We got a new Canon 60D for filming video so this was a test run. I thought I’d record a little worship chorus that I wrote with Stephanie White around Easter. Enjoy!
Thanks to Gregg Farah for filming!
Category: Music
The sessions are back! New tunes, covers, etc., etc., from a brand new “studio.” It happens to be my office 
. This is a new tune I wrote about missing a certain someone…
Download here. Play here:
Yours
I am yours, you are mine
We belong to one another
When we hurt our hearts break
We run for cover in one another
BRIDGE
Though you’re far away know you’re never alone
And the night can seem so late
So much left unknown
But we’re at home in our heart’s warm embrace
BRIDGE
I am yours, you are mine
We belong to one another
So today is the day for one of my favorite lyrics…
Now the first of December was covered with snow, and so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston (James Taylor, Sweet Baby James)
Something about that picture, I know exactly how he feels for some reason. Plus living in Boston for a few years helps .
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A couple more…
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…He said a good song never comes to those who chase, it comes to those who listen (Darrell Scott, My Father’s House)
This is my theme for songwriting. I think it applies to much of life as well. Even as a believer, I need to quit talking and LISTEN!
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When you walk into the room you know we can’t resist. Every bottle of perfume always ends up on the floor in a mess (John Mark Mcmillan, Dress Us Up)
This is one of favorite worship lyrics of all time. It references the story of Mary pouring the perfume on Jesus’ feet (John 12:3). This is one of the purest expressions of worship in Scripture. This lyric frames it in an entirely new way for me.
I think one of the hardest things to impart to worship teams, especially volunteer teams, is how to play with passion. So often they are concentrating so hard on playing the right chords at the right time or wondering if the worship leader will repeat the chorus (maybe even do a song not on the list??:) that playing with heart is not even on the radar. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a service and everybody’s just playing along like no one’s listening. Not to mention trying to follow!
As a worship leader I often try to make up for this by playing with extra passion as if I can force my team to “up” the energy a bit. This is not the way, I think. (I tend to do this with a congregation who has the same sentiment — also not the way)
If not, then what is the way?
One practical thing is to somehow get the team to learn the music better. You can get it to them more in advance, but the key to this is encouraging them to practice on their own. People live such busy lives that it sometimes seems impossible. But it’s not! A relentless focus and lots of reminders are the key here. You can also refine your rehearsal skills. People have different styles, but what many teams do is not rehearsal, but just running through songs.
Running music is for after you’ve rehearsed and learned it. Running unrehearsed music again and again is just reinforcing and solidifying the mistakes.
Another approach is to focus on the spiritual. You can’t read the psalms of David without encountering passion and exuberance in worship. The Scripture says David was a man after God’s own heart. Again and again he says shout, sing, dance, clap. It’s difficult not to have passion when you’re participating in these activities! Read these Scriptures with the team. Talk about them, dig into them…do them.
Before you can lead worship you must learn to worship.
Finally, another way to lead your team to more passion in their playing is to show them great examples. Thankfully YouTube and the rest of the Web are filled with videos of wonderful worship teams and leaders. Start your rehearsals watching a song or two and then discussing how what you just watched was different than what happens in your worship times. You don’t need to copy these examples…use them as inspiration.
What are some of the things you do to encourage your teams to play with passion?
Here are a couple of examples…
The iPhone pic below certainly doesn’t do it justice, but the moon was beautiful tonight. It looked just like its description in one of my favorite old lyrics by Rich Mullins:
Well, the moon was a sliver of silver
Like a shaving that fell on the floor of a carpenter’s shop
I know it’s a little over the top, but I loved it and it taught me a lot about simile…I’m a songwriting nerd, I can’t help it!!
Great time in the presence of the Lord….
Praise the Lord (Kauflin)
You Never Let Go (Redman)
I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (Smith)
I Love You Lord (Klein) (Communion)
Song of Freedom (original) (had to cut b/c of time at one of the campuses:)
Savior King (Fieldes/Sampson)
See more setlists @ http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-86/
Here’s a new video from Christmas Eve. I was so happy to have Olivia singing with me! I wrote this song back in 2007…enjoy.
It took me a long while to get used to playing/singing with in-ear monitors (IEM). I’m sure part of it was my own slow adapting, but there’s still part of me that goes back and forth on their usefulness. As a worship leader, I believe one of my jobs is to respond to what is happening among the worshippers I am leading. The IEMs cut you off from hearing them. Sure, you can have audience mics, but they’re never going to be anywhere near perfect and they are the first things that get cut in a “crisis” situation (you worship leader out there know what I mean).
I remember I was having a conversation with an experienced engineer and he told me that hearing the congregation was not important – that it did nothing more than to build up the leader’s ego. I completely disagree!
There are not many greater privileges than hearing the people of God sing to Him. To hear them cry out to Him. It moves me and I believe it moves the heart of God (See Genesis 18:16-33 (Abraham); Exodus 32:7-14 (Moses)). Why would I want to do anything that impedes this?
All this said, IEMs can be a good tool. You can definitely hear yourself better and if you use click tracks or loops they are an absolute necessity. They can truly improve some musicians’ playing and/or singing. Wedges can make getting a good house mix difficult (especially with an inexperienced engineer) – I am well aware of this. But, there is a lost art to getting a good wedge mix AND a good house mix.
A good balance is to use one ear. You need to trade ears often as you don’t want them to wear unevenly . I know many don’t advocate this, but some find it to be a good compromise.
The key is not the choice between IEMs or wedges. It is the worship leader/team’s ability to hear and respond to those they are leading. That should have higher priority than the technology we use to hear ourselves.
Jesus told us that where two or three are gathered in His name He would be there. The problem is, most of the time we make Him sit in the back while we do our thing. This is a prayer that He would “stand up among us.”
That we would sit before Him while He reveals His power, His grace, His love, Himself.
Much thanks to my father-in-law, Keith Curlee, for teaching me this!
Download here. Play here:
Stand Up Among Us
We’re dry inside these walls of pride
Without You we’re empty
We’re thirsty from our vain pursuits
We long to drink of You
The weight of our sin presses down upon us
Driving us to our knees
We call out to You our God, Redeemer
Blessed is He who brings us peace
Stand up among us
Make Your presence known
Rise up within us
Set Your people free
In Your presence is where we need to be
To the fatherless be a Father, Lord
Show Your compassion
To the prisoner and the captive
Bring Your release
To those who cry out for Your mercy
That always seems out of reach
Holy Spirit come in power
Ignite our passion to believe
Stand up among us
Make Your presence known
Rise up within us
Set Your people free
In Your presence is where we want to be
The Lord is clothed in beauty and power
No one is like Him, He is great
Stand up among us
Make Your presence known
Rise up within us
Set Your people free
In Your presence is where we’re going to be
In Your presence is where I will be
FredMckinnon.Com has a great place to recap your Sunday worship set called, appropriately enough, Sunday Setlists. I was the guest worship leader yesterday at Shelter Rock Church in Syosset, NY so I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring .
Thanks to the worship team: Beth, David, Sara, Warren, Joe, and Brian…thanks for making me welcome and letting me lead!
Thanks Pastors Steve and Jerry for having me as well.
The Spirit was strong and there’s nothing more wonderful than just basking in the Lord’s presence together.
Setlist:
Your Grace is Enough
Everlasting God
Revelation Song
I Surrender All (Hymn)
Mover of Mountains (Original)
God of this City
