In our Essentials Red Course, we had a creative project, and I chose to write a song, because that is the direction that my heart has been calling me for years, but I have been neglecting it.
This course taught me so much, and I am very thankful to have taken it. The song I wrote, simply called "Make You Glad" and it was written out of Psalm 45. This Psalm has always been on my heart and I love the rich phrasing such as, "My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." I feel that this song calls out to the prophetic voice inside of us. If we are truly connected to Him, the music should be overflowing out of us.
I began to think of the many ways we can please our God, but mainly the two ways that much of the church fears doing in their own way, which is singing and dancing. I have found that the most rich prayer I have ever had has been the prayers that I have SUNG. No rhyme, no real thought put into a chord structure...just singing prayers. I think we need to find a new freedom in our music and our prayer and how we show Him our adoration. He is the King of all, the Uncreated One! How can we just stand when we are in His presence?
One of the things I struggled with was writing from scripture. I have a lot of thoughts in my brain of who Jesus is and how He loves me, and the foundation is biblical, but I usually like to write out of my brain, rather than try and fit a scripture to a song. I don't know why I have always struggled wtih that, but I definitely have. So this time, I decided, since I loved Psalm 45 so much, I wanted to try and put my twist on it and make it a worship song. I'm not so sure how well I did, adding my own lyrics in and keeping the theme. I felt like a lot of this was related with the "bridal paradigm" of Jesus (the kimg) and the Church (the beautiful daugher).
I plan on doing this during our corporate worship times at my local church where I lead. Here are the lyrics (click the title for the MP3, on our church's myspace page):
Make You Glad (Psalm 45)
My heart overflows with a pleasing theme
I address my song to the one and only king
Receive my heart, Oh Lord, Receive my song
As the fragrance leaves my lips and rises up to you
My spirit is quickening
The air is thickening
May my music make You glad
As I enter Your throne room
Be pleased with my beauty
As I dance for You
I will usher You in
As You gird Your sword on Your side
Clothed in splendor and majesty
And You will ride out victoriously
With Your heart full of humility
You will display awesome deeds
I wanna dance for you
And a song I will sing
I wanna please you
With a beautiful theme
You are calling out
To Your beautiful bride
And I’m responding
With a song of love
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Changing the Atmosphere Through Light and Sound
For: The Institute of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen's University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt
“All too easily it is assumed that theology can only be done in universities and colleges, and only by those highly expert in certain disciplines – such as modern European philosophy for example…Artistic practices (and reflection on them) have their own distinctive and indispensable role to play in what we might call the ‘ecology’ of theology – the whole gamut of ways in which the wisdom of God comes to be learned and articulated.” [1]
What a fantastic quote! I relate with that so well, because I feel as if I am one of those who is not an expert in many areas. But that is the beauty of the Christian faith; it doesn't matter! He showers his gifts on all mankind, they all just look a little different in their own way.
The visual arts have such power behind them in relaying emotions and bringing past events, current ideas, thought patterns, and so much more to life. I liked the example of Pieta by Michelangelo. There is so much said in that piece of art than any words could ever say. The emotions that Mary must have been feeling in that moment rise up to your throat as you begin to replay the entire crucifixion scene in your mind, seeing Mary at the foot of the cross and seeing her son and her savior be killed before her eyes.
One of the reasons that visual arts are so important is because there is so much in Christianity that is "unseen," yet our minds process everything through images. We don't see God, faith, the Holy Spirit, anointing, etc. Many foundational things in our faith are unseen, which gives artists a blank canvas to place their perceptions of the unseen. I happen to be a person who is very visual, yet not very creative in the visual arts, so when I see a piece of art that speaks to something of the unseen, I hold on to that image and it takes me to a different place in reality.
Now, my favorite form of worship is the art of sound. Instruments, vocals, percussion...MUSIC. Sounds and lyrics can bring a person to a visual place in their mind, giving them what some call "throne room experiences." I think of times when I listen to a worship song and think, "Wow, that is some great revelation. I wish I wrote that!" The particular thought or idea is conveyed in a particular way to bring deep emotions and thoughts to the surface.
When one thinks back on all of the music that has ever been created, we see a pattern of learning and achieving new sounds and themes. I hold the belief that this should be no different in the music of the church. Over the history of Christianity, the musical side of worship has definitely been transformed over and over again.
The thing I notice is there is a recurring theme of the music of the church following the music in the secular world. It has consistently borrowed the popular ideas to help make the music in the church more relevant. Though I'm sure this wasn't always the case, I notice it more today than ever before.
I am longing to see the church tap into the creative thought process that the Lord has gifted us with and write music that points to the very nature of God. In my music, I want to be a carbon-copy of Him, not a carbon copy of the world. The world has no real revelation to offer us, but the Lord has an abundance of things he wants our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts to be open to.
So, all in all, the church needs to be open to the creative process. At Goshen House, all of us feel the tug in our spirits towards creativity in our worship. We know this is a part of our calling, and I'm sure this is why I am so passionate about it.
[1] Jeremy Begbie, Beholding the Glory (London: Dalton, Longman and Todd Ltd., 2000) x.
“All too easily it is assumed that theology can only be done in universities and colleges, and only by those highly expert in certain disciplines – such as modern European philosophy for example…Artistic practices (and reflection on them) have their own distinctive and indispensable role to play in what we might call the ‘ecology’ of theology – the whole gamut of ways in which the wisdom of God comes to be learned and articulated.” [1]
What a fantastic quote! I relate with that so well, because I feel as if I am one of those who is not an expert in many areas. But that is the beauty of the Christian faith; it doesn't matter! He showers his gifts on all mankind, they all just look a little different in their own way.
The visual arts have such power behind them in relaying emotions and bringing past events, current ideas, thought patterns, and so much more to life. I liked the example of Pieta by Michelangelo. There is so much said in that piece of art than any words could ever say. The emotions that Mary must have been feeling in that moment rise up to your throat as you begin to replay the entire crucifixion scene in your mind, seeing Mary at the foot of the cross and seeing her son and her savior be killed before her eyes.
One of the reasons that visual arts are so important is because there is so much in Christianity that is "unseen," yet our minds process everything through images. We don't see God, faith, the Holy Spirit, anointing, etc. Many foundational things in our faith are unseen, which gives artists a blank canvas to place their perceptions of the unseen. I happen to be a person who is very visual, yet not very creative in the visual arts, so when I see a piece of art that speaks to something of the unseen, I hold on to that image and it takes me to a different place in reality.
Now, my favorite form of worship is the art of sound. Instruments, vocals, percussion...MUSIC. Sounds and lyrics can bring a person to a visual place in their mind, giving them what some call "throne room experiences." I think of times when I listen to a worship song and think, "Wow, that is some great revelation. I wish I wrote that!" The particular thought or idea is conveyed in a particular way to bring deep emotions and thoughts to the surface.
When one thinks back on all of the music that has ever been created, we see a pattern of learning and achieving new sounds and themes. I hold the belief that this should be no different in the music of the church. Over the history of Christianity, the musical side of worship has definitely been transformed over and over again.
The thing I notice is there is a recurring theme of the music of the church following the music in the secular world. It has consistently borrowed the popular ideas to help make the music in the church more relevant. Though I'm sure this wasn't always the case, I notice it more today than ever before.
I am longing to see the church tap into the creative thought process that the Lord has gifted us with and write music that points to the very nature of God. In my music, I want to be a carbon-copy of Him, not a carbon copy of the world. The world has no real revelation to offer us, but the Lord has an abundance of things he wants our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts to be open to.
So, all in all, the church needs to be open to the creative process. At Goshen House, all of us feel the tug in our spirits towards creativity in our worship. We know this is a part of our calling, and I'm sure this is why I am so passionate about it.
[1] Jeremy Begbie, Beholding the Glory (London: Dalton, Longman and Todd Ltd., 2000) x.
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