Anthony Coppedge and Greg Atkinson just released, in my opinion, one of the most informative and important podcasts that a church could ever hear.
It’s a podcast on the legal issues of using all sorts of types of media within the church framework (in the service, outside the service, on the internet) and you can find it here. I highly recommend listening.
*Also, I’ve been beginning to listen to the Geeks and God podcast, and it’s great. They have a dynamic website as well.
A very common situation I see often in working with musicians is that they get a little bit nervous whenever I ask them to just “chord” a hymn by looking at the hymn’s music. While this seems daunting to some, I’d love to give you a few simple tips on how to do it. I’ll also talk about the drawbacks to doing this as well. (This post assumes you have a good grasp of basic music theory. If you don’t, I would suggest visiting here.)
Most of the time, these will be the chords on the downbeat of a measure. Because hymns tended to have very complex, moving, four-part harmony, the downbeat was usually where the major chords fell. If only the downbeat doesn’t sound quite right, look for the chord on beat three (if it’s written in 4/4) or beat four (if it’s written in 6/8) next.
Find all of the major chords that are needed for the melody to sound correct. Once you determine a chord, pencil it in. Most of the time, you can rely on the soprano and alto lines to determine your chords, but….
If you are unsure of what the chord is, check out the bass note. Most times this note will give you the last piece of the puzzle you need to figure out the chord. However, this can be deceiving to people who aren’t as familiar with music theory. Don’t use the bass note as your sole determination for the chord.
One of the greatest things about hymns is their use of inversions (a different way to play the same chord) in the music. Many times, there will be a D chord on top with an F# in the bass, making this a first inversion D chord, and usually leading to a chord with a G on the bottom. Take advantage of these ‘out of place’ bass notes. They make the chord structure much more interesting! And don’t forget to write inversions out on the chord sheet. If you have a first inversion D chord, make sure it’s written D/F# so the bass player knows to play an F# on the bottom.
So, once you’ve figured out the major chords, and the major bass notes that go with each chord, you have an instant chord chart for this hymn!
The one major drawback to this method of scaling down the notes of hymns and making them a bit more modern is that the harmonies will sometimes end up changing. So, either you’re going to have to write out some new harmonies for those singers whose ears aren’t as developed, or you’re going to have to trust that your singers will find these new harmonies.
Sometimes the modern harmonies might throw off the congregation as well, so do this technique with a lot of wisdom and discernment! Let me know if you have success in this area.
What ideas do you have for making hymns more modern?
We’ve all struggled with the thoughts about whether or not as worship leaders we’re “performing” or not. At least I have. Especially in a contemporary worship-driven culture where we use modern musical styles and try to have the most excellent music and services that we can, it’s hard not to think of ourselves as performers. Then, when people claim that the music has become a performance, we claim that we’re performing for our audience of One: God.
I’ve gone back and forth on this issue forever, and I’d love some feedback on this. Sally Morgenthaler wrote a book called, “Worship Evangelism,” which I notice that one of the worship leaders from a large, well-known church in the blogosphere has on his recommended reading list in an interview. Well, the problem is that Sally Morgenthaler has now rethought her teaching from this book and seems to be questioning the very thing that people are jumping on the bandwagon to accomplish. In regards to using worship services as a tool to reach the lost, a colleague said this to her:
“If a contemporary worship service is the best witnessing tool in the box, then why give a rip about what goes on outside the worship center? If unbelievers are coming through the doors to check us Christians out, and if they’ll fall at Jesus’ feet after they listen to us croon worship songs and watch us sway back and forth, well then, a whole lot of churches are just going to say, ‘Sign us up!’” (may/june REV! pg 48)
That is a very good point. Sally goes on to say in the article,
“Were these worship-driven churches really attracting the unchurched? Most of their pastors truly believed they were. And in a few cases, they were right. The worship in their congregations was inclusive, and their people were working hard to meet the needs of the neighborhood. Yet those churches whose emphasis was dual–celebrated worship inside, lived worship outside–were in the minority.” (may/june REV! pg 49)
It does indeed seem like we have poorly equated the word, ‘worship’ with the time that we spend in church on Sunday morning (or evening, or Saturday evening). What did happen to Paul’s words when he mandated us to “present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Do we sacrifice ourselves daily for the needs of others, especially for those of the unchurched; people who don’t know Jesus? If we were in the very physical presence of God Himself, would we want to “perform” for an audience of one? Or would we be terrified because of His holiness and because His blood allows us to be in His presence without death?
So, my struggle is this. Is using modern styles and the latest technology being “conformed to this world?” I don’t think so, but I do wonder.
Hopefully, if we do believe that modern “worship” is acceptable, we will never lose sight of the need to die to self and to love others greater than ourselves. We will never lose sight of sharing our faith with the lost, even when it’s terrifying or discouraging. We will be able to worship God with our entire lives and each be able to say, “I am an offering. I put aside my desires and desire to see You, Jesus, known above all.”
What do you think?
Lots of thoughts running through my mind right now as I prepare for a small workshop to help boost the confidence of the musicians at my current church before I leave. The most pressing on my mind right now is this one:
How can we lead others into God’s presence if we haven’t been there ourselves?
Last night I led worship for a small gathering and the leader said that I would be “leading…(them)…into God’s presence tonight.” I thought…wow, you know what? I haven’t really been in God’s presence today.
How can we lead worship when we don’t spend time in worship daily?
How can we lead worship when we are chasing after other things besides God?
Man…I need to be in His presence more than ever.
