The fact that Psalms doesn’t include a soundtrack or notation clues us in to what God values most in our worship songs.

I find it fascinating that God gave us a “songbook” with numerous musical references, but no actual music. It’s not that music is unimportant. Badly played or written music can make great theology sound obscure or unappealing. Great music can make shallow lyrics sound profound and incredibly moving. Which is why when we’re deciding what to sing congregationally, we want to give the greatest attention to the lyrics we’re singing.

In response to my tweet someone asked:

@bkauflin Is it not possible to worship without words?

Briefly, the answer is yes, especially when we think of worship in the “all of life” sense. We can worship God, or anything for that matter, without words. We do it all the time. The sight of a sunset over the ocean, a newborn baby, or a loved one can leave us speechless in wonder. But in my tweet I was specifically referencing the songs in our gatherings. While we can certainly worship God while listening to or playing instrumental music, here are a few reasons why it’s crucial to keep the connection between congregational worship and words strong.

Words are the primary way God has revealed himself to us and relates to us.
We use words because God is a speaking God. From the garden of Eden, words have been God’s primary means of interacting with us. At Mount Sinai, God met the Israelites with thunder and lightning, thick clouds, and an ear-splitting trumpet blast. Quite the worship experience. But the most significant aspect of that encounter was God giving them the “Ten Words” (Deuteronomy 4:2–12). God has always wanted us to know more of him than can be conveyed through impressions, images, or sounds, as powerful as they may be.

David was a skilled musician of profound emotions. But when it came to worshiping God, it was his words, not his music, that God chose to preserve for us in Scripture (the point of my tweet).

When Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity, Ezra sought to reestablish temple worship. So he and the other priests stood on a platform and read “from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). God’s Word provided the foundation for the repentance, gratefulness, praise, and celebration that followed.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and scribes for basing their worship more on traditions of men than on God’s commands (Matthew 15:3–9). The early Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). Paul encouraged Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture and commanded him to “preach the word” (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:2). We are to “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” as we sing” (Colossians 3:16).

God means for words, especially His Word, to be at the heart of our engaging with him.

Words are what we use to define God, ourselves, and our world.
Among other things, words tell us how God has acted in history and what God is actually like. Words inform us that we are sinners who deserve the wrath of God but that Jesus has come to suffer the wrath of God in our place, purchase our forgiveness, and reconcile us to God. Words also tell us that creation was once in harmony with God’s will but through our rebellion became subject to decay and futility. We are not evolving into something better but experiencing the damaging effects of the fall until the day when Jesus returns for his bride and makes all things right. Words also enable us to distinguish between experiences rooted in musical emotion or eternal truth.

Worship is more than words, but it’s not less than words.
Encounters with God are sometimes difficult to define. But wordless worship is not somehow better than worship with words. Worship without words can never communicate objective truth and God is the defining, objective reality in which we live and move. Experiences, whether audibly through music or visually through art, are in large part subjective. The ultimate goal of our worship is not to reach a state of feeling without thinking. And Revelation indicates we’ll be using words (without sin!) in the new heavens and earth.

Words enable us to worship God together.
Words enable us to think and say the same things together, rooting our unity in the gospel and not simply in a shared experience. A hundred people listening to a song being played can have a hundred different thoughts about what is happening. As my friend Jon Payne has said, “A picture is worth 1000 words. The problem is, the viewer gets to decide what those words are.” There will be some variation when we hear/proclaim words together, but there’s greater potential for unity in our understanding and expression. It’s one of the reasons God has us sing together and not simply hum or whistle.

Words complete the act of worship.
I can’t make this point better than C.S. Lewis, who wrote in Reflections on the Psalms, “But the most obvious fact about praise — whether of God or anything — strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise…I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” My love for my wife leads me to say something. Again and again and again. I want her and others to know my feelings. So it is in our relationship with God. Worship works its way out into words.

So by all means, let us thank God for music and treasure those times we’re dumbstruck as we consider the unparalleled greatness, holiness, beauty, and mercy of God in Jesus Christ. But let’s also remember that God redeemed us to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

I’ve known Patrick for a number of years now and have always been encouraged by his humble heart, love for the church, and superb musical skills, all stemming from his love for the Savior. He played on The Gathering and was a member of Enfield until he moved away from California.

He shares a little about his life and the workshops he’ll be teaching below.

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
I came from a loving, though broken, home. Church involvement was minimal in an ELCA Lutheran church and I was convinced that being a pastor or involved in the church had to be the most boring occupation possible.

Eventually, in high school, I met a strong Christian family. Through their witness and friendship I became curious about why they were so different, had such a particular joy, and what it really meant to be a Christian. For a year I tried to mimic their example, switching churches, getting involved in a youth group, faithfully reading the Bible, and, with much failure, trying to act like a Christian. I remember one day in my reading, I ended up in Romans 6 where Paul wrote about being a slave to Christ and no longer a slave to sin. I could plainly see as I tried to act like a Christian in my own strength that I was shackled to my sin and an utter slave to it. Soon after, again through the faithful example and encouragement of a wonderful Christian leader in our youth group, I yielded to God through Christ, by grace alone, for salvation.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
The guitar is a popular part of modern church music ministry and society in general. Many guitarists have a passion for the instrument but not much training, or are always hungry for more. I am an avid learner myself and love to equip guitarists and musicians to greater excellence for the glory of God in service to the church and in our culture. As Christians, we should strive for the utmost level of excellence that we are capable of in a grace motivated desire to serve and magnify our God and Savior.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
I want people to walk away equipped with practical, useful and challenging tools for becoming better, deeper musicians, and in service to the church, more ready and humble servants. I want leave them with the confidence and necessary tools to do this.

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
Prov. 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
I Cor 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
Diving more deeply into music with theory, chord voicings, scales, etc. can seem daunting or even boring. However, so much of this stuff is so accessible and possible for you if explained effectively. And, beyond just becoming better guitarists, we have the opportunity to become more humble, effective servants as we strive to become better musicians. As we more deeply understand the guitar and are better players, we can make room for others, prefer one another, respond more creatively and make more selective, musical, even humble choices in our playing. We even gain a greater ability to train others by doing so. It’s so necessary, and this stuff is all explainable, doable, and enjoyable. You don’t have to be a shredder but we do have the responsibility to be as excellent as we can be.

6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
Everything I’m talking about comes from my experience, training, and things that I’ve found invaluable in my growth as a musician.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
So many! I’ll include more in the session, but a few:

• truefire.com (lots of lesson resources. Some of their guitar gym stuff are good workouts. Can be a little more advanced though)
• proguitarshop.com (great demos of lots of gear)
• patrickandersonguitar.com (My site – soon to launch! This will have much of the content I develop and use)
• guitarforworship.com (An interesting blog of a worship leader who has a creative interest in gear and ambient, textural guitar playing.  He also seems to have played through every piece of guitar equipment imaginable)

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
Sign up! It is such a wonderful, encouraging time! The two I’ve been to have had a profound impact on me as a musician and a worship leader. Besides that I’ve met so many great people involved in worship/music ministry whom I’ve been able to keep in contact with and learn from. I was just talking about the conference with a friend and he described it well, “What I appreciate the most is that it is driven by the rich content…not the flashy show. It actually feels like a conference for the church.”

At WorshipGod East Patrick will be teaching a pre-conference intensive called “Essential Skills for Guitarists” on Wednesday, July 31. You can check out the details here.

At WorshipGod conferences this year Doug will be covering sound basics, lowering stage volume, mixing, and more. His clear, personal, and knowledgeable workshops have served many WorshipGod attendees in the past. I expect this year will be the same.

Doug graciously answered a few questions about himself and what he’ll be doing at the conferences.

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
My parents divorced when I was 12 and although our family went to church, I had never really had a relationship with the Lord and I believed that if there was a God, He wouldn’t have allowed my parents to fight and to separate. I was angry, my whole life. After high school I joined the Navy and I remember seeds of the gospel being planted there. After discharge I played in bar bands and sold stereo equipment simultaneously. I did many abusive things to myself and it was at the stereo shop that I met an Episcopalian priest who had been filled with the Holy Spirit. To this day this man who witnessed and demonstrated the love of Christ and the joy of our salvation more than in any person I have ever met. He would always tell me how very close to the Lord I was and that if at any time I wanted to know more about Him, that he wanted to be the one to introduce me. He gave me his card and said to please consider him when ever I came to a place where I wasn’t sure of where I was, where I was going, here or in the future, in the physical or in the unseen.

Two years later, I was playing in rock bands and had become totally despondent. I found his card, ran to his church the next day, and was introduced to Jesus Christ, my Savior, my redeemer, my healer, my King, my Creator, my provider, my guide and trusted friend, my high priest. My life is now His.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
Whether you are serving on a creative or technical team, chances are you don’t do this for a living. Our worship and tech teams rarely practice their craft for more than an hour a week before the service every weekend and yet are expected to sound as polished as a professional touring band. My aim is to be a launching pad to help them find ways to strengthen the team and to improve their skills. There are many common sense approaches to accomplish this but because our teams have never done this professionally, they don’t know what they don’t know. I want to illustrate these things to them and show them some very practical exercises they can do to facilitate a more satisfying experience for them and the church.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
Wow! That was helpful. I can do this!

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
“Faith comes by hearing.” Also: 1 Corinthians 14:7-9

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
Build relationships outside of the church walls with the people you are in closer contact with in church. Strong relationships will build trust and confidence in each other. A worship leader and musician need to know that the audio guy has his back and that they both want what’s best for the church. This doesn’t happen or get strengthened 10 minutes before a service. It takes time. Spend time, over coffee or a lunch.  Get together as often as possible, talk things over, record your services and listen to them together. Set benchmarks and take note of your progress.

6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
The things I will be sharing are the result of a lifetime of doing it the wrong way and my hope is that I will be able to spare some years of trial and error and to help them to establish some better ways to accomplish their goals without wasting any more time.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
The Ultimate Church Sound Operators Handbook by Bill Gibson
Live Audio Basics DVD by Ron Davis

Critical listening development:
Quiztones for Mac
Train Your Ears (Link on my website)

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
Don’t miss an opportunity to build strength and fellowship with your entire team and with others who share the same calling and at the same time learn new ways to accomplish your goals, in very practical ways. You’ll be inspired, you’ll be motivated and you’ll have fun. WorshipGod is one of the most real and authentic events of this nature and it’s affordable enough to bring your entire team, which is rare in this world of profit-centered events.

Go here to check out the details on WorshipGod West or WorshipGod East.

Derrick took some time to answer a few questions for me so you can get to know him and his topic better.

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
I came to Christ at 5 years old. An elderly woman in my church gave me a small tract that clearly shared the gospel. I knew I needed a savior.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
Church planting is extremely effective at reaching new people with the gospel. Most church plants need to rent a facility and have to be mobile. I’ve always been passionate about both technology and church planting.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
I hope they will be more at peace and have a better understanding how to work through the complexities of being a portable church.

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
Luke 12:13 “Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” Spread the gospel to the public from strange places using whatever tools available to you!

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
Technology advances over the last 2 years have really completely changed what portable church systems look like from a technology standpoint. You can be much smaller, cheaper, simpler and better quality than was possible just 5 years ago.

 6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
I’m part of a portable church and I’ve helped probably 100 other portable churches start over the past 3 years. It’s a part of my life every day.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
Wow, there’s not. Guess I need to write a book…

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
Attending this conference is truly a worship filled experience. It’s not just about sounding and looking good. It’s about worshiping our amazing savior and leading others into the presence of God.

At WorshipGod East (June 27-29) I’ve asked Matt to lead us in song for one session, and to teach a seminar called “The Great God and His Beloved Church.” Matt graciously took time to answer a few questions about himself and his seminar.

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
My dad was the founding pastor of a church in New Orleans and my mom played the Hammond B3 organ. Our parents taught us biblical truth and lived godly lives. Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, once said, “I don’t know when the sun came up, but I know it’s shining.” That’s my story too. Even though I can’t locate the exact day of my conversion, I can look back and see vital signs from an early age. I vividly remember many moments where Christ’s glory in the gospel hit home for me – times of singing to God alone in my house as a young boy, and together with the little church on Pontchartrain Boulevard – many experiences of God’s convicting, sustaining, and preserving grace. The more I reflect on how God has worked in my life, even from childhood, the more convinced I am of the fact that the gospel never has to get old or familiar. Grace continues to be amazing.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
In our culture, once you get used to something, you leave it aside and look for something else. The evening news is changing. Apps and screen sizes are changing. Fashions are changing. And then there’s my church. It kinda just sits there. So, why do we continue to do this? Often churches respond by trying to draw people by keeping things in constant motion. They’ll never expect us to start the service this way. This will light up Twitter. This topic is important because we need to be reminded that there are more than just two options: 1) engaging in the local church because we’re supposed to, even though nothing happens, and 2) participating as long as the creative team stays on their A game. God loves the Church and he is present to do deep and life-transforming things in our lives as we join our lives to one another and as we gather in his name.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
I hope our hearts are filled with faith. I hope we come away convinced that we need fellowship with God’s people. And we need the Sunday gathering. I’m praying for an increase in joyful, faith-filled engagement with the local church – hearts and minds that are convinced that when God calls us to the fellowship of the saints and to gathered worship, he does so fully intending to do vital work in our souls.

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
Two of my favorite passages that speak to the dynamics of God’s gathered people are Psalm 48 and Hebrews 10:19-25. I’ll be focusing on Ps. 48.

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
One of the greatest outbursts of gathered praise in the entire Old Testament is found in 2 Chronicles 5. The temple of Solomon was completed. The Ark of the Covenant was set in its place. Countless sacrifices were offered. There was plenty of music as well. And the thematic center for corporate worship was”for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (vs. 13). In a real sense, this has been the thematic center of gathered worship ever since. Granted, worship is no longer confined to the Temple or any sacred meeting place. But, it is still our great privilege and calling to see that the people who gather with us Sunday after Sunday can say, “We have thought on your steadfast love, O God.” We certainly aren’t gathering to celebrate how steadfastly we have loved God. That’s a depressing theme. We gather to celebrate how steadfastly he has loved us, and that changes everything.

6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
I believe, down in my bones, that there is unique grace from God that is experienced in the fellowship of a local church and in the Sunday gathering. I’m convinced that God’s week is planned in advance. On Sunday morning, he’s coming to church. And he’s not coming passively. He’s coming eager to bless, save, strengthen, convict, and comfort.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
Yes! Some books that have impacted me greatly along these lines are:

• When God Comes to Church (Ortlund)
• Why We Love the Church (DeYoung/Kluck)
• The Church (Clowney)
• Stop Dating the Church (Harris)

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
No conference has done more to instill in me what I believe are biblical convictions concerning what corporate worship is all about. The main sessions are theologically-charged and gospel-rich and applicable to anyone’s life, musician or not. The breakout sessions address a huge range of things that will enable attendees to go back and serve their congregations more effectively. This has kept me coming back for the past 13 years.

It was an exhilarating  edifying, eye-opening, and exhausting time.  Here’s a few thoughts on my time there.

1. South Africa, like every other country, is in great need of the gospel.
South African history is complex, to say the least. Apartheid has left serious scars on millions of people. Twenty years after Nelson Mandela came to power, the country still faces many significant problems – extreme poverty, political corruption, racial tension, and more. But while many wring their hands in despair and fear the worst Christians are offering hope for genuine transformation through the gospel. I was encouraged to hear of efforts being made by Christians to combat racial division, care for orphans, and provide for those in need.

2.  Technology amplifies our impact.
One of the more encouraging conversations I had while in South Africa was with Paul Karstens, a professor at the Bible Institute of Capetown. He said I had no idea how much Sovereign Grace Music had impacted the reformed churches there. I told him he was right – I had no idea. He said it was largely due to how accessible our music is. A couple years ago we redesigned our website to make downloads a one-click process, and last year we made all our sheet music free. In addition, you can purchase downloads of Sovereign Grace Music pretty much anywhere in the world through our Bandcamp site. I was thanking God for the how the Internet has made disseminating our music so much easier throughout the world.

3. Physical expression while singing can be hindered and encouraged by culture.
I’ve spent a good bit of time thinking through what we do with our bodies when we sing together, and have shared my thoughts in a seminar called Worshiping God Mind, Soul, and Body. Bottom line, I think we should strive for natural physical expression as we meditate on God’s glory and the amazing news of the gospel. In South Africa the singing was loud and passionate, but most of the people I led in song were fairly conservative in their expressiveness. Actually, they were really conservative. (There were a few exceptions, like the older couple who had a Pentecostal background.) But over the weekend we were led by the Rezolution band, which combined native African songs with English songs. The choir and vocalists were very expressive, and at different times led us in motions related to what we were singing. I watched the responsiveness of the crowd and noted that this was the same group that hadn’t used their hands or bodies much as they sang earlier in the day. Which made me wonder why we so often stifle the response that seems to be so natural in other settings.

4. A lot of people want to know what it means to be a reformed charismatic.
Sovereign Grace churches hold to an essentially reformed theology with a continuationist understanding of the gifts of the Spirit. While we were in South Africa we ran into a number of pastors who wondered how that worked. Both CJ and I had conversations along those lines and were encouraged by the humble and practical questions guys were asking.

5. It’s easier to lead songs for great teaching.
I got to hear some great messages in South Africa from men I deeply respect. While I listened, I planned the songs for the next session. I see my job as emphasizing and building on the truths from God’s Word that have been communicated in the messages. When the messages are gospel saturated, thoroughly biblical, insightful, and moving it just makes my job a lot easier.

6. Rich fellowship makes for rich ministry.
A highlight of the trip was conversations with the speakers that began and ended most days, often led by Mark Dever. We laughed, discussed theology and contemporary issues, evaluated meetings, prayed, and ate together. Okay, “conversation” might be too generous. I listened a lot. In addition, our hosts regularly engaged us in substantive questions and encouragement as we traveled around. Those times of fellowship are memories I’ll carry with me a long time and made my time in South Africa even more enjoyable.

7. Jesus is building his church in the midst of heresy and deterioration.
While statistics imply that South Africa is a largely Christian country, much of what passes for  Christianity is the health & wealth gospel or a diluted nominal  Christianity. But I met many pastors who are faithfully proclaiming the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ and want to be equipped to do it better. Many were the fruit of John MacArthur’s ministry and the Master’s Seminary. Others were Baptist, Church of England South Africa, or independent. I thank God for all of them.

It was a great privilege to be part of Rezolution 2013 and pray the seeds we sowed will serve those who are faithfully continuing to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel in South Africa.

(Kevin DeYoung shares his thoughts on our trip in this post. You can download the messages at the Antioch Bible Church site.)

Maybe you’re thinking there’s plenty of time to register for WorshipGod2013. And there is. Kind of.

Registration for WorshipGod West doesn’t end until June 14. You can register for WorshipGod East all the way up until July 19.

But here’s a few reasons you might want to sign up soon.

1. People who sign up early get first choice for seminars.
Some of the seminars have capacity limitations. So bottom line, if you don’t sign up early you may not be able to go to the seminars you want.

2. Rates are going to go up.
For WorshipGod West rates go up on May 1. For WorshipGod East they increase June 1. I mean it’s fine if you want to pay $30 more to come to the conference. We’ll put it to good use.

3. One less thing to do.
You know too well how putting things off only adds anxiety to your life. Once you’ve registered you can turn your attention to all those other things that you’re not doing now.

4. More time to tell others that you’re going.
Conferences are best when you can share them with people you know and love. The sooner you sign up the easier it will be to invite others to join you for what is sure to be an exceptional time of equipping, encouragement, and encountering God in his people and his Word.

If you you need more reasons, check out my post on 12 reasons you should come to a WorshipGod conference.

That’s the question I ask myself every other year as I start planning for the next WorshipGod conference. And since WorshipGod2013: Called to be Faithful is on the calendar twice in 2013, my answer to the question is obviously yes. WorshipGod West is less than three months away and will be June 27-29 in Orange County, CA. WorshipGod East is a little under 5 months away and will be here in Louisville, July 31-Aug. 3.

I did a post in January describing why I chose this conference theme. Basically, I hope to accomplish two goals. First, I want to encourage, equip, and inspire the leaders and churches who will never have the resources, gifting, or gear to replicate the bands and technological marvels that characterize so many bands on YouTube and at conferences. Let’s be honest. That’s about 90% of us. I realize this more than ever as I participate in planting Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. That doesn’t mean we can’t grow (as I said in my Salute to the Average Worship Leader), but we want to grow in the right ways – being faithful. And we certainly don’t want to live in frustration or disappointment that videos of our meetings don’t look quite as spectacular as what we find on the Internet.

On the other side, I want this conference to encourage those who excel in musical excellence, communication skills, and the latest technology to do what they do even more effectively and to be sure all they’re doing is pointing to the greatness and glory of Jesus Christ. Production and musical elements can be means to an end, helpful means, good means. But at the end of the day, they are merely means. Useful in God’s hands, but not ultimately necessary. When all our comments after a meeting have to do only with tight arrangements, nailing lighting cues, the “worship atmosphere,” and what the musicians were wearing, we’ve wandered away from the purpose for our gathering and potentially into the land of idolatry.

So, in an act of shameless self-promotion, here are twelve reasons why I think you (pastor, worship leader, musician, vocalists, songwriter, techie) should come to WorshipGod2013:

1. Biblical, practical, engaging preaching. Guys who love to preach God’s Word and serve local churches will be explaining in what ways God has called us to be faithul. We’ll have the opportunity to hear from Kevin DeYoung (West), Mike Cosper (East) Craig Cabaniss (pictured), Russ Moore (East), Don Whitney, Kevin Twit (East), and more. I’ll be there, too.

2. Skilled church musicians who love God, his gospel, his Word, and his church. Everyone who leads at the conference may not be a household name (although Enfield and Sojourn Music should be), but that’s okay. They’re leading because, like you, they know what it is to serve in the church week in and week out, with volunteers who want to serve the church more faithfully. And they do it really well.

3. Senior pastors can come for $75. You might not be a senior pastor, but you most likely have one. And you can let him know about this deal. The congregational worship leader is, humanly speaking, the lead pastor, so we want to do whatever we can to get them to the conference. Too often people get home from a conference charged up with fresh ideas and perspectives only to have their thoughts minimized or ignored altogether because their leaders haven’t received the same teaching.

4. Lots of free stuff. in 2011 we gave away a midi keyboard, a $300 Sweetwater gift certificate, a copy of Sibelius, a guitar amp, some iPods, and a bunch of other stuff. Who knows what we’ll give away this year? Besides free, we also do cheap albums and books pretty well.

5. It’s probably closer than it used to be. Over the last decade we’ve held WorshipGod conferences in Maryland where Sovereign Grace Ministries was located. Since moving to Louisville last year, we decided to have one in Louisville and one on the west coast. Louisville just happens to be within a day’s drive for 2/3 of the US population. And the West Coast certainly makes it easier for those who have been crossing three time zones over the years to join us.

6. One responsibility: take it all in. Enjoy 3 whole days where you don’t have to arrange any of the songs, lead any of the rehearsals, practice any of the riffs, or show up early for any of the sessions. Of course, if you’re a conference junkie, you can come early to watch the rehearsals and stay up till 2AM hanging out.

7. Twenty-eight seminars and at WorshipGod East, four pre-conference intensives. You get to pick four seminars, and can download the rest later for free. Grow in your musical chops, become a better leader, learn how to fight trials with worship, grow as a vocalist, understand your relationships better, grow in your prayer life, etc. At East we’ll be offering four intensives on Wednesday for pianists, guitarists, sound personnel, and choir members. More info can be found here.

8. Theology, character, and skill. That’s what we focus on at each WorshipGod conference. Because all three matter.

9. There is a time to laugh (Eccl.3:4). And we make sure we find it at WorshipGod. We take worshiping the Savior very seriously. Ourselves, not so much.

10. Focused Gatherings (East). I’m working on having two informal meetings geared towards those who would like to see more gospel-centered, theologically informed songs and leading in Hispanic churches and African-American contexts.

11. It’s cheap. Right now students can come for $120, groups of 5+ are $145 each, and individuals are $170. That price includes lunch both days, a binder with all the outlines, 5 sessions, and 4 seminars. Did I mention the snacks and drinks? And the giveaways? We’re practically paying you to come!

12. Encountering God. If you’ve attended a WorshipGod conference in the past, you know that it’s about much more than receiving solid teaching, singing great songs together, and growing in your skills. God never fails  to change, inspire, convict, and encourage hearts as we behold his glory together (2 Cor. 3:18).

So there’s my pitch. If you’ve been to a WorshipGod conference in the past, feel free to leave a comment as to why someone should think about coming this year. And if you want more info, visit the WorshipGod2013 website.

Hope to see you there.

But then again, it might not make any difference. It’s that good.

The album came about as a result of our relationship with Miguel Nunez, pastor of  Iglesia Bautista Internacional (IBI) and host of the Por Su Causa conference. For the past few years Miguel has been a dear friend and supporter of Sovereign Grace Ministries and Sovereign Grace Music. His church has been translating and singing our songs for a while now, and musicians from his church have attended the WorshipGod conference. They’ve also been a great encouragement to our Spanish speaking Sovereign Grace churches in Juarez and elsewhere.

Last September, I had the joy of being invited, along with C.J. Mahaney, Jeff Purswell, and Mauricio Velarde, to participate in Por Su Causa. It was an amazing time, in spite of my mere three years of high school Spanish. Everyone we met of the 7000+ attendees was welcoming, encouraging, and seemed passionate for the gospel of Jesus Christ and his church.

The highlight for me, though, had to be Sunday night. The musicians from IBI, ably led by Luis Nunez, held two back to back events where they sang 16 songs for corporate worship, 13 of them from Sovereign Grace Music. Jonathan and Sarah Jerez contributed three more that were so good I started thinking maybe it was time for us to start translating Spanish songs into English. Among the Sovereign Grace songs on the album are Before the Throne of God Above (Ante el Trono Celestial), All I Have is Christ (Mi Vida es Cristo), Behold our God (Contempla a Dios), I Will Glory in My Redeemer (Me Glorío en Jesucristo), and Let Your Kingdom Come (Venga Tu Reino).

El Dios Que Adoramos is the result of that night. Produced by Steve Cook, it’s a partnership with our friends in the DR, combining the resources of our songs with their skilled musicianship and artistry. If you know any hispanic churches or Christians who are looking for gospel-rich, theologically informed, skillfully played and sung songs for praising God, this album doesn’t disappoint. In fact on hearing it, one of our pastors asked if we could start making our English albums sound like this.

To give you a taste you can download their arrangement of Ante el Trono Celestial (Before the Throne of God Above). 

We discovered a problem when all the songs were mixed and we were about to go to mastering. There was too much music to fit on one CD. We ended up tidying some of the transitions and leaving off Allí en la Cruz, a beautiful song by Mauricio Velarde from our album of the same name. Fortunately, it’s included as a bonus track on all downloads and will be on the DVD.

Guitar charts and samples are available at the Sovereign Grace Music website. You can download the album at Bandcamp or Amazon. CDs will be available soon from the Sovereign Grace webstore.

For those who didn’t know, this is our 4th Spanish CD. If you haven’t heard them yet, check out Sea la Gloria Solo a Ti, Allí en la Cruz, and Eres Dios.

For years, I heard C.J. Mahaney reference a John Newton hymn that began with the lines, “In evil long I took delight.” Newton imagines the Savior looking down at him twice from the cross. The first look communicates our guilt and responsibility for the death of Christ. The second look assures us that this sacrifice forever secures our forgiveness before God. The two looks together fill us with a “pleasing grief and mournful joy.”

“Pleasing grief and mournful joy” describe well the proper response to Christ’s death on the cross. I can never grieve long over what it cost the Savior to redeem me before my heart wells up in joy that his death has brought down the blessings of heaven on my life. I can never rejoice too long in my forgiveness and reconciliation to God without remembering with sadness the infinite cost required to achieve that reconciliation.

A while back I was so affected by the lyrics to Newton’s hymn that I set an adapted version of the text to music, and added a chorus that gives us an opportunity to respond in joyful praise to this demonstration of “pure atoning grace.”

You can download or listen to it here.

Here are the lyrics:

I saw one hanging on a tree
In agony and blood
Who fixed His loving eyes on me
As near His cross I stood
And never till my dying breath
Will I forget that look
It seemed to charge me with His death
Though not a word He spoke

My conscience felt and owned the guilt
And plunged me in despair
I saw my sins His blood had spilt
And helped to nail Him there
But with a second look He said
“I freely all forgive
this blood is for your ransom paid
I died that you might live”

Forever etched upon my mind
Is the look of Him who died
The Lamb I crucified
And now my life will sing the praise
Of pure atoning grace
That looked on me and gladly took my place

Thus while His death my sin displays
For all the world to view
Such is the mystery of grace
It seals my pardon too
With pleasing grief and mournful joy
My spirit now is filled
That I should such a life destroy
Yet live by Him I killed.
Original lyrics by John Newton. New and alternate lyrics and music by Bob Kauflin. © 2001 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

You can find the original lyrics here, and can download the guitar chart, lead sheet, piano score, and string arrangement at the Sovereign Grace Music site.

And thanks to the generosity of Keith and Kristyn, you can download the MP3 and various charts (choral, rhythm piano, hymn) by clicking here.

Verse 1
How can it be, the One who died,
Has borne our sin through sacrifice
To conquer every sting of death?
Sing, sing hallelujah.
For joy awakes as dawning light
When Christ’s disciples lift their eyes.
Alive He stands, their Friend and King;
Christ, Christ He is risen.

Chorus
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Oh, sing hallelujah.
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed;
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.

Verse 2
Where doubt and darkness once had been,
They saw Him and their hearts believed.
But blessed are those who have not seen,
Yet, sing hallelujah.
Once bound by fear now bold in faith,
They preached the truth and power of grace.
And pouring out their lives they gained
Life, life everlasting.

Verse 3
The power that raised Him from the grave
Now works in us to powerfully save.
He frees our hearts to live His grace;
Go tell of His goodness.

Bridge
He’s alive, He’s alive!
Heaven’s gates are opened wide.
He’s alive, He’s alive!
Now in heaven glorified.

Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Ed Cash; © 2012 Gettymusic and Alletrop Music (BMI) (adm. by MusicServices.org)

This year’s theme is Called to be Faithful.

A large number of past WorshipGod attendees have come from churches of 500 or less. In addition, when I posted A Salute to the Average Worship Leader a few months ago, it seemed to resonate with a lot of folks. That’s why I wanted to focus this year on being faithful.

Being faithful is hard. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t make for good sound bites or Facebook status updates. Being faithful isn’t sensational, doesn’t attract big crowds, and almost never makes the headlines. And when it does, the focus is usually on success and statistics, not faithfulness.

But being faithful is something God highly values.

Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? (Prov. 20:6)

A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. (Prov. 28:20)

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Mt. 25:21)

Why the biblical emphasis on being faithful? Because God wants to make us like himself:

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor. 1:9)

But what does faithfulness look like? As a leader? As a musician? As a sound engineer? As a songwriter? How do we make sure we’re keeping the main things the main things? How do we resist the world’s definitions of success and pursue what matters to God?

Those questions and more will be addressed at WorshipGod 2013. In the main sessions we’ll be reminded that God calls us to be faithful to receive his grace, proclaim the gospel, serve others, grow in our knowledge and skills, and prepare people for eternal realities.

The Details
Main session speakers at West this year include Craig Cabaniss, Kevin DeYoung, Jon Payne, and myself. At East we’ll be hearing from Craig and me, along with Dr. Russ Moore, Jared Mellinger, and Indelible Grace’s Kevin Twit.

Music at West will be led by me, my son, Devon, West Coast Revival, Josh and Joel Sczebel, and Enfield. Music at East will be Devon and me again, along with Mike Cosper and a group from Sojourn Community Church, as well as Matt Mason, from The Church at Brook Hills.

We’ll be offering 28 seminars at each conference (thanks for all the recommendations), of which you’ll be able to attend 4. Topics include planning your meeting, the leader’s relationships, working with other generations, songwriting, making room for the Spirit’s leading, prayer, sound applications, vocal and instrumental classes, and more. Some additional focused gatherings are in the works as well.

WorshipGod East will also offer three hour pre-conference intensives on Wednesday in the areas of basic sound, contemporary piano, choir, and essential guitar skills.

Rates
Prices this year are similar to last year, with super early bird prices starting at $90 for students, $115 each for groups of 5+, and $140 for individuals. Those prices go up $30 on March 16 for West and April 1 for East.

For the first time ever, the first 100 senior pastors who register at East or West will pay only $75. We want them to come that badly.

As in previous years, WorshipGod 2013 will include loads of giveaways, free on-site lunches, a great bookstore, plenty of laughter, and opportunities to meet hundreds of like-minded believers devoted to worshiping God in spirit and truth.

Most of all, it will be an opportunity to encounter God, and be trained, refreshed, and revitalized for the role you play in serving your local church.

Bring your team, bring your pastor, bring yourself.

If WorshipGod11 was any indicator, we’re going to have a great time.

What seminars would you like to see offered at WorshipGod East and West?

Feel free to suggest speakers as well as topics. We plan on covering vocal skills, tech skills, instrument skills, songwriting, as well as some general topics.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

WorshipGod West will be held June 27-29 at Calvary Church, Santa Ana, CA. The folks at Calvary have enthusiastically welcomed us and we can’t wait to hold the conference there. WorshipGod East is going to be Aug. 1-3 at Highview Baptist Church East, Louisville, KY. They have also been extremely gracious and kind. For the East conference I’m working on offering some pre-conference intensives (piano, choir, vocal, and guitar) on July 31.

This year’s conference theme is Called to be Faithful. In light of the massive number of options we have available to us today in corporate worship (lighting, video, instruments, arrangements, etc.), it’s easy to get distracted and off track. So this year we’re going to highlight some of the things God has called us specifically to be faithful in when we lead the church at our gatherings. Here’s the line up of messages and speakers:

Faithful to Receive –  Conversations about worship typically begin and end with what WE do. But worship is a gift, received by grace, not something that originates with us. The Father not only seeks worshipers, he creates worshipers  (John 4:1-26; ;1 Tim. 1:12-17). This message will remind us that our worship of God is rooted in and sustained by grace alone. Craig Cabaniss, senior pastor of Grace Chruch in Frisco and a well-loved speaker at WorshipGod conferences, will be giving this message at both events.

Faithful to Proclaim - While we often view “worship” as passionately expressing our feelings toward God, worship always involves proclaiming truths about God that fuel our emotional fire. What we are specifically called to proclaim is the Word of God and the gospel. God has told us that his word is living and active and will not return void, and that the gospel is the power of God  (Heb. 4:12; Is. 55:10-11; Rom. 1:16). Jeff Purswell is scheduled to give this message at WorshipGod west and Dr. Russ Moore will be serving us at East.

Faithful to Serve - Anyone involved in music ministry can be tempted to exalt themselves. But Jesus said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all (Mk. 10:42-44). How do we develop a servant mindset while leading people in corporate worship? What does it look like? Two younger Sovereign Grace pastors will seek to answer this question. In the West it will be Jon Payne, associate pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Gilbert, AZ. Jared Mellinger, pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church near Philadelphia, will address this topic in the East.

Faithful to Grow - Being faithful doesn’t mean doing the same things you’ve always done. Every musician and leader has the opportunity and responsibility to grow in their character, theology, and skills. I’ll have the joy of speaking to this topic at both events.

Faithful to Prepare - This doesn’t refer to preparing for a meeting, but preparing our people for suffering, death, and heaven. Congregational worship is meant to open people’s eyes to the weighty, eternal realities that we’re dealing with each time we meet. I’m thrilled that Kevin DeYoung will speak on this at WorshipGod West, and that Kevin Twit of Indelible Grace Music will be addressing it in the East.

Musical guests will include John Martin and Enfield at WorshipGod West and Mike Cosper and Sojourn Music at WorshipGod East. I’m working on some other guests as well.

Seminars at both conferences are going to be designed for pastors, worship leaders, musicians, vocalists, song writers, and tech personnel. We’re bringing back some familiar seminar speakers (Donald Whitney, Sheri Gould, Doug Gould, Matt Mason, Ken Boer, Patrick Anderson, Mike Cosper, etc.) and adding some new ones (Kevin DeYoung, Darius Fong, Malcolm DuPlessis, etc.).

Rates will be similar to last year with early bird registration starting at $90/student, $115/group of 5+, $140/individual, all of which include lunch both days. We’re also working up a special discount for any senior pastor who comes with his worship leader.

I’d appreciate prayers as we hash out the final details of the schedule.

And since I’m still working on seminar topics, if you have any ideas for something you’d like to see, leave a comment below.

When Christian musicians get together, we tend to assume we all have our theology down and we can focus on honing our chops, discovering new gear, and improving our techniques and methodologies. Or maybe we think that theology isn’t that important. Whatever the reason, I wanted to make clear that even at the Christian Musician Summit, theology matters.

Theology is literally the “study of God,” particularly as he has revealed himself in Scripture. It includes not only studying the Bible, but understanding how the different parts of the Bible fit together. Christian musicians need to know theology. But before I explain why, here are four potential objections people might have.

1. People just argue about theology.
Yes. Partly because we’re sinful. But mostly because there are some truths that are worth defending and fighting for. Even dying for.

2. Theology just makes life complicated.
It depends on what you mean by complicated. If you think that knowing how to play your instrument makes it complicated, then yes, theology makes life complicated. Theology doesn’t make like complicated. It actually makes life simpler. It protects us from reading verses out of context or reading only our favorite passages. Theology tells us what words like glory, gospel, salvation, and love mean. Theology helps us understand what we’re actually doing every Sunday. What complicates life is not theology but ignorance of theology.

3. Studying theology makes people proud.
It shouldn’t. The better we know God, the humbler we should be. The more we should  realize that what we know will always be dwarfed by what we don’t know.

4. We’ll never know it all anyway.
Just because we can’t know everything about God, doesn’t mean we can’t know some things truly. God has revealed himself to us in his word and given us his Spirit so that we can know him.

Here are three reasons why theology should matter to Christian musicians.

1. You’re already a theologian.
Every Christian, musical or otherwise, is already a theologian. The question is, are you a good theologian or a bad one? We’re good theologians if what we say and think about God lines up with what Scripture says and affirms. We’re bad theologians if our view of God is vague, or if we think God doesn’t really mind sin, or is we see Jesus as a good example and not a Savior, or if we our god is too small to overcome evil or too big to care about us.

2. God reveals himself primarily through words, not music.
Because we’ve encountered God profoundly during times of musical worship, we can wrongly start assuming that words restrict the Spirit, while music enables us to experience God in fresh and powerful ways. If God had wanted us to know him primarily through music, the Bible would be a soundtrack, not a book. Music affects and helps us in many ways, but it doesn’t replace truth about God. By itself, music can never help us understand the meaning of God’s self-existence, the nature of the Incarnation, or Christ’s substitutionary atonement. Simply put, truth outlasts tunes.

3. Being good theologians makes us better musicians.

• Theology teaches us what music is meant to do.
• Theology teaches us that worship is more than music.
• Theology teaches us that Jesus is better than music.

You can download a copy of my notes here.

[First posted on Nov. 18, 2008]