Worship Experience: Reflections from April 21

I'm a little late getting to this post, but Sunday was an especially draining day physically and we just started revival at the church. Life happens. Ministry happens. And blog posts get pushed back. It's not the end of the world.

Here's this week's Worship Experience!

Sunday Morning Reflections

I need to learn more hymns. Well, it's not that I need to "learn" them per se, I just need to practice, update, and actually sing more of the hymns that I know.

I lead two hymns and I alternate them two every other week. Victory in Jesus (page 120) and We Shall See the King (page 120) are very good songs and we do them well, but I'd really like to mix it up a bit more every now and again.

I love to do hymns in a traditional style, but I'd really love to modernize some hymns and do them on a regular basis.

Worship leaders, how have you done this? How do you stay respectful to the song that many generations grew up singing while updating it to fit the modern mold? I'd love to hear some incite.

Sunday Morning Setlist

• We Shall See the King


• Counting on God


• Let it Rise


• There is a River

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qQos4iEyAo

(Disclaimer: The use of this clip does not in any way equal an endorsement of this ministry. It was the only usable clip of this song and you've gotta admit the spanish subtitles are wicked awesome.)  

 

Sunday Evening Reflections

I knew Break Every Chain was going to be a powerful song for our church in this season when we learned it last year.  The song and the anointing on it in this season has been nothing short of amazing at our church.

As a singer, I know my limitations. I know how high and how creative I can be with my voice under normal circumstances. But "normal circumstances" are out the door when it comes to singing under the anointing. And singing this song under the anointing is a rush physically and spiritually.

I feel the anointing more often than not on stage, but there are times, mainly when my physical body is tired or stressed, that it's much more difficult to get into that anointed flow. Sunday night was not one of those times, even though I was quite tired physically.

During the song, I felt a strong unction that God was breaking chains of intimidation off of someone in the church. I spoke that word and have since received confirmation that those specific chains were indeed broken during the worship service.

That's the power of worship. It's not a song, or a style, or a singer. It's God rushing into an atmosphere that is saturated with His praise. As Hebrews 2:12 says, Jesus, our brother, even proclaims the name of God in the midst of a worshiping congregation.

According to that Hebrews reference, in an atmosphere that welcomes His presence, Jesus walks among those engaged in worship and literally speaks the names of God into our spirit.

Do you need a healing? Worship and He'll speak Jehovah Rapha. Are you stuck in a financial bind? Worship and He'll speak Jehovah Jireh. Are you battling a spirit of intimidation? Worship and He'll speak Jehovah Nissi.

There is incredible power in your outward expression of worship.

How has God used you in a worship service? Have you felt His presence and left the building changed after a time of intense worship and praise?

Sunday Evening Setlist

• Super Victorious


• This is how we overcome


• I Am


• Break Every Chain

Worship Experience: Reflections from April 14

Sunday Morning Reflections

Ah, Hymns of the Spirit. When the old regular red back won't do, there's always Hymns of the Spirit. I have fond memories of singing from the songbook, which coincidentally is also red. I have seen the book in green as well, but I digress.

My memories of Hymns of the Spirit come from our time at the Boynton Church of God over two decades ago. I was young, quite young in fact, but when I hear songs like "I'm Glad He Lifted Me Out" and the classic "I'd Tell the World" my mind automatically shoots back to the early 90's when we'd sing those songs over and over and over again.

When I heard my mom singing "Come and Dine" this morning as Sunday School was dismissed (Yes, we still have Sunday School. And don't judge. Sunday School is only a slightly less hip way of saying 'Small Groups'.), I just had to ask her to lead it as our first song of the morning.

Despite the blank stares from many members of the praise team who couldn't quite recollect the song from deep inside their inner hymnal memory vault, we sang the song to a fairly good response.

I felt the spirit in the song and I thought it was the perfect opener for a Sunday morning.

Sunday Morning Set-List

• Come & Dine


• Promises One by One


• Can't Nobody


• Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

 

Sunday Evening Reflections

As a member of the Church of God, I've had to refrain from learning, partaking in, or otherwise orchestrating non-spirit-led choreographic routines in our worship services. That is, until we learned Deep Cries Out by Bethel Worship.

Granted, there's not a ton of choreography that goes with the song, but we move to the left and move to the right a few times in the song. Not quite Electric Shuffle level, but close.

Truth is, I love the song. Our young people love the song. And I'm pretty sure the worship team loves the song. So, we do the song.

We learned a new song in practice as well. "We Give You Glory, Glory" by Bryn Waddell went over really well during the service. The band and I sang this song as a special because we haven't practiced it with the vocalists yet. Needless to say, I cannot wait till this one is ready to sing in worship.

http://vimeo.com/36834913

Sunday Evening Set-List

• Friend of God


• Deep Cries Out


• Heaven on Earth

 

Worship leaders, how was your worship experience Sunday? Have you learned anything new recently? Do you do hymns anymore? Have any recollections of past hymns and worship services? Come on and share in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Worship Experience: Reflections from Sunday, April 7

Worship Experience will be a weekly post at joelabarker.com. As a worship leader, I want to share with others what God is doing in my church with the worship team.

My hope is that "Worship Experience" will become a hub of sorts for worship leaders everywhere to share their Sunday experiences, set lists, service recaps, etc.

Now, for this week's Worship Experience.

Worship Experience: April 7

Sunday Morning Reflections

Ever get that feeling that half the congregation stayed up way too late on Saturday night? Yeah, thought so. I get it every week, too.

But that's part of the burden and the joy of being a worship leader. You start out cold and tired and by the time you hit the final note, people are really expressing their love and emotionally lifting up their Savior.

This Sunday was no different. And, as usual, by the time "How Great is our God" ended, our folks were there, in that wonderful, service-tone setting, atmosphere of worship.

No matter how many times that song is sung or how much weight is added to Chris Tomlin's wallet when we sing it, there's almost a ready-made atmosphere of worship by the time we finish up.

Sunday Morning Set-List

• Victory in Jesus


• Promises


• How Great is our God

Sunday Evening Reflections

Sunday evening services are almost always polar opposites of Sunday morning. Folks have had a chance to eat, rest, and reflect on Sunday morning for a while.

The atmosphere of worship is usually set before the worship team even begins its first song on Sunday evening. Our service starter, Missy Tallent, usually prays down an atmosphere before I even get the mic.

Those are the fun services. We, as the worship team, can just step right in and flow.

On Sunday evening, we started off with "Break Every Chain" because the flow was already moving that way.

Typically, I follow the Worship Leader Manual by starting off with a fast song (I have no idea if such a manual exists, but I imagine if it does the first chapter contains only the words "OPEN WITH A FAST SONG"), but sometimes—usually on a Sunday evening service—there's no need to get folks pepped up with a one of those mind numbingly-clap-on-the-off-beat-to-feel-the-Spirit kind of songs.

So, we moved the fast song all the way down to No. 2 on the list.

The song that really resonated was Israel Houghton's "Your Presence is Heaven to Me." God has used that song incredibly in this current season we are in at Joyful Sound Church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMgGExYzzYI

 

Sunday Evening Set-List

• Break Every Chain


• Oh Happy Day


• Show Me Your Glory


• Your Presence is Heaven to Me

How did you feel about your Sunday worship service(s)? What songs are you singing in this season? How does the congregation react when/if you go against The Manual? Do you even care about The Manual?

 

I lead worship at the Joyful Sound Church in Chattanooga, TN.