That is, does church feature different kinds of music at different services?

Do the children or young people have a separate worship gathering of their own apart from the main congregation?

Tullian Tchvidian of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church writes:

…Many churches offer a traditional service for the tribe who prefer older music and a contemporary service for the tribe who prefer newer music. The truth is, however, that if the only type of music you employ in a worship service is old, you inadvertently communicate that God was more active in the past than he is in the present. On the other hand, if the only type of music you employ in a worship service is new, you inadvertently communicate that God is more active in the present than he was in the past…

And this:

The only way to musically communicate God’s timeless activity in the life of the church is to blend the best of the past with the best of the present. In other words, we must remember in our worship that while “contemporary only” people operate with their heads fixed frontwards, never looking over their shoulder at the stock from which they have come, and “traditional only” people operate with their heads on backwards, romanticizing about the past and always wanting to go back, the Church, in contrast from both extremes, is called upon to be a people with swiveling heads: learning from the past, living in the present, and looking to the future. That’s the only way to avoid in worship what C.S. Lewis called “chronological snobbery.”

Here’s the clincher:

You see, when we separate people according to something as trivial as musical preferences, we evidence a fundamental failure to comprehend the heart of the gospel. We’re not only feeding toxic tribalism; we’re also saying the gospel can’t successfully bring these two different groups together. It’s a declaration of doubt about the unifying power of God’s gospel. Generational appeal in worship is an admission that the gospel is powerless to join together what man has separated.

Coral Ridge combined their services for the first time in many years this past Sunday, so the church is practicing what the preacher is saying.

What do you think?  Does he have a point?  Too strong?

Is Tullian majoring on minors or is he spot on?

Not sure whether to laugh or cry…

HT:  Ryan Flanigan, Reform Worship

Every leader of corporate worship will be limited at different times. It might be your drummer always rushes the fills. It might be you have to use someone else’s econo-guitar. It could be that the high school auditorium you’re meeting in has been overtaken by the set for “Man of La Mancha.” It could be your pastor wants you to play something out of your comfort zone.

Whatever limitations you face when you lead, see them as opportunities for God to do something better than what you would have done on your own.

If nothing else, limitations imposed on us by others are occasions to trust God more intently and “look not only to our own interests, but also the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4)

- Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters

Bob Kauflin of Covenant Life Church discovered his 2-year-old grandson had leukemia prior to Sunday services.

Here’s some of what he says from the experience:

I guess I could have struggled with the apparent dichotomy between my circumstances and the songs we were singing. Or ignored what my family was going through altogether and pretended that nothing was wrong. Or complained  about how hard life is sometimes.

By God’s grace, I actually drew great comfort from God through the truths we sang. So after the first song, which is based on Psalm 150, I shared a few thoughts not only for the church, but for my own soul.

The conclusion:

We don’t lead others out of a vacuum or a sanitized form of Christianity that bears no resemblance to normal life. It’s important that we take time to grieve, acknowledge pain, and confess our struggles. But when, not if,  you find yourself leading out of weakness, challenges, and trials, don’t minimize what’s going on or succumb in despair to your burdens. Lift your eyes, even as you lift the eyes of others, to the Father whose compassions never fail and to the Savior whose mercies are new every morning.

Whether God changes our trials, or more importantly, changes usthrough our trials, we praise him now in joyful anticipation of the day he will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4).

The whole post here.

…is all you need, according to Kevin Kelley:

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce.

They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

The hard part:

The key challenge is that you have to maintain direct contact with your 1,000 True Fans. They are giving you their support directly. Maybe they come to your house concerts, or they are buying your DVDs from your website, or they order your prints from Pictopia. As much as possible you retain the full amount of their support. You also benefit from the direct feedback and love.

Author/marketer Seth Godwin calls 1000 fans “a breakthrough opportunity” for artists and songwriters.

Consider:

1. What would it take for you to acquire 1000 ‘true fans’?
2. What are you doing now to make that happen?

A humorous post by Jimi Williams at the WorshipTogether blog says that your worship team structure probably falls into one of five catagories:

1. The Crowder
2. The Tomlin
3. The United
4. The Walker
5. The Kitchen Sink

Which is yours?

Any to add?

To only think of Jesus as a long-haired, gentle man in a robe and wearing sandals has devastating effects on the church.  This perception has permeated the attitudes of many who perceive Jesus as a weak character but a good teacher.

The world seems blind to the Bible’s description of the resurrected Jesus, full of power and authority.  This description is highly offensive to the world.  But to worship Jesus as the artists have portrayed him instead of as the Son of Man in all his glory, is nothing short of idolatry.

• Adrian Warnock, Raised With Christ (Crossway, page 68).

Read the book on-line here.

This is a great quote from this discussion between Bob Kauflin and David Powlinson.

Also:  A worship leader should never say:

• “Sing it like you mean it” (you should always mean it)
• “Let’s sing this great old hymn” (the great and the old are not important)

The connection between worship and counseling is intrinsic and remarkable.

View on YouTube below or click here.

HT: Justin Taylor @ TheGospelCoalition.org

Good advice here for seasonal choir rehearsals from Michael Smith (no relation) of Clearview Baptist in Franklin, TN.

He includes this ‘backbone of the worship choir rehearsal blueprint’:

• Begin with something familiar
• Put the hard work in the middle
• End with something familiar.

More here.

Thanks Mike!

It is imperative in planning the worship services that church leaders give careful attention to every element and make sure that the worship retains both integrity and purpose.

People come to church generally “beaten down” by the world of deceit, distraction, and demand.  There is an extraction of emotional and spiritual energy that brings them on “empty” into the community.

The church’s task is to so prepare during the week that it is collectively the instrument of replenishment and fresh energy of soul.  Even being in the presence of fellow believers in worship is a restorer of spiritual hope.

We so underestimate the power of a people in one mind and with one commitment.  Even a prayer can so touch a hungry heart that it can rescue a sliding foot in a treacherous time.

- Ravi Zacharias, A Mighty Evangel, RZIM

Read Ravi’s story on how God moved powerfully through prayer in a meeting with atheists, agnostics, and Marxists here.

HT:  Josh @ blog.worship.com