Should We Play The New Third Day Song? :: How To Pick Songs For Congregational Singing

Here is a great post from Musicademy regarding the worship leader’s task of selecting songs for worship in the local church. A brief excerpt:

There are times when I look at the traditional church and think to myself that they might be onto something…

Just think about how it works for us Lutherans: At the synodical level, a group of musicians, pastors and theologians come together to review hymns, approve them, catalog them by theme, scripture and season and assemble them into a hymnal, complete with a guide for which hymns to use on each Sunday of the church year. They do all the heavy lifting and now the local church music director has a large batch of appropriate hymns from which to choose – often as many as 800!

For those of us not primarily using hymns or the hymnal as our primary source of music, all that work gets moved to the desk of the local church music director. For those of you out there like me who are charged with finding good worship songs, here’s some pointers that I try to keep in mind.

Read the rest of the article here.

“Alive Again” by Matt Maher :: Our Shared Testimony

This song is based on a passage from Augustine’s Confessions detailing part of his conversion experience.

“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.” -Aurelius Augustine (Confessions, 5th cent. A.D.)

The Evolution of a Worship Leader (w/Mark Hall)

Hey worship leaders. If you are thinking about “climbing the ladder” in worship ministry and maybe “making it” as a Christian artist one day you’re thinking wrong! And you may not be wholeheartedly following Christ. As Mark Hall from Casting Crowns explains in this short video, leading the worship of a local church, and writing songs for God’s glory and his people’s joy is the highest level any worship leader can “achieve.”

So check yourself, worship leader. Do you dream of one day making it “big?” Playing for crowds of thousands? Perhaps writing the next CCM hit? Dove award?

If your focus in on your own artistic success perhaps you are not as “far along” as you think you are. Remeber, God’s ways are not our ways, and what we deem valuable God often deems an abomination.

Let’s keep the main thing the main thing and draw our sense of accomplishment from Christ.

Click here for video and Casting Crowns’ new song “The Well.” 

New Worship Song :: “Grace Alone”

“Grace Alone” is a new song written by Yours Truly. It is based on the poem “Broken” by Michelle Leuschner.

1 John 3:19-20 says:

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him [God]; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

Sometimes even our own hearts condemn us and cause us to worry and doubt. But Jesus is greater than our hearts, our doubts, or fears and in the worst of times we stand in his grace alone.

You will find the lyrics below. The updated lyrics are slightly different than the video, but at least the video will give you an idea of how the song goes. All you HCBCDS folks give it a listen in preparation for Sunday. I have also included a chord chart for those of you who have asked. I hope you are blessed by “Grace Alone.”

Sola Gratia! and Soli Deo Gloria . . .

Grace Alone lyrics

Grace Alone Chord Chart

Valentine Jesus & Our Language Of Devotion :: A Response To A Confused Critic

Should we “love” Jesus, or “be in love” with Jesus? A while back it was brought to my attention that a one time brother and fellow member (former member) of a local church I used to be a part of before moving to Austin had posted something on his blog* that brought into question a bible study that I led nearly 3 years ago.

Andrew, if you are reading this please know that I have no frame of reference for how to “deal” with you since you don’t return my calls or emails, and I have heard that you are no longer the Andrew that I once knew when we had fellowship together in Christ in Shreveport, Louisiana. I will simply respond as I would to anyone who has the balls to post something of their own opinion on the internet for all to see and publicly question the veracity of another’s doctrine.

For the rest of you I will give you some brief context for the situation.

Sunday Setlist for 6/19/2011

Hello Hill Country. Here are the songs we’ll be doing this coming Sunday. Feel free to check them out ahead of time (click song title for audio). There is one new song (hint, hint . . . ). This week is all about the Majesty and Glory of the transcendent God revealed in the humble nature of the man Jesus.

Opening Song: Good Enough (F#)-Chris Gates (Apologies. No audio)

Call to Worship

May You be praised, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in Your hand, and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (HCSB)

Yahweh, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with Your majesty . . . When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? Psalm 8:1-4 (HCSB)

We were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 2 Peter 1:16 (HCSB)

Majesty Of Heaven (F#)-Chris Tomlin

Your Love Never Fails (A)-Jesus Culture Band

Communion: The Jesus Song (C)-Chris Gates

Offering: Much Of You (B)-Steven Curtis Chapman

Closing Song: Our God/To The Only God (A)-Chris Tomlin/Glory Revealed

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25 (ESV)

New Website

All future blog activity can be followed at the new Vintage Worship Music website.