Farewell, Notes. Hello, Collideoscope!

This three year exploration of intersections between Apostolics and music is drawing to a close. But discussions about Apostolic music are not ending. The Notes blog will be subsumed into the wider discussion of Christianity and culture at Collideoscope.

To the bloggers who have posted here, thank you. I have enjoyed working with you.

To the readers of the Notes blog, on behalf of the Notes bloggers as a collective, thank you for your readership. It has been a privilege to write for you.

See you all on Collideoscope!

Music Therapy Part 2

Did you do your assignment? Did you think about a song? Did you write in your journal? Or did you just read my last post and think "Hmm... Interesting." Or maybe "Hmm... that's kind of dumb. Who has time for that?

If you will allow me to beat the dead horse, I will share with you a small portion of what prompted the last post. As some of you may know, my son's language skills did not progress at anywhere near a standard progression as he was learning the rudiments of language. But a funny thing happened. We discovered that if we sang a song to him, he could learn a word much more easily than otherwise. So that was one reason my mind was on the topic of music therapy. But there was another.

So I'm on my lunch hour listening to my Shuffle (yes, you can reference my other recent post if you like) and this song comes on with the lyric "Jesus, you're all I need." Etcetera, etcetera. Frankly, I wasn't in the mood. I just snapped back to no one in particular, "No, that isn't quite right. I need more than that. I need food to eat. I need a place to live. I need clothes to wear. I need a permanent job that actually has decent health insurance. So, that song really doesn't quite express it correctly. I need MORE than simply Jesus.

Next song.

Psalm 63.

"Thy lovingkindness is better than life. My soul shall be satisfied. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee."

And I simply broke down and had to acknowledge the Truth of the words in the previous song. There really wasn't any need for my bad attitude about what I needed or what I thought I needed. His Grace is sufficient for me.

So when you are feeling like you don't know if your musical talent has a purpose, if you wonder whether it makes a difference because you sure don't see anybody worshiping . . . you never know when the words to that song you sang for a special last Wednesday night will catch someone unawares, and be the blessing that they need, not just to survive another day, but to rejoice in the glory of His presence forevermore.

It's all the rage to be critical of Apostolic musicians who get too full of themselves and not full enough of God. They no longer see the source of the music, but they see themselves as the source. They will not go far. But those musicians who humble themselves . . . we often do not praise them enough for fear they will get a big head.

Say "thanks" to your praise team this week. Give the soloist an extra pat on the back and say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Consider the poor unnamed harpist from 2 Kings 3:15. Elisha was in a mood. He wasn't one to be trifled with. But before he could hear from God, Elisha needed to hear a soothing song.

Music as Therapy

Do you know any music therapists? Were you aware that you can get a master's degree in music therapy? A good friend of mine is a music therapist. He works in hospice, playing his harp and singing with anointing to minister to those who are near the end of their journey in this life. I don't think it's my calling. But I can't say for sure. I'm still looking for what I want to do when I grow up. I hope I'm not still saying that when I'm 80.

The therapeutic nature of music has been well documented throughout biblical history, from Saul being soothed by David's playing, to the disciples' bittersweet singing at the close of the Last Supper, to Paul and Silas encouraging themselves while locked in prison, not to mention the celebratory and didactic function of, say, the various poems throughout the biblical text (Exod 15, Judg 5, Phil 2, just to name a few).

But how many times has a song ministered to you, personally, in a time of need or crisis or low point in the deep valleys of this journey we call life? Just the other day I had one of those "God moments" in song. God spoke to me personally through the words of a psalm, but more importantly, it was the music that was the vehicle of the message. I could not have received that message through the words alone, but the wheels of song carried it into my heart.

Now here's the homework: get your pen(cil) and paper ready. Select a song that has especial meaning to you. Find a quiet space where you can sit and listen and think without distraction. Press play on the recording. Listen. Write. Tell what you love about this song. Write about how it has ministered to you in the past. What is the over-arching meaning of the song? Does it speak to you on more than one level? What, if any, biblical text(s) does the song reference? How effective is the song at communicating the true meaning of the biblical text? If necessary, listen to the song again. And again. If it's within your technical capacity, perform a cursory analysis of the form and discuss how the song fits within its own genre or whether it breaks the mold of its genre.

If appropriate, share your findings with someone. Or post them as a comment, here.

Harp Lesson from the Holy Land

The harp shop hid among the crowded streets of Jerusalem. It was hard work to search it out among the many houses and souvenir stalls. An ordinary looking door with the correct address finally presented itself. We entered a small room with very few actual instruments and heard stomping around on the floor above our heads. The proprietors came down the stairs, delighted to show off their musical wares. They hand crafted the instruments, and their specialty was harps like the one King David played.

The man showed off his treasures as he gave us a history lesson. He and his wife explained that the legend says David hung his harp above his bed, and the wind blowing through the strings would awaken him every morning.
This gave new meaning to Psalm 108:1-2 which said, “O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early” (KJV).

I loved the idea of a praise alarm clock. Was it possible to build one internally? Could I stretch some spiritual strings across the walls of my heart that would vibrate whenever God’s spirit started to blow?
The merchant took an ornate, harp with leaves scrolled down the front and handed it to one of us. The U-shaped instrument was polished to a burnished brown. Ten strings stretched between its curvy arms and a Star of David was carved on the base. He told the woman to lay her ear against the wood and pluck softly at the strings.

Nothing happened. She played away and we couldn’t hear a note. Why was she smiling?

They passed the harp to each of us and then we understood. When you laid your ear against the side, you could hear a soft hum begin. The vibrations traveled through the body and directly to the musician’s ear. A room full of people could sit next to you and never hear a thing.

I can imagine David sitting in his court, surrounded by the self-important backstabbers he complained of in the book of Psalms. Should he go to war? Should he stay at home? How was his popularity rating among the people? The heated discussions swirl all around him until the noise threatens to drive him mad.
Ignoring the bicker and squabbling, he picks up his ten-stringed lyre and softly strums. The conversations continue unimpeded, but David is no longer the king on his throne. He’s a simple shepherd once again as he plays a love song only he and God can hear.

I doubt I will ever learn to play the lyre or compose the kind of heart wrenching poetry that poured from David’s soul, but I can sing a new song of my own. I’ll compose it on the strings of my heart and offer it silently up to God. It’s a secret He and I can share together, no matter how crowded and noisy my surroundings may be.

Keepin' It Real

Let me start by apologizing for skipping out on my post last month… I apologize.
As a person that plays the organ, there are many occasions in Apostolic services that my services are called upon to, without listing all the different terms, “preach with the preacher”. I know somebody’s thinking I’m about to complain about this, but I’m not. I actually have a great time doing that (preaching with the preacher). It’s one of my favorite things to do, but don’t tell me to get on some keyboard with a pathetic excuse for some organ sounds on it. This should be a sin. People should be beaten for asking this of anyone that truly loves playing the organ. You may say “that’s harsh TJ!” And I’ll just say “it was harsh to ask me to do that.” No, I’m not bashing people that don’t have best keyboards money can buy (which by the way, I don’t like playing organ settings on them either).
If somebody asks me to come back them up, I don’t mind doing that, just let me choose a sound on that bad boy that allows me to create the best sound I can with it. Don’t insist on using the organ sound. Sometimes it just doesn’t sound right… to me.
Let me explain. The sound that we are using a single keyboard to imitate is so much more complex than we seem to think. It’s like asking a 10 year old to play point guard for an NBA All-Star team. It may be pretty good, but it’s not going to accomplish the task at hand. And this isn’t just for preaching with the preacher; I’m talking about throughout a service. One keyboard, with 88 keys to imitate a beast that has two keyboards with 61 keys and a pedal board with another 25 is just not right! And on top of that, one can manipulate the sounds on a Hammond C-3 almost just thinking about it. Mm BABY!!! Ok, I’m getting too technical. If you want me to go deeper, just let me know.
How often do we hear drummers complain about playing electric drums, or just anybody complaining about a guitar sample on a keyboard? But let an organist say he or she doesn’t want to play an organ sound on a keyboard; the looks people give me are priceless.
I’ve said all this simply to make this point: You can’t beat the real thing. Thank you Coca-Cola! We can’t just be trying to be some kind of imitation. You need to sound like you when you’re singing or playing. While someone else can’t tell the difference – He knows the real deal. There are things that only you can do. There are things that separate you from the bunch. So no matter how “old school” someone may think your style is, or how irrelevant somebody may claim your sound to be. God requires that each man give according to what he has. Don’t try to turn what God gave you into something else – keep it real!

Don’t Put Your Life on Shuffle

Ever stop to wonder what your worship service would look like on the iPod Shuffle?

You could have a select number of individuals pick their top favorite two or three or ten songs and put them all on a Shuffle. Then to start the worship service you could just press play. Crazy, no?

But isn’t that what it looks like when you don’t give the worship service the attention it deserves? When you don’t pray before making your song selection? When you don’t take time to reflect on what the LORD is doing in the service? When you don’t allow the Spirit the direct you to make a change in the middle of the song service while you’re leading it?

Consider the evolution of recorded music. From LPs to cassettes to CDs to the iWorld. Certainly I don’t want to leave out eight tracks or 78s but if they receive short shrift in my estimation it’s because I have had practically zero experience with them. But with the thematic possibility of 20 or 25 minutes a side, or even with the idea of the entire recording having a thematic unity resembling the organic unity of a symphony or, say, a sonata, there was a sense of “I’m going to sit down for 20 or 30 or 45 minutes and listen to music.”

Nowadays we multitask. We’re not inclined to simply sit and listen to music for any extended period of time unless we have a long commute. So introduce the concept of the Shuffle (for brevity sake passing over the iPod). Load 300 songs onto one little device and randomize. You don’t even have to think about it. Well, beyond the initial selection of which 300 songs will you install on to the device, assuming you’re fortunate enough to have more than 25 or 30 CDs to choose from. It’s precisely this lack of thinking that is a result of our incessant multi-tasking. When anyone and everyone can post their latest “status” or write a 200 word blog entry or even publish their own novel, something is very . . . in the state of Denmark.

Don’t get me wrong. I am still a fan of the Shuffle. I use it precisely because I don’t have to think about what I want to listen to. Because I want to allow for a certain serendipity, or even in some cases, for the LORD to speak to me through a simply “seemingly random” song selection. It may be that the song that’s next in the random playlist is just the one I need to get through a difficult circumstance. But when you go from more thinking to less thinking, or even in some cases, to no thinking, I think we’re on the wrong track.

Planning Ahead

Consider the artist tasked with creating a mosaic. All of those little pieces of stone need to just the right shape and placed in just the right place. If it is done well, and done correctly, from a distance it will look like a nice picture. And up close . . . like the ancient forerunner of pointillism that it is.

It’s that way with a worship service. If the songs are selected pell mell at the last minute without any prayer or thought or even possibly coordination with the message, it is likely the result will be experienced as a poorly designed work of art, a mosaic gone awry, all of the stones not quite lining up, a patchwork of unhappy disunity.

How far ahead do you plan for leading worship? A few minutes? a few hours? A few days? A few weeks? It’s obvious that there is such thing as not planning far enough ahead (picking songs five minutes before the start of service) but is it possible that you can plan too far ahead? Can you plan six months worth of songs for your worship services?

How often are you able to coordinate the selection of songs with the message?

Mosaic, Ephesus. The one at the top of this post is from Sardis.

Coming Attractions

This clip has been around the block a few times, but I'd like to share it with all of you for this mad dash of a weekend posting.

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

It's clever, but it is a great place to launch an evaluation and discussion of how we do Sunday services. I realize the subject has many layers and is far too broad to handle in a short blog post, but if we focus on the "how" of our approach as musicians to the weekend service I believe it reveals much of the "why" in our motives.

Are we selling an experience that lasts an hour and ensures repeat visits in the coming weeks? Can this approach actually be a positive thing? Is there a need to return to "long" weekend services in order to ensure that God has room to move? Are we trendy or traditional to a fault? How big of a priority is the weekend service in our personal prayer and meditation time?

I want to be a facilitator of a worship journey in each gathering that happens on the weekend. I want to be a leader in praise and worship setting an example for the congregation to follow. I want to be passionate about the culture I am helping to create in the local assembly. I want to be sensitive to the voice of God at all times both in preparation and execution. The process by which all of this takes place is still in formation, but I want my motives to remain pure in the midst of whatever culture is being cultivated.

Get A Theme Song

Have you ever been so delusional as to pretend that you have theme music when you walk into a room? Well, I have. I once created a CD with all my favorite theme songs; like Thunder Cats and the Imperial March from Star Wars. I would play the song that best fit my mood at the time. If I was a little short-tempered that day – Star Wars. If I was in a “heroic mood” – Thunder Cats. But I must confess that no matter what mood I was in before I started the song, I felt better after playing it, and acting out my emotions in my mind as drove, walked, or just sat there. I know that I might sound crazy, but it calmed my nerves. No one was harmed and I never tried to commit super-human feats.

I don’t know about you, but I think I might have a slight touch of ADD. So sitting down reading scriptures (as much as I love sitting down reading scriptures) doesn’t always help me through some of my situations. I get distracted. Because everything that runs in and out of my mind, runs in and out of my mind at that time. So sometimes when I’m in deep thought about something I throw on some music that reflects how I feel about that and it will set a backdrop for me to play it all out in my head. I don’t normally talk to anybody during this time, as people’s feelings might get hurt (if I’m listening to the Imperial March).

Like right now, I’m pretty happy, because I’m getting ready to leave my job and go to a party, but it would sure help if I had some tunes playing and not that mild office roar going on. Because in that roar, I get distracted and I find myself inadvertently tuning into some of the things I can actually hear. So pardon me if I seem like I’m bouncing all over the place because I am.

But to sum all this up, music is an excellent tool to help us when it seems nothing else can. If I’m discouraged, I’ll play a song that will encourage me. And while that song is playing, I begin thinking about all the good things that can come after the discouragement, the silver-lining if you will.:-)

PS. I made this short so you wouldn’t feel like you wasted too much time, if it made absolutely no sense to you.:-)

My BAD attitude and Sunday morning worship sets

Someone once said to a room full of pastoral staff that if you never considered leaving ministry then you probably weren't working hard enough. The whole room laughed and for a brief moment there was a bit of transparency that everyone had at one point asked themselves what exactly were they working so hard for? On that positive note, I would like to share just such a moment with you lovely people.

It was an overcast Sunday morning, I was arriving at morning rehearsal at the last possible minute, I was exhausted from the rat routine of life, and those warnings of effective leaders rendering themselves ineffective through overworking and lacking passion were screaming very loudly in my head. Once inside I discovered that there was no sound crew, the singers and musicians were united in their inability to prepare for the one song that the entire worship set was built around in both theme and key relationship, and it seemed that each singer was determined to be flat just to spite me. Rehearsal was a nightmare, and although I was constantly praying under my breath that I realized it wasn't about me I walked onto the platform for the 9:00 service in a very crabby sort of mood.

In the first few moments of the service which included an opening by a staff pastor that was lackluster and disorganized followed by a team of musicians that missed an introduction I was beginning to wonder why on earth I put so much time and energy into this moment. After all, aren't our Christian lives supposed to be much more effective and large outside of these brief weekend moments? Do I really even feel called to this? I am starting to dislike these wonderful people, isn't that a terrible thing to be avoided at all costs because isn't ministry about loving such people? As the first moments of the service were fumbled through by unprepared musicians and people trickled into the sanctuary with the lackadaisical attitude that marks Southern California church culture I was ready to throw in the towel.

It was in a very bad attitude that I lifted my eyes from the keys and the immediate surroundings of what was happening musically and really looked out at the congregation. The first thing I noticed was the group of new converts who came from the same half-way house lined up on the front row with their friends that keep accompanying them, and they all seemed to have tears flowing down their faces while they sang their way through the song. I started to see more and more individual faces as they offered themselves up their worship in a vulnerable and beautiful manner while singing along with the worship set as it flowed from moment to sweet moment in God's presence. I saw stories and people who represent vastly different cultural experiences and backgrounds come together in that moment to seek one thing that they desire above all else and prove it in their pursuit of intimacy with God.

Of course such moments bring tears and repentance and humility, but even more a great sense of validation and the reminder that there is nothing that can replace the realization that you are being used in that moment to facilitate the experience so many gather to encounter in the little Sunday morning church service. It breaks down any sense of personal accomplishment when you realize that these people would still push towards God in spite of your lack of musical preparedness, yet because you take it seriously the moment is all the better and your offering as a musician and singer is something you give in each moment you prepare for this. I realize that in all things we do in word and deed is done in the name of Jesus, but on that Sunday morning my service to the people of God is done as much behind closed doors in whatever preparation I engage in as much as it is in the musical performance of the worship set itself.

It is a fairly new intention of mine to respond to the obligatory, yet sincere comments from people that they loved the music of the church service by saying that it is really about creating space for that encounter with God. I then ask if they liked the song, did they know it, and is there anything they sing throughout the week in devotion that really impacts the moment? The feedback so far has been somewhat constrained as people are not sure if they can be totally honest, but it is my goal that my church music department pours as much as we possibly can into the people who attend our services. It is likely that frustration will occur, but perhaps not at the moment that represents the culmination of a musician's sacrifice and service.

Same Ole' Same Ole'

Wow! I apologize for my tardy post and lack of posting last month.
I know I was supposed to post about this last month, but it is actually relevant to me right now. As a music minister, it's my responsibility to oversee all things music at my church. And in an attempt to relieve myself of a little bit of the responsibility, I allow the song leaders to choose their own songs. While this benefits me on any other day, it seems to make my mind have to work overtime on Sunday because I still have to filter through their songs. Sometimes when someone is only leading songs once a month, he/she can be tempted to pick the same songs each month. It may not seem that noticeable to them, but everybody else notices.

I recently received an email suggesting that I have the song leaders keep a notebook with a lists of the songs sang every service. This person noticed that a couple of the songs selected had already been sung within the last two weeks. Now, one would think that using different people would automatically increase the variety of songs sang. This is not quite as simple as it sounds. one has to factor in the fact that the rest of your praise team needs to know the songs and your musicians need to know the songs as well. Contrary to popular belief, it's not always a great idea to decide to sing a song no one else knows right before church. I know we're Apostolic, and we should be instant in season and out of season, but music is not something that can just be thrown together. You're not just depending on one person, but several others. And even though everybody should be at a certain level, everybody's NOT at a certain level. Sometimes you just have to use common sense.

So, how do you get out of the rut of doing the same songs all the time? The answer seems to be simple... Learn more songs, buddy. But it's more than that. You have to learn more songs, and just more songs, but also a variety of styles. Sometimes I have to force myself to listen to artists that I would not normally listen to. Doing this helps me try to find something I like about different styles. Once I find something I like, I try to find ways to incorporate it in my playing.

I also like to sit down and just play without any CDs or anything else. Just being creative on my own; using the things I've learned from listening to different styles, helps me to be able to change things up. Now, if I want to play something with a different rhythm, that's not a problem. If I want to try I'll fly away with a Reggae twist... might not sound so great, but it's not killing me to try it out.

One may ask, "what does this have to do with song leaders picking the same songs?" Well, just like I (as a musician) have to listen to styles that I don't care for and use them, my song leaders will have to begin expanding their horizons and trying new styles. It's almost like going to a restaurant and getting the same thing every time you go. You'll never know how much you like something until you try it.

Mentors, Part 2

What distinguishes Pavarotti from Domingo, or from, say, the master of music candidate giving their umpteenth recital in the hopes of making it to the big leagues, the lead role in a Puccini or Donizetti opera?

Granted, you have to have the technique down. That’s a no brainer. If you can’t keep your notes in tune and zip through the virtuosic literature then you don’t stand a chance anywhere. That’s just practice, practice, practice. But there is one thing you cannot learn in the practice room, at least not all on your own: Musicianship.

Most of what I learned about musicianship I learned from one person, Richard “Dad” Hoffland. He and his wife labored over the Millikin University choir for many years, finally retiring in 1991. I had the fortune of singing under his direction for four tours. His musicianship was, in modern parlance, old school. If this link works, give it a try, if you want an example of his conducting. There wasn’t a composition that he would conduct that didn’t have something extra, something special, something undeniably and irrevocably influenced by the way he directed the choir. He had a certain “style” as it were. And the musicianship. Boy howdy. If you didn’t become a real musician just by singing under his baton, then you just simply weren’t paying attention.

What does this have to do with “Apostolic” music, you may be wondering? That is, if you have gotten this far, and didn’t stop reading immediately upon coming across the “O” word. People seem to have a special hatred for certain genres of music. The “O” word is high among the list.

If you can get past the occasional out-of-tune solos in some of our churches (I realize there are places where these are more the norm than occasional, perhaps due to some nepotic or otherwise inbred or lazy acculturative tendencies), and if you can get past the general unpreparedness some folks bring to their leading worship or singing specials (again, refer to the parenthetical comment above), and if the musicians are attentive to the singer, and the singer is able to get past the notes and get to the music, you may be able to hear what I mean. I imagine I will get some flack for not putting any emphasis here on the worship. That is fine and well deserved. I will address that in a future post.

Oh. And by the way, I don’t have a strong preference in the Pavarotti vs. Domingo argument. I like Domingo’s voice. I like Pavarotti’s bearing. Pavarotti is the king of the dramatic (overly or melodramatic, some would say) whereas Domingo is in a class all by himself. There’s a hundred of ‘em, if not a thousand, but the artiste verité is one in a million. Or a billion. For a representative comparison, give Domingo a listen, then listen to Pavarotti singing the same aria.

Music Mentors, Part 1

Who are your music mentors? I have a few. I’ll start with one from my delicate high school years.

Most folks I have encountered who have studied classical piano for any length of time have what can best be referred to as a love-hate relationship with the instrument. They love it. But they hate it. They love to hate it. It’s not really the piano’s fault. Playing piano well (doing ANYTHING well, for that matter) takes a lot, I mean, a LOT of practice. Hours and hours. And hours and hours. And I just didn’t put in the required effort.

Mrs. Philpott was my first piano teacher. Lovely name for a piano teacher, don’t you think? She lived over on Canterbury Lane. Picturesque address, isn’t it? I just made it up. I think she lived on . . . well forget it. Something Lane. I don't remember too much of those early years, only, that, well, I preferred to play by ear rather than by note. I would ask Mrs. Philpott to demonstrate a particular passage that I struggled with, then I wouldn’t have to learn to read music. I could just play it back just as I had heard it. I had a good memory for it, I suppose.

Whatever happened with Old Mrs. Philpott, is one for the unsolved mysteries of life. Dr. Kelly, on the other hand, is a completely different story. He was a man from a different generation. Born in 1921 or maybe it was 1923 or 1919, he was one of those tortured souls. Tortured by his love for the piano. He played it constantly. He loved it, more than anything. He practiced ferociously, whipping through degree after degree until finally earning the equivalent of a D.M.A. from Northwestern University. His love for music consumes him. His passion for it, unbounded.

As a piano teacher, Dr. Kelly was a stern, uncompromising taskmaster. He had a pointer he would use, with which he would point to items in the musical score that you had missed, or alternatively, he would use it to tap you on the shoulder to indicate it was time to stop playing because you forgot something or missed something or what have you.

I didn’t always practice as much as I should have. To be completely honest, I don’t recall ever practicing very much in my pre-college days. I practiced just enough to get by. And it was eventually enough to get me into a performance program in college. Dr. Kelly was never very pleased with my playing, at least, hardly ever. And he would berate me for being involved in any extra-curricular activity at school, high school musical, tennis, soccer. Anything that kept me away from time that should be devoted to practicing the piano was . . . can we say that he was jealous for my music time? I did end up quitting piano under his tutelage, about halfway through my junior year of high school (coinciding roughly with the high school musical). Early in my senior year, we had a time of patching together the rough places of our relationship and he helped me get a program ready for my applications to colleges.

He was from a generation where hard work was the expectation, the norm. Anything less is simply inadequate and to be reprimanded. Hard work, it would seem, has gone from being commonplace to being largely absent in the last few decades.

Who is jealous for your time today? Who is expecting more from you than you think you are capable of giving? You do have it in you. Let God help to bring it out of you.

How do YOU Know?

Someone suggested that I discuss how I know I’m called to music ministry. I would like to first apologize for this late entry. I am currently having my computer worked on by a friend whom I believe is working in a calling that God has given him. I plan to use this friend to reinforce my opinion. While I am extremely tired; I will try to write more than a simple one-line answer.

My friend is an extremely intelligent and talented computer engineer. He is probably the most sought after PC company in our county. One day, a lady from our church was seeking someone to donate a website to raise money to purchase a wheel chair accessible van. Not only did this particular friend donate the website, but he came to our church and donated the labor, a lot of the hardware and software, and another website for our church. The “greatness” of my friend’s skills need not be discussed to make this point. Just know that he was helping any churches in our area with these things because he is passionate about it being done and it being done well; and beyond that, being done correctly.

I’ve visited this man’s house and had to leave because he was in some kind of “computer code zone” and could not communicate with me. He knows that this is his calling because it, at times can consume him. He operates effectively in this ministry, correctly and insists that it be done well. These are great qualities to have when operating in a ministry. Even though none of us are perfect, God will see these qualities and improve us to be what we need to be to get the job done where we’re at.

There is no doubt that many people have different responses to the question of how they knew they were “called” to do something. Some say that they saw visions or dreamed dreams. Some say they were prophesied to. I say that it was a natural occurrence in my life.

I know that this may not even be coherent, but I don’t care. It’s too late to go back through this and start erasing and replacing stuff. But I believe one way for people to know they are called to something is the natural manifestation of that ministry in their lives. Please note that Saul was called to be king and it was his qualities that became associated with those that would be king. Then David came with a totally new set of qualities. There is not much of a “standard” set for people being “called” into certain ministries. God needs a willing vessel that will allow Him to equip and qualify them. Just as SSD said, God needs laborers. We shouldn’t feel like God only wants to use certain people in certain ministries. He’ll use whoever will allow Him to use them. Sometimes that willingness can bring a “calling.”

God bless!

Praise Singing

Consider the praise singer; lovely to behold, always sings in tune (or even in harmony), always at church on time (or even a few minutes before the start of service to review the song list with the worship leader). Maybe, just maybe, you’ll be at pre-service prayer. Maybe I’ll be at pre-service prayer. You just never know with some people.

Praise singers are an unheralded, underappreciated, and, all-too-often, under-miked group of folks. Yes, it’s a thankless job being a praise singer. For some it’s simply doing time before reaching the big leagues of being a worship leader. For others, it’s a terminal station in ministry—no ambition to lead worship, or simply lacking the talent, good looks, or opportunity to do so.

Why aren’t there more men that are praise singers? Are they not as lovely to behold? Are they less likely to sing in tune? Are they less likely to be to church on time? Or is it that there are just fewer of them?

How many praise singers should you have? One for every twenty-five members in the congregation? Once you reach that twenty-sixth regular member, time to add another praise singer? Three at fifty-one; four at seventy-six? Or is there some other matrix for calculating the correct number of praise singers of which I am unaware?

What is the reason for praise singers? Are they the “back-up” singers in case the worship leader forgets the words, doesn’t quite know the tune, or is too lost in worship to sing straight?

And what about the congregation that doesn’t utilize a “worship leader” proper, the one with the person behind the keyboard or guitar slung around shoulder where the band is sitting and nobody singing from behind the pulpit? Should you still have a praise singer (or two) even if you don’t have the traditional worship leader?

And people, can I just make a few pleas? Would you please sing in the microphone? So I can hear you? Pretty please? Do I have to ask again? Can you please, please smile? Or at least don’t look like you are suffering or terrified or miserable. And please, wear something nice. No denim.

Yes. I am trying to provoke you. No. I am not really serious on some of the points outlined above. But I would love to hear your thoughts!

Where's MY white light?

Yesterday, a friend asked me if I felt a call to the music ministry. What a great question! And I don't even have to think hard about it. The answer is a resounding - No.

Never have, really.

I've had plenty of piano lessons, choir practices, college classes, etc. But I've never had the blinding white light from Heaven, or that burning conviction in my heart that I should be a musician. And yet, there I am every Sunday moring, leading worship at my church.

Part of me envies those people who know music is their destiny. It would be so comforting to have that certainty, especially on those Sunday mornings when I pick the wrong songs, or hit some sour notes, or things just stink in general.

Part of me thinks that we put too much of a premium on "callings." Should I pack up my chorus book and let everyone sing acappella because I never had a musical epiphany? And what about those people that most every music leader has dealt with. The ones that "know" they're called to be a soloist, even though their vocal abilities don't match their confidence.

Callings are a risky topic, since God doesn't send us a signed affidavit that we can whip out as proof. But hard work and hours of practice are indisputable. God needs laborers for the field, and I feel like I shouldn't sit around and wait for an engraved invitation.

What if . . . ?

The question that almost everyone asks themselves is, “What if things had turned out different for me?” What if I couldn’t play any instruments? What if I couldn’t teach choir? What would I be doing? Obviously, the answer will be different for just about everybody, but I’m going to explore what I would be doing if I was not involved in music.

It’s natural to assume that I would just focus on preaching since that is another ministry God has given me. But the truth is that I received the calling to preach while following the path my musical calling had me on. So, imagining that I would not have received the calling to preach, I would have to say that I would probably try video/visual ministry things. I know that covers a lot of things, but I’ll break it down for you.

Even now as a music minister, I’m always concerned with whether or not the words on the video screen are correct and that they are displayed on time. Working in this ministry challenges one to think and be considerate of others. And I like knowing that I did something at the end of the day that helped somebody.

I also like the freedom of creativity that comes with working in the visual ministry. One gets select background slides, fonts, and other things that people see on the video screen. So, not only do you get to help people, you get to do it in YOUR style.

I also like the idea of working the video camera, getting the right angles at the right times. This is great because you get to be a part of making something that lasts forever. When things are videoed, one tends to want his work to look good because it’s not going to just disappear one day.
Now after I’ve said all that, you may wonder, “Why don’t you get into that ministry?” Well, I am involved in that ministry, just not as in depth as some of the things I spoke about. This involvement comes naturally with being the music minister. So, I’m happy. I get to be involved in the visual media ministry while following my calling to others.

When I grow up I want to be......

One of my college professors told me that a person should only pursue a music degree if there was nothing else they could do. In other words, if that is the only apparent talent, if there are absolutely no other interests, then that avenue would be wise. I've often pondered that as I've walked this rough road of the music profession. Now, many people look at me like I have a monkey on my head when I say that, as they proclaim, "I'm so jealous of you - you get to set around and do music, listen to music, write music and get paid for it!" Oh if that were only true. Forget all the lonely, painful hours of practicing that often never lead to the conclusion you or your professor want. Forget the nervous breakdowns before concerts.....forget all that. It's all rosey.

So what about music makes it a difficult profession? Well, for starters, It's feast or famine. Unfortunately, it's been famine for me. I have friends I went to school with who play for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and make three times - literally three times - as much money as I make. I've searched for a happy medium (although the "three-times" amount would be fine) but have never found it. It's a lot of part-time work - very little opportunity for full-time employment in music. Now, granted, I've been blessed to have a full-time music teaching position at Gateway College of Evangelism for the past 14 years (wow - has it been THAT long?). As anyone would guess, music MINISTRY gets treated much like any other ministry when it comes to pay. But I chose this route, right? I take full responsibility for that.

The other difficulty, among many, that I"ll point out is dealing with all those lovely egos. I just can't seem to acquire enought sense to stop pursing a doctoral program, which is suprising considering the results I've often had. It's dog-eat-dog, at least in my experience. Sometimes I wonder if some of those schools even WANT students! And the critiques are so very personal. I've experienced my deepest hurts during interviews with music professors - THAT I can say with certainty. But I m ust also say that some of the most humble, broken people I know are musicians.

So what would I do if I weren't a music educator? Hmmm....so many dreams. I always wanted to be a chiropractor - almost went to school for that. If I weren't so "old" I'd probably try it even now - that and the fact that I have to do math - a "four-letter-word" in my book. That aside, I would like to be involved in history at some level. I heard of a guy who archives American music for foreign countries - a job he has through the State Department. That would be neat. History and music. I'd like to do tours for famous landmarks, like Monticello or Mt Vernon. Or, I'd like to be involved in WWII history somehow.

But here I am - setting here in my office at Gateway typing this blog surrounded by music. I love it and appreciate it the joy it has afforded me, no doubt. But sometimes I just want to throw all my scores out the window and sell the piano and walk away. For now, I'll stay on this roller coaster and see where it leads.

I'm reading- "Where is God When It Hurts" by Philip Yancey (favorite author) and "Mourning Into Dancing" by Henri Nouwen