Real Worship

Stevenage (am)

This week was “family service” week in Stevenage.  We come together as a whole family to worship – instead of our childrens church holding their own, age-specific service.  What that means practically is usually a shorter time of worship with perhaps a performance oriented song, or dance included and a shortened “preach” – which normally involves tins of chocolates being passed around the congregation at some point (bribery will get you anywhere!).

The set list for Stevenage looked like this:

• Open The Eyes of My Heart (Paul Baloche) Ali
• Be Thou My Vision (Mary E. Byrne & Eleanor Hull) Ali
• Be Lifted Up (Paul Oakley) Ali
• I Run To You (Ali Loaker) Teash

• Take A Stand (Jon Horwood) Jon

I must admit I had a blast this Sunday!  Both our normal drummers were unable to play this week – so I covered.  Interestingly, I had comments from 2 separate people saying how I looked like I was enjoying myself more than I usually do.  Hmm… I hope I don’t look miserable when I’m leading worship (note to self: smile more!).  I think the reason was because drums were my first love (musically) – the first instrument I learned to play.  I don’t have to consciously think about anything when I play drums; I also didn’t have the added percieved pressure of trying to lead any of the songs – wondering where to take the arrangement, or how to engage more of the congregation etc. (2nd note to self: stop trying to lead – relax, worship).

I think I may have relaxed a litle too much though… I dropped a stick 3 times during the service.  It was funny!

Looking from where I was sat, there was a lot of high energy, with plenty of people engaging and looking as though they were enjoying themselves.

We sang “Open The Eyes…” in a U2 “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” style.  The second song started with me playing a driving rhythm on the toms; the bass & guitar joined in & then the vocal, “Be thou my vision…” over the top.  The next 2 songs are anthemic ballads & were really well received.

The last song is a rap written & performed by our bass player Jon.  His brother Joel guested on bass for us.  It’s a really great song, with a driving electric guitar riff over a funky bass & hip hop drum beat.  To me , it sounds like a mixture of Eminem & Led Zepelin – a passionate, (slightly menacing sounding), rock/funk rap.

Exeter (pm)

At the start of the service in Exeter I prayed expressing my heart to get past the lyric of the songs and to connect with God (and by that I meant not in a  superficial way, but in a real, passionate, heart-felt way).  Well, there were plenty of others who agreed with that, so from then on it was a done deal.  We were most definitely NOT having a time of christian karaoke!

The songs that we sang this week were as follows (all in the key of D):

• It Is You (Peter Furler)
• Open The Eyes Of My Heart (Paul Baloche)
• Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Helen H Lemmel)
• Be The Centre (Michael Frye)
• Lord You Have My Heart (Martin Smith)
• Revelation Song (Jennie Riddle)

I felt as though we did connect with God.  The worship flowed, with spaces between the songs where there were spontaneous prayers, or applause, or extended times of “free” worship.  Even during the songs, there was still that vital connection; we weren’t just singing the lyric.  I think this was because the theme of all the songs can be summed up from a line in one of them:

“Jesus, be the centre”.

Links:

This post can also be found in the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.com

Me on drums (a short mobile phone video clip of Jon’s song, “Take A Stand”)

Here’s Ali’s account of what happened at Exeter this weekend:

We played ‘More than words’ which was well received and then went into a bit of free time at the end. Ali declared that there was freedom and joy in the house and people started dancing and enjoying themselves. Whilst the music was still going, Lola gave a word about God inviting us to ‘Come in into the holy place’

Ali continued this theme by encouraging everybody to ‘lift up’ the name of Jesus in worship and praise and we moved into ‘Be lifted up’, this created an intimate atmosphere in which people were quietly talking to God. Ali shattered that by saying ‘We all go about our lives quite happily and then put on our ‘Church’ face which is serious and glum when it is time to meet with the rest of the body, lets not do that, lets make this a place of celebration and joy’. Ali asked everybody to greet somebody else and say ‘I’m glad you came tonight’, which went down so well that Adrian had to call the meeting to order again as it was decided that the people were having far too much fun (joke!).

Adrian then addressed the congregation about a young Ghanaian man who needed money to stay in hospital and live, without the money he would die as he would be forced to leave hospital. The congregation prayed and saw pictures of a baby being wrapped up in blankets by a loving father. Ali prayed and thanked God for the young man and the fact that God knew him before the dawn of time and that he still sees hi as his child even though the man has grown up and that he would take care of him.

We sang ‘My romance’ and ‘Your love is like the rain’ both of which caused a more intimate setting where Ali whispered down the microphone ‘Come back to me, come back to me, when I look at you I see perfection, when I think of you I smile and I am proud, come back to me and stop running, look into my eyes and feel my embrace, you are loved’ this caused a few teary eyes and the congregation were caught in silent wonder followed by a very quiet version of ‘The more I seek you’

This weekend, Ali chose the lists for both congregations.  He normally chooses the songs for Stevenage, but he was also travelling to Exeter & leading worship there this weekend (I’m staying home to look after the children while Heidi is away).

I’ll post a review of the Exeter service when I receive it from Ali.  For now, here’s Stevenage’s:

• More Than Words (Mike Ellis) Mike
• Heart’s Cry (Mike Ellis) Mike

• Dance

• Holy Is Our King (Rick Pino) Ali
• Facedown (Matt Redman) Ali
• The More I Seek You (Zach Neese) Teash

I particularly enjoyed this morning from a musical perspective.  We played the whole set with 2 acoustic guitars (along with bass & drums).  We normally use at least 1 electric in the band; it was refreshing to change up the band sound.

There were a number of other factors “meeting the need for variety” this week.  Teash got to lead a song for the first time in a while; there was a dance & we also spent some time praying with a family who were spending their last Sunday with us before heading off to Bible College.

The first 2 songs are ones that we haven’t sung for a while – both are mine & in the key of D.  They worked well together & sounded great with the more acoustic lineup.

That was followed by the dance brought by our very own “Set Apart” street dancers.  It was their last performance in their current format.  This is because 2 of the dancers & the lady who runs the group are part of the family that were leaving for Bible College.  The girls do a great job of choreographing their own routines and are always well received (my eldest daughter is also one of the dancers).

We then prayed for the family that was leaving & various people prayed and brought words of encouragement & prophecy.  It was good to see so many participating.

Ali led the next 2 songs, which transition really well; both were played with a capo on the 5th fret and both have a section where an F, G chord progression is played; making it simple to switch between them.

Teash did well with the last song.  She hasn’t led for a while and was thrown back in without much practice.  Blessed are the flexible…

Mark & Sandra are away this week, so Adrian spoke.  He continued in the same vein as Mark; speaking on “Seeing Through God’s Eyes”.  In particular, looking at 2 Cor. 5:14-17 and focussing on v16 about not evaluating others from a human point of view.  He spoke from his heart – it was good.

Links:

This post can also be found in the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.com

Sunday Set List 19 July 2009 – Exeter

Writing a Sunday Set List post has got me thinking about the criteria I use for gauging the “success” (or not) of a particular worship service.  Of course, any evaluation is going to be subjective; but, why is it that on one occassion, I can say, “That was good, we met with God today” and on another, “It didn’t go well this week”?  What measuring stick am I using?  Against what am I comparing?

I then began to think about the perspectives of  others, how they might differ.  So, I thought I would ask the question; I’m curious.  What does a successful worship service look like – for you?  What specifically has to happen in order for you to meet together with a group of believers & come away knowing you’ve encountered God?

There is a whole raft of possible criteria.  Is it conneted to the style of the service itself e.g. open & participatory, or led from the front?  Does the tempo or the style of music have a bearing on your definition?  Perhaps more or fewer songs, or liturgy…  or is it something else entirely.  You get the picture.

I’m also intrigued to discover whether there is any correlation between a person’s role or function during worship & their perception of its’ success or their criteria for measuring it.

So, when you leave a comment giving your definition of a successful worship service, please state what role or function you fulfill during worship (these will vary according to your style of service) i.e. whether you play/lead in the band, read scripture etc., or perhaps, you have no specific function.

Join the discussion!

Ali was recovering from illness & injury this week, so I chose the songs for both Stevenage & Exeter congregations.  I kept the list the same for both.  Here it is (though we didn’t actually get to sing all the songs from the list in either congregation):

• Lord You Are Good (Israel Houghton)
• For Who You Are (Marty Sampson)
• Indescribable (Chris Tomlin)
• Dove’s Eyes (Rick Pino)
• Your Love Is Like (Rick Pino)
• The More I Seek You (Zach Neese)

All songs were played either in E or A, which I played capo 2 on my accoustic.

Stevenage (am):

Praise & worship “took off” in Stevenage this week.  Right from the start, people freely chose to give themselves, singing passionately from the heart, raising their hands, focussing their attention firmly on God – celebrating His goodness.  This continued through the second song, “For Who You Are”.

When we reached the third song, however, people began to disengage.  Whether or not this was because we’ve not sung the song for a while, I don’t know; I think, perhaps more realistically, it was because I was a bit unsure of the arrangement .  So, I cut the song short, held the last chord (capo 2 C) & began to improvise lyrically over the top of it – singing directly to God.  Then… Wham! It took off again; only this time, more so.  All around the room, more & more people were crying out to God, engrossed in His presence.

This passion & intensity continued for the whole of the rest of the worship.  We sang Rick Pino’s anthemic “Dove’s Eyes”; repeating the chorus:

“I love Your face

I love Your kisses

I love Your embrace

I love Your presence”

We looped the chord progression for quite a while, allowing people to sing their own words.  Throughout the worship time, we left a lot of space for this to happen.  We flowed out of the extended free worship time, finishing with the beautifully intimate, “Your Love Is Like”.

Exeter (pm):

Though the set list was the same, the flow of the service was different to Stevenage (as you may expect – different band members, different congregation, different circumstances etc.)  For me, it didn’t flow as easily.  Don’t get me wrong, I could see people around the room engaging in worship, obviously meeting with God; it’s just that people didn’t want to go where I wanted to lead.  There’s no criticism in that; there is no obligation on anyone to do what they don’t want to.  The only criticism I would offer would be of myself – should I allow that to be a source of frustration.  That would be wrong; it would mean that I only see people as being there to somehow validate “my ministry” – ugh!

Herein lies my dilemma.  My desire and aim during a worship service is to encounter God & provide a platform that facilitates as many as possible to encounter Him & gives Him the space to move freely.  Within the process, I may feel that we need to sing a certain song or lyric, or I may speak an encouragement or verse of scripture (as can anyone).  With no-one obliged to follow any instruction or encouragement, I can either find myself “out-there” on my own, or I can hold back & choose not bring what I believe God has given.  Neither are desirable.

Bizarrely, the highlight in Exeter this week was the Chris Tomlin song, “Indescribable” (the very one that didn’t do so well in Stevenage).  Oh well!  We only managed to get as far as “Dove’s Eyes” before it was time for Mark to bring part 2 of his teaching on “Discovering the Real You”.

This post can also be found in the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.com

Being “real” has always been a desire in my life.  What I mean by that is having integrity in the sense of being open and honest; not pretending or putting up a front, or wearing a mask.  I love the innocence of youth; the beauty of being unashamed and unafraid to say what you think or feel.  Of course, over time I have learned to be selective about whom I allow myself to be real with.  The sad truth is that I have even learned to not be real with myself. (Neither of which is necessarily good.)

While the desire for reality in this sense is perhaps, a noble (though at times, possibly unwise) one; reality (in the sense of what we experience) is, in fact, subjective.  What is real for me my not be real for someone else.  If, for example, someone were to grow up being constantly told that they weren’t good at a particular activity or skill (say: sports, art or music), then they would ultimately believe what they were told; even if it were not actually true – and especially if it were an influential person in their lives that was telling them.  A gifted young artist may never grow to exhibit her creations if, inside she believes that  they aren’t of any worth or value (even though they may be the finest, most exquisite pictures ever painted).  My point is this: our thinking defines our reality.

“What  on earth has this to do with worship?” you may ask.  Well, if our thinking defines our reality, then what we think about God will define the reality of our relationship with Him and will ultimately determine how we experience Him.  If we believe that He is a distant, austere deity then we are unlikely to want to share our deepest, most intimate thoughts and feelings with Him.

Jn 8:32 says, ” You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”; and in Jn 14:6 Jesus says of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.  Truth is more than mere doctrine or theology.  Many wars have been faught over such things.  Many factions and splits have occurred in the church over differences of opinion about how to interpret both.  Truth is a person.  That person is Jesus; and we have been called into a glorious, vibrant, passionate, vital relationship  with Him.

As with all relationships, our relationship with God is meant to grow, develop, mature… change over time.  As we get to know Him more, our thinking (at a heart level) is changed; and as our thinking changes & grows, so does our experience of God.

Iam not advocating relativism; there are some absolutes (especially where God is concerned).  Mal 3:6 says, “I am the Lord and I do not change”; Heb 13:8 says that Jesus is “…the same yesterday, today and forever”.  For example, we can count on the fact that God is Love (1 Jn 4:8,16), and that He is for us and nothing can separte us from His love (Rom 8:31-39).

So, let’s not look to our reality (our experiences) to define God, but rather let Him define our reality.  Yes, our experience of Him changes & grows as our thinking does in the context of our relationship with Him; this is the transformation process that Paul spoke about in Rom 12:2 – changing the way we think.  We are on a journey; an adventure, a voyage of discovery together with God and each other; a journey that reaches beyond this time and space – into eternity.  We’re in this for the long-haul.  Let’s enjoy it!