The Harp and the Bowl

I admit it, I really don’t like it when a preacher says, “turn to somebody and say ___________.” I almost always feel too awkward and stupid to actually say “_______” and rarely actually do it. Maybe you’ve never had the experience. This kind of “tell your neighbor” directive is more common here in the south and more so in some faith traditions than others.

There’s another similar thing that I don‘t like. It’s when a worship leader barks out “Come on!” to the congregation in an attempt to guilt us into worshiping or to whip us into a worship frenzy. Again, I realize this is probably more of a style thing, but it almost always creates an instinctively negative reaction in me.Very rarely does it actually get me to "come on."

I personally had never heard of  The Rend Collective Experiment until I learned that they will be touring this spring with Chris Tomlin. They have a song that I thought I would hate when I saw the title in an email newsletter from WorshipTogether.com. The song title? “Come On.”

I almost dismissed it and deleted the email, ready to move on to the other 80+ emails in my inbox. For some reason I clicked, and I’m glad I did. Give listen.


You Tube Link

The truth is, sometimes I need a “Come on!” Don’t you? But rather than coming from the  the worship leader in the form of a directive, it's much better to have it in song. At least that's true for me.  Sometimes I need to tell myself “Come on.” Sometimes I need to speak to my soul like David did in Psalm 103 and say, “Bless the Lord O My Soul,” which is the scriptural basis for this modern musical interpretation.

Sometimes I need a call to worship song that calls me to worship.

It’s a really just a simple four chord song (special bonus: one of the chords is an Amaj9th – and I just love those major ninths!!)  But a key part of the song’s effectiveness is its simplicity and accessibility. (The other key, I’m convinced, is singing the word “down” in the line "let down the walls" with a cool Irish accent so it sounds more like “dine.” OK, may I won’t actually try that when I lead it)

Seriously, though, I am big on using a call to worship or a song of ascents, like this song is, to start off a worship set. One that reminds us “this is why we are here” and gets us re-focused. Sometimes I need a song that helps me throw off my week and that turns my heart to the Lord or that simply invites and acknowledge his presence into my reality. I use songs like “All Who Are Thirsty,” “Holy Moment” and “Praise Awaits You.” I even sometimes will use a softer song like “Dwell.” It doesn’t have to be hyped up to be effective in turning our hearts to the Lord. The main requirement for this kind of song is that it enables us to speak to our souls and say "come on."

What about you? Do you use songs of ascent or call to worship type songs? Do you have some favorites?

I’ve been reviewing a few recent projects that I have found to bring a new and refreshing perspective to worship music. Brian Johnson’s studio project “Love Came Down” does just that.

I first stumbled onto Brian and Jenn Johnson’s music years ago during a search for chord charts to a song called “Taste and See,” a fabulous song that I heard performed by Isa Couvertier at a IHOP Atlanta One Thing Conference. Brian and Jenn are worship pastors at a Bethel Church in Redding California. This is the home of the Jesus Culture movement and the great music that many have no doubt become familiar with. But I digress.

So I got Brian and Jenn’s “We Believe” and was immediately taken by it. In addition to Jenn’s “Taste and See” and “A Little Longer” there were several of Brian’s tracks, such as “You Have Ravished My Heart” and “Where You Go I’ll Go” that just had a kind of IHOP/Bridal Paradigm/Intercessory Worship kind of feel to them that really grabbed me. I quickly worked these songs into my four hours weekly doing devotional sets at the IHOP Atlanta, but I digress again.

Focus, Scott, focus.

So, at last on to “Love Came Down.” This is an amazing live studio project, much like the “Live at the Banks House” album from United Pursuit that I reviewed a few weeks ago. Like Banks House, the instrumentation and production are sparse, yet crystal clear. Like Banks House, the worship is genuine and infectious. The idea is not to let the production get in the way of the worship.

If you buy the actual CD, it comes with a DVD that gives you further clues about the worship environment that was going on at the time of the recording. I loved seeing the “ordinary worshipers and intercessors,” of all ages that framed the room.

My favorite track is the first track, also the title track, “Love Came Down.” It’s a beautiful song of heart-felt thanksgiving for Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. “Love came down and rescued me, love came down and made me free. I am your, Jesus, I am yours.” Surrender is such a fitting response to one who would lay his life down for you. Rather than me describe this fabulous song further, give listen to the official YouTube clip.


Direct YouTube Link

To fully appreciate the songs on this album, you need listen to it in an atmosphere where you are free to let the songs wash over you, to sink in deeply, where you can be part of the worship. My first few listens through were not as such, listening to it more in background mode, and I wasn't immediately gripped by it. As soon as I had a chance to soak under it, I was completely awestruck, by the heart of worship emanating form these songs. The Holy Spirit was on every song, each gorgeous guitar phrase and the skillfully placed additional instrumentation (grand piano, cello, hammered dulcimer, among others).

Then I put the DVD on, and I was even more amazed that even though this is billed as a live studio recording, it was actually more of a live worship event that happened to be taking place inside a sound studio.(The YouTube clip above is from the DVD.) Having the DVD just made the subsequent listens even more engaging for me.  Brilliant idea. 

In addition to the title track, other favorites include two songs of deep affection “I Really Love You,” “God You’re Beautiful” and the simple cry for revival entitled “Light a Fire.” There really isn’t a weak track on the entire project (11 tracks in all), each being carefully selected and arranged to add effectively to the overall atmosphere of worship.

If you haven’t purchased this album yet, I suggest you get it the old-fashioned hard-copy CD way, so you have the DVD too. But either way, you definitely need to add “Love Came Down” to your must-have list.

I was shown this video a few weeks ago and then came across it again on another worship blog.


YouTube link

Before you become offended, let me just say this was put out by a church.  In particular, Northpoint Church, a mega-church north of Atlanta (where I am from).  Is this a parody of their own hyper-produced Sunday mornings?  I don't really know. That's not really why I am sharing it. 

I think the video speaks to the lack of creativity and originality we can tend to fall into in planning our Sunday morning services.  How often do we try to put our church services into a neat little box?  I know I've been guilty of falling into familiar patterns when planning worship sets, despite my previous series on thoughtful song selection. 

As a worship leader, I long for the day when the power of the Holy Spirit is so tangibly present that we can't get through the worship set, a la 2 Chronicles 5:13-14, at the dedication of the temple:

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.

I want to see spontaneous healing and radical repentance take place as we worship.  I want God to break us out of the little box we tend to put him in on Sunday mornings.  Can it happen?  I think so, if we let it.

Now, on the other end of the originality spectrum, also out of Northpoint Church, comes this:


YouTube link

So maybe they are able to break out of the box after all. But that isn't exactly what I meant.

How about you?  Which of these videos is closest to your own Sunday service in terms of it's conformance to a set, safe, predictable pattern?