When a loudspeaker vibrates, it pushes the air around it in a specific way so as to give it frequency and amplitude.  When you “hear” music, it’s because the air in the room is moving and oscillating around you.  Your ears pick up the movement in the air and your brain tells you about it through some cryptic electronic pulses, right?  That’s not what it feels like, though.  Something in your spirit moves and churns as the music moves through you and inside you, giving you a feeling.  If this were not true there would be no “music”, only noise.

I wonder sometimes if our worship is like this to God.  If it’s noise and not music. We spend a lot of time on our tone and our technique to make a sound that pleases our ears.  We then put a catchy melody over it and sing it to our friends at church.  We call this our “worship”.  At the end of the service, after the message, you’ll hear the speaker commonly say  something like “I’d like to invite the band up to lead us in worship as I close in prayer.”  What does that even mean?  

Apparently I lead worship now for a college church of 250-300 kids.  This is a recent development in my life and I’m pumped about it, but I don’t know if what I bring to the table as far as a “worship leader” is what these people need.  To me music is still a sound.  I still give music an absolute value based on how much my spirit likes it when it comes into my brain through my ear canals.  I guess everyone does that.  

Singing is still new to me.  I have this fakey push-the-high-end style of singing that shows I’ve never had training.  My pitch is unstable and I think I’m probably hard to sing with.  I get nice compliment after nice compliment on my singing every week after service, and I just want to look at these gracious people and say “You’re really nice, thank you.  But seriously I have no idea what I’m doing.  I play drums.”  I cannot wait to get to a place where I sing from my heart to God like I’m looking right at him.  Like it’s something that will make my insides collapse if I don’t do it.  I want people to read that desperation on my face and in my voice and I want them to follow me and belt it out like they mean it, to a God who really meant it when he gave his life.  That’s what I think a “worship leader” does.

I don’t want the sound I push into the diaphragm of a microphone, though a maze of cables, and into the air through some muddy JBL’s to be a noise to people.  I don’t even want it to be a “good”sound.  I want it to pierce into hearts and move minds out of complacency.  I want it go right through my friends and into their spirits, causing them to cry out to the God who is mighty to save.  I want it to be a wonderful listening experience, yes, but I am more concerned about it reaching that soft place in them that is full of gratitude and compassion, causing them to worship right into God’s own ears.

Singing along mindlessly to a worship song is noise, don’t do that anymore

Crying out from your heart in desperation and thankfulness is worshiping God.  

I pray all the time that I, as some new worship leader, will cause the second to happen inside my friends.  I want anthems of praise to our God to ring in our heads for days and days, mechanically bringing up feelings of adoration and thankfulness even long after the set is over.  For my inheritance Lord, help me lead your people into a beautiful romance with you through a clever, creative soundtrack of praise.

My blogging has been lacking at best lately.  All I’ve got for you tonight is a list of fantastic music I’ve been listening to lately.  The list is album, band. 

1. “On Your Side” by Magnet
2. “Oracular Spectacular” by MGMT
3. “Your Love Never Fails” by Chris Quilala, Kim Walker, and Melissa How 
4. “Catch For Us The Foxes” by mewithoutYou
5. “Close To Paradise” by Patrick Watson
6. “Fall” EP by Jon Foreman

This is the music that’s provided the soundtrack to the last couple weeks.  ”Your Love Never Fails” might be one of the most sincere, moving, and most creative worship albums I’ve heard.  Kim Walker is amazing and her music gives me chills.

Today feels good. My life is uncertain at best, but peace is all over.

He is jealous for me. His love’s like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath the waves of his wind and mercy. And all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory. And I realize just how beautiful you are and how great your affections are for me.

It feels good to say it and mean it. Get excited about that. Sing that to yourself. Bless the Lord.

I was inspired to write this because of Tiff’s new tattoo that says “Oh How He Loves Us”. It’s really cool and you should ask her about it. I am inspired today. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness oh God!