Those of us who had the privilege of mentoring these students were amazed at their tenacious commitment to see it through: Wednesday night practices and discussions, daily Bible studies on worship, three very long additional practices, practicing on their own at home. They inspired us, they challenged us, and they impressed us. We leaders came away with a profound sense of God’s having orchestrated the whole thing, from beginning to end.

Here are some of the things that were impressed on us (both youth and adults) as we explored the meaning of worship this summer:

• Cody Satterthwait (acoustic guitar): “Every beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. Playing music for God is a great beginning.”
• Austin Greenleaf (vocals): “Worship 101 has really opened the door to worship for me; it has shown me how pure worship should be.”
• Cassie Moulin (vocals): “Worship 101 has strengthened my relationship with God into a love-based relationship.”
• Ashley Bryant (viola): “Viola has really given me the chance to grow closer to God.”
• Judy Ziemer (leader): “I’ve loved watching everyone, kids and adults alike, working together, having fun together and growing together.”
• Ashley Bertsch (leader): “Worship 101 has been an amazing experience for me, not only getting to work with these kids who have wonderful hearts of worship, but also growing and stretching me in my relationship with God.”
• Jon Stadtlander (leader): “It’s awesome to see these kids using their gifts to praise the Lord.”
• Nicole Veit (vocals): “Singing in His reign.”
• Kellee Murphy (leader): “It has been a joy to watch our youth grow and use their gifts to worship.”
• Becca Ballou (audiovisual): “God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.”
• Laura Ballou (leader): “I am just amazed at how talented all the kids are. To God be the glory!”
• Tyler Arnett (drums/percussion): “I liked Worship 101. I liked playing the drums to ‘Blessed Be Your Name.’”
• Nicole Clark (keyboard mentor): “Completing the Pure Praise book has drawn me closer to God as I devote more time to praying and listening to God’s guidance.”
• Alyssa Stadtlander (piano): “Worship is a conversation: not just you talking to God, but God talking to you.”
• Jeanelle Reider (leader): “We had a little idea. God said, ‘Fine, but let Me show you My idea.’ Worship 101 — what an amazing ride!”
• Sarah Ballou (vocals): “I want to use my gifts for God, and Worship 101 helped strengthen it.”
• Ryan Bear (drums/percussion): “God gave me the ability; worshiping allows me to give back.”
• Barbara Francis (vocals): “Worship 101 has shown me just how important it is to worship God with all my heart. It’s one of the first times I’ve felt really close to Him.”
• Stephen Jones (audiovisual): “The Pure Praise devotional has really helped me look at worship in a new way.”
• Jordan Arnett (electric guitar): “I love to play guitar, and I can see Worship 101 as an outlet to my music also while playing for the Lord.”
• Zach Griffin (drums): “When praising God, give your all to Him, all the time.”
• Hannah Ballou (audiovisual): “I’m with my friends doing the things I love, for the God I love. What’s not awesome about that?!”
• Brandon Williford (bass): “Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words. I thought this was a perfect example.”
• Kelsey Tucker (vocals): “Worship 101 has been a wonderful experience, both bonding with friends and growing into a deeper relationship with the Lord.”
• Brittany Chamberlain (keyboard): “Worship 101 has given me an opportunity to use my talents for God.”

Others: We didn’t get quotes from the following participants, but if you see them in the hallway, they’ll be happy to tell you about their experiences as well; Aaron Hume (audiovisual), Alyssa Eshelman (audiovisual), Julie Stall (vocals), Casey Bryant (electric guitar), Tyler Veit (drums/percussion), Eryn Schoenborn (violin), Curt Goldgrabe (leader).

Oh, and a special thanks to Darlene Densley and her crew for putting together meals every Wednesday night(!), and to Dee Ellsworth and Eric Eshelman and their crew for all the extra help and training.

Worshiping with you,
Jeanelle

When you read the above question, what images come to mind? Hands lifted? Knees bent? Bodies bowed low? Feet dancing? Voices shouting? Scripture includes all of these examples (and more) in its descriptions of worship (Psalm 63:4; Eph. 3:14; I Chron. 29:20; Psalm 149:3; Luke 19:37-40).

The most common Hebrew word for worship means “to bow self down.” The most common Greek word for worship means “to kiss (the hand) toward. Both of these definitions involve not just the mind and heart but also the body. II Cor. 4:7-10 tells us that though our bodies are imperfect vessels, subject to all kinds of limitations, the life of Jesus Himself is shown through our physical bodies.

Worship leader Bob Kauflin points out that “our bodies naturally respond to what affects our souls.” When our children run to us, we open our arms wide to hug them; when our favorite team wins in overtime, we jump up and down; when we hear of heroic acts of selflessness we applaud; when a friend is grieving we cry. He goes on to say that “when we grasp the majesty of God, the mercy of the Savior, and the meaning of our salvation, we’ll be more inclined to respond with physical expressions of worship.”

Physical expression can also help us to internalize the truths we are focusing on in worship. When we sing “Lift high your chains undone,” it can be quite powerful to lift up our hands as if releasing the chains that used to bind us. Or when we sing “Receive our adoration, Jesus Lamb of God,” we can perhaps more easily envision the Lamb of God seated at the right hand of the Father if we turn our faces upward. As the saying goes, “Expression deepens impression.”

So then, why is freedom of expression in worship sometimes a controversial topic in the church? From discussions I’ve observed, it seems that the controversy usually stems from one of three misconceptions:

Misconception #1: We can tell from someone else’s expressiveness (or lack of it) whether they are truly worshiping or not. This argument can go both ways. On the one hand, those of us who are naturally more expressive may be tempted to label someone standing very still, with a stoic expression on their face, as “apathetic and unresponsive to the Lord.” And we might characterize someone whose arms are raised high, with eyes pointed toward heaven, as being “a true worshiper.” On the other hand, those of us who are naturally less expressive may be tempted to elevate the first person as someone who “knows how to show reverence” and the second person as “showy and ruled by their emotions.” What’s wrong with this picture? The Bible makes it clear that while man looks on the outward appearance, only the Lord truly knows what’s in the heart (I Samuel 16:7). So if we’re judging another person’s heart of worship, the only sure thing we can know is that our own heart of worship is not where it should be.

Misconception #2: The way we express ourselves (or don’t) should be the standard for everyone else. There are several things wrong with this statement. First, it assumes that there is only one right way to worship (when in fact the Bible provides example after example of the varieties of ways we can worship). Second, it implies that each person in the body of Christ is created with the same personality (when I Corinthians 12 shows us clearly that God designed the body of Christ to be composed of many types of people). Third, it neglects to take into account that our life experiences, whether in years past or in the previous week, affect the way we each respond in worship (David’s broken spirit in Psalm 51 is a sharp contrast to his victorious joy in Psalm 18). Fourth (and worst of all) it elevates ourselves above those around us.

Misconception #3: It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about how we express ourselves (or don’t) as long as our heart is right before the Lord and we are following the guidelines of Scripture. This is a tough one. On the surface it sounds very spiritual. After all, who can argue with someone who says they are only trying to please the Lord? But sometimes there is more than one Scriptural principle at stake. In this case there is an even greater principle to consider than the form of our worship, and that principle is the greatest of all: “Love one another.” One big reason why we gather together instead of just staying home and worshiping by ourselves is so that we can encourage one another in the Lord (Hebrews 10:24,25). With this in mind, there are a couple of things we need to consider: First, we need to understand that, like it or not, our body language can be either an encouragement or a discouragement to the person who is next to us in the pew (or across the room, or up on the platform). Second, each local congregation has its own understanding of what’s comfortable and what’s not. It’s not a matter of right or wrong, but simply cultural differences. We need to take into account who we are worshiping with, and discern what is appropriate in each context so that we are not a distraction to those around us.

Ultimately it is the Lord whom we are trying to please in our worship. If we try to please everyone around us, we will be paralyzed with fear and self-consciousness (and we will fail anyway). So the best thing we can do each time we gather to worship is examine our hearts to be sure we are motivated by love and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into all wisdom. Only then will we who make up the local body of Ustick Baptist Church “in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Eph 4:15).

Worshiping with you (and so thankful for you),

Jeanelle

Quick, name all the instruments you’ve ever heard in a worship service… How many did you come up with? Off the top of my head, in no particular order, I can think of organ, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, tenor sax, alto sax, bass clarinet, viola, violin, fiddle, drums, congas, djembe, castanets, harmonica, banjo, trumpet, trombone, keyboard, mandolin, tambourine, shaker, clarinet, flute, harp, cello, French horn, hand bells, chimes, cymbals. I’m sure I’m missing a few!

Who created these instruments? Who gave us the ability to invent them, and the skill to play them? James 1:17 tells us that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” Why did He gift us with these instruments? I Chronicles 16:4-6 tells us that the specific ministry of the Temple musicians was to “celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God.” Did you know that there were whole trumpet sections and whole cymbal sections in the Temple? (See Ezra 3:10.) Did you also know that at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple there were 120 priests blowing trumpets, joining with cymbals, harps and lyres?

Listen to what Martin Luther wrote in the Bible of his organist friend Wolf Heinz: “Wolf Heinz and all pious Christian musicians should let their singing and playing to the praise of the Father of all grace sound forth with joy from their organs and whatever other beloved music instruments there are recently invented and given by God.” I would venture to guess that Psalm 150 may have been on his mind when he wrote that!

It’s clear that throughout the ages God has given us many instruments in order to praise and glorify Him. But, in today’s cultural context, how does this play out in our worship? Well, here are a few examples of the instruments we commonly use here at UBC and what each of them can contribute to the whole mix (though there are lots of other ways we use these instruments as well):

• The guitar can provide easy rhythmic hooks that help us sing together
• The bass can give us a musical “floor,” without which the mix can sound empty
• Drums and percussion can keep us from wandering in tempo and help tighten up the mix
• The keyboard “pad” can fill out the sound and add “effect”
• Saxophones, violins and mandolins can all add “color”
• The piano can provide a clear melodic line for the congregation to follow

Another factor we consider with our instrumentation is that certain songs naturally work well with certain kinds of instruments (though we certainly have the freedom to switch this up!). For example:

• When we sing “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” on Easter, we often bring out the cathedral organ (well, at least we find that setting on the keyboard and ask the sound techs to crank up the volume!)
• When we sing “Everlasting God,” we often intro it with a palm-muted guitar that almost seems to speak the words “Strength will rise when we wait upon the Lord…”
• When we sing “Our Great God,” we use piano-driven arpeggios to help our hearts soar with “every creature in the sea and every flying bird” as they “sing praises to the living God who rules them by His Word”!
• When we sing “In the Secret,” a quiet mandolin solo can remind us that “You are there.”

So here’s a challenge: Next Sunday morning, try listening to the music with new ears. Which instruments are playing at which times? How does each instrument contribute to the musical mix? How does the instrumental arrangement complement the message of each song? (If this exercise begins to distract you from worshiping the Lord, don’t spend too much time on it!)

I am constantly amazed at the creativity of God. He’s given us four basic types of instruments: strings, wind, brass, percussion. But the variety of music they produce is endless. And that’s just on this earth! I wonder what other categories of instruments God will introduce to us in heaven, where we won’t be tied to this world’s laws of nature? If we think we can praise Him creatively now, what infinite forms of praise will be at our disposal then?! I can only imagine…

One final note: If I had my preference, our worship music would sometimes also include a harmonica, an electric guitar, a trumpet, a cello… maybe you have a hidden talent, just waiting to be tapped? Maybe now’s the time to rediscover your musical talents and offer them to the Lord for His glory!

Worshiping with you,

Jeanelle

I just wanted to let you all know about something really wonderful that is taking place this summer with the worship teams and the YOUTH of our church. We’re calling it: WORSHIP 101

It’s basically a way of coming alongside the junior highers and high schoolers to encourage them to use their skills and gifts to build up the body of Christ.

We had 20 youth show up for our kickoff gathering, with more who are interested! The Music Advisory Team (that’s Nathan Reider, Judy Ziemer, Jon Stadtlander, Kellee Murphy and Jeanelle Reider) will be leading this program, with lots of help from the worship and audiovisual teams. Here’s what we’ll be doing this summer:

• Meeting most Wednesday nights (before youth group)
• Providing dinner
• Exploring the heart of worship (through a worship study book called Pure Praise)
• Providing workshops to work on instrumental, vocal, and audiovisual skills
• Gearing up to take part in a Sunday morning service August 30

Hopefully using this summer as a springboard for many more opportunities
in the area of worship arts!

Here’s how YOU can help:

• Please pray that the Lord will use this program to help the youth of our church
  catch a vision for using their gifts and talents in the body of Christ
  for the rest of their lives!
• Provide Wednesday night meals (or contribute money to the meals).
  Please contact Darlene Densley (887-4621) if you are able to help in this way.

Okay, so next month we’ll get back to Part 10 of “Why We Do What We Do,” but this was just too important not to let you know about it!

Worshiping with you,
Jeanelle

If we were to rank musical styles on a scale of one to ten, one being the most Christian, what would the order look like? Classical #1 and country #10? Straight four-part harmony #1, jazz #10, and pop/contemporary falling in line at a respectable #5? I’m pretty sure our rankings would depend on which musical language we most resonate with. And if that’s true, it would probably make as much sense to ask which language is more Christian: Russian or Spanish. Or, for that matter, Classical Greek or Aramaic.

As Reggie Kidd states in his thoughtful book With One Voice, no one style embodies worship better than another. Christ “stands above classical culture, above folk culture, and above popular culture.” As an analogy he points to the different communication styles in which God chose to disclose the gospel message: Mark’s gospel, the least elegant yet crispest and liveliest; John’s, simple in words yet deep in theology. Paul’s letters profoundly functional; the book of Hebrews, more classical in tone. Yet the beauty of the gospel shines through all of these.

In our own church this past year our musical language of worship has included “specials” ranging from old-timey fiddle to straight-up classical, cowboy guitar to joyful jazz, with a little bit of rock thrown in. Each time an individual or group plays or sings in a style that is “them,” you can see smiles on the faces of people all over the room. It’s like we know, “This is something special, this is someone using his or her unique gifts for the Lord.” Even if it’s not our own style of choice, we know that there are people sitting in the room with us who are eating it up, and because of that it makes us all happy for each other in the Lord.

Even our congregational singing has included soaring ballads and jiving pop. We’ve sung harmonies along with improv’d instrumentals, and we’ve sung simple melodies a capella. We’ve sung songs and hymns in their familiar styles, and we’ve sung them in new ways.

So why do we use different styles of music in worship?

First, to acknowledge the musical gifts and musical tastes of our particular church body. The Bible makes it clear that the Lord Himself puts together each local body of Christ as He desires (I Cor. 12:18). At UBC we have our own woodsy fiddle players and jazzy saxophonists, classical vocalists and grooving backup singers. We have church members whose car radios are dialed to Air One and others whose radios regularly play KNJY. Kidd says that it must bring our Savior “satisfaction to grace one fellowship with a heap of the [Blues] and a dash of Bubba, and another with a boatload of Bubba and a sprinkling of Bach.” Worship music can be a tangible, joyful picture of how the Lord takes people of widely varied tastes and joins them together to lift up His name with one voice.

A second reason to use a variety of musical styles in worship is to make our worship more meaningful. Sometimes we’ll take a usually fast-paced song and slow it down so we can meditate on the words. Other times we’ll infuse a song with a creative beat that brings an energy to our praise. Sometimes we’ll sing a song familiarly so that we can easily enter into the music and let the words sink in. Other times we’ll change up a familiar song so that the words come across in a fresh way. Bob Kauflin writes, “Hymns are especially suited for innovative treatments that help us hear the words from a new perspective. Moving beyond traditional tunes and arrangements shouldn’t bother us too much since most hymns were written without music, and a favorite tune only emerged over time.”

A third reason for stylistic variety is what is often called “flow.” Each time we gather to worship the Lord, we are entering a specific journey of worship, and we look to the Holy Spirit to lead us where He wants us to go. We in the worship ministry pray that we will be able to create a specific musical context that, while facilitating worship, doesn’t draw attention to itself. We consider carefully how to keep the music from seeming erratic or disjointed. For example, when we follow a contemporary song immediately with an older hymn, it could be jarring to stop abruptly and change styles. So sometimes we continue the rhythm of the previous song to keep everything in context. On the other hand, if song after song is in the same tempo, same key, same “feel,” we might all be dulled to distraction. So sometimes creating “flow” will mean we switch gears and move to a new musical style at an appropriate point in our worship. It’s a skill, an art, to weave together different styles and yet not seem random (a skill we are always honing, as we know there is much room for improvement!).

Music is a gift God has given us to help us worship Him. Just as He calls us to use our spoken words to honor Him, so He calls us to use musical language wisely and creatively for His glory. Eph. 4:29 tells us to speak words that are “good for edification, according to the need of the moment, giving grace to those who hear.” A thoughtful worship ministry team will apply this admonition to their musical “language” and, with sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, craft their music so that it brings ultimate glory to God and builds up His church.

Worshiping with you,
Jeanelle

Distraction is part of being human. We see it when we drive a familiar route to work and upon arriving realize we can’t remember getting there because we’ve been basically on autopilot. We experience it when we read the same paragraph of a book over and over because our focus has repeatedly been lost halfway through. We are embarrassed by it when in a conversation our friend stops and asks, “So what do you think?” and we haven’t been paying close enough attention to even fake an answer. So it should not surprise us when we’ve just sung a song in church and we can’t even remember what it was about. This is part of the “frailty” that Scripture says God understands about us. But is it pleasing or acceptable to Him in our worship? No.

Jesus makes this clear when He says, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me” (Matthew 15:8). He is referring to people whose lifestyle is a constant disconnect between what they say and what they do, but as those whose desire is to always please the Lord, shouldn’t we strive to have fewer and fewer such moments of disconnect, especially in our worship?

Thankfully there are tools to help us. One tool we see in Scripture is repetition. Psalm 136 exclaims “His love endures forever” 26 times. In Revelation 4:8 we are told that the worshipers before the throne never stop saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” Repetition helps us to sit with a truth for awhile and bring our hearts in line with what we’re singing. The bridge of one of our songs says, “You were, You are, You will always be.” Can we ever really wrap our minds around this eternal truth?! After all, “How unsearchable are Your ways”! It’s not that we necessarily understand the phrase better each time we sing it; rather, we’re more and more in awe of the magnitude of what we’re singing! Or take another song lyric we sometimes repeat: “Thank You for the cross.” It’s one thing to casually tell someone “Thanks for that.” It’s quite another to stop and say, “No, really, thank you for what you’ve done for me, my friend. It means more to me than mere words can say. I don’t know how to say thank you enough.”

Another tool we find in Scripture is the Hebrew word “Selah” which we find used often in the Psalms. The NASB Study Bible notes explain that “Selah” may mean “pause, crescendo or musical interlude.” Psalm 3:2 says, “Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no deliverance for him in God.’” Then it follows with “Selah” (dramatic pause . . . let this sink in . . . now listen up:) “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me . . .” So sometimes in the musical part of our Sunday morning worship time we will pause between songs, or even in the middle of a song, to pray silently or to reflect. Or other times we will have a short musical interlude, not so that the musicians can display their skill but so that our thoughts can be refreshed and refocused for the next words we sing. It’s our way of saying “Selah.”

A third tool that can help us stay focused in our worship is to stop the music for a moment and let the God-breathed words of Scripture speak for themselves. This is a powerful way to bring our thoughts back around to where they should be. A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of actually sitting in the pews and just soaking in the time of worship. When the worship team paused between songs and read with great expression Scripture after Scripture where God “opened the eyes” of one of His children, I was filled with hope that God still does this today. My heart was primed to hear what He would say to me through the sermon to follow. Scripture itself brought me to a place of great expectation.

These tools are only that — tools — to help us worship. None of them will be effective if we have no desire to enter into worship in the first place. But if we do come on Sunday mornings wanting to please the Lord in our worship, then His Spirit will use all of these things to bring our sometimes wandering thoughts right back to where they should be: glorifying and communing with Him.

Worshiping with you,
Jeanelle

Have you heard comments like these?:

• “A lot of songs have too many ‘I’ and ‘me’ words.”
• “It’s hard to worship when the lyrics are too dry and wordy.”
• “We need to sing more songs about the attributes of God.”
• “We need to sing more songs that simply express our love for God.”

There seem to be two basic trains of thought: The first says that worship is to be all about declaring the holiness of God, His “otherness.” The more we sing lyrics layered with doctrine, the deeper our understanding of God and our love for Him will be. The second train of thought says that worship is meant to be a time of drawing near to God, a conversation with Him, an experience of expressing our adoration to Him and listening to what He is impressing on our hearts.

The problem with setting one perspective up against the other is that we create a false dichotomy that Scripture doesn’t support. In his excellent book Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin writes that there is to be a “healthy tension” in worship between God’s transcendence and His immanence. Yes, God is holy and dwells in unapproachable light, but He also has brought us near to Him through His Son Jesus Christ and has put His Spirit within us. Kauflin cites this Scripture that beautifully brings the two truths together:

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).

The Psalms provide a rich resource for the many ways we can come to God in worship:

• Declarations to God (Psalm 5:4; 22:3; 86:10; 139:8)
• Declarations about God (Psalm 11:4; 18:31; 25:8; 89:6; 145:3)
• Expressions of adoration for God (Psalm 18:1; 16:2; 73:25; 139:17)
• Statements of resolve; “I will worship” (Psalm 9:2; 16:8; 118:17; 130:5; 144:9; 146:2)
• Gratefulness for what He’s done for me (Psalm 6:9; 71:6; 118:6)
• Pleas for Him to speak to our heart (Psalm 27:7,8; 139:23; 143:10)
• Cries of contrition (Psalm 32:3-7; 41:4,5; 51:1-18)
• Reverent fear (Psalm 22:23; 33:8; 15:1; 96:9)
• Familiar nearness (Psalm 23:1-6; 139:1-16)

Whether the words are about God or to Him, whether they express awe or intimacy, whether they declare His attributes or express what He’s done specifically for me, whether they joyfully exclaim our resolve to worship Him or introspectively admit our failure to be all He asks of us — every word, when offered humbly and from the heart, is an act of worship that both exalts the Lord and expands our love for Him.

On any given Sunday morning we may include all types of lyrics to experience the broad spectrum of worship. Or we may hone in on just one aspect of worship in order to more fully explore a particular theme. But the prayer of the worship ministry is that no one would ever walk away from a Sunday morning service without having deepened both their understanding of who God is and their love for Him.

Kauflin ends his chapter on this subject with a profound statement by Charles Spurgeon:

“I can admire the solemn and stately language of worship that recognizes the greatness of God, but it will not warm my heart or express my soul until it has also blended therewith the joyful nearness of that perfect love that casts out fear and ventures to speak with our Father in heaven as a child speaks with its father on earth. My brother, no veil remains.”

May our holy, merciful God help us to embrace the full spectrum of what it means to worship Him.

Worshiping with you,
Jeanelle

In every generation God’s people have sung songs of worship. Each generation sings songs that have been passed down from those who have gone before, and each generation writes brand new songs that will be gifted to those who follow. There is a richness in the whole spectrum of old and new which allows us to experience both a familiarity and a freshness. Let’s explore this richness a little further.

Old Songs. I have a warm place in my heart for the songs that I grew up with. I remember as a child sitting on the hard wooden pew of our little church in Joshua Tree, California, listening carefully to my mom’s voice as she sang the hymns, trying to follow along with her alto harmonies (not very successfully at first!). I remember groups of friends joining us at our house after a Sunday night service, singing song after song at the top of our lungs (my dad’s rich bass being the most boisterous of all). I remember thinking, “Who wrote these songs? What was their story?” It linked me to previous generations of Christians who had lived and learned at the feet of Jesus. And now when I hear these songs I’m brought back to those people who worshiped with us in that little church, many of whom now worship before the throne in heaven. So one very good reason to sing old songs is, as Bob Kauflin states, because “I never want to forget that my generation isn’t the first to think about and pursue biblical worship.” Psalm 45:17 says, “I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever.”

There are other good reasons to sing old songs. They “speak the language” of people in our congregation who grew up with this type of music. Their lyrics, themes, and imagery may be different from some of the newer songs, adding another layer of understanding to the truths of Scripture. Singing more familiar songs can free us to worship instead of having to concentrate on learning new words and melodies (though it doesn’t take long for any song to become familiar to us once we’ve sung it a few times).

New songs. I remember going to my first worship service at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa as a high schooler. I’d never heard the songs before, and I’d never experienced such freedom in worship. My spirit was stirred and I was given a new passion for worshiping the Lord with all my heart and soul. Since then, I have been constantly impressed with the gifted songwriters God continues to raise up to write songs that edify the church and glorify the Lord. These songs strike new chords deep within, whether they brings a freshness to my praise, a conviction to my conscience, or a depth to my understanding of God’s grace toward me.

From Jubal to the Levitical temple musicians to David to the early church to the saints around the throne, there has always been and always will be a new song being sung by God’s people. Why is this a good thing? Well, of course, first and foremost because Scripture many times tells us to sing a “new song” (Psalm 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10). Someday before the throne of God we will again be singing a “new song” (Revelation 5:9; 14:3). But why does Scripture tell us to do this? I believe there are several reasons. First, the Lord of creation gives creativity to people in each generation to further His kingdom and build up His church, including the gift of songwriting. Second, music we haven’t sung before opens up our ear to hear old truths in fresh ways. Third, there may be specific things the Lord desires to impress on the church at given times, and new songs can speak well to this. And fourth, each generation has its own musical sensitivity, so new music connects well what that generation.

Not all old songs have stood the test of time. As worship leader Andy Crouch points out, even Isaac Watts and Fanny Crosby wrote many songs that “wore out within a generation.” But “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Blessed Assurance” seem to be here to stay. And many of the songs being written and sung today may be only effective in this generation, but a few will be standouts. If I had to guess which of today’s songs will last, two of my top choices would be “In Christ Alone” and “Blessed Be Your Name.” But only God knows, and time will tell.

There is a danger inherent both in clinging to old songs and in always searching for the newest. Traditions can inform and anchor us, but they also can become dry and meaningless. New songs can bring freshness and relevance, but always searching for the “latest and greatest” can become more important than an abiding faithfulness to God. New songs, old songs — like any other tool that God uses, we frail humans can be quite adept at turning what’s meant for good into a thing of idolatry. So let’s always be on guard against such attitudes. The best defense is to sing any song, old or new, with a humble heart that only desires to please the Lord. And with that He will be honored, and our worship will be a fragrant offering to Him.

Why are both of our Sunday morning services the same rather than one “contemporary” and one “traditional”? That question is probably one of the most common ones we in the worship ministry at UBC hear. The reasoning goes something like this: Wouldn’t it be easier to make everyone happy if we offered specific worship services that met their individual preferences? Then everyone could worship in the way they relate to best. (Note: Almost without exception the people asking this question are referring to musical style, not the pastor’s sermon or any other element of the Sunday morning service.)

On the surface, this may seem like a reasonable argument. But there are two logical problems with the question: (1) It assumes that we won’t be happy unless our individual preferences are met, and (2) it assumes that the goal of the church should be to make everyone happy. First of all, I’d like to give us all more credit than to suggest we base our happiness on such shallow criteria. But even more important, is it really our ultimate goal to be sure we are all happy? Isn’t the loftier goal to be people that reflect more and more the character of Christ?

Besides the problems with the question itself, there is a specific and intentional reason why Ustick Baptist Church does not follow the “traditional” and “contemporary” service approach. In a nutshell, it’s because the Lord calls each local body of believers to be one body, serving one Lord, intent on the one purpose of glorifying Him. Jesus Christ has brought us together in Him, young and old, rich and poor, well educated and not well educated, native Idahoans and native Californians, white people and people of color, traditional and cutting edge, frumpy and fashionable, fit and sedentary, musical and tone deaf, emotional and practical. Paul tells us in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Where better to experience this in all its beauty than in our weekly gatherings of worship?

We all (hopefully) have the same goals when we gather for worship: To magnify our Lord Jesus Christ, to learn from His Word, to draw near to Him, to encourage one another in our walk with Him, and to show His love to those who come through our doors. If we are united in these desires, why would we divide along the lesser lines of musical preference?

This past year Greg preached a series about the Core Values of our church. In November he talked about the core value of intergenerational fellowship, using Psalm 78:1-7 as his text. This is a highly treasured value of Ustick Baptist, and a big reason why so many of us (Greg and me included) feel blessed to be part of this church family. So then let’s consider a question: Along what lines do you think our congregation would be drawn if we had two types of services? I submit that the greatest division would be between age groups (though I realize there are “traditionalists” and “non-traditionalists” represented in every age group across the board). What a loss we would experience by this! To be in community with one another, learning from one another and encouraging one another, is one of our greatest assets! I love seeing an older person talking with a younger person in the hallways, or a young family sitting next to an older couple in church. I love that when we sing traditional hymns it’s resonating with people who grew up with this musical language, and I love that the youth lift up their voices right along with the other generations around them. It brings me joy to see all generations entering into worship wholeheartedly, even on the songs that are out of their comfort zone. Why do we do this? Because we love the Lord, and we love each other!

Kevin Navarro, in his book The Complete Worship Service, imagines what worship in heaven will be like: “There will not be separate worship services for builders, boomers, busters, and the emerging generations. Our people-blindness will be lifted, and we will see a child, worshiping with us for the very first time. We will see a senior citizen with a new appreciation. Our ears will echo with the words of a lady from Bangladesh shouting at the top of her lungs, ‘He is worthy! He is worthy!’”

I, for one, can’t wait. But then, maybe on one level, we don’t have to.

Worshiping with you,

Jeanelle

Did you know that …

• Pastor Greg prays about his message topics months in advance?
• He gives these topics to the worship team months in advance?
• Anyone doing “special music” receives the topic in advance so they can choose a song that complements the theme?
• Every time the worship team picks up their music there is a cover sheet that includes “Today’s Worship Focus: _____________”?
• In the service planning process, song lyrics and Scripture passages are pored over to find ones that will bring our thoughts toward the specific worship theme?

The Worship Idea Team looks at the sermon topics and discusses ways to bring the theme before the congregation. Some recent examples of this are:

• The “Walking With Jesus” photos we showed all through the I John summer sermon series
• The “Take It to the Streets” and “Offering Pie” videos for the sermons on evangelism and financial stewardship
• The classical violin piece and the special offering of “gifts and talents” for the message on stewardship of our lives
• Older and younger guest worship team members leading in worship for the message on intergenerational fellowship
• The 2008 Advent theme of “The Gift,” including the Advent wreath readings each Sunday, the take-home Advent readings and “gift” boxes, and the beautiful banners–thanks to the Crimmins and the Emersons!–, all based on the John 3:16 sermon series

I give these examples to paint a picture of what can happen when we build a service around a specific theme. But what is the reason we do this? As in every ministry in the church, we hopefully never do things just for the sake of doing them! In a nutshell, the reason we plan services around a worship theme is so that we, as a congregation and as individuals, will go home on Sunday afternoons understanding what God has said to us through His Word and what He wants us to do about it.

Music and the other aspects of Sunday morning worship are not just a warmup for the sermon. We are reminded of God’s truth as we sing. Our hearts are stirred as we sing. The songs, Scriptures, visual and other elements that make up part of our Sunday morning times are just as integral a part of worship as is our listening to the sermon. But how much better will we hear and respond to what God is saying through the very important preaching of the Word if we have already had our hearts softened and our minds directed to that message through the other elements of the service?

Worship consultant Alison Siewert refers to Nehemiah chapter 8 as an example of how this can happen. Ezra and Nehemiah knew that the people of Israel needed to reconnect with God’s law and with God Himself after their long exile. So they put together a service that focused on this one need, and the result was that “Israel understood and acted on what they heard and saw. They repented and celebrated what God was doing, and their lives were never the same.” (If you read this chapter you’ll see that the service, celebration and response actually extended to a full 8 days!)

How can we at UBC know if we have understood what God has been saying to us each Sunday morning? Let’s use Nehemiah 8 as our plumbline: If we go home each Sunday more the people God intends us to be than when we came, then we have heard Him. And if we as a church continue to grow together by listening to what He is saying on any particular Sunday morning, He will be glorified! Is there any better goal in worship than that?