Free streaming of Raise Up the Crown, a new and very solid collection of modern worship songs, is now available here.  Nice mix of both old and new which can either be sung by congregations or presented as special music.

Worth a listen (if not a purchase) are:

• Beautiful Scandalous Night by the Robbie Seay Band (great and underappreciated song)
• The Wonderful Cross by Philips, Craig, and Dean (just because I usually like these guys).
• Raise Up the Crown by Chris Tomlin (begins with All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name and Tomlin adds a new chorus, much like he did with Amazing Grace (My Chains Fell Off).
• How Deep the Father’s Love by Nichole Nordeman (best arrangement in the collection)

Bonus track:  Remastered live version of Keith Green performing Easter Song.

Again, free to stream at least for now.

Is there room for improvisation within planned church services?

Most churches in which I’ve served in worhip leadership have had weekly rehearsal times and a planned order of service.  Everything is gone over so that when Sunday morning comes, so all know exactly to expect.  While this led to an orderly service, quite often we would begin at 11:00 am ‘sharp’ and end at noon ‘dull.’

One church in which I served, however, planned nothing.  We had no set rehearsal times, and the song leader would step up Sunday morning at begin playing from what he knew and had learned.  The rest of the musicians and I simply followed.  This led to some inspired times of worship, but also had it’s share of frustrations (varying lengths of service, confusion among the musicians and congregants).

I thought of this order-improv tension when I read this blog entry from Tony Kim of Newsong Church:

I respect a thoughtfully choreographed Sunday experience- I’ve been a career from it. A well crafted moment can truly change lives. But sometimes, I just miss the drama of improv.

What if speakers, moderators, musicians, and artists, did not know what they were doing till the moment? Sure there would be some embarrassing minutes on stage, but there might also be beautiful unique moments that the audience can experience with you for the very first time. It can create a shared experience- and a shared experience brings people together.

Improv is not for everyone or every performer, but it’s certainly opens up the possibilities of the unknown.- and we all can use a few more surprises in our churches.

John Stackhouse of Regent University lists five reasons why worship bands should watch the level of amplification:

1.  Cranking the volume is a cheap trick to add to a room’s energy.

2.  Bad intonation at loud levels is painful.

3. Most church PA speakers cannot handle high volumes.

4.  Loudness marginalizes older folks.

5.  The focus of worship is taken off of God.

While appearing polemic (or cranky), his points are worth consideration.

Read it here from Christianity Today.

Comedian Louis CK explains to Conan O’Brien why “we might spend some time walking around with a donkey with pots clanging on the sides.”

Click here to go to NBC to view.

Obviously presenting a secular point of view, his point is nevertheless well taken.

Songwriter Chris Rice says it is the “Donum Mundus clause” in this interesting post:

I have introduced a new clause (or provision) into my label contracts called the Donum Mundus Provision, which will serve as an example to artists, labels, publishers, and others in the music industry. I insisted on this new legal language in order to call attention to the concept.

Here’s the concept behind the provision: In an exclusive recording or publishing agreement, a writer or artist is giving up his/her right to compose or record any work for anyone other than that publisher or label. There is nothing wrong with an agreement like this. But in order to reserve the freedom to create something outside of that contract, for no other reason than to beautify the world, a Donum Mundus clause provides the artist/writer with an exception to the exclusivity. An exception of one song per period, or one song per record, (or any terms agreeable to both parties) that the artist/writer may write or record one of his works to GIVE AWAY, without obligation to the label or the publisher, and without compensation of any kind to himself. Simply as a GIFT TO THE WORLD (DONUM MUNDUS).

This is essentially accomplished by declaring the song, at its creation, a PUBLIC DOMAIN work. That work is therefore free to be used by anyone, anywhere. It is still copyrighted to the composer/author, but no compensation is sought. It is a gift to the world–a concept that has been lost in the shuffle of intellectual property rights.

I still believe in intellectual property rights. I simply want to reserve for myself and other artists the ability to create something, outside of the confines of an exclusive contract, that I can offer to the world as a free gift, no strings attached.

Note that this post is from February 2007.

At least two questions arise:

1.  How has this worked for Chris?

2.  Have other songwriters/artists followed his lead?

In a Miami Herald article chronicling former President Bill Clinton’s visit to Haiti this week, the reporter mentions the Haitian Education Leadership Program (HELP), to which Cross International provides scholarships.

Here’s why:

The statistics are daunting: almost half of the country’s estimated 9 million people are under 20 years old.

Of the school-aged students, 60 percent are enrolled in primary school, but only 20 percent make it to high school while only 5 percent actually graduate.

(HT:  Mike Wilson, Project Director for Cross International)

Soli Deo Gloria is a helpful resource site if you are seeking current sacred music.

For example, I discovered a new oratorio The Fiery Furnace which was commissioned by SDG, composed by Daniel Kellogg and recently debuted by the San Diego Symphony.  It led me to a link with Instant Encore, under which I previewed a number of new selections of sacred music.

I even enjoyed a few gorgeous minutes of Johannes Brahams German Requiem by the San Diego Symphony and Master Chorale.

All of this was done in less than 15 minutes!

Glory to God, indeed.

Jane Bennent Clark of Kiplinger offers solid benchmarks for measuring sound charities:

1. Look at spending priorities – aim for organizations that spend at least 75% of their budget on programs and split the remaining 25% between fund-raising and overhead.
2. Evaluate accountability – be sure the group has a well-defined structure and organizational support.
3. Beware of red ink – on the 990, look for the line that indicates positive or negative assets.
4. Gauge the cushion – look for 6-12 months worth of working capital.
5. Review the annual report – look for ‘unqualified’ in the auditor’s notes.

Self-promotional plug:  Cross International channels over 95% of budget on projects and less than 5% on fund-raising and overhead and passes the other four benchmarks very well. Check our Financial Accountability information here.

Sweet story from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (the gifts went to World Harvest Missions’ Children’s Home in Haiti through Cross International).

Feb. 28, 2009 – by C. Ron Allen / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

(Boca Raton., FL) – Kyle Conger turns 7 today, but he doesn’t want any presents.

The Boca Raton boy, touched by images and stories he saw online of an orphanage in Haiti, has asked his friends to donate money instead of bringing gifts to his birthday party this afternoon.

“I want to help them because that’s what God told me to do,” said Kyle, a first-grader at Spanish River Christian School.

Kyle’s mother, Debbie Conger, said some parents encourage their kids to forgo gifts at birthdays and ask for charitable donations instead. Party guests are not required to make donations, she said.

“He’s got a really good heart,” Conger said.

She and Kyle searched the Internet for charities.

“I was kind of gearing toward a school or something like that because it’s hard to explain an orphanage to a first-grader,” Conger said. “He said, ‘Go back. … What’s an orphan? … That’s what I want to help.’ So who was I to argue?”