The Tens is a blog series where I look at songs that have consistently stayed in CCLI's Top 10 List over the past five years. In each post, we discuss what makes these songs great and why they're important to churches.

For this post, we'll be looking at Matt Redmans beloved tune, "Blessed Be Your Name."

WHERE I HEARD IT FIRST:
I actually don't remember where I heard this one first, but I think it might have been on the radio. I know a band called Tree63 did a cover version and I think that may have been my first experience with the tune.

WHY IT'S SUCCESSFUL:
This one seems pretty easy...I mean, a song built around the idea of giving God honor even when our lives are difficult? Of course, people are going to respond to that! Here are a couple of things that I think work for this song.

• Poetry. Matt and his wife wrote fantastic lyrics here. They've written a lyric that is broad enough to fit any situation, yet poetic enough to be personal. Even when we're experience joy...we still understand what a powerful message this song carries.
  
  
• Honesty. This lyric still dwells in the hypothetical. We're singing these things "in faith" many times...almost reminding ourselves that we're supposed to be blessing God during trial. And then we hit that amazing line..."though there's pain in the offering." You know, that song probably would have done good enough without that line, but I'm so glad it's in there. Because suddenly it becomes real to us. We sing that and realize that we're not singing some feel-good campfire song. We're singing about real-life.
  
  
• Simplicity. This is an easy song to follow. The verses are pretty wordy, but the tune is just paced so well. This is really a great example of a song that invites on a journey. I don't this a tune you can easily just sing one part of...you gotta' go all in, right?
  

3 TAKES:
I typically respond to worship songs in three ways: as a worship leader, as a songwriter and as a worshiper. Of course, those three things are constantly overlapping, but they each individually shape how I think about a given song.

• Worship Leader - We read a lot about "laments." Lately, I've seen a lot of worship leaders talking about the need for the more confessional nature in worship. We all face desperate times - times when we feel far removed from God's care - and I agree with those that posit the need for songs that let us express as much. However, this can often be one of the many things that works theoretically but that poses so much trouble in its application. Laments are hard to pull off, folks. They're hard to place in a set, hard to maintain an energy level when playing, and hard to write. (Believe me on that one!) As a worship leader, I love this tune because it's so balanced. Yes, it's a song of hope and dependence, but it's also a song of honesty. I know that almost anytime I play this tune, somebody's going to connect with it. And usually, it's a lot of "somebodies."
  
  
• Songwriter - Most any songwriter is probably going to have a weird response to a four-minute song that is essentially the same four chords over and over again. And this tune isn't that different...I'm still amazed that it works so well. Personally, I think the pre-chorus is the key in keeping this song alive. I think the melody of the "every blessing" section is so great - not only is it a pretty cool melodic twist, but the lead-up to the chorus is fantastic songwriting.
  
  
• Worshiper - When this song is played by a good band with a great arrangement, it's fantastic. When it's not, well...it's not. This is that old standard thing so many of us face. How do you turn off your "musician mode" in worship? How do you stop listening to the tempo and watch for transitions and participate fully in the worship experience? Each of us have our own ways of making that happen, but I'll be honest, this song is often a hard one for me to sing along with. This has nothing to do with Matt's songwriting, but rather a very strong tendency for bands to rely on a crowd's excitement rather than to build energy into the tune using their skills. Personally, I'm always gonna' favor a big, ethereal version of this song. Of course, it works simplified, but I think big, rocking versions of this tune are so great for congregational worship.
  

So, what about you?
Thoughts on "Blessed Be Your Name"?
Got thoughts on why it's such a success?
COMMENT BELOW!

HATERS

Contrary to what you're probably expecting, this isn't a post about peope who hate on your music.

No, instead it's a post about what a worship leader does when somebody requests a song that the worship leader absolutely hates.

In this case, I'm not talking about a song that you might not like musically...we all have our preferences and good worship leaders are pretty adept at checking their "style" at the door in most cases.

No...what do you do when somebody wants you to do a song and you have significant spiritual objections? Most of us adhere to an honesty-is-the-best-policy approach. And it's true that, as pastors, we need to be people of truth.

But I'll be real honest with you...this is a battle for me. Here, I'll get real honest here. And please know I'm trying to type this as gracefully as I can. It is not my desire to slam or disrespect anybody, but I am a practical guy and I think most of us benefit from practical examples.

Here's the deal:
________________________________
I've got spiritual issues with a song called "A New Hallelujah" that Michael W. Smith just released. It's a Smith/Baloche/Baloche co-write, I believe, and I think there are some elements to the song that are unhealthy for a congregation to be singing and/or trying to emulate.

Now...if I've got real issues that I'm passionate about and I've thought them through and someone comes with a request for the tune, I can defend myself. I can be honest and clear as to why I'd opt not to do the song.

But here's where the other side of my brain starts working. In most any case where something like this has happened to me, it's always been somebody who's really solid spiritually. And in any case where I've got the chance to hang out with artists or writers who might have created a song that I had problems with, I always end up really impressed by their sincerity.

My point is this...no worship songwriter starts out with a plan of writing something detrimental to the congregation at large. And I don't think most people sing along with these songs thinking heretical thoughts.

So how do we balance it? How do we serve our people as pastors - willingly standing in the lead and loving them enough to care very deeply about the types of songs we sing but also exercise some sense of control and understanding of the people we're charged with leading?

What do you think? Is there a happy medium?

The Tens is a blog series where I look at songs that have consistently stayed in CCLI's Top 10 List over the past five years. In each post, we discuss what makes these songs great and why they're important to churches.

For this post, we'll be looking at Chris Tomlin's "How Great Is Our God," a song that's quickly risen to the top of CCLI most popular songs. For each of these posts, we'll be following this template.

WHERE I HEARD IT FIRST:
Many of us typically hear new worship songs in our churches, then go out and find the album with the tune. In the past, Chris has often introduced new songs in a live version via the Passion organization, then placed full-studio versions on his individual releases. I don't think "How Great Is Our God" had appeared anywhere before, though. If I'm remembering correctly, I think it was the first or second radio release, but I heard it first on the record.

WHY IT'S SUCCESSFUL:
I think there are a few reasons why the church has latched onto this song. A couple of those reasons are consistent with most anything that Chris releases.

• First off, I think the song is emotive. Chris has done a fantastic job on the melody here. It's almost impossible to sing this song without becoming a bit excited by the overall "feel" of the way this melody works.
  
  
• Secondly, it's singable. Think about it - slow tempo, a chorus that easy to remember and a dash of the unique ("sing with me...")
  
  
• Third, it's a tune that hangs on that chorus. That's why the acapella choir part at the end of the studio version (and in live settings, too) is so cool...because it's the crux of this piece. The chorus is simple, but smart, songwriting.
  
  
• Fourth, it's about God. We hear people complaining all the time about how there are so many "me" songs in worship. And that's true - there are a lot of those out there. Personally, I don't think those are all bad, but I do think that Christ-followers are prone to engage more fully and passionately with songs that are about God and not ourselves.
  

3 TAKES:
I typically respond to worship songs in three ways: as a worship leader, as a songwriter and as a worshiper. Of course, those three things are constantly overlapping, but they each individually shape how I think about a given song.

• Worship Leader - Like it or not, "How Great Is Our God" has all the qualities of the old standby. It's one of those tunes that's crossed denominational, regional and age lines. You can throw this one into a set and be guaranteed that folks are going to know it. The danger with songs like that is that you can kill them quickly. My worship leader "take" on this tune is that it has to be placed just right in the set. I've got to really be watchful and aware of when I utilize this guy. Placed correctly and wisely in an order of worship, it can be a powerful tool to make sure our focus is on God alone. Placed wrongly, or used too much, and this song feels about an hour long.
  
  
• Songwriter - As a songwriter, I marvel at this song. Personally, I've never really liked the verses that much. They're easy to sing and remember, which is good for worship songwriting, but I've always felt that the great chorus overcomes whatever shortcomings might happen in the verses. I think the bridge is fantastic...maybe one of the best worship bridges written in a long time. ("Bridges" tend to be the most difficult part of songwriting.) Tomlin and crew did a great job on this one...the strengths are so abundantly strong that the weaknesses don't even matter. I still think the song is too high. This might seem like a worship leader concern, but as a worship writer, I work really hard at being sensitive to congregational comfort when it comes to range. Sometimes, those can't be totally avoided, but the songwriter in me think the song would have done just as well a step or two lower.
  
  
• Worshiper - I like this tune. It's got tons of stuff I dig...percussion, cool acoustic work during the verses, really great texture. Personally, I never felt it was the most awesome-song-ever, but I completely understand its appeal. This is one of those that's run its course for me.
  

So, what about you?
Thoughts on "How Great Is Our God?"
Got thoughts on why it's such a success?
COMMENT BELOW!

WHAT YOU LEARN IN A BOOKSTORE

You can learn a lot from Christian sub-culture.

Take books, for instance.

Your Christian bookstore (or even overall mega-bookstore) is filled with books about church. In fact, the past 4-6 years have been a very busy time for authors who write on church matters.

And many, many, many of those books are about "how" to do church. There are books that teach you how to organize your teams. Other reveal how to re-imagine your mission and modes of ministry. Some of them are biographical...memoirs (if you will) of what God's done in a certain church and what its people have learned through that process.

A lot of these books are good. Heck, most of these books are good.

But as a worship leader, when I stroll down the aisle at my bookstore, I have one question...

WHERE ARE THE WORSHIP BOOKS?

I'm not talking about collections of chord charts. I'm not talking about piano books.

I'm simply asking why there are SO many books on the philosophy of church growth and preaching and other practical issues regarding church leadership and yet so few books about worship.

Don't get me wrong...there are worship books out there. But it's not a very even mix. It baffles me that the Christian Media Marketing Machine hasn't caught on to this need. (Personally, I imagine the Christian Media Marketing Machine to be a large, ominous black skyscraper from Stephen King's Dark Tower series...but then again, I have issues.)

I can't believe there aren't a few books about the success of the Hillsong worship projects. I'm amazed there aren't biographies of some of the churches that stand out as pioneers in worship. I think a "Passion" memoir is long overdue.

We, as worship leaders, need books like this. We need to be able to peek inside these icons of excellence in our given fields and be able to dissect them, learn from them and adjust those principles to our places of worship. Here's what we need...

1. THEORY
I can't speak for all worship leaders, but I can be honest. And I'm honestly telling you that most of us don't think near enough. I need books that will force me to look at scripture and hear wise council and engage my mind and experience as I plan and lead worship. I need books that will encourage me to be sound in my theology and yet gracious in my delivery. I need books that make me ask hard questions. I need to dig deeper into this calling of God - to know what it is I'm called to do and how I need to do it.

2. PRACTICAL HELP
What do I do when my band members are chronically late? How do I deal with overcrowding in the sanctuary? How much time should I give to the youth band? Questions like this are plentiful in a worship leader's life. I need books that will allow me to glean wisdom from folks who've gone before me. And what's more...it's all good. Meaning this - even if I read a book I might disagree with, at least I'm visioning, planning and thinking, right? Give me some everyday, real life practical help!

3. ADAPTABILITY
I need books on worship to be humble. I don't need books that pressure me into copying every decision. I need books written by pastors who are intent on equipping the body...and not just playing with multiplicity. I need books that encourage me to pursue my dreams, to take risks and to weigh every decision against the needs and journeys of my congregations.
____________
I love working in the church. It's where I'm supposed to be, because even when it's hard, it's still the best job I've ever had. But I need help. And so do you. And so does every worship leader in the world.

If you've got wisdom...tips...help to give, then do it. Write a book. Start a blog. Create a YouTube channel and start sharing wisdom. Because God's given it to us all in small doses, spread out all over the place. Let's learn from each other, huh?

The Process, Episode 2

The Process, Episode 2 (Advent Video) from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

Okay, worship leaders and musicians...

What's one song you've always wanted to do at church but never had the chance to play?

The Process, Episdoe 1 (Advent Video) from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

MISTAKES, Part I

Unfortunately, I'm not talking about 'flubs,' those innocent mistakes that worship leaders make from time-to-time (or all the time, depending on what kind of season you're in, right?)

No, I've been thinking about bigger things. I've been looking and listening an pondering on what sort of "big mistakes" that worship leaders make. Please understand, I know that our God is gracious and merciful and able to forgive...but I also know that mistakes often bring consequences. We learn from them, and hopefully, learn to avoid repeating them.

So that's why I'm writing about mistakes. I'd like to examine some situations where a worship leader has messed up. Some of these situations are hypothetical, some will be true, and some will be (sadly) biographical!

Trey is 23 years old. He's wrapping up college, actively involved in his church, dating a great girl and doing a pretty good job of being a Godly young man in the world today. Like most 23-year olds, he's got his favorite bands. Since the line between sacred and secular disappears with each new CD release, his iPod is likely to be filled with every single genre and form of music you can imagine.

On Tuesday night, Trey is at dinner with his girlfriend and he spots the worship leader from his church. This excites Trey because Trey just got back from a fantastic retreat sponsored by a campus ministry. As an added bonus, the retreat planners booked one of Trey's favorite worship bands.

Trey walks over to his worship pastor and they talk for a few minutes. Trey then tells his worship leader about this great retreat. He's bragging on the planning, the study guide and application and then he hits the band. Can't stop talking about the band.

The worship leader, actually, is familiar with the band. And he doesn't really like them all that much. It's nothing theological, mind you...it's just a preference thing. The worship guy doesn't dig Trey's band because the pastor thinks the band uses too many programmed drum loops in their sets. So, as Trey wraps up his story, the worship guy starts talking abut the band. And within two minutes, he tells Trey that the drum loops are annoying. Not content to leave it there, the worship leader makes it another minute or two before he starts giving examples - singing snippets of popular worship songs and then trying to beatbox them. Then laughing uncontrollably.

And Trey...doesn't know what to do. So, he smiles at the worship leader's joking, and then leaves the guy beatboxing over the chips and salsa.

It's a sad thing, and almost all of us have done it. I'm not sure why we do it. I know what we tell ourselves, though. We tell ourselves that we were just kidding or that "music matters" as if we're somehow responsible for giving a college-level music course to each and every congregant. And for some of us, it's pure musical snobbery.

But whatever the reason, none of it works. That worship leader didn't do anything uplifting by slamming Trey's band. Not only did the worship leader quickly "reveal" that Trey's band is dumb, he also showed himself to be a very poor conversationalist.

Listen, worship leaders...preferences are fine. Making wise musical choices based on your congregation is fine. Heck, it's required! But disrespecting those that would come to you to engage in discussion or debate about worship - your field of expertise - is one of the most idiotic things you could do. That amateur hour stuff, right there.

If you've got valid concerns about a CD or artist, trust me, you'll get the chance to explain yourself on those.

But sometimes you gotta' keep your big mouth shut and be honored that a guy would even want to talk worship with you instead of eating fajitas with his girlfriend.

Let's remember that we are pastors on stage and off. Let's remember to use our words to uplift and to humble ourselves constantly. It's not enough to maintain the appearance of humility on stage if you're not able to truly walk humbly in every day life. Fix the every day stuff and the stage will take care of itself.

11/16 Confessional

Confessional 11/16/08 from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

I Need "Jesus"

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name
Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Let all Heaven and Earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away
But there's something about that name!

Bill and Gloria Gaither (William J. Gaither, Inc.)
___________________________________________
This song by the Gaithers is one of my favorite hymns. If I'm being honest, I'd have to say that my first love for this song is musical...in other words, I love all the "7th chord sounds" and descending chords in the tune. As a kid, I used to love to sing this song in church.

But this song means a bit more to me, now.

Because I need more "Jesus."

I'm using quotation marks because I'm actually talking about the word "Jesus." You see, I use words like "Father" and "God" and "Lord" all the time. But for some reason, I don't speak the name of Jesus very often.

I'm not sure why.

I need "Jesus." I need that word - need to speak it, sing it, and keep it on my mind. I need the word because I need to remember Him. I need to remember that the name of Jesus represents His coming. When Mary and Joseph obeyed the command of God and called the child, "Jesus," my whole life changed. He came. He came to die. He came to beat death. He came to justify the sin-debt, and to forget His name is a travesty.

My encouragement to you this week is simply this:

Say, "Jesus."

Find a time this week to focus on His name. Speak it, sing it...maybe even SHOUT it! (His name is victorious!)

11/9 Confessional

Confessional 11/9/08 from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

Anything Else?

Rob found this online posting recently for a worship leader position:

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Provide spiritual leadership to the church at large as part of the Leadership Team.
*Participate fully in the life of our church through membership.
*Take part in shaping the future of The Gathering through leadership events and staff meetings.
*Invest yourself relationally in the lives of the people within and beyond worship arts.

2. Design weekend services that create unforgettable experiences with God.
*Develop service plans and schedules in conjunction with Lead Pastor.
*Develop a sense of unity and camaraderie among all the artists of our church.
*Involve various arts such as video, painting/sculpture, acting, and spoken word in services.
*Schedule guest speakers, bands, and artists at various times of the year.

3. Lead a team of musicians that inspire people to live passionately for God.
*Recruit and develop a consistently improving team of musicians who have a passion for Jesus Christ.
*Mentor a growing number of competent worship leaders for adults, youth, and children.
*Practice a minimum of every Sunday before service and 3 times per month outside of Sunday nights.
*Collaborate in writing original worship music and creating a unique sound/voice for The Gathering.
*Style of music to be modern, high energy, and led by multiple vocalists.

4. Provide leadership and oversight for all worship-related technology.
*Make continual improvements to lighting, sound, and media.
*Responsible to oversee the technical production team leader.

5. Assist Lead Pastor with additional projects and tasks as assigned.

Anybody else overwhelmed by a job description like this?

What stands out to you?

What's right or wrong with this job description?

I've decided to leave this post up for a couple of days in an effort to encourage some discussion. But here's the deal...I don't want you to comment. I want you to email me. That's right - email me your 100 % honest opinion...what's great or horrible about this job description. I'm posting this over at my blog and on my SongDiscovery page, too. In a few days, I'll try to collect all the comments and let everybody take a look. Be honest...

Email me at toddwrightband@gmail.com.

One of the best parts about being a worship leader is spending time with students/young adults who share that same calling. Most of us (30's and above) probably remember being young and interested in worship and having few, if any, mentors in worship.

When I was 15 years old, the worship movement was just starting to hit my little hometown and my church was a long way from joining the revolution. That's why I love hanging out with young worship leaders now. I am encouraged by their passion for worship and I get to share what little knowledge I have with them.

Lately, though, I've been noticing the absence of a critical component in my worship discussions with young leaders – PRAYER.

We have a whole generation of young worship leaders that now have access to resources (DVDs, CD, web YouTube tutorials, etc.) and yet still lack when it comes to prayer. And I'm not talking about the short, but sincere prayers we throw up to the sky just before rehearsals or before church on Sunday. (Although those are good, too.)

Lately, I've been encouraging young worship leaders to spend time, on their own, praying for the "x-factor." They look at me weird when I say things like this. But that's okay…because now I have their attention!

What am I talking about when I say "the x-factor?" I'm not quite sure. (Hence the name.)

But I think it's that special thing, that mysterious connection that happens between a worship leader and a congregation. Some call it the "anointing" or a "real gift," and maybe those are better words for it. I'm not sure. I just know that from time-to-time I sit under a worship leader who has something going for him or her that's more than training; more than study; more than experience.

It's this unnamed something that draws me in to what they are doing. I pray for that something…I pray that God will somehow, in His power and grace, allow me to "connect" with my crowd in a way that's different; in a way that's real and honest and filled with his power.

I want young worship leaders to hear me pray those types of prayers – to know that, in the end, it's God who empowers us to even breathe a breath or voice a song. I want those who watch me lead or serve alongside me to know that I'm always have that "X-factor," desperate for God to ignite worship in a way that only he can.

Thoughts on the "X-Factor?" What about young worship leaders? What do you try to share with those your mentoring?

11/2 Worship Confessional

11/2 Worship Confessional from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

YIKES!

Ever had a Sunday like this?















Take a minute and tell one your worst, most stressful, horrible Sundays.

REVIEW: "The Bright Sadness"

Worship Confessional 10/26/08

Let's get some comments!

I'm at the WiredChurches.com "Regional" Conference in Garland, TX today.

I'll be blogging about the whole day later on over at Todd Blog. It was a great day and there were some pretty fun and memorable experiences.

Check over at www.brandontoddwright.blogspot.com later today for a recap.

Confessional 10/19/08

Worship Confessional 10/19/08 from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

At the end, my words are actually, "Um, really good.."

Although, it sounds like I'm saying "I'm really good," I'm not quite that arrogant.

Yet.