Fundamentals & Essentials of Worship

A DISCUSSION:  Fundamentals & Essentials of Worship

• There are many people that have been Christians for a long time and know all about “worship".

• There are many people that are Christians and are uncomfortable with “worship".

• There are many people that are NOT Christians and don’t have the slightest clue about “worship".

• My goal is to explore some of the fundamentals of “worship” and what it looks like INSIDE and OUTSIDE of the church.

DISCUSSION #1:

How would you define “WORSHIP”?

Before we can determine whether or not it is important, we need to determine what it is!

      "Acknowledging that someone or something else is greater - worth more - and by consequence, to be obeyed, feared, and adored…Worship is the sign that in giving myself completely to someone or something, I want to be mastered by it.”  --Harold Best

Book: Music Through the Eyes of Faith

DISCUSSION #2:

What does “WORSHIP” look like?

• Worship of an object or relationship.

• Consumes your thoughts and actions.

• The object of our attention, topic of our speech, the outflow of our income, etc.

      "Worship of the living and true God is essentially an engagement with him on the terms that he proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible."  --David Peterson

Book: Engaging With God

      "Reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign, in response to his gracious revelation of himself, and in accordance with his will."  --Dr. Dan Block

Book: For the Glory of God

DISCUSSION #3:

WHY do we need to “WORSHIP” God?
• Worship is our testimony to the world of what the Lord has done.
• We have the opportunity to glorify the creator of the universe.
• Worship is what we were created for.
• God does not need us to worship Him in order to be validated, He gives us the opportunity to worship Him.  Romans 12:1-2

HYPOCRISY.
• Is it hypocrisy to do things for my wife, even when I don’t feel like it?  I made a commitment to my wife.

• Is it hypocrisy to continue to sit through class, even when I feel like it?  I made a commitment to my education.

• Why are we so afraid as Christians to be hypocritical by worshiping God, even when we don’t feel like it?

HOW do we need to “WORSHIP” God?
• Lift your hands.
• Use your voice.  Psalm 100
• Kneel.
• Jump around.

      "Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose - and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin".  --William Temple

(1881-1944) Readings in St. John’s Gospel

Developing Personal Worship - Practice

PRACTICING PERSONAL WORSHIP:

Personal worship requires TIME (continual cultivation and nurturing). Personal worship consists of more than prayer and singing (a combination of everything).

Personal worship is the opportunity to get quiet and listen to God, focusing and listening to the heartbeat of God. It is a time to offer prayers to God, offer worship to God, and tell Him what He means to us; drawing near to God and seeking the Holy Spirit. It is a great time to respond to God and what He means to us. Personal worship is giving God the opportunity to speak into our lives, without us talking.

Assignment: Take a half an hour this week and get away from people. Bring your Bible, a notebook, and music (a guitar, keyboard, or CD’s). Spend time singing praises, raising up prayer requests, and most importantly listening to what God has to say. Take time at the end of your personal worship time to sit, stand, lie down, or walk in silence. God rarely shouts! Unless we shut our mouths, we will never be able to hear the whisper of the Spirit.

Developing Personal Worship - The Importance

THE IMPORTANCE OF A PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME:

(Personally vs. Corporately)

We must realize that the dynamic of corporate worship is different from personal worship. In fact, corporate worship should in part, spring out of personal worship.

A personal worship experience contains primarily a vertical interaction between the worshiper and God. This allows for more personally expressive thoughts, promises and commitments, and therefore the use of personal phrases and words.

The shift to corporate worship adds two new dynamics to the personal experience – 1) thehorizontal dimension where believers interact with each other, and 2) the internalizing dimension where we receive teaching and internalize the truths that become the basis of our faith. 1) The horizontal dimension is fulfilled through the use of songs and words of testimony (which spring out of personal worship), and tools of admonishment, encouragement, self-examination, etc. 2) The internalizing dimension fosters the need for songs that teach truth, engage the mind, focus on God's faithfulness, teach of his character, etc. The addition of the horizontal and internal dimensions for corporate worship must be met with songs, texts, prayers, creeds and liturgies that address these opportunities and needs. Again, with these must be the appropriate, relevant and varied expressions of worship music.

The important thing to remember is that corporate worship (both horizontal and internal) is birthed out of our personal experiences with God. Anything else causes only an emotional response (if any at all) without deepening an already existing relationship.

Developing Personal Worship - The Experience

THE IMPORTANCE OF A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH GOD:

Genesis 28:10-22 (MSG): “Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran. He came to a certain place and camped for the night since the sun had set. He took one of the stones there, set it under his head and lay down to sleep. And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground and it reached all the way to the sky; angels of God were going up and going down on it. Then GOD was right before him, saying, ‘I am GOD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I’m giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they’ll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.'

Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, ‘GOD is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!’ He was terrified. He whispered in awe, ‘Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.’

Jacob was up first thing in the morning. He took the stone he had used for his pillow and stood it up as a memorial pillar and poured oil over it. He christened the place Bethel (God’s House). The name of the town had been Luz until then.

Jacob vowed a vow: ‘If God stands by me and protects me on this journey on which I’m setting out, keeps me in food and clothing, and brings me back in one piece to my father’s house, this GOD will be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial pillar will mark this as a place where God lives. And everything you give me, I’ll return a tenth to you.’”

Jacob was on the run! He had stolen everything from his older brother, and now he was running for his life. One of the most popular forms of transportation of this time period was a camel. A racing camel’s top speed is 40 mph; it can run at 25 mph for one hour or 12 mph for up to 18 hours. After only one day of travel he had put approximately 67 miles (approximately 5½ hrs.) between himself and his family. Unbeknownst to Jacob, he stopped in a place that his grandfather had built an altar to Lord many years before.

Although Jacob was running for his life, this became one of the most defining moments in his relationship with God. A personal experience with God creates a milestone or landmark that we can always look back on that helps carry us through even the most difficult seasons of our lives. Without a personal experience with God, we will only have shallow emotional happenings that are blown away at the first sign of adversity.

Songwriting 103 - Extras

MODELING

One of the biggest challenges of songwriting is learning flow. It is one thing to write down a bunch of words and chords and cram them together to make something sound pseudo musical. It is another thing to make a continuous song from beginning to end that expresses something within your heart.

Try tearing apart and analyzing a song that you already enjoy listening to. What is it about the song that makes it unique, catchy, and appealing? If you can play an instrument, break apart the chord changes and find out if there is anything interesting or out of the ordinary. Write new lyrics over the top of the old ones using the same amount of syllables in each line.

FORM & STRUCTURE
Although there truly are no rules when it comes to songwriting, there are several elements that are common throughout today’s contemporary music. First of all, every song has some sort of form (verse; verse/chorus; verse/chorus/bridge; etc.). Become familiar with and try emulating the form of your favorite songs.

The hook is usually a single phrase within the song that summarizes the meaning or theme of the song. Often times the hook will be a short lyrical phrase that contains either the song title or some other theme the songwriter wants the audience to remember. The hook can also be a musical phrase that will stay with people long after the song is over.
The bridge is an extension of the song. It will take the listener someplace further than the verse and chorus are allowed to go. Lyrically it should make a new statement, or re-emphasize something that has already been said. Musically it should provide contrast to the song and/or even provide opportunity for an instrumental section.
The best way to get ideas for song form is to continually listen to music. Try a style that may be out of the ordinary for you: Reggae, Classical, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Metal, Punk, Classic Rock, etc.

SONGS OF THE LORD / SPONTANEOUS WORSHIP

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and will put their trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:3)

SING YOUR PRAYERS. You will make yourself vulnerable to God, and therefore deepen your relationship with Him. (God may use this time as inspiration for a new song that could grow into something corporate). Many modern worship songs have been berthed out of spontaneous worship. Read your Bible, pray to God, and sing what is in your heart. If you don’t set your expectations too high, you will be surprised of the songs that God will place in your heart.

SEARCH FOR INSPIRATION. Read the Bible, go to the park, head to the mountains, play some music. In all reality we cannot describe all of the wonders of God in one short song, however, God loves to speak to people of His character through worship. Find an action or characteristic of God that inspires you. Why do you choose to worship only Him?
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:46)

PRACTICE MAKES PREPAREDNESS. Notice that I did NOT say "Practice Makes Perfect!" Every song has merit, and many early songs will prepare us for the songs that are to come. Some songs are only meant for the audience of One. Other songs have the potential to reach the ears of millions. The good news is that God has millions of new songs in His hands, and He is waiting to give them to whomever asks.

PRACTICAL STEPS
• Buy a journal and keep it with you at all times.
• LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN to music!

• Open your heart and mind to inspiration.

• Practice writing songs, share them with others,

and allow for feedback.

• When you pray, try singing your prayers.

• Read the lyrics of the bands you like.

• Read and re-write the Psalms.

RESOURCES

• “Songs From Heaven” by Tommy Walker

• “Facedown” by Matt Redman

Songwriting 102 - Lyrics

Lyrics can be one of the biggest challenges for any songwriter. One of the most effective resources for great “worship song” lyrics is scripture. It is tough to go wrong when singing scripture. When using the Bible for lyrical ideas, you do not have to write things word for word, however, if you are going to change words around, be sure to keep things Biblically accurate!

Rhyming can be extremely useful in making a song catchy and easier to remember. Because of the use of rhyming in contemporary music today, it becomes almost a necessity to all good songwriters. If you are going to use rhyme within your songs, it is very important to make it feel natural! (Hints: It is okay to use a good rhyming dictionary; If possible, be consistent to keep your rhyme schemes the same whenever you can).

Once you get in the flow with lyrics, make sure that you allow them to keep coming. One major downfall for songwriters is to write down the idea and move on. It is a much better decision to keep the flow going! Get ALL of your ideas on paper before you move on with your life!

The best way to write a song is from inspiration. Inspiration will make the songwriting process more productive with less effort. However, once you have found your inspiration, don’t feel like all of your information needs to end up in one song. It is better to say what needs to be said and no more, rather than saying too much! ALWAYS remember to write from the heart! Every good song comes from hard work and inspiration; every great one is birthed from the heart!

“If your song contains these three qualities of passion, creativity and accessibility, and if you’re communicating God’s truth in a clear and simple way, you will truly have a song that is something special.” -- Tommy Walker

HELP WITH LYRICS:
SONGS FROM SCRIPTURE. One of the best places to get ideas is from the Bible. Don’t worry, it is not considered copying or plagiarism. Besides, the authors of the Bible are copying God, we are just copying what they are copying. God’s word is ever living, ever breathing, and ever inspiring. If you use scripture as a songwriting base, you will probably want to change some of the words to create a song-like flow. If you change words around, make sure that you first understand the scripture very clearly.

HOOK / CATCH PHRASE. When writing a song, look for a short line that can summarize what you are saying. Often times this can be the catchy line that hooks in the congregation. This may be the only line people remember when they leave, so you want it to mean something. This catch phrase can be the basis of your chorus, a link between verses, or even a bridge that should be sung over and over again.

RHYMING. There is nothing wrong with making something rhyme (and there is nothing wrong with not making something rhyme). Often times rhyming phrases are easier to remember and tend to be catchier to the ear. There is nothing wrong or less spiritual with using a rhyming dictionary. Make rhymes sound as natural as possible, and use the same rhyming scheme whenever possible.

LET IT FLOW. Be careful not to stop the flow of lyrics. When you find inspiration and begin to write, do not get distracted by ideas and words that don’t rhyme or you don’t feel are “quite as good.” Make a quick side note that a section might need work, and keep moving!

“The main idea is to avoid letting a little snag in the creative process stop you in your tracks. If you have a good idea for a melody, then move forward with it. If you think that you must have the perfect lyric before you can proceed, you run the risk of not finishing your song at all.” -- Tommy Walker

**Side Note. Matt Redman struggled for years with finishing songs. He has notebooks full of unfinished songs that you and I will never hear. Many of these songs were practice songs, many others were songs that he would get tired of trying to fix and just give up. His wife Beth learned of this weakness early on in their relationship and now tells him he is not allowed to start a song unless he finishes it (she also helps him finish many of them).

Finding A Theme. Songwriters find themselves in trouble when they are trying to say too much (so do preachers). Choose what you are trying to say, and say it. Your goal is to help the worshiping congregation to grasp the one single underlying theme of the song, not distract them with multiple themes.

“What the church needs today is a restoration of the vision of the Most High God.” -- A.W. Tozer

“If your song contains these three qualities of passion, creativity and accessibility, and if you’re communicating God’s truth in a clear and simple way, you will truly have a song that is something special.”

-- Tommy Walker

Songwriting 101

Everyone has the capacity to be a songwriter, but not everyone WILL be a songwriter!” Just like everything else in life, songwriting is a choice and improves with practice.

We should all write songs!There are other people in this world that are facing similar decisions, circumstances, situations, troubles, and difficulties that you have already faced.The theme song written from your life could be the theme song that helps others face difficult situations in their own lives.

SONGS will generally be inspired by an event, devotions or quiet times, good or bad experiences, sermons or worship experiences, listening to music, a change of scenery, God, or all of the above.

Luke 6:45 “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (NIV)