days and weeks prior to a service. I believe that you can get direction for a service days in advance, but we also know that God can take us a different direction without much notice. If that’s not in the “set list,” then it’s not allowed. For a lot of churches, their set lists also coincide with pre-recorded loops, set tempos and pre-determined intros. This professionalism, as referenced in the article, lacks flexibility to follow the leading of the Spirit.

3. Modern worship songs lack depth, and as a result, the people aren’t impacted by them enough to learn the lyrics.
We need more songwriters that write songs from experience. Songs that lack depth cannot be sung with passion. As a result, people do not find themselves reinforcing the lyrics by singing them outside of the four walls of our churches. There are recently written songs that we use that have great depth and are sung by young and old outside of our services. A few that come to mind – So I’ve come to tell you He’s alive… Even when I don’t see it he’s working… I won’t go back to the way it used to be… His blood still works… Something happens when I mention your name… Jesus, what a wonder you are… 

4. Modern worship songs lack quality and uniqueness and as a result, the congregation has a hard time learning the lyrics. A big complaint that I have about a lot of the modern worship songs that I hear is their lack of individuality. It’s like they took the exact same progression and melody lines, and they simply changed the words. Again, looking for something new and great, and not something moving and anointed. 

I am grateful for Bible-based training in worship and song selection. It is difficult to find songs, but most of the time, when we do something new, we know it is going to have depth and effectiveness. (We are not perfect for sure. Sometimes we miss it altogether.) There needs to be a balance in all things – old songs, new songs, and in various styles. Our goal is leading our congregation in worship. As our congregations become more and more diverse, it’s important that our songs minister to all members of the congregation and help them move into a place of worship. 

What have your experiences been with your congregations? What are some other factors that I’ve missed?

Categories
Mentorship. Motivation.

Give.

Struggling financially? Is giving to God a part of your “get back on track” or “get out of debt” plan? The One that gave what you have will increase your ability to give when you give of what you have.

Quick story… I was a senior in high school. I was applying to colleges and applying for scholarships. My family did not have the money to help pay for college. I did not want student debt.

I live in the Tulsa, OK area. I applied to Oklahoma University in Norman (120 miles away), was accepted, and through scholarships & grants, school was completely paid for. One last item to do was get approved to live off campus with my aunt & uncle. (I did not want to live on campus due to college culture & my addictive personality. Know thyself. 🤪)

In the meantime, a preacher came by and preached about the Law of the Harvest. God sparked faith in my heart. The preacher challenged us to give $20 to God in every service. He said if we will, God will respond to our willingness to give, and bless us.

So I committed to give.

As I was praying in that service, the Lord spoke very clearly to me. “If you make this commitment, your college will be paid for.” I accepted the word, but… I knew school was already paid for. Still I gladly committed and received the promise.

Fast forward. My request for off-campus living was denied. I ended up attending Tulsa University (private & much more expensive) and signed my name to MAJOR student loans. 😢

It was late September/early October. I received a letter regarding the Gates Millennium Scholarship program. I was selected as a recipient and would be flown to Chantilly, VA for a leadership conference!
I had applied to so many scholarships that I had forgotten about this! I didn’t even know the award amount.

In fact, it wasn’t until my first night at the Leadership Conference that I found out… The scholarship paid for everything! Anything that my other scholarships and federal grants didn’t cover, GMSP made up the difference!!! I couldn’t believe it!

Then (and honestly not until then) I remembered. The Law of the Harvest.

God knew all along. He supplied a need long before I even knew it existed. And because of my act of faith, He came through.

Categories
Mentorship. Motivation. Music.

Welcome 2020.

So I joke with my wife: I’m walking into a new thing.

But it’s not really a joke.

I like to start the year off with three words to summarize my goals for the year. My three words for 2019 were: Conquer. Relationships. Develop.

As I look back at 2019, much of the year was spent in frustration; however, the last quarter was a big turnaround. Through the help of a mentor and family, I was able to conquer a lot of things that I had been struggling with for a LONG time. As a result, I became more aware of the value and importance of relationships, and I began to develop in areas that I didn’t even realize needed development.

It’s funny how things evolved. My ultimate goals were accomplished, but the solution was different than what I pictured, because the problem was different than what I had defined.

It’s important to properly identify the problem.

So, I look forward to 2020 with intense excitement and anticipation. I know, without a doubt, that God has great things in store for me and my family in 2020. Sometimes, you just know.

“The great danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

Michelangelo

My three words for this year are: Build. Strengthen. Love.

Build: My wife and I are building two businesses this year. I am building new positive habits. And I will be building new relationships.

Strengthen: I want to continue to strengthen the positive momentum that I gained in Q4 2019. I want to focus on strengthening myself physically, emotionally and mentally.

Love: I want to love God and love people more than ever before. I want to love my family. I want to love the hurting.

I have a number of exciting things in the works for 2020, and so I am creating this blog to document the journey. I am hopeful that you will find things of interest, and I hope your 2020 planning has been successful. If you didn’t do any 2020 planning – it’s not too late.

Let’s walk into a new thing.