When the Holy Spirit Breaks Open the Worship Service (Or, the Surprise of Super Bowl Sunday at Cherry Creek)

Just in case you were mistaken, this isn't a worship service. It's a football game.Quite at the last minute yesterday, I felt nothing less than a strong compulsion from the Holy Spirit to urge our congregation to do something in worship quite foreign to us.  Many moons ago, I posted on physical expressiveness in worship with what I’ve found to be a very compelling argument. 

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Worship Reading Goals for 2012

Worship leaders should be worship readers, so here’s my ambitious list for 2012 (off the heels of what I have read in 2011).  These are the books I want to focus on in the field of worship, but they won’t be the only things I read.  In fact, I want to take seriously C. S. Lewis’s admonishment to read one old book for every new one.  These are all relatively new books, and though I won’t read as many old books, I hope to read a few (Bradshaw, below, will open me up to some primary source material that will take me into the old stuff).  I also hope to read one or two works of classic literature and am open to recommendations.  Literature always stirs my soul and imagination and often helps me think about well-worn issues in new ways.

John Jefferson Davis, Worship and the Reality of God: An Evangelical Theology of Real Presence (2010)

I’ve actually read this one already, but I plan on revisiting it, outlining it, and imparting its wisdom to others.  In fact, our Worship, Music, & Arts team at Cherry Creek will be discussing it at our retreat this January.

Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology (2009)

I’m about half way through this book already, so it will likely be my first finish in 2012.  It is blowing my face off.  Its dialogue is so different from what evangelicals typically talk about, and it really lifts up a high view of gathered, corporate worship.  It is also heavily footnoted (which I love) and is therefore opening me up to a host of resources, especially to choice worship-thinkers outside of the evangelical tradition.

Jean-Jacques von Allmen, Worship: Its Theology and Practice (1965)

Both Davis and Chan (above) have cited this resource enough times that I feel it’s important enough to dig up.  It’s from a Reformed perspective, but it takes some surprising turns, I believe, such that it wouldn’t sound like the standard fare from Reformed worship writers (not that they’re bad!).

Edward Kilmartin, Christian Liturgy: Theology and Practice (1988)

A Roman Catholic liturgiologist who will especially inform me in the area of Worship and the Trinity.  Chan references this book a fair amount.

Paul Bradshaw, The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship: Sources and Methods for the Study of Early Liturgy (2002)

I’m looking forward to this book being a resource of primary material regarding early Christian worship and its roots in Jewish synagogue worship.

Hilaire Belloc, “On Song,” from On Everything (1910)

I honestly can’t remember why I’ve flagged this essay to read, except that something else I read referenced it and compelled me to check it out.  Free download from Google Books.

Paul Westermeyer, Te Deum: The Church and Music (1998)

This one won’t be read from cover to cover but will be referenced heavily, especially as it pertains to traditional worship music and liturgy.  Bruce Benedict at Cardiphonia turned me on to this resource.

John Williamson Nevin, The Mystical Presence: A Vindication of the Reformed or Calvinistic Doctrine of the Holy Eucharist (1846)

I’m interested in understanding my Presbyterian/Reformed tradition better when it comes to the theology of the Lord’s Supper, and many have said that Nevin’s work is seminal.

Honorable mention (or, books on my radar that may either gain or lose traction on the journey to making the 2012 list): 

Robert W. Jenson, Systematic Theology, vol. 2, The Works of God (2001)

Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World (1997)

Alexander Schmemann, Introduction to Liturgical Theology (1966)

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Worship leaders & thinkers: What are you reading?  What will you read?  What has recently impacted your view, practice, and leadership of worship?  I'm very curious.

Great New Denver Worship Artist - John Gooch

The tide continues to turn in modern worship.  Faux-hawks are increasingly being covered with thinking caps.  I met John Gooch a few years ago when he moved to Denver from out of the state.  He’s finishing up a degree at Denver Seminary, and one of the primary goals of his studies is to be the best worship leader he can be.  I praise God that we’re seeing more up-and-coming worship leaders hungering for deep theology and wide biblical reflection.  Would to God that more aspiring worship leaders believe that the best thing for their craft is a deep love for God honed in the woodshed of thoughtful, intentional Bible-training.  Because John is one of these kinds of worship leaders, I value him, even enough to ask him to sub for me at Cherry Creek when I’ve been out of town.

John has just released a stellar EP entitled The Waiting Room.  It’s a clean and clever pop-rock album, some of the songs on which have great congregational potential.  My favorite track is “Home,” a powerful ballad which internalizes and personalizes the story of the Prodigal Son.  You get the sense that John is writing from the perspective and voice of the Prodigal himself and yet sharing something deeply personal about his own story.  There’s a lot in this song for everyone to identify with, as the first verse and chorus illustrate:

I’ve been a liar
And I’ve been a thief
I’ve killed another’s hope
And I’ve stolen their dreams

How could You ever love such a broken man like me?
Still You say, “I love you, son. Come home.”

All my fear, all my shame
On the cross You took my blame
In Your grace I’m not alone
God, you say, “Come home.”

Ahh…the good news just never gets old.

There are a lot of emerging singer-songwriters out there making records.  What makes John stand out?  Well, for one, not every singer-songwriter has a great voice, and even fewer have that natural, knock-you-out vocal sound (I think I fall short of this, myself).  John does; his voice is pro.  Secondly, if The Waiting Room is the beginning of John’s official songwriting journey, then we’re in for a treat as we see him develop in his craft, because these songs are both solid and deep.  John has a clear passion to inhale theology and exhale praise through song.  The Waiting Room typifies this and prophesies of greater depths to come.  Part of my hope and prayer for John is to figure out how to wed the passion and heart of modern worship with the church's rich history of hymnody.  I don't know that we've fully seen the potential of that explosive combination, and I think John's the type of songwriter that will have the chops to do it.

The album was recorded in a fine studio (Epicenter) out here in Boulder, CO, and its mix is fresh and clean.  I love some of the electric guitar choices and colors, especially on “Beautiful Savior” and “You Are.”

Go give The Waiting Room a listen, and pick up a copy while you’re at it!

Why Architecture Matters: Our Quest to Unify Organ and Drums for the Sake of the Gospel

Philosopher and liturgical theologian, Nicholas Wolterstorff, recently reminded listeners at the “Liturgy, Music, and Space” Conference hosted by Bifrost Arts this past spring that the architecture around and in your worship space makes theological statements whether you like it or not.  For instance, a tall, raised platform at the front the sanctuary with the Communion table positioned in the very back can make the theological statement that the Lord’s Table is so holy that its access must be limited and guarded.  Or, think of a worship space in which the seating is arranged in a circle or semicircle around the leaders in worship in the middle.  This can make a statement about the unity of the people of God in worship and the tearing down of sharp divisions between the congregation and the worship leaders.  Or, think about the warehouse with a huge stage and lighting structure.  It says, “we’re here to perform for you…sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.”  Architecture tells the story of your theology of and priorities in worship.  I want to share with you how we’ve chosen to let some recent changes to our sanctuary’s architecture inform our theology of worship. 

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All About Our New Album, Without Our Aid

Without Our Aid is the second full-length release of Zac Hicks + Cherry Creek Worship, out of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in Denver, CO.  Their debut album, The Glad Sound, was their first hymns project, released in 2009, and between that time and the present, Zac has contributed to three other compilation projects with Cardiphonia: The Psalms of Ascents (March 2010) , Hymns of Faith: Songs for the Apostles’ Creed(October 2010), and Pentecost Songs (June 2011).

VISION

Without Our Aid is an experiment in songwriting for the sake of building bridges between two current camps in modern church music—the so-called “hymns/rehymn movement” and mainstream modern evangelical worship.  The album’s aim is to combine the energy and vitality of the modern worship sound (made most popular by groups like Passion and Hillsong), with the depth, theology, and historical connectedness of Christian hymnody across time.  From a songwriting perspective, the two do not easily go together: hymns are usually written in through-composed verses, while modern worship songs tend to have three and sometimes even four unique sections (verses, choruses, bridges, and “surprise” refrains or endings).  Though hymn purists might decry the liberties taken in bending and arranging the original hymn-texts, and though modern worship connoisseurs may consider the texts too verbose and archaic, our passion for greater growth and unity convinces us that Without Our Aid is a unique and worthwhile project.

STYLE & PRODUCTION

The goal of Without Our Aid was to create an album which sounded live in order to capture that more tangible “moment” of corporate worship.  It is not a live album in the true sense, mostly because our current setting does not have the bandwidth to be able to pull off a live recording.  However, the recording was pieced together in the “live” setting of our reverberant, 900-seat, traditional sanctuary, employing ambient mic techniques for all the major instruments.  A backing choir of approximately 20-30 voices sang through the album multiple times; those sessions ended up being powerful times of worship themselves.
Stylistically, Without Our Aid is best characterized as a “modern arena-worship” record—big drums, driving electric guitars, layered synths, crowd noise, and a live “congregational” sound.

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Worship: Exchanging Hip for Intergenerational

Our church has been on an ongoing quest to integrate ministries and capitalize on one of the things many congregations don’t have—an age spread.  We’ve come to the conclusion that ministry to one another and to the world will only be as effective as we move to a ministry/mission model which is: (1) less program-driven and more people-centered; (2) less segregated and more integrated and intergenerational.

In a recent post, Pastor Tullian Tchividjian pointed out that their church opted for two blended services as opposed to a “traditional” and a “contemporary” service.  The reasoning (which I support 100%) was that the Gospel beckons us to both unity and self-sacrifice for the sake of others.

Yesterday, we sang the following songs in our worship service:

“How Firm a Foundation” (a new melody to a classic hymn, due out on our next album)
“O Worship the King” (traditional hymn-tune)
“Holy, Holy, Holy” (traditional hymn)
“Holy is the Lord” (Tomlin)
“I Surrender All” (traditional hymn...really got the Baptists going among us)
“From the Inside Out” (Hillsong…just a few years old)

So yesterday was actually weighted more toward the “traditional” than the “contemporary.”  In my worship philosophy, I don’t necessarily believe that one can achieve a perfect balance of old and new in every service (and whenever I’ve tried I’ve ended up pulling my hair out).  More often, I’m seeking a balance of old and new over weeks or even months. 

Seeking balance in worship is not necessarily the hip thing to do.  If you want to be hip, you’ll be more homogeneous in style and song-selection, and you’ll weight your selections toward that which resonates with the younger folk.

It’s certainly a lamentable travesty that our culture has so conditioned us to have preferences for the songs that we sing in worship.  (Our brothers and sisters in Ghana, with whom our church has an ongoing missional connection, know very little of being able to choose what one eats, much less what worship songs one gets to sing on Sunday.) It’s equally sad that preferences are often segregated along generational lines.  We certainly need the Gospel to massage these selfish tendencies out of us.  But in the meantime, when people often connect in worship with only a certain subset of material, I believe we need to choose the road less traveled and plan our worship in ways that connect to the hearts of multiple generations.  This means that we’ll be willing to not have every song be our “heart song.”  Even more than that, this means that we’ll still choose to participate in such songs, because the call of the Gospel and the glory of Christ are far more weighty to us than our own preferences.

Because of these realities, I believe that hip and intergenerational are at odds.  The above set didn’t win any hip awards.  I even received one comment yesterday (friendly, yet still a bit critical) that “worship was old school.”  But if the bottom line isn’t “attracting young people” but expressing physically how the Gospel brings very different types of people together around the cross, then our worship should look quite different from hip.

Personally, I think many churches—including my own—have a long way to go in this.   More grace for the journey, please. 

Important Large Church Makes a Bold Move to Unify Worship Services

Tullian Tchividjian, Senior Pastor of well-known Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, gave reasoning on his blog behind the bold move toward unifying the worship at their church.  Coral Ridge will not be having services of different styles of music/liturgy/worship.  They will all be the same.  I applaud this effort wholeheartedly.  I think his reasons are sound and Gospel-driven.  They are a challenge to churches like mine that continue with services characterized by two different worship styles.  I can't imagine that the worship of eternity will be marked by services of different styles...that's unrealized eschatology.

Unified worship is a step toward Gospel-centered maturity, and perhaps Coral Ridge is ready and ripe for this.  I, for one, know that at the point when my church added a “contemporary” service (relatively late in the early 2000s), the thought of uniform, unified, "blended" worship would have driven a knife into the heart of our community.  The only way to move forward without totally killing the church was to do what we did.  The question still remains: Should we have done it?

Here’s a case of a stark difference between doing what is ideal (which Tullian argued well for) and doing what is wise.  Perhaps, for Coral Ridge, the former and the latter had arrived at a point of convergence.  For Cherry Creek in Denver, choosing the ideal would have been very unwise, as it would have been our demise.

I know that Coral Ridge went through a lot of wrestling to come to this conclusion.  However, as persuasively as Tullian argues, I still think there’s room for differing approaches.  One can be Gospel-centered and Gospel-driven with the split-service approach.  Perhaps, though, the stakes are higher, and a church needs to work a bit more intentionally to remain unified.  I attempt to argue along these lines in my essay, “Two Services: Why?”

If I'm honest, though, our split-service model is a burr under my saddle that has never quite stopped itching.  Bravo, Coral Ridge.  May God grant you success in your new step of faith.



Two Styles Don't Have to Mean Two Churches within a Church

Don Sweeting has recently left our church to become President of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando.  On his way out, he has given some valuable reflections on how God shaped worship at our church during his tenure.  You can read his whole post, but here are some highlights:

In my current pastorate we have multiple services and mulitiple styles.  Our mission calls us to more than one direction stylistically...For our main services, currently we have what we call a classical service and a convergent service...

How does this work?  I’ll warn you that there are many pitfalls to doing this well.  Early on some said that two different services would divide the church.  But the truth is that even when you have two services that are stylistically the same, they still come out somewhat differently and can “divide” the church.

Here’s how it works.  A pastor directed philosophy of worship as well as the common ministry of Word and sacrament hold these services together.  There is an overriding vision with overriding values rooted in the Word and the gospel that drives everything.  A desire to be both rooted and relevant give us the ability to connect with people yet stay grounded.  Our music leaders are also cross trained team players.   They truly appreciate each other and help each other.  There is no elitism, but a servant heartedness that keeps them on the same page.

Is this always easy?  No.  Is it hard to find such people?  Yes.  But can it be done and used by God in a powerful way?  Absolutely.  In fact, such teamwork is a demonstration of the gospel itself.   Because we all know how easy it is for stylistic preference to divide the church.  But think of it.  If our music and worship leaders with all their diverse gifting can get along and serve each other, to the end of fulfilling Christ’s mission for the church, then it powerfully commends the reconciling power of Jesus who calls us not to just look out for our own interests, but also the interests of others.  When that happens, the gospel goes forward with new credibility and power.

If you're interested in how we at Cherry Creek unpack the what's and why's of having two services, check out my article: "Two Services: Why?"