Category: Music

Happy October!

I have decided not to do Sunday Setlist posts until Monday so I can include the songs from our Sunday evening youth worship service.

Morning Worship:

• Come, Thou Almighty King (pre-service, instrumental)
• Only a God Like You
• Majestic
• Your Great Name (by Natalie Grant, sung by my wife, Jamy)
• Agnus Dei
• Word of God, Speak
• Glorious Day (by Casting Crowns, special)
• Come Just As You Are

Youth Worship:

• Jesus Saves (Jeremy Camp version)
• In the Secret (I Want to Know You)
• Be Glorified
• East to West

–link to Morning Worship Planning Center script

–link to Youth Worship Planning Center script

Day 2 was even more fantastical than day 1.

Before I begin, let me preface this post with a footnote: I will be devoting entire blog posts to some of the things that happened today. As I reference them, I will mark them as follows: *[TOOMUCH]*

The warm-up guy (sorry, guy, I’d name you if I knew your name) managed to get the entire crowd to perform We Will Rock You by using our playing card suits (you kinda have to be here to fully get this). The opening video including glo-stick in a microwave – very cool.

Bifrost Arts was very neat. Traditional, older hymns sung with a string ensemble of Baylor music students. I especially liked it when we prayed through Psalm 104…

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty,  covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.  He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;  he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.  He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.  You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.  At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.  The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them.  You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.  You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills;  they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.  Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.  From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.  You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth  and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.  The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.  In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees.  The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.  He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.  You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about.  The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.  When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens.  Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.  O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.  Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.  There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.  These all look to you, to give them their food in due season.  When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.  When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.  When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.  May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works,  who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!  I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.  May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.  Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!

Isaac Wardell of Bifrost Arts asked the question, “What kinds of worshipers does God want us to be?”

Then Rob Bell spoke about our use of words. *[TOOMUCH]*

The first breakout session (I know they aren’t calling them that, but I am) I attended was presented by Josh Griffin and Taffy from Saddleback Church. They work in the youth department at Saddleback, and talked about Student-Led Worship. Got a lot of great tips and different methods.

Next up, a panel discussion featuring David Taylor, Charlie Peacock, David Park, Dan Haseltine (of Jars of Clay), Bob Kauflin (author of Worship Matters), Matt Redman, and David Crowder. Here are some thoughts that were shared…

“We sing because God sings.” -Bob Kauflin

We sing because we are joining the song being sung by God through Christ by the Holy Spirit. -David Taylor

A discussion developed about what “decently and in order” really means. *[TOOMUCH]*

My second breakout was with Bob Kauflin, where he discussed creativity in worship. *[TOOMUCH]*

(Sorry for the TOOMUCH tease earlier. I didn’t realize how many of today’s topics would require an entire post. Stay tuned next week! Also, sorry for the preponderance of parentheses.) (Like that alliteration?) (Oops, did it again.) (Sorry.)

Evening music kicked off with Israel Houghton!!! Seeing him was a definite highlight. My son and I listen to him almost every morning on the way to school. Got some cool pix to show him when I get home.

Louis Giglio was up next. His talk revolved around the following phrase: we are Cosmically Insignificant but Divinely Prized. He encouraged us to avoid singing dead songs, and to Keep the Awe by orbiting around the centrality of the cross.

Then Hillsong London blew the rood off the dump.

So much good information and wonderful worship. Still processing it all.

Two planes and a two-hour drive later, I’m in Waco, TX. I’ve never been to Texas. The layout of this town is confusing to me. My sense of direction is not the best in the world, but I have not gotten completely lost.. yet.

After dropping my things off at the hotel, I drove to Baylor University, found a place to park, and headed to Waco Hall. Many people were gathered outside waiting for the doors to open. Eventually they did, and I got registered, at which point I received an Altoids tin containing a playing card, LiteBrite bulbs (for a gigantic LiteBrite of the conference logo outside the auditorium), a pencil, and a matchbox containing the conference schedule – nice touch.

The vibe here is upbeat and diverse. I am 35, and am on the older side of the average age of attendees. As I tweeted earlier, small Bibles, Moleskines, iPads, and man bags abound (I was in this category minus the iPad and the man bag, which I do not own and left in the room, respectively).

I scored a seat three rows back. Opening videos were cool. We were given a lecture about the purpose of the playing cards in our tins by a man in a top hat and giant playing cards strapped to him. He used an old school overhead and screen. Funny stuff.

David Crowder welcomed us and was very engaging. The music kicked off with the group Welcome Wagon, who sang new hymns with interesting, eclectic arrangements. I liked them.

Francis Chan! Always love when I get to hear him, and tonight was no exception.

He told some great stories about worship. One such story was about a speaking engagement at a gathering in San Diego. At this particular conference, they placed magazines in the seats of every attendee. These magazines featured Francis’ face on the cover, which, in his words, was “pretty cool.”

Lincoln Brewster led the music at this conference, and they sang Great Is Thy Faithfulness. As they did, he felt like God was saying, “You like this, don’t you Francis? You like the attention.” The thought of this made him weep. Then they sang Holy Holy Holy, and it just made him cry all the more. And then he had to speak. Sobbing, he confessed to the crowd what God was saying to him.

Regarding the incident, Francis said, “I’m not used to this ‘fame thing.’” He said that this was part of the reason he and his family are going to other countries to serve for a while – to get away from the spotlight and rediscover himself (wrote about him leaving his church here).

He called us to a time of prayer, aaaaaaaaaand the bumper video for the next group immediately played. I plugged my ears and prayed well into Gungor’s first song at Francis’ prompting. Who doesn’t deal with pride issues, especially in the music realm? I prayed to refocus my ministry and life for God’s glory.

Gungor played some really good music with a great vibe. One thing I have appreciated about the music thus far is the variety and inventiveness of the instrumentation (playing electric bass with a bow, key-tar, xylophone).

Looking forward to tomorrow.