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by Danny Byram | Feb 28, 2020 | christian worship, church, Church Leadership, Leadership, Music & Songwriting, pastor, wallpaper worship, Worship, worship songs, worshipleader, worshipmusic
If you’re thinking “Oh brother! Here we go…another legalistic churchy rule,” stay with me. It’s not. Let’s level the field: if you’re using pop songs in worship, I do not universally condemn it.
When I was on a large church staff with a wide talent pool, I used to perform pop songs periodically and really enjoyed it. It was a thrill to connect a lyrical parallel in a popular song with a sermon and to make the song sound like the recording performed live.
IT CAN WORK
One of my most effective experiences was when our pastor gave a sermon on “God wants you to join Him in His dance.” He used a clip from the Tom Hanks’ 1999 prison movie The Green Mile, in which the condemned prisoner, who happens to be innocent, has eaten his last meal before being executed and is watching his last movie, a 1930s classic with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (For Those of You With No Connection to the Past, acronym FTYWNCP, Fred & Ginger were an acting/dance team that killed it in the ballroom style). The song they danced to, in the scene the prisoner watches, is “Dancing Cheek To Cheek.” (FTYWNCP, check it out on YouTube.) Watching Fred and Ginger, the prisoner says in tears, “This must be heaven. They look like angels…”
Our church’s tradition was to end each sermon with communion while the band played as people went through the line for the elements. For communion music that day we played “Dancing Cheek To Cheek.” People were in tears as they connected the sermon with communion through the song. God was inviting them to “dance with Him” and they did.
SO, IS THERE A PROBLEM?
Consider: We, in the worship music industry, have become so good at live performance (the American church spends $2 billion/year of its budgets on music/theatrical production gear) that often we perform pop songs “just because we know how.” Someone shared with me about a Nirvana song that opened a service at a megachurch. I asked, “Was it related to the sermon or service theme?” “Not that I saw or heard,” he responded. “It was just really cool.”
I have heard and seen performances in worship services of songs by Aerosmith, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and others that are done – a) because the band knows how to and wanted to – b) to invite the unbeliever into an atmosphere that is familiar and non-threatening.
Do we really play to so many un-believers in our local worship service that we feel setting the atmosphere at their level of understanding achieves a worthy goal? If the purpose is to win them to the Gospel, is it working?
Gallup Research conducted a study of churches county by county in the USA, to find out what large and small churches spend ($) to pull off weekend worship services, and the result thereof. The study took into account building/venue costs, salaries of those who are required to execute the weekend productions (pastors, associates, musicians, crew, teachers), printed materials given away, licensing fees for use of song copyrights (CCLI), coffee bars and other related expenses. Add the $2B/year of gear purchased from production retailers. Divide those numbers by how many individuals the churches report who make life-changing commitments to the Gospel as a result of the weekend productions. Gallup’s results are that it costs the church over $1 million to convert one non-believer. If we presented this financial idea on TVs Shark Tank, the investors would pass.
THE IDEA HERE IS NOT TO SHAME US, BUT TO AWAKEN US.
Jesus’ words can guide us as we make decisions on how to musically shepherd our “audience” (aka Jesus’ sheep): “I know my sheep and they know me and hear my voice, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. My sheep will not listen to a hired hand. A hired hand will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him; he runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.” John 10
Why spend our time in service-planning and rehearsals to perform a song that has nothing to do with a sermon or a scriptural theme – because we want to be approved of by people who don’t know the Savior we are trying to “sell” them? What about the sheep of the Shepherd, our congregants – who come to weekend services for spiritual renewal, refreshment and teaching of the word of God? Do unrelatable pop songs – which they hear every day anyway – help meet their needs?
Francis Chan, in his book Letters To The Church said: “People are either awed by the sacred or they are not. We (leaders) have addicted our people to less.”
I quit using pop songs simply because my time leading His sheep is limited, both in the allotted weekend time and in how many weekends I have left on this planet. I choose to play to the sheep and their needs. Non-believers are welcome to come along as the Holy Spirit draws them.
I welcome your comments below. What’s your experience?
by Danny Byram | Jan 27, 2020 | christian worship, christianmusic, church, Church Leadership, Contemporary, Leadership, Music & Songwriting, pastor, praise, wallpaper worship, Worship, worship songs, worshipleader, worshipmusic
The word worship has metamorphosed. It is one of those many words floating around that once had specific meaning but has culturally morphed into new relevance. Other examples: thread, stream, post – you get the idea.
Worship used to be primarily a verb – something we did corporately or privately when we gather into a house of worship. Now it is also a noun, a traded commodity, a multi-billion-dollar industry tied to the entertainment and production-gear retail world, akin to the latest talent reality shows, playing to millions of unnamed, anonymous online fans of worship songs and worship artists. Worship has become its own style of music.
Am I cynical or a realist? Probably both. Before you go off on me with this, first consider the reactions I frequently hear from semi-professional church musicians. They cringe at playing a hymn or any music piece outside the worship model. Yet, many equally cringe with many new songs they are required to memorize. Why the cringing? Musicians will confess – quietly, behind the scenes – the musicality of worship lacks in diversity or musical creativity. In other words, if they are honest, musicians will tell you that as a style of music, worship becomes quickly rote and predictable.
Example: I had to learn the latest 12-15 most popular worship songs for an upcoming conference. I found each song on YouTube and began my rehearsal. Most start with a low synth pad sound, covered in a breathy vocal line. Then follows the rhythmic groove with guitar, bass and drums. Each track has a simple riff (ie, a basic scale pattern meant to be a musical hook played by a lead guitar or piano). Many of these riffs are so similar, it’s difficult to discern which song I am in when I hear it. They are purposely simple so they can be reproduced by volunteer musicians possessing basic skill levels; I get it.
By the middle of the songs, vocalists are full voice, the band is playing the 1-4-6-5 chord progression (or 1-5-6-4, 1-6-5-4 or another variation). There is a full synth pad or guitar distortion pedal sound underlying everything to give a pop power-ballad sound. Eventually most songs will end as they start, finally capped with a cymbal-swell cadence, giving the audience their cue to applaud.
There you have it. Worship is a musical style, a specific sound. To use music outside this model in worship, or an original arrangement of a current song, risks being pegged as out of touch or old school. It assumes congregants will not accept anything other than “the way it sounds on the radio.” Flash: not all congregants listen to “worship radio” which may be why so many simply squint and stare during music segments.
It amazes me how many styles of music are out there, being enjoyed, EXCEPT in church. Watch the Grammy Awards or the Academy Awards show and count how many styles of music are used in these productions: acoustic, jazz, classical, choral, gospel, country, folk, hip hop, alternative, Broadway. There are so many great choices to enjoy, except in worship.
Recently I had a short-lived conversation with a leader of one of the big worship companies (I won’t name the company because you’d know them). I asked him, “What if an oboe or clarinet player came up to you in church and asked how he/she could fit into the worship ministry – what would you say?” His response: “I have no idea.”
“A garden’s beauty never lies in one flower.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo
I am dying to hear comments from anyone experiencing musical creativity in sound, style and execution in your worship services. Are you out there?
by Danny Byram | Oct 30, 2019 | christianmusic, church, Church Leadership, Contemporary, Liturgical, Music & Songwriting, pastor, Traditional, wallpaper worship, Worship, worship songs, worshipleader, worshipmusic
Ever been to a quiet, classy restaurant with your sweetie? White tablecloth – pressed napkins – two candles – rose in a vase. It’s relaxing just imagining it. Your well-dressed waiter appears and gives you the evening’s specials from memory. After taking your wine order, he leaves to allow you to choose your evening meal. You two are taking in the atmosphere: Low lights – smooth jazz in the background – and staring into the eyes of the only person you want to be with, in this setting.
As you begin your long-awaited conversation, the waiter returns to pour your wine and take your entrée order. He disappears and you continue to talk together, alone. The waiter returns to ask for a clarification, which you politely give. He leaves, your conversation resumes.
The waiter returns to repour your water glasses and asks how the wine tastes. You give him a positive nod. He then puts down his water pitcher, pulls up a chair and begins to explain the differences between California wine and Italian wine. He leaves again. You try to resume your conversation only to be interrupted again by the waiter serving the appetizers. He then gives you a full description of where the pigs, used in your bacon-wrapped appetizer, were raised and fed. He leaves. You try to remember where you left your conversation, only to be interrupted again by the delivery of your entrees. This time the waiter doesn’t leave. He sits in the chair he previously pulled up, watches you eat, and gives you factual information of how the chef prepared your meal.
The point of your evening is lost. The interruptions have broken the intimate conversation you came to enjoy.
Worship can be like that.
On Sunday, at church, the musicians have chosen a great set of songs. They tastefully lead you, the worshiper, to a place of intimacy, devotion, and readiness to receive something spiritual. You are poised. You are ready. Like the soft jazz in the restaurant, the keyboardist is padding quietly.
Suddenly, the associate pastor jumps on the stage: “Everybody having a good time? Hey! How many of you have signed up for the All-Church Retreat? Lemme see the hands. Woo-hoo! Also, we need more workers in the nursery. It’s a great way of serving and you’ll be blessed. Sign up in the lobby. And for anyone who’s into communion, make sure you grab a wafer pak in the baskets by the doors at some point during the service. Now give someone a HIGH FIVE!”
I call this WORSHIP INTERRUPTUS. It happens too often.
Back to the restaurant: You came to have a meaningful, intimate experience with the love of your life – only to have it shanghaied by an obnoxious waiter.
Back to the church: You came to have a meaningful, intimate experience with the Love Of Your Life (Jesus Christ), only to have it shanghaied by a leader who fails to understand the importance of FLOW OF SERVICE, PLATFORM ETIQUETTE, INTIMACY VERSUS INTERRUPTUS.
When we as platform leaders take our people to a vertical point in time – a moment of spiritual readiness – and then immediately reverse that moment, we jerk our congregants from vertical to horizontal – from heaven to earth – from God to one another – from one another to an annoying “waiter” on the platform.
This isn’t rocket science. Yet, its frequency is disturbing.
The Apostle Paul admonishes his confused congregants and frustrated leaders at the church in Corinth: “All things should be done decently and in order.” (I Corinthians 14:40) King Solomon understood the bigger picture: “There is a time to weep and a time to dance; a time to keep silent and a time to speak.”
“Oh, I know,” church leaders say. “Where to put the announcements is a constant struggle.” There are many solutions to this problem and one size does not fit all. But wherever we put announcements, we must not lose sight of the larger purpose of our gathering: to lead the sheep to the living water, so they can actually drink it.
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3
by Danny Byram | Oct 2, 2019 | christian worship, christianmusic, Church Leadership, Leadership, wallpaper worship, Worship, worship songs, worshipleader, worshipmusic
It takes a lot of tools to build a house: router, drill, generator, roofing nailer, finish nailer, framing nailer, air compressor, chainsaw, jigsaw, reciprocating saw, circular saw, chop saw, levels, diagonal pliers, wire strippers, box nose pliers, linesman pliers, needle nose pliers, adjustable wrenches, chisels, socket set, tin snips, shovels, rakes, extension ladder, step ladder, sledgehammer, keyhole saw, hacksaw, utility knife, bolt cutter, chalk line, hand saw, tape measure, hammer.
There are also tools we need to use if we are going to lead congregants in worship.
If you’re a worship leader (or you know one you can share this with…) pay attention: Your congregants want to participate. But if your weekly reality reveals your people are not following but simply observing, then what’s the point of being a “leader of worshipers?” There may be some basic tools you are missing or not using.
Jesus said, “My Father is seeking worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and truth.” It may be a blow to our egos to point out He did not say “the Father is seeking more worship leaders.” Ultimately, He wants to hear from those in our audience, not just those who lead them.
If you are of the tribe that takes the idea of worship leadership seriously, come aboard for my free webinar. You’ll learn three basic tools that must be in your tool belt if you are going to build a church that is full of participants, not just observers. Get the tools you need to build a house of participation, not just a venue of observation.
Register here: FREE WEBINAR WITH DANNY
Hurry. The webinar opens FRIDAY OCT 4!
by Danny Byram | Sep 27, 2019 | christian worship, christianmusic, church, Church Leadership, Contemporary, Leadership, Liturgical, pastor, praise, Traditional, wallpaper worship, Worship, worship songs, worshipleader
Each morning I put a K-CUP in my Keurig. It produces a decent single cup of morning coffee experience. Then I prepare one for my spouse. I discard the first one and repeat the process. There have been many times I have stared at the plethora of K-CUPs in my kitchen trash, only to grieve their short-lived lives. If you have tried producing another cup of coffee with a used K-CUP, you know the results are less than satisfying. It’s as if the K-CUP says: “Hey! You already used me. I’m done. Move on!”
Modern worship song repertoire can be like that.
Worship leaders are finding it difficult to keep up with the amount of new songs coming into the marketplace. (CCLI has over 100,000 worship songs in its catalog. Spotify reports 40,000 new songs added daily.) Leaders and congregants can get frustrated because there is not enough time to repeat a song to endear it to the hearts of listeners. Too often the result is silent church-goers staring at song lyrics they heard maybe once, somewhere in their week – or was it from last week’s service? With the barrage of material coming at us, many songs are used once and then discarded. K CUP worship songs.
I recently heard of a pastor who told his music team not to use any songs that are over 6 months old. There are a lot of K-CUPs in that worship leader’s trash. I mean, when was the last time you heard the 1990s hit “Shout To The Lord” used in a worship service? Even though I may hear from someone who used it just last week (bless their heart), the point stands: Worship songs we were singing even a few years ago are long gone, out-mode, like used K CUPS: “Hey! You already used me. I’m done. Move on!”
In my WORSHIP WORSKHOP and in my book WALLPAPER WORSHIP, I emphasize the idea that worship (not simply music) is, among many things, our HERITAGE. Harkening to the past is not anti-contemporary. It is ANAMNESIS, the “art of remembering.” Realized or not, when we worship through music or other rituals, we stand on the shoulders of those who went before us.
The classic hymns were the body of song material used by Protestant churches for centuries. Though there were thousands, not all hymns survived. English hymnwriter Isaac Watts (When I Survey The Wondrous Cross, Joy To The World) wrote over 6,000 in the early 18th century. Fanny Crosby, early 20th century American (Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior, Blessed Assurance) wrote over 9,000. Though much of the hymn repertoire is gone, hundreds remain part of our modern heritage of worship music. With today’s songs so quickly discarded, I often wonder if any of our modern songs will stand the test of time? (Be Thou My Vision is cr. 9th century. How’s that for passing the test of time?)
It’s not just our songs (modern or from antiquity) we’ve discarded. We’ve managed to reduce the communion sacrament to a K-CUP. When pastors fail to explain communion to worshipers, and shrink-wrapped communion cups are offered from a basket somewhere in a corner, the implied message: “Take it at your leisure. Put it under your seat or in your purse for later. Take it in the bathroom, the parking lot, wherever or whenever you want.” The only instruction we actually receive: “Make sure to properly dispose of the shrink wrap and the cup in the trash receptacles.” K-CUP Communion.
If we discard most of the songs of our faith in a few years, and we fail to lead people in worship through the richness of experiencing communion corporately, what other elements of our worship heritage are we willing to discard like K-CUPS?
“All that now is will be forgotten in the days to come.” – Ecclesiastes 2:16 (NKJV)
(Let us read your comments, whether you’re experiencing the KCUP phenomenon OR if your worship situation is balanced and fulfilling.)
by Danny Byram | Jun 4, 2019 | christian worship, christianmusic, Church Leadership, Contemporary, Leadership, Music & Songwriting, pastor, wallpaper worship, Worship, worship songs, worshipleader, worshipmusic
The church in America is in a cycle of prosperity. Impressive church venues are everywhere. Millions of dollars are spent to remodel sanctuaries, build new ones, purchase gear, keep up the latest trends in stage production – live video capturing – and worship song-set automation software. Yet, many who attend services find themselves standing in silence, watching screens, and observing performers on a platform. I call this lack of congregational engagement Wallpaper Worship.
In his endorsement of my book, author Philip Yancey says: “In my lifetime worship has changed from something we do before an audience of God to something a few semi-professionals do for an audience of us.”
C.S. Lewis recognized this problem over 70 years ago: “The perfect church service would be the one we were almost unaware of. Our attention would have been on God. But every novelty prevents this.”
WORSHIP LEADERS: “SOMETHING’S WRONG, BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS.”
In my work with worship leaders across the country, I hear from good-hearted, talented church musicians: “Something is wrong, but we don’t know what it is.”
Let’s consider… The “worship industry” is now a multi-billion-dollar segment of the music and entertainment industry. The American church market purchases over $1.5 billion a year of production gear from audio and video retailers (Music Trades magazine, February 2019). Worship song-publishing/recording companies produce new songs daily, with videos promoting a singular sound – a monochromatic look – and a homogenized form of leading from the platform.
Is this new? Technologically, yes. Historically, no.
Throughout history, expressions of worship were governed by rules which reduced congregational participation to “stare-at-the-platform-and-listen-to-us.” Priests clad in gorgeous attire with elaborate “worship gear” on sanctuary altars, would perform worship for the people. The problem? (There were many…) Leaders led in Latin which most worshipers didn’t speak or read, and congregational participation was allowed only during the Eucharist. The result? Congregants simply watched and listened. Sound familiar?
Even more concerning was when the church found itself relying on monarchies, dynasties and other secular shareholders to promote its mission. The problem? When the church becomes an industry-driven machine – opposed to a spirit-and-truth-driven organism – its message can become diluted and its mission compromised. The result? The message of human fallenness, repentance, redemption, sacrifice, suffering, and sanctification becomes eclipsed with messages of personal actualization, self-healing, and emotional relief from social, political or personal injustices. Sound familiar?
PASTORS TO WORSHIP LEADERS: “MAKE IT LOOK AND SOUND LIKE THAT!”
Leading music in today’s church, even in small rural settings, can quickly become about mimicking the latest worship-industry wave to attract more sheep. Seems like a worthy idea. However, when the worship industry needs and feeds the church, and the church needs and feeds the worship industry – resulting in passive or even frustrated congregants – then something may indeed be wrong.
Pastors or elders will view YouTube videos of arenas full of worship-music fans, with hands in the air, gathered in front of a stage occupied by music professionals – supported by world-class venue production, pristine sound, eye-candy lighting and smoke – and then dictate to their worship leaders: “Your job is to make our Sunday service look and sound like THAT.” After long hours and spent offerings, often the result is local congregants passively watching screens, silently sitting, or leaving for coffee – feeling performed at by musicians they’ve never seen before in their church.
Worship leaders ask: “What do we do now? Bigger production? More expensive effects? Newer songs? Slicker automation? What more do they want? What’s wrong with THEM?” To find relevant answers, perhaps we should ask different questions:
- Do we even believe something is wrong?
- Regarding local church worship: Does one size fit all?
- Is some corporate industry pushing the idea that ‘one size fits all?’
- If so, who and why?
I do not think there is some sinister plan by the music industry to undermine the church it profits from. However, history clearly reveals the church as vulnerable to being wooed from her mission and message, especially when there are billions of dollars involved.
So what’s the SOLUTION? As shepherds of worshipers, our job is to lead in a language our sheep understand and respond to. The Object of our worship said, “My sheep hear my voice and will not follow a hireling.” (John 10). If worshipers are not following, leaders are responsible. Good shepherds will make adjustments on behalf of their sheep (Ezekiel 34) – laying down their own preferences, agendas, and yes – even their lives.
Does one size fit all? What do you think? Please comment below.
Singer/Songwriter/Speaker/Author DANNY BYRAM has performed on over 100 US military installations worldwide since 1987. His work earned him the name “The Combat Musician” from chaplains and troops. Danny also directed 26 Promise Keepers NFL-Stadium events for men, including the Clergy Conference (the largest gathering of clergy in history), and 36 FamilyLife arena events for couples, working alongside Marantha! Music and Integrity Inc. His book: WALLPAPER WORSHIP: Why Church Music Sounds Better, Fewer Are Singing And What To Do About It is available on Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, and from CLCPublications.com. His music is downloadable through iTunes and Spotify.
