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Small Gesture, Big Meaning
To clap or not to clap. The Praise Team  finishes
leading an inspiring song of praise in an excellent manner. What
should you do at the end? Is it OK to give an appreciative
handclap or does that seem to suggest praise of people rather than
praise of God? Can clapping provide just one more thing to
criticize about contemporary worship and validate someone's concerns
that maybe it's more "show" than "worship"? Or can clapping be
thought of as a physical way to join our lips in praising God, perhaps
as thanksgiving for an aspect of His goodness and grace that we just
sang about? ("Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with
cries of joy." Psalm 47:1)
You
may have already heard high-sounding debates about this both ways and
I'm not going to add to the fray. But I do have a contribution to
make to this worship discussion. Let's assume for a moment that
the congregation does clap at the end of a song and secondly, that it's
right and salutary so to do. When that day arrives and the congregation
appreciatively claps at the end of a song, whether for God's goodness,
or the Praise Team's excellent leadership or both - I recommend that your Praise Team join the clapping, while looking upward towards the heavens.
Not
joining in clapping might give the impression that the Praise Team is
merely receiving thanks from the congregation (even though a logical
argument could be made that there is more right than wrong about
showing appreciation - in worship and out of it). But here's a
tip that can remove all potential stickiness from this situation and
give it high definition as a God-moment while taking nothing away from
the appreciation of the musicians or the song itself. If the Praise Team also
claps with an upward glance, this clearly signifies they are joining
with the congregation in the praise and honor of God. It visibly
deflects any possibility of man-centered applause that would even
remotely take away from the glory due God's name. It
affirms that everyone, congregation and Praise Team together, are
utterly on the same page in siginifying "Yea, God!" at the same
time. Simple action; subtle but profound implication.
Click here for a downloadable print version of this article in PDF format. |
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Resources
 The Internet contains a vast amount of information on everything, including worship resources. Rather than bury you in the bonanza, I'll highlight just a few excellent ones each month for you to check out.
Watch a Worship Service
(Some things are better "caught" than "taught") - FYI, a number of
these Require "Real Player" so if you don't have that plug-in, make
sure to download it when it's offered or you won't see anything.
- Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale -
This 18,000 member church provides live worship service streaming
during any regular worship time. There are three on Sunday, two
on Wednesday, and one on Saturday, so you have a number of options for
viewing.
- Westminister Chapel - Seattle, WA
They
stream the entire services on Sundays and they offer three styles:
traditional, blended, and contemporary, so you can see how this church
of 2,500 worships in various formats.
Publications
- Worship Leader Magazine - $20/year or $60/year
 with SongDiscovery CDs. For Contemporary Worship Leaders, these two publications are almost indispensable and are highly recommended. Excerpts of articles are free online so you can check it out.
The SongDiscovery CDs are a treasure-trove of some of the best. Receive 12-15 of the best, new, congregation tested worship songs on a combined audio/data CD bi-monthly. Hear
each song (and pass it along to your Praise Team as a pre-rehearsal
aid!) on a professional-quality, studio-recorded CD. Included on the CD
are lead sheets (melody line, lyrics and chords) and there is also a separate chord chart (plain text and chords) for each song.
 Each song is also nicely set into PowerPoint slides for projection as well as set into MediaShout presentations with special moving backgrounds for two selected songs. Additionally
included on the CD are articles containing helpful hints and practical
applications to better your skills as a worship leader. Seriously, for just $60/year for the magazine and CD combo it almost feels like you're breaking the 7th commandment by paying so little for such a rich assortment of quality new songs and settings (grin).
I listen to these CD's while I'm driving so it doesn't even demand extra time to preview them. As
I listen I rate each song on a scale of 1 -10 in terms of biblical
lyrics, singability, theology and depth, beauty, lasting value, etc. I'm
very picky, but still I find an average of three or four songs per CD
that I would rate between an 8 and 10, so I never even use a song that
is, in my assessment, a "seven" or less . Those that are 8+ find their way onto my ZUNE as well as into worship, corporate and personal. I strongly recommend you become a subscriber and start "breaking" your own 7th! :-)
Listen While You Work!
Worship Events and Conferences
- Saddleback Worship Conference & Festival - June 23-26: Delirious?, Paul Baloche, Rick Warren, and many more! See also free songs, blogs,
songseeker information, etc., at:
www.myspace.com/SaddlebackWorshipConference - National LCMS Worship Conference July
21-24, 2008, at Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska features plenary
speakers Dean Wenthe, Philip Magness, Carol McDaniel, and Dale
Meyer. To download a brochure or to register online, click here.
Included also in this third Institute on Liturgy, Preaching, and Church
Music by the LCMS Commission on Worship are some workshops dealing with
contemporary worship issues.
Worship Consultation Services by Rev. Mike Zehnder, National Missional Worship Consultant
Onsite Worship Consultation - Improve
your contemporary, blended or traditional worship, start something from
scratch (like a new service or a satellite ministry), or kick it to the
next level.
Worship Consultation Brochure Download the National Missional Worship Consultant Ministry trifold brochure in PDF format.
Worship Seminars for your congregation, local worship team, conference or group.
Worship Consultation Services - fuller description of all worship consultation services available as PDF.
National Missional Worship Consultations
at the Center for United States Missions located on the campus of
Concordia University in Irvine, CA can provide worship issue
consultation or assist your ministry in a catalytic way for growth and
change. This link takes you to the "Worship" area of the Center
for US Missions website. |
| Personnel Connections
Looking for a good Worship Leader? Or, are you a Worship Leader looking for a mission-oriented church?
One of the areas of ministry in my National Missional Worship
Consultant position is to help connect Worship Leaders and churches
with each other. I assist churches to find skilled and anointed
contemporary Worship Leaders and help Worship Leaders be found
by churches that value contemporary worship leadership as an
intentional aspect of its mission and discipleship.
Worship Leaders/Musicians and churches looking for them can reach me at: 480-861-5000. | |
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SOS - Songs of Substance/ Songs of the Season
Songs of Substance answers the question, "Where's the Beef?" These are Praise & Worship songs with more than just great melodies. They have theological substance and/or clear Christocentricity. We commend these contemporary songs to you as valuable for corporate worship any time, but some (Songs of the Season) are particularly referenced in this issue for their usefulness on soon-approaching dates of Church or culture. To see the full text of these songs and/or to hear a sound sample go to the SongSelect section of ccli.com.
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Christ Has Conquered All - Kristie Braselton (CCLI Song Number: 4816780; lyrics only on SongSelect, for sound sample go to:http://kristiebraselton.com/sound-1.htm) - Reformation theology of the cross and grace in spades - good anytime
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Not to Us - Stuart Townsend (worshiptogether.com songs | Sixsteps Music) - Biblical reasons to praise God (multiple images taken from Psalm 19) with the repeated refrain of Psalm 115:1 tying it all together - Great way to start or end a service. Since it references God's throne and other images of His kingly authority, it would be especially fitting for Memorial Day weekend! Repeat it again on July 4th weekend.
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Everlasting God - Brenton Brown | Ken Riley (Thankyou Music) - God's strength in our weakness as per Isaiah 40:28-31. Not at all funereal in tone, but would be great for a Christian funeral as well as for general use.
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I Give You My Heart - Reuben Morgan (Integrity's Hosanna! Music) - Good for Confirmation Sunday as a solo, duet, choral, or congregational song. Thematic tip: project biblical text from Psalm 119:33-40 during any instrument-only section or during the introduction to this song.
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Be the Centre - Michael Frye (Vineyard) - Good for Confirmation, Pentecost, or a Sunday when you acknowledge/pray about student Graduations (For Christian schools with Graduation ceremonies this is a winner as it invites Christ to "be the center" of one's life!)
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There is a Redeemer - Darlene Zschech and Reuben Morgan (Birdwing Music\BMG Songs, Inc.\Ears To Hear) - Perfect text for both Pentecost AND Trinity!! Win/Win!
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Also note that "Happy Day" by Ben Cantelon, etc. (Thankyou Music) mentioned in the March Worship Beat is a nearly perfect text for Easter 5 |
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Song Spotlight
Jesus Bring the Rain
MercyMe
Partial Quote: (3rd verse)
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll
be days when this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to
praise You - Jesus, bring the rain!
(CCLI Song Number: 4770486)
� 2006 Simpleville Music (ASCAP) / Wet As A Fish Music (ASCAP)
This song could serve as a backdrop/ response for a sermon or Bible study on "The Challenge of Suffering." Here's a brief outline of ideas on "Why We Dare Tell God - Bring on the Rain!"
- Life
struggles can never change our position in Christ - on the contrary, if
we ARE in Christ, struggles are the very "sands of irritation"
necessary to produce the "pearls of God's grace" in our lives.
a. Paul and Silas joyfully sang during their imprisonment. It had such an effect that God used their witness of joy in the Lord in the midst of rain to prepare pagan guards for salvation (Acts 16:25-33).
b.
Some fruit of the Spirit in us doesn't grow until there is a wildfire
of trouble as a catalyst to bring it forth (2 Cor. 1:3-7), just as
certain seeds in a woodland never sprout until first there is a
devastating forest fire.
c. Christians are not masochists, but they have good reasons to even rejoice in the "pain and rain" of life (see Romans 5:3-4 below).
- It may seem easier to give God glory during times of health, well-being and happiness (sunshine), but there is just as much reason to praise him for the troubles (rain). That's when God covers us with "umbrellas" of strength, comfort, character, and hope (2 Cor. 1:3-7).
a. Romans 5:3-4 We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
b. Proverbs
30:8-9 Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily
bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is
the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the
name of my God.
c. Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
d. Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 
- If we are in
Christ, anything we suffer in this life is actually trifling compared
to the glories God has in store for us (Rom. 8:18).
a. The
Gospel news is that He has taken away our suffering, pain and 'hell' of
separation from the Father - He already drank this bitter cup for
us.
b. The only "cup" we have left to drink is the "cup of salvation" (Psalm 116:13): eternal
life without pain or rain, only gain. Pain and heartache will come ("We
must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" - Acts
14:22). Mountains and valleys appear in life. And the
scenery is always breathtaking
because Jesus is our Guide ("Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me") who gives us
confidence that in all things - including the rain - He is
working for our GOOD (Rom. 8:28).
Praise
God for all the weather in life: for rain and for sunshine. Each
kind of weather produces a good harvest. So, Jesus, bring the
rain!
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When Safeway Outshines the Church!
Welcoming and Retaining Visitors
 As
I visit congregations around the United States, I'm amazed how often I
can get beyond the front door and into the sanctuary without being
offered a friendly greeting of any kind. Sometimes, I've had
to hunt down ushers to get a bulletin; too many times, the
bulletin-passer-outer is looking closer to the floor than my face,
giving me no eye contact, much less a friendly smile or a "good
morning." Finding a seat becomes a secondary problem of
"unhelpfulness" - potentially embarrassing for a first-time
visitor.
Come on, people, your local grocery store does better than this! They post greeters
at the door who look at you, welcome you with a smile and await a
chance to serve you with information, give directions,
whatever. Whether stocker, clerk, or management, employees
don't merely point you to an aisle; they TAKE you there, completely "inconveniencing" themselves to help you find what you need. But at church, I've seen ushers point
visitors (rather than take them there) in the direction of the
nursery, youth rooms, offices, and Sunday School
classes. And so I ask you, why should Safeway, Ralphs,
Bashas, King Soopers, Winn Dixie, or Albertsons be more visitor
friendly and helpful than Your Local Church, Anytown, USA?
Would you be interested to know how a church that started in 2002 and has
since grown from one family to 1100 in weekend attendance, with over
400 baptisms and 1300 people in small groups has done this? (Led
by Nelson Searcy, previously the Director of the Purpose Driven
Community at Saddleback Church)
 I thought so... There is a web-seminar (a "webinar") available in just one week and I highly recommend it.
I'll be there (online); join me - bring your whole team or have them
attend from the comfort of their own home or office! Here's what
you'll learn:
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The complete assimilation process necessary to turn first time guests into fully engaged members of your church
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How to "WOW" first time guests on their first visit
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How to collect the needed info on every first time guest who attends
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How to follow-up on every first time guest so they read what you send them
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How to get first time guests to come back and what to do (and not do!) when they come back
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How to turn regular attendees into members and so much more!
By the way, it's only a $34 (total cost!) for
one person or fifteen people - as many people as you can gather
around your computer from 1-3 p.m. (EST) on April 22. How cool is
that? This would cost over $200 per person + travel expenses
in a regular conference format. Click here to sign up or find out
more: Ministry of Welcoming and Assimilation
I'll be in Denver for the NAME Conference (North
America Mission Executives) and will take a break to my hotel room to
attend this webinar. If you attend, please drop me an email
afterwards and let me know what you thought of the teaching as well as
the seminar format of the webinar
itself as a learning/conference vehicle. I'm
considering hosting/using webinars myself as a way of reaching and
helping many people across the nation at one time. I would
appreciate your feedback on how well you think this works.
I
hope this issue of Worship Beat has provided you with a variety of
resources to help you in your ministry and provide you multiple streams
of information and inspiration. Please help me by sharing your
feedback. Send me an email (mike.zehnder@worshipconsultation.com) and tell me what you've found especially useful in the first two issues of Worship Beat. This will help me to zero in on the things that you personally find of highest value.
In the fellowship of Jesus Christ,
Rev. Mike Zehnder
National Missional Worship Consultant
Center for United States Missions
Irvine, California |
"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" (Eph 5:19-20).
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