Bible Songs Project

Yesterday I decided to start writing songs more regularly and deliberately to help me remember what I am learning in the Bible. Below are a couple of songs I've written already, one on Psalm 90:12, and the other on James 3:13-18. I'd be interested to see what you think. The main reason behind writing these is that I have to take a comprehensive Bible exam to finish seminary, and I just don't remember everything I learned in my Bible classes. It's all I can do to remember something I read, but when it comes to songs, it's all I can do to NOT remember something I sing. The project songs are going to be simple, and hopefully useful. The project will take a long time even if I write just one song for 66 books, but I plan to write more than that. There's just so much in the Scriptures I need to hide in my heart.

If you have any interest or suggestions, let me know. I may post a widget similar to the one below on the side bar so you can check it whenever.

Just so you know, as I wrote in the previous post, I'm reading the ESV Study Bible, and doing it systematically following the reading plan in the back. Pray that God will bless my time in his word and that the fruit of that time will be seen in my life and in these songs.



Here are the songs lyrics:

James 3:13-18
Oh who is wise,
And who has understanding?
Then let him live
A gentle life of goodness.

But jealousy
And selfish drive
Do not come down from above;
Such earthly things
Are unspiritual -
Just what the demons love.

But the wisdom of heaven
Is first of all, pure,
Loving peace
Gentle at all time,
Open to reason,
Full of mercy and good fruits,
Impartial and sincere.


Psalm 90:12
Teach us to number our days,
Give us a heart of wisdom;
Teach us to number our days
That we may be wise.

Ten Reasons Why I Appreciate the ESV Study Bible | Worship Matters

In Bob Kauflin's blog post - Ten Reasons Why I Appreciate the ESV Study Bible - he says:

The better (i.e., the more accurately) we know God through his Word, the more genuine our worship will be. In fact, the moment we veer from what is true about God, we’re engaging in idolatry. We can’t lead people to worship a God we don’t know very well.

Wow.

I have been using the ESV Study Bible as well, and have found it to be indispensable for my growth in love and understanding for the Word of God. In addition to the ten reasons Bob appreciates the ESV Study Bible, I especially love the occasional Hebrew lesson found in the footnotes. Often, the authors of Scripture (under the inspiration of the supreme Author) write with such nuance that only the original language can manifest, which also makes the story read more poetical.

Bob says,

The only negative comment I’d make at this point is that the Bible is so big it’s hard to imagine carrying it around a lot. Unless I also want to use it as part of my exercise program.

The ESVSB is weighty, but there's something satisfying (to me) about carrying it around. I like having it at church where I can see what the notes are saying while the pastor is preaching. Not to see where he may be wrong, but to help me go deeper by reading little tidbits of information that surely were part of his sermon preparation, but not in his actual message.

Parke Cottrell video

Well, if you've read the interview below you may be wanting to hear a little of Parke in action. If so, here he is! What an honor it is for me to be able to play almost every week with this amazingly talented young man.

Parke Cottrell Interview Part 3

The continuation of our conversation...

parkeinterviewpart3.mp3

Parke Cottrell Interview Part 2

Parke and I continue...

parkeinterviewpart2.mp3

Parke Cottrell Interview Part 1

Last night I had the privilege of interviewing my friend Parke Cottrell. Over the next week I'll be posting our conversation in three parts. The reason for posting the interview is my desire for more people to get to know this talented guy. Parke recently recorded his first CD, "Wake Up and Wake Up", which I was able to hear in his car before sitting down at Starbucks' patio to chat.

The album is labeled on his band's MySpace page as alternative/indie/rock, but under the production skills of Chad Robison the album evades all classification. Listening to one song makes me daydream that I'm skateboarding back in the 80s, while another song summons the spirit of John Mayer. Textually, I felt like I could be listening to something of a indie-rock opera. There's a lot of unabashed, unapologetic, heart on the sleeve music here. And I love it, probably because I know the dude who wrote it, and I know he's the real thing.

With its tasty arrangements, musical prowess, and pleasingly unpredictable melodies, this album will find steady rotation on many an iPod once it becomes available.

Parke's band is called The Brotherhood, and is made up of some young guys with steady chops. Visit their MySpace page. And if they show up near you, go see them.

parkeinterviewpart1.mp3

Interview with Matt Casada #3

The nice things about these interviews is that they are short and don't demand that you sit for an hour to a conversation you're not in. They all last 8 to 12 minutes.

In this conversation Matt and I talk about song faves, the contrasting habits we have made of looking at certain people while we are leading worship, and conflict in the church and on the team. We also deal with the questions like, Should worship be fun? And, Is worship outreach or upreach? Finally, we talk about the worship leader as a peacemaker.

mattsinterview2.2.mp3

Interview with Brandon Wells

Brandon Wells is one of my best friends in the whole world. He leads worship at New City Presbyterian in South Florida, where another long time friend, Tullian Tchividjian, pastors. Brandon has been at New City, an approx 6-yr old church, for about 5 years now. In that short time the church has grown to 500+ regular worshipers.

Early in his ministry there he recorded a CD entitled "Songs from the City", which is described on their website as "a collection of several of the beloved hymns and choruses dear to our church in its formative years." The CD, on which Brandon is joined by other New City musicians as well as his beautifully gifted vocalist wife, Nicole, is available for $5 at their online store. It is a great CD. It has been on rotation at our house and in our cars since it came out in 2003.

Other than that, Brandon loves soccer and is kind of a coffee snob. He also strives to write good songs for worship. He and I wrote one earlier this year called "I See the Cross." You can hear a rough practice version of it here.

In this interview, Brandon shares his answers to some of the same questions I previously asked Matt Casada, Director of Rejoice! Worship Ministries at Cedar Springs. Brandon's answers are thoughtful and thought-provoking.

Enjoy!

interview_with_brandon.mp3

Interview with Matt Casada #2

Following up on our conversation a week ago, Matt and talk about books, song choice, and reforming worship, which Matt with deep insight says must start with the reformation of the heart.

mattsinterview2.1.mp3

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Now that we can't afford bulletins....

Hey, for all you Cedar Springers out there, I know the sudden absence of our Sunday bulletins may have annoyed you last week. Fortunately, there is a place online you can run to every week where you can download your own bulletin, allowing you to both prepare for worship and bring your own bulletin to church.

Just go to cspc.net/worship and there you'll find the following image.



Just click on "Sunday Order of Service", and a PDF of this week's program will open. Just print and worship. (OK, that sounds like a lame commercial.)

Thanks for your help and understanding as we search for ways great and small to save moola around the church. (You should see the east wing, everyone working with no lights on and under duress from the fact that facilities manager Rod Gossage raised the overall temperature of the church just 2 degrees!)

Blessings,
West

John Frame, Contemporary Worship Music

Last week I was asked if there is a book that analyzes modern music the way that classical music has. The question was part of a conversation centered on the validity of certain musical styles for worship. Although I still can't think of a book that dissects and analyzes modern music--the closest I know about are books on modern songwriting, per se--I do know of a book that makes a sound scriptural case for using modern pop music in worship: John Frame's Contemporary Worship Music--A Biblical Defense.

Frame was a professor of mine when I was at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Fl. He's an accomplished theologian and tireless author. He is also very fair in dealing with those he disagrees with. In CWM he reviews Marva Dawn's Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down and the writings of other current theologians who stand firmly against the use of modern musical (read: "pop") idioms in worship, like D.G. Hart.

Frame is a classically trained musician, and I think prefers this style over against most others. But his bottom line is sola Scriptura. In fact the final paragraph in the chapter on quality, Frame says:

My concluding message for both advocates and critics of CWM is this: back to the Bible; sola Scriptura. If our major concern in worship is to follow Scripture, then we will be saved from both sterile traditionalism and unedifying innovation.

The book is very helpful for pastors and worship leaders who are experiencing the pains that change in musical expression in worship inevitably brings. Chapter 2, entitled "A Theology of Worship: Some Basics" is especially important for leaders in the church.

CWM, along with Frame's In Spirit and Truth, are must reads. Thankfully, they are both thorough without being technical.

Interview with Matt Casada

This morning Matt Casada, Director of Cedar Springs' Rejoice! Worship Ministries, and I sat down for about 20 minutes to discuss his role as a worship leader, the role of our bodies & feelings in worship, culture, and his recent experience as the speaker at our middle school camp. As is always the case with Matt, it was a wonderful conversation. We will definitely do a follow up. Thanks Matt!

Mattsinterview.mp3

Transposr.com

Planning Center Online has just brought a very helpful and free device to the internet - an online transposer that will upload any MP3, transpose it to the key you desire, and let you download it from there.

It's called transposr.com (sic).

I tried it with one of my songs - Pride - which is in G, and modulated it to C. It sounded like I was on helium of course, but that's to be expected. The turn around was less than a minute. The quality was not all that great, but if you're looking for a way to learn or practice a song in just the right key, this is the way to do it versus spending hundreds on a personal transposer.

Also, for some reason, the website asks what key the original is in, not just what key you want it in. So you'll have to be able to figure that out on your own.

It can also transpose chord charts, but I haven't tried that. I don't use chord charts anyway, I strictly use lead sheets - but that's another story.

Blessings,
West

Stephen & Mariciel Ballast

Today I have the privilege of welcoming to our staff Stephen Ballast. He and his wife, Mariciel, just arrived from Chicago last night, and Stephen has hit the ground running. We have had a number of sound and lighting technical coordinators in the past, but Stephen is our first Technical Director. There are four main areas that Stephen will focus on:

• Live audio mixing and recording of worship services, etc.
  
• Creative lighting to nuance different segments of worship services
  
• Video production for mission moments, testimonies, etc.
  
• Multimedia - announcements, lyrics, still & motion backgrounds for lyrics, etc.

For examples of the above, visit his blog at ballastmedia.com.

Stephen was raised in the Philippines, the son of missionaries. Mariciel is Filipino by birth, and has only lived in the states for 8 years. She has a beautiful voice, which you can hear below. They are expecting their first child December 20! (You can sort of see evidence of said pregnancy in the video.)



If you get a chance, welcome Stephen and Mariciel to our community and church.

You can contact him at s t e p h e n b a l l a s t @ c s p c . n e t

Stephen & Mariciel, we are so glad to have you here!

3 Ways Singing Serves the Word :: Desiring God

3 Ways Singing Serves the Word :: Desiring God