The Art of Worship a Musicians Guide to Leading Modern Worship
Volume Review – The Art of Worship
Last week I had the privilege of speaking and leading worship at the Calvin Worship Symposium in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Why I chose to become to Michigan in Jan is a question I still haven't answered.
On Thursday, I taught an all-twenty-four hours seminar called Musical Arranging for God's Glory. I shared thoughts not only on ways we can adapt music, but suggested iii biblical reasons behind the choices we make: to serve the give-and-take of Christ, to serve the context, and to serve the congregation. Hosting me that day was a admirer named Greg Scheer, whose book, The Art of Worship: A Musician's Guide to Leading Modernistic Worship has recently been published by Bakery. I had started reading Greg's book a few weeks earlier, and was delighted I was going to run across him. I wanted to personally thank him for writing what I think is one of the best practical guides for those who lead congregational worship with a ring. Here'southward my review.
Greg states in the Introduction that he doesn't want to convince traditional musicians to defect into the contemporary military camp. He's not out to "convert" but to serve. He wants to "enable church musicians of all kinds to ameliorate understand 1 of the dominant musical languages of modern worship, to be thoroughly equipped to lead that way, and to foster advice among the musicians of the church of Jesus Christ" (p. 12). He has done but that, and done it extremely well.
Greg never wastes the reader's time. Every paragraph is purposeful, helpful, and based on years of feel. He too recommends numerous resources throughout. The first affiliate addresses reasons why a church might determine to use a more than contemporary music way and how to go about it. It'southward filled with pastoral wisdom. Chapter 2, "Assembling the Team," contains the almost comprehensive and helpful material I've seen on conducting music auditions, or interviews. The 3rd chapter, "Building Repertoire," provides many helpful categories for evaluating songs, and also highlights the different strengths of hymns and contemporary worship songs.
In Affiliate 4, "Planning Worship," he shares principles that can be applied in liturgical, thematic, or free-flowing worship settings. Again, he offers many practical, curtailed ways to think about a service. His section on modulations volition help anyone who has wondered how to change keys skillfully. Affiliate v, "Making Music," is the longest chapter, and rightly so. He takes time to spell out the purpose and usefulness of every instrument in the modern worship band, starting with the vocals, and moving on to the rhythm department and various solo and orchestral instruments. He makes information technology clear that the instruments should support the sound of the congregation, simply encourages using them to the fullest for that purpose. Any church music team that suffers from muddiness, overplaying, or poor arranging would do good from conscientious study and application of this chapter. He as well shares specific thoughts with sound engineers on how to make individual instruments sound best in a band context.
Chapter 6, "Timeless Hymns in a Gimmicky Context," briefly addresses the how and why of updating hymns. While communicating a deep respect for two thousand years of hymnody, Greg also realizes that, "if we care near the great hymns of our faith, we need to find ways of building bridges between former hymns and new worship contexts" (p. 182). He encourages a thorough knowledge of a hymn's lyric, melody, harmony, and purpose before changing it, and offers practical ideas on how to exercise so.
The volume finishes out with two chapters on "Rehearsing and Leading" and "Looking to the Future." Both are filled with specific, clear, practical counsel. In addition to Spirit-led planning, he as well encourages an ongoing dependence on God's Spirit during the meeting. "This may mean repeating a song more times than you lot had anticipated, irresolute your funky arrangement of a vocal into a slow ballad, or even choosing a unlike song on the spot" (p. 210). Wise counsel. I institute his thoughts on rehearsals very thorough, just wished his section on vocal leading was filled out and more theologically driven.
I had just a few quibbles with the book. Greg states that "in a very existent way, music mediates the worshiper's experience of God in the Praise & Worship context" (p. 212). I'm uncomfortable referring to anything other than Jesus equally a mediator between usa and God, and information technology seems what we often recollect is an experience of God is actually an feel of music. I would besides have appreciated a greater emphasis on theological foundations, the Gospel, and heart issues. But then it would have been a much longer book.
In whatever case, I highly recommend The Art of Worship for whatsoever pastor or corporate worship leader who currently uses or is thinking of using gimmicky music in their service. This volume should be around for a long fourth dimension.
Source: https://worshipmatters.com/2007/01/30/worship-leaders-pastors-book-review-the-art-of-worship/
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