Congregational Worship

By Dave Pitzo

Not quite ready to put in the oven, but it's starting to take shape.

I think that is vitally important to understand recorded music as this seems to be a big stumbling block for musical congregational worship. To accomplish this let's visit the inner workings of a music writer. As a basis, let's consider that there are people who are just conduits to inspired music that are both carnal and spiritual or both. Debra and I met a couple living in Wautoma, Wisconsin who owned a craft retail store there. There was music playing in the background that had a unique substance to it that cause me to inquire who it was that was recorded. It's was the owners wife who told us that it was his wife. She had a great voice and the melodies and music, although secular were inspirational. On a return visit, we met this man's wife. She told us that she had a great opportunity to move to California and pursue fame. They had moved to Wautoma from West Allis, WI. Instead of pursuing this musical opportunity they bought this retail store that was up for sale and chose a quite life in this small town in Wisconsin. Everyone must make decisions for their future and I could appreciate their choices. She explained that they as a husband and wife team were both song writers. They individually and collectively would compose music. They received so many songs in their (approximate) 50 years of life that they had to divert their music writing atmospheres to have some sense of peace. She explained that her husband would have to sleep in audible seclusion. Any semblance of timing such as ticking clocks would instigate a song. She explained that anytime in her day, she was vulnerable to creating a song. It seemed to me that this gift became a source of distraction to other goals in their life as a married couple. Owning this store and living in a small town was a place of safety.

Our conversation seemed to open a door as I could related to their struggles and frustrations of song inspiration and how it can occupy you. We have prayed for them as we believe there is a unique calling on their lives and God has a plan for them.

In conveying this story, I want to emphasize that the song you here and want to play in public has a lot more dimension to it than what you here in a five minute song on your Ipod. You could say that someone paid the price for this song to be published. What you hear in your ears and heart is only on the surface. We as worship musicians and singers really need to consider that an investment has been made by someone for you to have that song before you.

The Secret is in the Sauce

If we are only singing our congregational songs out of what the songs does to us by playing the measured song, we miss the point of the song. The song had to have some order to it for it to be marketed. If that musician or song writer could detail the story behind it, it often would not be marketable. Each song could be a one hour interview. However with all that said, the recording artist must trust in the Holy Spirit to make it's own impact on you in the song that you can sing it in a whole new experience.

My point in all this is to be open to what the Holy Spirit wants to emphasize in the context of the selected song. Having your spiritual eyes and ears open to your surroundings is vital to an a anointed time in the presence of God.

Example: During a worship time, we were singing "Shout to the Lord" (Hillsongs). The typical place to make an emphasis in a song is within the chorus. We were singing "the mountains will sing and the seas will roar at the sound pf your name" when I sensed an unusual power and strength in those words. Our musicians are through experienced in improvisation and caught my signal to repeat that measure. Immediately you could feel the inrush of strength and power through the re-direction. A "new song" developed in the middle of a familiar congregational song. It became a shared experience and a memorable occasion. The mountains will sing and the Seas will roar at the sound of His name!!!! We lost track of time. When the presence of God falls like that the entire atmosphere changes.

In the context of a euphoric text book experience for congregational worship, this is what we look for. It's called different things by different people but can be summed up as "wow!"

A lot of dialog can come out of this brief description. It can and should be talked about as there are so many different ways to do what I gave as an example.

The objective to learn here is that the Holy Spirit moves like the wind or like the river current . We don't know where it comes from and we don't know where it's going too. Those who have walked in the Christian walk know the ways of the Lord. His ways are not like our ways and it should not be in our music either.