I released a new EP today entitled "Darness/Light."  You can listen to it here.  You can read a review by The Gospel Economist here.

Some things are good.  Some things are bad. Sometimes it is hard to tell if something is bad, good, or both. That is why I love J.R.R Tolkien's term, "Eucatastrophe."

"I coined the word 'eucatastrophe': the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears (which I argued it is the highest function of fairy-stories to produce). And I was there led to the view that it produces its peculiar effect because it is a sudden glimpse of Truth, your whole nature chained in material cause and effect, the chain of death, feels a sudden relief as if a major limb out of joint had suddenly snapped back. It perceives – if the story has literary 'truth' on the second plane (....) – that this is indeed how things really do work in the Great World for which our nature is made. And I concluded by saying that the Resurrection was the greatest 'eucatastrophe' possible in the greatest Fairy Story – and produces that essential emotion: Christian joy which produces tears because it is qualitatively so like sorrow, because it comes from those places where Joy and Sorrow are at one, reconciled, as selfishness and altruism are lost in Love."  (J.R.R. Tolkien - Letter 89)

During a recent Sunday-morning sermon, a young man asked his Father, with hope in his eyes: "is that the end?"  He asked this right when the preacher paused to look as his notes and his voice carried throughout the room.  After this funny moment passed, I observed that the young man spoke for the entire congregation.  The congregation was not captivated - but instead, in a sense, were captives.  What kind of conversation with God are you leading the congregation in each Sunday - a captivating one, or a captive one?

  If you are leading a captivating conversation, people will be led to ask "What does this mean in my life, and how can I respond?".  If not, people will be thinking "are we done yet?"   The tell-tale signs are in the congregation's eyes, in their voices, and in their posture.  Do they have "dead-fish" eyes, or thoughtful, responsive eyes?  Are their voices strong and true, or monotonic and muffled?  Is their posture attentive, or passive?  As the curator of this conversation and monitor of the tell-tale signs, you have the responsibility to (1) put God's work on display in our lives in relate-able ways (which captivates), and to (2) give us the structure, songs, and other elements that respond naturally to this message (which facilitates). 

Consider these four practical suggestions:

1. Don't just focus on song performance issues (leading the band).
1a.  DO invest equal time developing the conversation and flow of worship.

2. Don't over-spiritualize.
2a.  DO realize where the people really are in their faith as they gather for worship.

3. Don't attempt to force a worship response with "up-tempo" music or gimmicks.
3a.  DO put God on display and allow congregational response to be a natural and heartfelt response to His work.

4.  Don't go too long.
4a.  DO judge if people want to sing another song or chorus, and do so only to facilitate their genuine response to God.

What if you lived in a city in the tropics but the city had no roads? You'd have to use a machete (large cleaver-like knife) to clear a path every time you needed to connect with someplace else. 

Worship leaders can feel at times like they need a machete to hack their way through the service - trying to connect parts of a worship service that aren't coming together easily.  We see it as an unplanned ramble, prayer, or speech, but behind it all is simply a pursuit to create connection and flow from one part of the service to another (on the fly). 

Conversely, using liturgy (the intentional ordering and progression of a service) to make connection and flow happen is like a city building roads in the tropics to make travel easier. In the absence of liturgies developed in a hymnal, practitioners of a modern style must work hard to develop a helpful, and theologically faithful service flow.  Therefore, rather than spending time each week sharpening your machete and working on your hacking techniques, consider building and following liturgical roads.

This means the intentional development of liturgy and service flow in advance so that movement from one element of worship to another is natural and planned. A great worship leader uses the nuance of liturgy to help people see meaning and connection, and better understand the roadmap of God's plan of salvation in their lives through worship.

    I planted a pecan tree in my backyard last month.  It was hard work - I even broke a pick-axe doing it.  Now I water it everyday in hopes than it might produce pecans. So far it has been more work than reward but one day it will be more reward than work.  One of a worship arts director's most important roles is to invest time and energy in younger and less experienced musicians.  It will start out as more work that reward, but in time it will be more reward than work.  Here are a couple great ways to do this.

1.  Make young musicians an integral part of the worship community.  Give them important roles in get-togethers and every other aspect of your team besides up front leading.  Invite them to rehearsals and to learn the songs alongside other team members.  You will find some of the more experienced musicians will be drawn to be mentors, which makes this a blessing for everyone.

2.  Find out, and then chart out their favorite worship song for their instrument (violin, trumpet, tuba, guitar, whatever).  Arrange something that is fun to play and serves the song.  If you don't have the experience to write music find someone who does.  Then give them time to practice that one song at home until they think it is ready.  Take the time to meet with them and practice the song with them.  If they are ready next time that song is scheduled, invite them in for that song with the band and arrange for a new song for them.  There's no need to for them to play the entire set, just the one song they've learned.  This will set them up for success.  If, however, when you meet they aren't ready to play the song, then continue to work with them.  Don't give up.  Share the positive things about their performance, and encourage them in the things they can work on.  Meet with them again when they are ready and repeat the process!  This kind of mentorship will start out as more work that reward, but in time it will be more reward than work.

Q: When is it right to put the cart before the horse?
A: Only in the dictionary.

        It's not a great joke, but it is a good metaphor to help us understand the importance of order in worship.  In a worship service some things are the cart, and other things are the horse.  As you plan the horse should come always before the cart.  For example, confession and self-examination come before communion because they create a context for the meal.  If communion comes before confession, then the congregation is not given the chance to prepare properly for the meal.  This same thinking applies to all parts of the service.  Below are a few examples as you think about how your opening song functions in the order:

1.  Good example of an opening song: "The Doxology."  Most people already know it, and its simple enough to learn very fast.  By making the opening song simple you signal to the congregation that the service is not about performance, but about participation.  The song reminds us that every good thing we have is a gift from God and that He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the Holy Trinity.  This song really invites the 80 percent into song and provides a context for further singing.

2.  Bad example of an opening song: "Here I am to Worship” is a fine song theologically, but as an opening song it lacks context. As with any part of the service, how it functions will depend on what came before.  Without context, the line "Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that you're my God" can feel like a statement of pride.  Here I am, I have arrived - I am here to bow down!   People have told me they don’t sing because it doesn’t feel right.  On the other hand, if this song follows communion, the same line feels a lot more like a response to what Jesus has done.   Opening songs that engage are songs that create context their own context and provide a setup for what follows.

3.  Good example of an opening song: "You Alone Can Rescue," by Matt Redman.  People learn this song about our sin and God’s grace quickly and easily.  "Who, O Lord, could save themselves, their own soul could heal?  Our shame is deeper than the sea, Your grace is deeper still.  You alone can rescue, You alone can save, You alone can lift us from the grave.  You came down to find us, led us out of death.  To You alone belongs the highest praise."  This song builds a foundation for what you sing next, even songs about personal sanctification and acts of faith.

   If you find yourself wondering why the 80 percent aren't readily engaging in worship, examine your service order.  A good order of service builds meaning and connection at each step, while a bad order of service leaves the congregation distracted and confused.  Of course, there are many right ways to order a service, just as there are many wrong ways.  Keep in mind, however, that people are most engaged in a service where each step is connected and chosen with purpose.

    While we aren’t responsible for others’ ability or willingness to sing, our planning and actions can make a big difference.  Creating an environment that promotes a wide and active participation in worship is one of the most important goals of a worship leader.  It's not the ability to lead a band and singers, but the ability to lead a congregation that makes a great worship leader.

    This series of blogs entitled "Engaging the 80 Percent" deals with techniques you can use to be more effective in promoting communal singing in your congregation. Check back for the next installments on this topic.

Please comment and be a part of the discussion.

 

A couple years ago a good friend turned me on to a great little book: "The War of Art," by Steven Pressfield.  It is composed of several short chapters, each with a provoking thought about what keeps artists from producing art, and the defining characteristic of a professional.  See a brief excerpt below (which actually reads as a whole chapter in the book).

"Resistance and Being a Star
Grandiose fantasies are a symptom of Resistance.  They're the sign of an amateur.  The professional has learned that success, like happiness, comes as a by-product of work.  The professional concentrates on the work and allows rewards to come or not to come, whatever they like."
Pressfield, Steven.  The War of Art, New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2002. 

It is with this sentiment, then, that I have started this website as a platform for my work.  I will be especially writing songs for the church and sharing my pastoral perspective on the task of the worship arts leader.  If it is of some use to you, fantastic.  I know it will be of great use to me.

Be Well,
Steve Zank