D E V E L O P I N G A N D M A I N TA I N I N G I N T I M A C Y W I T H J E S U S

J O U R N A L I N G : A H I D D E N L A N G U A G E O F I N T I M A C Y

S C R I P T U R E S T U D Y F O R W O R S H I P L E A D E R S

W H AT E L S E R H Y M E S W I T H M E ?

S O N G S T O R Y

P L U S : U S I N G T H E O R G A N A N D O R G A N S O U N D S I N W O R S H I P

A D E E P E R L O O K

I N S I D E . . .

V O L U M E 4 8 | O C T O B E R 2 0 0 2

™

The Pursuit Of Intimacy

Volume 48 | October 2002

PublisherVineyard Music Global

EditorDan Wilt

Copy EditorDarren Varieur

Production CoordinatorValerie Davis

Art DirectorMarkus Frehner

Inside Worship E-mailinsideworship@vmg.com

© 2002 Vineyard MusicAll Rights Reserved

Everything’s Under Control

Many years ago, a man walked into my office. I was then a high-pow-ered executive with EMI, the largest distributor of music in theworld, and the most logical discussion for anyone entering my officewould be to strategize on an upcoming marketing or sales initiative.However, this conversation was different. While both of us carriedinfluential roles in a booming industry, we were also both Christians.I, full of faith and expectation in my growing journey with Christ,and he, lingering in a state of nominal faith and in desperate need ofspiritual direction.

“How do you keep everything under control?” was his direct questionto me. Under control? I don’t know that our lives are ever completelyunder control, especially not mine! Yet his question was raised fromwatching me press through the labors of my position, while main-taining a sense of peace and order in my daily steps.

I directed him to a passage that has been so pivotal in my own jour-ney of spiritual formation, Psalm 5:3: “In the morning, O Lord, youhear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you …”. If I hadany secret for maintaining my peace through the daily storms thatsurround us all, it was found in this small verse.

On the topic of spiritual habits, Martin Luther once exclaimed thatwith so much to do on his schedule, he would have to spend threehours in prayer instead of two! John Wesley, at the height of his evan-gelistic ministry, decided that under the weight of his responsibili-ties, he would devotedly pray one hour in the morning, one in theafternoon and one in the evening. The greatest men and women ofGod throughout history have considered the prayer habit describedin this passage, morning by morning laying their requests before theLord, as a non-negotiable in their spiritual pilgrimage.

Spiritual habits in our lives are hard to begin, and more difficult tomaintain. All, to some degree, require us to die to pieces of our timeand activity that we deem “important” in order to do the more impor-tant work of keeping our hearts and minds in tune with God and HisWord. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, He bidshim come and die.” Early in the morning, many of us may feel likewe are dying! But when we choose to start the day by offering up ourprayers and requests to the One who made us and holds the true pur-pose to our lives, we are “living” in the greatest sense of the word.

Learn to bring Spirit-led regimen, holy habits, into your discipleshipjourney with Jesus. You may find your life increasingly “under con-trol” – that is, under the control of the living Jesus.

Jeremy CookPresident, Vineyard Music Global

AUSTRALIA 1800 129 081

BENELUX 31 10 481 7060

BRAZIL 55 14 265 1373

CANADA 800 224 689 1

GERMANY 06236 416 141

INDIA 9 1 44 374 0857

NEW ZEALAND 0800 846 927

NORDIC 46 (0)8 730 4250

SOUTH AFRICA 27 1 1 781 3466

SWITZERLAND 031 333 17 03

UNITED KINGDOM 44 (0)870 1200 553

UNITED STATES 800 852 V INE

VIÑA MUSIC 7 14 777 8456

TM

The God We KnowBy Costa MitchellEntering into intimacy with God is avulnerable step – into the mostbeautiful of relationships.

Journaling: A Hidden Language Of IntimacyBy Kim McMechanA creative look into communicatingwith God through journaling.

Deeper: Theological Insights ForModern Worship LeadersAn interview with Dr. Peter DavidsExplores the importance of focusedscripture study to today’s worshipleader.

SongStoryVariousMore stories behind some favoriteVineyard songs, and the process oftheir writers.

To Know You MoreBook ReviewAndy Park’s new “text book” forworship leaders launches withInterVarsity Press.

Organics: Using The Organ AndOrgan Sounds In Today’s WorshipRegan BullFor those that love that classic B3sound from a synth or the real thing,some tips on integrating into aworship band.

Songwriters’ Corner:What Else Rhymes With Me?Graham Ord shares his thoughts onthe craft of writing effective lyrics forworship songs.

Letters To A Young Worship LeaderExperienced worship leaders givehelpful tips to younger leaders.

Contents

A good friend once pulled me aside, right before I was about to lead wor-ship for a large event, and whispered a phrase in my ear – “Just lead us toJesus; just lead us to Jesus.” Though my mind was busy with the logistics ofthe event, his words brought a gentle silence to my heart.

I have never forgotten that simple phrase, and it often comes back to mejust as I am about to strum the first chord on my guitar for a worship event.Leading a gathering of people to Jesus, via the vehicle of music and creativi-ty, presupposes that we ourselves have been led to Jesus. Coming to Jesus ona daily basis, church history has proven, takes fortitude and passion, andyes – even discipline.

This issue of Inside Worship: The Pursuit Of Intimacy focuses on a variety ofways we can diligently pursue Christ as worshipers. From prayer, to person-al worship, to scripture study, to journaling, we explore a number of waysthe creative personality can encounter Jesus’ presence on a daily, consistentbasis.

Costa Mitchell, national director of the Vineyard movement in SouthAfrica, reminds us of the importance of maintaining intimacy with Jesus asthe central goal of our lives. Dr. Peter Davids calls worship leaders and song-writers to the essential habit of scripture study and Kim McMechandescribes how journaling can inspire a fresh vocabulary of prayer. Otherpractical articles and insights reflect areas of our new and growing Website, www.vineyardmusic.com, such as SongStory, Deeper and Letters to aYoung Worship Leader.

Wherever you are in your journey of discipleship, it is my prayer you findencouragement in these pages toward maintaining spiritual habits in yourown life – to the end of leading others, after being led yourself, to the feet ofJesus.

Dan Wilt

Editor

Letter From The Editor

4

6

8

10

11

12

14

15

E v e r y t o n g u e , e v e r y t r i b e a n d e v e r y n a t i o n .

4I N S I D E W O R S H I P

Developing And MaintainB Y C O S TA M I T C H E L LThe God We Know:

My encounter began at a halfway point on a long journey.Driving the 1000 miles between Cape Town andJohannesburg, two friends and I broke up our trip by stop-ping at the home of a friend and colleague. Our friend is pri-marily a worship leader and songwriter, and also pastors achurch (as opposed to me, primarily a pastor who wishes hewas a worship leader!). We had a great barbeque in his gar-den, and afterward he picked up his guitar and we worshipedtogether. I had been used to worship experiences of the“proclamation” variety. In other words, I was familiar withhymns and “choruses” that were rich with content, andspoke about God, rather than to Him. There was nothingwrong with that understanding in my mind, and I was hardlyaware that anything was missing from my worship life.

And then it happened. He began a song that blew my par-adigm apart. “I exalt You,” the song said over and over again.I began to weep, for no reason other than a deep awarenessthat I was connecting with God directly in worship. This wasdifferent. It was “I – You” language between a fallible humanbeing and the transcendent God. I felt vulnerable. I feltexposed. I felt known. I felt like I was home.

Knowing And Being Known When Jesusencountered the woman at the well ofSychar, He used an expression thatencapsulates authentic worship. Hesaid “…we worship what we know”(John 4:22). We worship, by implica-tion, a God who is knowable. A Godwith whom we may have intimacy. The

verb that means “to know” here is theGreek word “oida,” which means “tohave seen or perceived; to have full orperfect knowledge of.” It is the know-ledge that springs from relationship,and is dependent on self-disclosure.

Karl Barth, the most famous theolo-gian of the 20th century, spoke of theneed for the church to be constantlyhearing the “now” Word of God – towait for God to initiate worship byrevealing Himself among us each timewe meet, so that our worship is respon-sive rather than ritualistic. Barth wentso far as to dismiss blind ritualism inworship as atheism! If we worshipwithout knowing Who we worship, webecome guilty of the vain repetitionand emptiness of idolatry, which makesa god of its own preference, and speaksto its god without hearing it speak or

act in return. Simply singing modern worship

songs in a “Spirit-led” environmentdoes not guarantee freedom from ritu-alism. It happens far more quickly thanwe suppose. That is why worship lead-ers fill such a critical role in the modernchurch. A worship leader actively lis-tening for what the Lord wants to dis-close of Himself in a particular service,and hearing both His Word for the dayas well as His choice of songs, is facili-tating the growth of intimacy and thegenuine knowledge of God in the con-gregation.

I have a friend who disapproves ofmodern worship songs. He feels theyare sentimental and too focused on“me,” “my pain,” “my feelings,” etc. Forhim, the old hymns are where worshipbegins and ends. When we discussedthe subject recently, I showed him thatthe Psalms of Israel have much in com-mon with some of those “sentimental”modern worship songs (read, for exam-ple, Psalm 42). David, the man afterGod’s own heart, wrote psalms that arefull of passionate self-disclosure, to the

point of making every emotion in hislife, including even his displeasurewith God, public.

So, how do we maintain intimacywith God? The keys are mutual self-dis-closure, corporate transparency andfreedom from shame.

Mutual Self-Disclosure Intimacy is themost perfect knowledge one person canhave of another. Notwithstanding ourbelief in the omniscience of God, it isstaggering to realize that there is a sensein which His “knowledge” of us dependson our making ourselves known! In theoft-quoted text from Matthew 7:23, Jesusindicates that the basis of judgment is alack of self-disclosure from our sidetoward Him: “I never knew you. Go away,you evildoers!” In other words, I neverknew you, because you did not come

Intimacy is the most perfect knowledge one person can have of another

close enough. You did not allow me toknow you. You avoided the intimacy Idesired with you. That is cause for mygreatest disappointment in you. Thebasis of oida is simply self-revelation –God’s to us and ours to Him.

God has “self-revealed” Himself tous. When God promised the covenantof which we are the beneficiaries(Jeremiah 31:31-34), He said it wouldinvolve complete knowledge of Him.“…No longer will a man teach his neigh-bor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Knowthe LORD,’ because they will all knowme, from the least of them to the greatest,’declares the LORD.” We approach theGod who is there, the God who speaks.He tells us what He is like, what Heloves and hates, what His purposesencompass, and most importantly, howHe loves us individually – passionatelyand sacrificially. As we take time to lis-ten to His Word, He highlights what weneed to hear each time we meet Him,and confirms it through other means,like prophecy and other charismaticgifts, “impressions” of the Spirit, anddreams and visions. This happens bothindividually and corporately.

We must self-reveal ourselves toGod. Our responses, in the form of theappropriate emotions and wordsexpressing worship, surrender, agree-ment, repentance and faith, have theeffect of releasing God’s power amongus. You can choose to be unresponsive,or distracted, or even critical, and misswhat God is doing. You can, like Michal,bring barrenness on yourself (II Samuel6:14-23). You can invite the rebuke ofGod on your church, like the Phariseesdid on Jerusalem (Luke 19:37-44). Or, you can invoke God’s own song andworks of deliverance by your extrava-gant response (Zephaniah 3:14-17).

Corporate Transparency My experi-ence on that road trip was not only oneof personal intimacy, but intimacywith God in community with others.To say to the Lord “I exalt You,” “I loveYou,” “I adore You,” in the company ofother macho, undemonstrative, west-

ern males, caused a measure of vulnera-bility and discomfort that might nothave been there if I had been alone. Infact, I had probably known times ofsuch transparency in my shower, with-out noting the moment as beingunique (vulnerability and showeringare synonymous!). But here, anotherdimension occurred as I let down any“image” of strong, secure, theologicallycorrect masculinity and abandonedmyself to being real – weeping as Ienjoyed God without caring what oth-ers thought. They, as far as I know, didthe same. So we grew together asChristians, friends and fellow wor-shipers. It is a moment that can scarce-ly be described to others, but that leftthe four of us who shared it changed,and hungering for more.

Freedom From Shame “The man and hiswife were both naked, and they felt noshame” is the description of the dynam-ics of the first marriage (Genesis 2:25).The new covenant we referred to earli-er bases the possibility of intimateknowledge of another on forgiveness:

“For I will forgive their wickedness andwill remember their sins no more.” Thebarrier between human beings andGod is our sinfulness. It not onlyoffends Him, but it also blinds and deaf-ens us. It is because of sin that “we seethrough a glass, darkly.” Sin distracts usand causes our spiritual senses to bedull and insensitive. But it also bringsshame into the relationship betweenHim and us. When the first couplesinned, they covered up and hid them-selves. Shame alienates us from Godemotionally as much as spiritually.Therefore, forgiveness is a necessaryprerequisite for fellowship with Him.In I John 1:7, cleansing, righteousnessand relationship are linked in a mutu-ally causative connection. We will nothave any of them without the othersbeing present.

A Pursuit That Never Ends The princi-ple revealed in the encounter Idescribed has become so important tome in my life story. As we approachJesus, what a great thing it is to knowthat He desires intimacy with us. Weare made to know God, to love Him andto enjoy Him forever. We are made forintimacy with Him. This is the goal ofall worship. It must be the goal of everyworship leader to lead God’s people tothat place. I constantly remind worshipleaders of this with various phrases:“Take me there,” “Take the peoplethere,” “Don’t quit until you get usthere.”

Every worship experience shares thisgoal of achieving intimacy with God.In one sense there is no “arriving” atthis goal, rather only a glimpse of howmuch more there could be. There is noformula for achieving it. In fact, intima-cy with God is never an achievement,but always a gift. Let’s be clear aboutthe personal and corporate goal of wor-ship – intimacy with the God we know,and who knows us. If we are passionate

for anything, let it be for maintainingthat vital intimacy with Jesus.

5

ing Intimacy With Jesus

C O S TA M I T C H E L L

Costa Mitchell, married to Lorraine, is the nationaldirector of the Association of Vineyard Churchesin South Africa. As a couple they are part of theVineyard International Consortium (VIC), which isthe international coordinating body of theAssociation of Vineyard Churches International.Costa has authored two books: A Practical GuideTo Intimacy In Marriage and Learn To LoveYourself. They make their home in Cape Town,South Africa.

God has “self-revealed” Himself to us

6

A Hidden Language Of Intimacy

Journaling:

I N S I D E W O R S H I P

B Y K I M M c M E C H A N

7

A number of years back, I suffered from aheadache that lasted a year and a half. Somedays it was so bad it threatened to send me toemergency for a shot of Demerol. I tried every-thing from chiropractors to allergists butnothing seemed to be the solution. Then, Godbegan to show me the cause of my headache –unresolved issues and unexpressed emotionsthat were building up inside of me.

Necessity is truly the mother of inventionand through that time, I found myself desper-ately inventing different exercises in my jour-nals to somehow write my way out of myheadache. It worked. Writing became my wayof healing, and a vehicle through which Godreleased me from my pain.

Journaling: Speaking With An Honest Heart Inthe midst of journaling my way toward physi-cal healing, writing became a place of uncen-sored honesty with God and with myself. Ilooked at King David’s writings and saw that

he had this kind of honesty before God. God isnot threatened or offended by our honesty…infact, He requires it. King David expresses thistruth in Psalm 101:7 when he writes, “no onewho practices deceit will dwell in my (God’s)house; no one who speaks falsely will stand inmy presence.” I have felt hindered in worshipmany times and often, if I look deep enough, Isee that it is because I am not being completelyhonest. It’s hard to get into God’s presencewhen we are scared of our own truth.

King David was not afraid of his questions:“My God, why have You forsaken me? Why areyou so far from the words of my groaning?” (Ps22:1), or his complaints: “For my soul is full oftrouble…”(Ps 88:3).

And he was shockingly honest: “The right-eous will be glad…when they bathe their feet inthe blood of the wicked” (Ps 58: 10). (Imaginesinging that in a worship song!)

Like King David, I found a doorway thataccessed God’s presence in ways I had neverexperienced before through this kind of hon-esty.

Journaling: Listening With An Open HeartBelievers over the centuries, such as St.Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila and King

David, have found their strength in silence andwaiting. Writing requires silent waiting. Thiscombination of silent waiting and puttinghonest words to paper has the ability to accessthe presence of God in life-changing ways.

As I write, I am staying at my mom’s placein the mountains. It’s a cozy, rustic house sur-rounded by tall firs. It’s late December and Iam writing by a large picture window. There ishoar frost clinging to the branches of the firsso that the tips are solid white and blend withthe sky. There is a downy woodpecker on oneof the birdfeeders and whisky jacks dartingacross the frosty boughs. Those fir boughswere not as frosty yesterday and the day beforethat they were hardly touched by the cold atall. You see, it’s gotten well below freezing uphere for the last few nights, and the moistureof the mountains has been layering itself onthese trees, little by little, and now you canbarely see the green.

It reminds me of how most things in thislife are built, bit by bit, stone by stone, layer bylayer. It’s also how they are torn down. If youask someone who has undergone a divorcewhat went wrong, you will rarely hear that itwas one single moment that did it. It is thesmall pieces, bit by bit, layer by layer, that areusually the culprits.

Journaling makes us aware of the slow, yetvital processes in our lives, of the building upand the tearing down. Journaling makes usnotice. It becomes the listening to the stillsmall voice of God. It becomes what Proverbs8:32-36 speaks of… “Blessed is the man who lis-tens to me, watching daily at my doors, waitingat my doorway.”

Journaling: Tools Of The Trade I have begun toapply some of the journaling tools I havelearned to corporate worship settings, and findthat they work really well as a meditationexercise toward the end of a worship time.Usually these tools work best in smallergroups such as a house group setting, but Ihave done it with as many as 80 in one room(just be sure to provide lots of pens!).

One that always works well is to give thegroup 10 minutes or so to simply write outtheir prayers in the form of a letter to God. Itsounds ultra-simple, but it’s amazing howmuch “good behavior” we bring to worship.The act of writing seems to cut right throughall that. On paper we see our own lies. Onpaper we are more willing to take off ourmasks and tell it like it is.

Or you can do the opposite: have the group

attempt to write a letter to themselves fromGod. In this exercise, you write all the thingsyou think God would say to you at thatmoment if He wrote you a letter. The last timeI used this tool with a group, a few eyebrowswent up as I explained it. But as everyone inthe room began to put pen to paper, the roomtransformed. It began to fill with quiet weep-ing as God’s love began to fall on people. It’snot just that they were writing what theyalready knew; God was making those truthsalive in their hearts. I think that’s what is sopowerful about writing. Sometimes we thinkwe know things, but writing brings the truthout and clarifies it. It makes us aware.

Another exercise I often use is what I call“Inventory.” I set aside 10 minutes for quietreflection. For this tool, you need to write downthe major aspects of your life and leave spaceenough to reflect on them. So a piece of papermight read: Job, Goals, Dreams, Marriage,Friendships, etc… interspersed down the page.People are asked to fill in the spaces with detail;how they feel, what they’re worried about, howit’s going, what they wish for. The beautifulthing about writing is that it’s hard to com-plain about something for too long before youdecide to do something about it. This exercisemakes people present to where they’re at andempowers them to act. It’s active prayerthrough writing.

I share this with you because it seems likeGod is really moving through the arts in a newway. I encourage you to experiment with thesetools, or, invent your own. Writing is a particu-larly potent form of prayer and meditation inour busy culture. Over the next few months,set aside some time for some personal journal-ing, or try out one of the tools in a small groupsetting; you’ll be surprised to see the miracles.

K I M M c M E C H A N

Kim is a songwriter and worship leader at Winnipeg CentreVineyard. She has been featured on Vineyard Music record-ings such as All I Need and most recently, The Mystery. Shealso has a passion to bring healing to the church throughjournaling. Kim and her husband Craig have lived in Winnipegfor four years and are actively pursuing the arts. They wel-comed their first child into the world this past spring.

It’s hard to get into God’spresence when we arescared of our own truth.

deeper8

I N S I D E W O R S H I P

The Importance Of Scripture Study For A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H D R . P E T E R D AV I D S

What is the importance of a having agrowing knowledge of the scriptures tothe modern worship leader? Biblicalknowledge is absolutely indispensableto worship.

First, even knowing what worshipis depends upon biblical knowledge.The terms for worship are first and fore-most biblical terms, and thus knowingwhat worship is starts with studyingthe terms in their biblical context. Thecontext for these terms is not just indi-vidual texts, but a historical context inwhich the various institutions that thetexts describe developed. For instance,the reason why Hebrews (in chapter 13)defines worship in terms of sharingone’s goods with others and praisingGod is dependent upon its view of Jesusas the completion of the Old Testamentsacrificial system. Thus, for the authorof Hebrews, there is a need to redefinesacrificial worship because of thischange.

Second, worship is at root submis-sion to God. Without a thorough bibli-cal knowledge how will we know whothis God is and what type of submissionpleases Him? We might assume that itwill come to us through preaching orour general theological knowledge, butthis is a problematic assumption.Theological knowledge is itself depend-ent upon the scriptures. We need to beable to evaluate the various theologicalvoices in the Christian world. Becauseof this dependence upon the Bible, theevaluation requires a thorough grasp ofthe biblical text.

Furthermore, not all worship lead-ers have a thorough biblical back-ground. Some of them are indeed likeme, a person who grew up with theBible being read daily in my home sothat it became part of the fabric of mylife. Others do not have this advantage

and so will not have sufficient biblicaldepth for their job without intensiveand continued study. This cannot comethrough hearing sermons, for one usu-ally hears only one or two sermons perweek. Preachers themselves requireevaluation, and the preaching of anygiven church may not be entirely bal-anced (perhaps because of a legitimateneed or focus of that congregation). Theonly way to be assured that we are real-ly worshiping the right God in a waythat pleases Him is to study the text ofscripture ourselves.

Third, worship is itself full of scrip-ture, and if we do not have a thoroughgrasp of the scriptures we will often notunderstand the images and themes ofthe worship texts that we are using.This could lead to strange juxtaposi-tions, ignorant interpretations or theignoring of relevant materials.Associated with this issue is that factthat many worship leaders are them-selves songwriters. How can one writesongs without being soaked in thescriptures so that its truths ooze out inone’s song? Furthermore, after writingthe song one needs to critique it bibli-cally and theologically. A lovely poeticimage might be misleading, or evenimply heresy. While one can often asksomeone else to do this critique for himor her, the first line of critique shouldbe the songwriter himself or herself.

Finally, fourth, the worship leadermust cultivate an on-going relationshipwith the God whom he or she is leadingothers to worship. It is a well-knownfact that this God is often (and perhapsmost easily and best) encountered inthe scriptures. That is, if one sets out tostudy the scripture with a heart inten-tion of knowing God better, one oftenends up encountering God in a waythat goes beyond rational study. One

Deeper is a fresh section of www.vineyardmusic.com, where select theologians and Christian thinkers are asked essential theological questionsrelated to the modern worship community. In this issue of Inside Worship, Deeper asked Dr. Peter Davids, writer, theologian and biblical scholar, toaddress the supreme importance of a worship leader steadily growing in their biblical knowledge. Here is Davids’ challenging answer, and recom-mended reading list.

Modern Worship Leaders

D R . P E T E R D AV I D S

Peter Davids is a respected theologian, scholarand writer in the Vineyard movement. He has the-ologically trained leaders across denominations,including the Vineyards in Canada and Germany,and is now involved with the Vineyards of theUnited States. Peter has authored or co-authoredfive books and written numerous articles (seeabove). He presently resides with his wife Judith inStafford, Texas.

1 3 f r e s h , n e w

m o d e r n w o r s h i p

s o n g s f r o m t h e U K

b e a u t i f u l

3Enhanced CD features chord charts, overhead masters,photo gallery and more!

beautiful Songbook includes lead vocal, guitar chordcharts & rhythm charts, plus guitar & bass tablature

Check it out today at

our Bible, in two independent transla-tions, and our concordance), and thethird a biblical theology that isabsolutely foundational for theVineyard movement, as well as formany other evangelicals.

1. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read theBible for All It’s Worth

2. Craig Keener, The IVP Bible BackgroundCommentary – New Testament

3. George Eldon Ladd, New Testament Theology

Books by Dr. Peter Davids – With Walter Kaiser, F. F. Bruce, Manfred Brauch,

Hard Sayings of the Bible (InterVarsity, 1996).– The Epistle of 1 Peter (NICNT) (Grand Rapids: Wm.

B. Eerdmans, 1990).– James (New International Biblical Commentary)

(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1989).– The Epistle of James (NIGTC) (Grand Rapids: Wm.

B. Eerdmans, 1982).

Affiliated Schools and Programs– Vineyard Bible Institute

(http://www.vineyardbi.org)– Vineyard Leadership Institute

(http://www.vli.org/main.htl)– Tyndale Theological Seminary

(Tyndale@compuserve.com)– Sugarland Vineyard

(http://www.thevineyardchurch.cc)

can say, “Well, then, I will just open theBible and wait for God to speak. Whyshould I put the effort into study if it isthe personal encounter that I am want-ing?” The answer is that just as Jesus didwith those apprentices of his on theroad to Emmaus, God often wants toexplain the scriptures to us moredeeply rather than simply speak with-out scripture. He wrote it. He preservedit. He has a vital interest in relating tous through it. After all, in scripture wehave 2000 years or so of God’s acts; howcan we have any experience with himtoday that will be worth more than2000 years of experience? Our experi-ences today are based on and rooted inthe acts of God in scripture.

One Step Farther But we can take thisone step farther. Our call as worshipleaders and as a worshiping people is tobe apprentices of Jesus (I prefer“apprentice” to its religious synonym“disciple”). As we look at Jesus’ ownspeech and the writings of his earlyapprentices, such as Peter, James orPaul, we see people steeped in scripture.If the root of living with God is follow-ing Jesus and his early apprentices, thenit is clear that it is impossible for us tofollow without pursuing a knowledgeof scripture similar to their knowledge.Thus in the end a worship leader needsto study the scripture thoroughlybecause his or her leader did – and wewant to be like our leader.

Recommended reading on this topic(titles and authors): Note: I am recom-mending three types of books: the firstan introduction to Bible study (thereare many more advanced books I couldrecommend, but this is a start), the sec-ond an example of a companion bookto help us understand (a companion to

i n t imate worsh ip

me l low moments

soar ing v io l ins

pass ionate voca ls

screaming gu i tars

be cha l lenged

en joy the beauty

be in t r igued

be de l ighted

be inv igorated

songstory

SongStory10

I N S I D E W O R S H I P

It was a couple of weeks beforeChristmas, after my first term at theo-logical college. I remember sitting inmy room trying to pull together a setlist for the Sunday morning service thatweekend. Somewhere near song #3 Ijust got plain stuck. I couldn't think of asong that expressed exactly what wason my heart to say to God. It had beenan incredible term.

A teacher named David Wenhamhad tutored me in the Gospels. It was asif for the first time I saw who Jesus wasand is – the King of the upside-downkingdom! In other words, He is incharge of the whole universe, yet filledwith kindness, compassion and powerfor the weak, the sick, the broken, theexcluded and the addicted. Out ofeveryone on the planet – kings, Caesarsand celebrities – these were the peopleHe chose to hang out with. What anamazing surprise! This was a kingdom Icould be a part of! As someone oncesaid, “Only sinners need saving.” I amone of them.

The song grew out of my sense ofgratitude and love for God, and a recog-nition of how far I am from being likeJesus. My culture in the West is fixatedon power, money and independence.The life Jesus lived, deliberately amongthe humble and the poor, showed mehow far my aspirations and those of myculture can be from God's. Yet He is theone I want to follow. His heart is sogood and pure, I wanted to sing howmuch I want to have that same attitudein me.

Humble KingB R E N T O N B R O W N

I Love Your PresenceD A R R E N & J E S S I E C L A R K E ( F O R M E R LY L A N E )

I had just arrived back in California,having left my life and my familybehind me in England. I was feeling sortof tender and anxious and I knew thatonly God could come in and comfort mein the way that I needed; only God couldgive me the peace I was craving.

Darren had picked me up from the air-port, and late that night he sat with meand was playing the guitar. He wasplaying these beautiful chords and

singing some lyrics he had been work-ing on. Out came the verse to the song.He just played it over and over again,and God’s presence really came into theroom...so I joined in and was worship-ing with him. As Darren was singingthe verse, I started singing “I love Yourpresence” around and above whatDarren was singing. I didn’t really haveanything else to say; I just felt so com-forted by God’s presence there with us,as we sang out from within us.

“I’ve learned through the years thatbecoming a worship leader involves farmore than developing a set of skills –it’s all about developing a life in God.”

Vineyard worship leader, song-writer and author Andy Park capturesthe essence of modern worship leader-ship in his new book from InterVarsityPress, To Know You More.

With ample attention to theology,musical skill, mentoring, pastoral rela-tionships and effective songwriting,Andy Park has put together a veritable“textbook” for contemporary worshipleaders. From his initial worship lead-ing experiences trembling in front ofsmall groups of people, to his journeyas a worship pastor in a mega-church,he weaves a tapestry of insights andencouragements for those growing asworship leaders in any context.

As well as being inspiring, Andy ishonest and candid with worship lead-ers on the spiritual dangers inherent toleading music from any visible plat-form: “When I started leading worshipin large conferences and my songswere appreciated, I found myselftempted to use the leverage of my posi-tion to extend my influence. I saw thatI had an appetite for success that con-stantly had to be tempered and puri-

fied…when I lead a worship set, peoplewill know if I am driven by a spirit ofself-promoting performance. Worshipleaders impart not only the words of asong, but the spirit behind the perform-ance of a song. I want to impart a spiritof worship when I lead.”

On excellence in music, “If I get toointent on being musically innovative,the essence of worship sometimes goesout the window. But if I jealously guardthe jewel of worship, the music isn’t adistraction.”

Matt Redman’s endorsement accu-rately summarizes the helpfulness ofTo Know You More: “Andy Park remindsus of the importance of living lives ofworship, gives us an insightful look atthe theology of worship, and for goodmeasure throws in loads of helpful,practical advice on how to lead wor-ship…Andy writes on so many differentaspects of worship, and does so in arefreshingly transparent way.”

To Know You More is a must read fortoday’s worship leader. To pick up a copy of Andy’s book, visityour national Vineyard Music Webstore at www.vineyardmusic.com oryour local Christian bookstore.

To Know You More

B Y I N S I D E W O R S H I P

A review on Andy Park’s new bookwith InterVarsity Press

humbleKing.

3Enhanced CD features chord charts, overhead mas-ters, photo gallery and more!

humbleKing Songbook includes arrangements forpiano & vocal, guitar chord charts, plus guitar & basstablature

Check it out today at

[christmas around the world]

From traditional string arrangementsto modern mixes, hhuummbblleeKKiinngg offersits listeners a globally fresh soundof worship for the holiday season.

An uplifting newChristmas releasefull of seasonalfavorites as well as new recordings.

12I N S I D E W O R S H I P

Using The Organ And Organ Sounds in

B Y R E G A N B U L L

You probably have noticed “the sound”from time to time on radio and TV.Check your CD jackets and you’ll seeplenty of credits. Once again bands aretouring with 325 lb pieces of furniturethat smell like an old house and havethe name HAMMOND stamped infront. Why? Quite simply, it’s “thesound.”

There is passion and depth in theorgan’s tonal character as an instru-ment. It responds to the talents of high-ly skilled players, but also remainsaccessible to those with limited musi-cal skills. In worship settings it’s anespecially influential instrument dueto its ability to draw the emotion out ofthe player and the listener. With this inmind here are a couple of practicalthoughts:

Experiment With Drawbar SettingsBe mindful that the drawbar registra-tions you choose will set the back-ground color. A full setting of888888888 might be fine during a cele-bratory chorus but ruinous during deli-cate ministry – where a Gospel008000000 is more appropriate.Experiment.

Playing Style Playing less is often best, andHammond is no different. Let the reso-nant harmonics of the Hammond andthe swirling motion of the Leslie carryyou. Twenty-four years after my first

lesson I’m still relying on the basics. Asimple block chord. A single note heldfor an entire measure.

Using a Leslie cabinet is an art initself, and is every bit as important asthe notes you play. Listen to recordingswhere Hammond is present. Note whenthe player switches speeds and theeffect it has upon the music.

MaintenanceThe average Hammond-Leslie combowill be at least 35 years old and willhave electrical components that haveoutlived their expected usefulness.Even a Hammond that’s played skillful-ly will sound distasteful if there aretechnical issues hampering it. Find atrained Hammond tech with excellentreferences. The average player/hobbyistcannot perform in-depth work of thisnature and it’s best left to experiencedhands and ears.

Budget IdeasThose on limited budgets can search forother Hammond models like A100, CV,C3 and even the smaller spinets like M3and L100 series. All are readily foundfor thousands less than the famous B3,and all can provide you with “thesound” when coupled with a Leslie.

There are over 100 Leslie models tochoose from. Not all were designed togive that classic knife-edge wail, soinvestigate your choices carefullybefore you buy. In general a Hammond

player wants a Leslie with a bass rotorand those familiar treble horns spin-ning up top. Common models are 122,147, 142, 145, 251 - to name just a few.

There are also a handful of 61 - notesynth boards currently on the marketthat are solely designed to mimic aHammond. Less weight and real draw-bars too.

Making Do With What You HaveOK – let’s say the only tool you have atyour disposal on Sunday is your trustyKorg M1, and you’d like to utilize what-ever organ patches reside inside. Canyou still get “the sound”? Well, you canget close, but it’s pretty hard to authenti-cally imitate all that goes on in aHammond-Leslie combo. It does takemore effort and playing skill on yourpart, but don’t let it stop you from trying.

Some factory presets require a littletweaking in order to wrest a morerespectable organ sound from them. Areal Hammond does not put out fre-quencies higher than around 6 kHz.Most presets exceed this upper limitand should be addressed as needed.

Disabling the onboard reverb isusually a good idea. Some choruseffects can be finessed to simulate aLeslie on slow and fast speeds but besure to examine its presence in the totalband mix to ensure that it sounds goodthere, too.

A keyboard volume pedal is anabsolute must. The expression pedal on

organics:

Companion songbooksavailable for each set

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

4

Check it out today at

In celebration of 25 years of Vineyard worship, the top 100 most influential worship songs birthed fromthe Vineyard movement to the church worldwide are now available in one dynamic collector’s series.

Seasons Of Worship is a long awaited documentation of the rich worship history of the Vineyard church. Thiswill prove to be a must-have musical library and worship experience for worshipers of all ages. Each 25-songdouble-CD release is enhanced with valuable worship resources including printable chord charts and overheadmasters, along with in-depth song stories and more!

Many of the songs in these four double-CD sets are re-released for the first time in many years. Seasons OfWorship is a valuable resource for those nostalgic for classic Vineyard worship as well as introducing intimateworship to a new generation of worshipers hungry for the presence of the Lord.

The roster of songwriters and worship leaders include beloved favorites John Wimber, Eddie Espinosa, AndyPark, Brian Doerksen, David Ruis, Scott Underwood, Cindy Rethmeier, Danny Daniels, Casey Corum, KathrynScott and Brenton Brown.

Worship1977 – 2002

Of

Worship a Hammond can go from zero output tofull tilt boogie in about 60 degrees oftravel. Effective organ playing milksthis dynamic range for all its worth andyou can’t control it well enough withjust your left hand and the master vol-ume slider on a synth.

Most synth organ patches work easilyin the context of energetic celebrationsongs. I’ve had limited success usingthem during gentler legato pieces,mainly because my playing style reliesheavily on a slowly stirring Leslie. Yourmileage may vary here though.

R E G A N B U L L

Regan is a worship leader, keyboard player andorgan aficionado at the Cambridge Vineyard inOntario, Canada. He has played keyboard on anumber of Vineyard Music recordings, includingHealing In Your Wings and Winds of Worship® #15 –Live From Canada. He and his wife Tammy live withtheir three children in Cambridge.

Seasons

songwriters’ corner14

I N S I D E W O R S H I P

What Else RhymesB Y G R A H A M O R D

G R A H A M O R D

Graham began writing and performing songs as a teen inEngland. After a radical conversion to Christianity in 1982, here-directed the focus of his music to enable him to share hisnewfound faith. He now works as a full-time musician based outof Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and his songs are on anumber of Vineyard Music recordings. He is happily marriedwith five children.

He died on a tree when he was 33 to set me free, oh yippee

With Me?“He died on a tree when he was 33 to set me free,oh yippee!” If this is a line from one of your songsthen I apologize for not including the correctCCLI number! But seriously, how do we get awayfrom using cliché, pat phrases in our worshipsongs while maintaining accurate theology?

Have you noticed how new lovers get to knoweach another through the letters they write oneanother? When we write down our feelings we areoften more careful about the words we use toexpress ourselves. Our worship songs can be seenas “love letters” that we sing to God – isn’t it fittingthen that these “love letters” are written carefullytoo?

Timeless Truth And Relevant Words It is said“Show me a church’s songbook and I’ll tell youthat church’s doctrine.” The early hymn writersunderstood this and wrote songs that served toteach sound Christian doctrine to a mostly illiter-ate populace, while also conveying the majesty ofGod through beautiful poetry and melody. Mostpeople today are largely ignorant of biblical con-cepts, so it remains vital for us to write songs that

depict biblical truth using inclusive modern wordpictures that relate to 21st century people.

Know Your Bible, Know Your Language A goodknowledge of the Bible is vital in writing songs forworship, but I encourage you also to develop alove for language, and to learn the art of blendingaccurate theology with original poetic lyrics. Taketime over your songs, remembering that they arerarely finished the first time you commit pen topaper. Ask yourself “Could I say this differently?”“Is this really true?” “Could this be more poetic?”or conversely “Is it too flowery?” Remember thatcongregational songs need to be accessible to themajority of the people in the church and not justthe “artistic” ones.

Widen Your Vocabulary Along with a good instru-ment, I suggest that you invest in a thesaurus, adictionary and a good systematic theology book.These tools will help you to research new ways ofexpressing theological concepts so as to draw yourcommunity into worshiping the Author of alltruth and the Giver of all beauty.

FREE TO FLY

3Enhanced CD features chord charts, overhead masters,photo gallery and more!

Free To Fly Songbook includes arrangements for piano &vocal, guitar chord charts, plus guitar & bass tablature

Check it out today at

Worship from the church for the church!12 new inspiring and engaging worship songsbirthed out of the North Langley Vineyard nearVancouver, Canada.

f

Experience the freedom that only Hecan give, be Free To Fly.

Featuring worship leaders Andy Parkand Brian Thiessen.

f

letters to a young worship leader

bold’s fold

on talking during the set. Let the songs speakfor themselves, and for the congregation (i.e. let the songs saywhat everyone wants to say to God). Maybe start worshipwith a scripture, or a word of encouragement, but then avoidlong prayers/monologues between songs and long prophet-ic/musical meanderings.

It's a balance we must learn – to get in the way at the fewright moments, and get out of the way most of the time. Don'tuse your words to make you feel secure during worship. Relyon God for your security, and let the congregation worshipHim without constant distraction/direction. Often ourmouths are moving in between songs less for the congrega-tion’s blessing, and more from our own insecurity.

Remember, be confident and humble with the team andwith the congregation. As it was put to me, confidence with-out arrogance, humility without apology. I have tremendousconfidence in you, and I'm looking forward to all God hasahead for you.

During the Set

(Letters To A Young Worship Leader are actual notes ofencouragement from experienced worship leaders to thosethey mentor. For more, visit us on our Web site atwww.vineyardmusic.com)

Talking

C

Used by permission. Visit www.boldsfold.com for more zany fun with church-ianity

One more note

f

( H O M E A G A I N )

E v e r y t o n g u e , e v e r y t r i b e a n d e v e r y n a t i o n .

an enhanced CD every 4 months with new songs from Vineyard Music around the world!

Songbook containing Sheet Music, Chord Charts and Overhead Masters for all of the songs!

Our newest edition of INSIDE WORSHIP magazine,containing practical and inspiring articles related to worship and worship leading, interviews and much more!

a free Vineyard CD when you sign up!

great new worship songs

>

>

>

>

Automatically receive a CD weeks ahead ofretail, and save money too!

Get equipped with

PLUS

All at a huge savings off retail!

club!jointhe

Receive a FREE Vineyard CD of your choice when you join Club Vineyard!

Join Club Vineyard today and receive our best releases from around the world at incredible savings off retail!We will bring you fresh music from the nations of the world where God is moving and inspiring wonderful new praise and worship songs.

Club Vineyard Basicor

To order through your nearest Vineyard Music store visit

Receive special offers on WorshipResources and other products!

Automatically receive