Chances are as Christians, we’ve come across this verse at one time or another. And for me, being a musician and worship leader, it can be easy to see the word “worship” and automatically think music. I mean, in church “worship” time is the first 20 minutes when the band is on stage playing, and ends right along with the last chorus of Mighty to Save.

But Romans 12:1 doesn’t have anything to do with music; it has everything to do with service. It speaks to offering our bodies to God, so he can accomplish his will through us. Having this kingdom mindset where you know your body is not your own; that is the worship this verse is speaking to.

And that’s all well and good, but how can we keep that in our minds constantly? Because for me, I forget things very quickly. It’s like that moment in your car when you’re singing sweetly along to your favorite worship song, and someone cuts you off. It sounds something like “Light of the world, you came down into – jerk! Learns to drive! – open my eyes let me…wait.” Its moments like that that can show so clearly what’s really in our hearts.

The point is, this idea of spiritual worship is something we need to keep in mind on a daily basis. As we begin to strengthen our relationship and connection with God, we will be able to see this worship played out daily in our lives.

This song is pretty old school, but singing it last Sunday at church reminded me how true the words are.

Enjoy.

- Briana B.

The Desiring God blog is offering a free download of the song “Kyrie I.”

HT:  Justin Taylor

Would like to hear your take.

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The singer/songwriter – who began with partner Art Garfunkel in the late 60s as a folk duo – has a new album that is haunted by the idea (if not the person) of the Almighty.

Getting Ready for Christmas Day is based on a 1940s sermon by Rev. G. M. Gates

The Afterlife, Love and Hard Times, Questions for Angels

Simon says in the promo video for the LP:  ”There seems to be a theme in the album – not intentional…I noticed that after the first 5 or 6 songs, that God seemed to be in 4 or 5 of them.”

You can stream the entire album from NPR First Listen for a limited time.

It feels like the veil between songwriter and listener has been rent from top to bottom, and that corporate structure that used to be in between the singer and the listener has been greatly diminished.

Making a connection directly with an audience has never been easier, so we decided to go directly to our audience, tell them about this new project, and invite them to come in at whatever level they were comfortable with and fund this project. The response has been incredibly inspiring and humbling.

Karin Bergquist and Linford Detwiler a.k.a Over the Rhine, interviewed by CT Magazine.

Photo cred: Christianity Today

Linford was interviewed by this blog last year and talks about motivation to write, what makes a song work, and opening for Bob Dylan.

Do you really want to put your music out in a way that gives the church no legal way to record a demo for its band or even a rough recording to help the congregation learn your song?

Do you really need someone to pay you off every time they display the lyrics of your song or play it at something besides an official worship service?

Worth careful consideration of all church music leaders, especially as an introduction to Creative Commons Licensing.

I’ve admired and supported what Derek Webb has been doing and developed into NoiseTrade for a few years now, providing a viable alternative for artists overlooked by major labels by distributing music for free.

Says NoiseTrade:

For over two years, NoiseTrade has been in the business of connecting artists and fans through the exchange of free music.

Over that time, we’ve built a loose-knit community of 2,500 artists and 170,000 fans who have caught on to our fair trade music proposition….

We haven’t taken on bank loans or venture capital.

We haven’t paid ourselves or carried any overhead other than the hard cost of hosting the site and handling support. No office space, no utilities, no payroll.

We don’t charge our artists for using the service.

The great news is that the current NoiseTrade is paying for itself. The 20% that we retain from pay-what-you-want tips is keeping the site running smoothly and paying the costs of the business. 50,000 fans a month download free music from the site, and many artists are building new audiences.

Now with the Noisemakers campaign, you can download a free sample by only providing an email and zip code (I can attest that you will NOT be bombarded with spam) and – if so moved – give a gift to keep things going there.

Click above or here to do so.

Download the lead sheet for free here.

His blog – Ancient Evangelical Future – is worth a visit.

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Irish songwriter Keith Getty began his workshop Tuesday at the National Worship Leaders Conference by telling those who had come to learn how to write a great worship song to leave. “Because art is the expression of life, you cannot ‘how-to’ creativity.”

Getty collaborates with his wife Kristyn and friend Stuart Townend. “They’re the words and I’m the music,” he says, estimating that somewhere between 5 and 20 percent of the words of any of their songs are his. “But we both get involved on both sides.”

Here are ten notable and worthwhile ideas edited and distilled from Getty’s workshop comments:

1. The primary form we use is the story form. The gospel is primarily story. How do you take people who want 4-line worship songs and get them to sing 32 lines? By structuring the song as a story.

2. It is important to look at things that are harrowing and that don’t necessarily make us feel happy. The central core of the Christian faith is not something that makes us happy. We need to acknowledge our need for a redeemer. The reason we worship is that we meet God through the central story of the cross.

3. We need lament. But if you want to write lament, remember that a successful lament resolves. Not into a happily-ever-after ending, but like the psalms of lament, by ultimately acknowledging that God is God.

4. To write strong melodies remember that folk melody has to be passed on orally (aurally). I try to write songs that can be sung with no written music. I imitate Irish folk melody, with a great deal of contour, of rise and fall.

5. Use pastors and theologians as resources for your writing. But keep company with them. Don’t just ask them to fix your text here or there when you’re done with it.

6. Trinitarian worship safeguards us from so many problems our worship can get into: either an overly stern view of god or a casual view of god. Both can lead to problems in our lives.

7. Martin Luther is one of ten people from history I would want to have coffee with. I have looked at a lot of Luther’s hymns and emulated him. First, Luther had a high view of redemption. He also believed we live our lives in the midst of spiritual warfare. Thirdly, he had a high view of the church and a high vision of the church.

8. The congregation is the choir and it is merely the privilege of those of us who are musically gifted to help them sing.

9. Lyrics and great writing are the same thing. Lyricism is poetry. If your write lyrics, read as much poetry as you can. Lyricists are people who love words and do crossword puzzles.

10. Growing up, I never listened to pop music as a child. I was steeped in church music. That could be a blessing because everything I write can be sung by a congregation.

• Repost courtesy of Ancient Evangelical Future