THE DISCIPLINE OF SONGWRITING
I recently had a conversation about the process of creating art with a friend who writes movie scripts. As we talked, I mentioned a difficulty I’ve had in writing a song that I’m actually happy with. I’m trying to write more because I want to cultivate this gift in my own life and serve the congregation I am privileged to lead. But it’s been frustrating.
He related a principle to me (he couldn’t remember where he heard it) that I’ve found helpful as I consider faithfulness in writing songs. He said what typically compels an artist to begin to create something is some burst of inspiration. It could be a theme, a truth, an emotion, a picture, whatever. Their task then is to recreate that feeling or thought in a way that allows others to experience it as well. Most of the time, especially when we are first beginning in our craft, we stink at this. The amazing picture we had in our mind doesn’t quite make its way to the canvas in front of us. The glorious truth that so strongly affected us somehow doesn’t seem quite as earth-shattering when we write a song about it. The feeling of awe and wonder dissipates as we read what we have just written. The process of closing the gap between what we imagine or experience and what we actually create, he told me, is where discipline comes in.
Discipline
Psalm 96:1 tells us to “Sing to the LORD a new song!” If you’re anything like me, I imagine that new songs, like any other amazing art, should be created and completed in a flash of brilliance. The words and melody flow out of us in a moment of inspiration like water from a faucet.
Unfortunately, this never happens to me. Ever. It’s not that I’m never inspired. But typically I begin with a flurry and then get frustrated and give up. My friend helped me realize that this is part of the hard work of becoming a better artist. Hopefully, one day I will be able to sit down with an idea and be able to recreate it exactly the way I envisioned. But in order to do that, I must discipline myself to grow in the art of songwriting. This requires time, energy, and hard work. There’s no way around it.
I am not saying that we can’t or shouldn’t write songs that come quickly to us. What I am saying is that the difference between an okay song and an excellent song can often simply be my laziness.
Writing songs for corporate worship does not release us from the principles of discipline that other artists adhere to. In fact, as Christians, I would argue that we should be even more motivated to work at our craft. How are you, as Harold Best so helpfully puts it, “becoming better than you once were?”
How do we grow?
Here are a few ideas for how to grow.
- Study lyric writing. Read books on songwriting. Study hymns. Research great songwriters. Work to understand why certain phrases and melodies work, and why others don’t. Try to master the craft, not just ‘write a song.’
- Get input. Being a Spirit-filled songwriter does not exempt us from evaluation. Just because the Spirit enabled you to write a song doesn’t mean that it is immune to work, editing, and critique. God works through disciplined editing just as much as moments of inspired writing. Trust people who are better at songwriting then you. Listen to them and try to understand what they mean in their critique. We grow by putting ourselves in situations that stretch and challenge us.
- Work to say exactly what you want to say. This can be so frustrating! Work until each line says precisely what you want to communicate. Don’t settle for typical phrases when you can come up with a more creative, thoughtful one. Keep writing until you’re satisfied with the result. Don’t give up!
May we continue to develop and cultivate the gifts God has given us, trusting that he will use our efforts for his glory.
[1] Harold Best, Music Through the Eyes of Faith (San Francisco, Calif.: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993), 108.
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This content was originally written for and posted on DoxologyandTheology.com here.
Songwriting and Mixed Motives
The moment had come. And I was nervous. I cleared my throat one last time, grabbed my pick, adjusted the strap on my guitar and began to play.
Was I recording in the studio? Nope. Playing in front of thousands of people? Nope. More pressure. It was a recent songwriters retreat during the “feedback” portion. This is where you get to play the songs you’ve written and subject them to the critique of other songwriters. And I was the first to go. Yay.
I’m aware these times are a source of valued feedback from people more gifted than I. But they are also times when how much I crave people’s praise is revealed.
As soon as I finished a song, I had a flurry of thoughts: Did they like it? Were they impressed? Will they say what an amazing song it was? Do they think I’m a good songwriter? Will they all spontaneously stand up and burst into applause?
It is humbling to consider how such a good desire to write songs that glorify God can also contain such a twisted desire to be impressive and attain glory for myself.
Ever faced this?
This isn’t anything new
If you’re a Christian and a songwriter like I am, you can probably give the right answers for why we write congregational songs (like I can). We want to write for God’s glory. We want people to sing our songs so they may know and love God better.
And yet, like the dirt on my sons’ hands which seems impervious to water, soap, or anything else, selfish ambition never seems to go away. Which can be incredibly frustrating.
So, how do we conquer this?
First, we have to acknowledge that we can’t. No, really. We will never be rid of mixed motives until we join Jesus in heaven and he completes the work he began in us. This is Scripture’s testimony. As Christians, we still have competing desires in our hearts (Gal. 5:17). Our hope is not in our ability to conquer sin. It is in the finished work of Jesus.
But while we will never completely conquer these desires this side of heaven, we can see real growth as God changes us from one degree of glory to the next into the image of his Son (2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29).
So how do we grow?
Here are a few things I am learning to do:
1. Be quick to identify sin, confess it, and turn to Jesus. Much of sin’s power comes from the shame and guilt associated with it. I know my outlook on life shouldn’t be dependent on people’s assessment of my songs, and yet at times it is. I know I shouldn’t want people to recognize me for being a great songwriter, but at times I do. But rather than being surprised every time I have these thoughts, I am learning to identify and own them and then ask God to free me from them. Being disappointed in myself is to have trusted in myself. Instead, I’m learning to turn to Christ for forgiveness and grace. I don’t have to hide my sins, and thus compound my shame. I can acknowledge them and live in the joy of forgiveness.
2. Find joy in seeking to be faithful, not impressive. Let’s face it: God will never be impressed by any of the songs we write. As if he says, “Wow! No one has ever thought of that chord progression and melody! Amazing!” “Rhyming ‘Lord’ with ‘Behold’? Brilliant!” Eh, not so much. God is not impressed. But he IS pleased. He is pleased every time I go about the task of writing a song of worship for his glory. It might be simple or complex. Sung by millions of people or just you. It might use a dozen chords or just two. It might be a majestic hymn or a simple refrain. Through the perfection of Jesus, God receives each offering as though Jesus offered it himself. This is amazing grace! And this keeps our focus on him, not ourselves.
3. Keep writing songs! Constantly analyzing motives, assessing weaknesses, and fearing ambition, keeps me from developing the gift God has given me and maturing in my faith. We grow as we exercise. Don’t let your mixed motives keep you from continuing to write songs for the Lord. This is the very ground where he does the good work of sanctifying us.
Writing songs for congregational worship is hard. It is humbling. It will remind you that you aren’t the amazing songwriter that you think you are. It will show you the evil desires in your heart. But it is good. It is a privilege. As we labor to write words and melodies that exalt God, we are writing the very things that we need to be reminded of: God alone is worthy of praise, honor, and glory. Forever.
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This content was originally written for and posted on DoxologyandTheology.com here.
Do We Know What We’re Doing on Sundays?
If I asked you, “What do you do at the weekly Sunday gathering with your church?” what would you say? “We drink coffee and talk, we sing for 30 minutes, we say a confession, we hear a sermon, we take communion. . . .” In other words, you would give me a description of particular actions you participate in.
But what if I were to ask you, “Why do you do what you do at the weekly Sunday gathering with your church?” In other words, what is the purpose behind the actions? Could you answer? More importantly, could you describe what God says is the purpose of the weekly rhythm of gathering with your church for corporate worship?
Like a journey without a clear destination or a habit with no real purpose, corporate worship that is not informed by knowledge of why we do what we do puts us at risk of wandering aimlessly through our services Sunday after Sunday. But knowing why we do what we do helps us not only to do the right things but to truly seek the Lord in the midst of them. It also deepens our expectation for how God is going to meet us in our worship.
God gives us at least three reasons in Scripture for the church to gather.
WE GATHER TO RESPOND TO HIS REVELATION
First and foremost, we gather each Sunday because God created us as worshipers and He invites us to worship Him alone.
This gracious invitation has, at its source, the truth of who God has revealed Himself to be. We can’t rightly worship someone we do not know. Therefore, God’s revelation of Himself is vital in our gatherings.
He has revealed Himself through His Word, and His inscripturated Word reveals the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. This is why Scripture and Jesus must be preeminent in our gatherings. What we need is God’s revelation of Himself, and this revelation centers on the person and work of Jesus.
For us to come to any experience with God without a conscious and direct turn to Jesus risks reliance upon ourselves, our emotions, or our gifts to come before Him. This becomes increasingly important the more extraneous noise there is. We cannot assume that good music, the excellence of our service, or the quality of our speaking allows us to worship Him. The only way for us to be commended to God is through Jesus Christ.
These truths demand a response. We gather to behold, but this beholding should have an effect. We respond to Him not only with our songs but by offering ourselves (Rom. 12:1–2). Our response to truth is not only essential (James 1:22–25) but to be desired. God doesn’t simply want us to study Him; He wants to have a relationship with us.
WE GATHER TO REHEARSE THE STORY OF REDEMPTION
Throughout the Bible, God tells His people to rehearse what He has done for them. For Israel, they were to recall their deliverance from Egypt (Deut. 8). We are told in the Psalms to “forget not all his benefits” (103:2) and to “tell . . . the glorious deeds of the Lord” (78:4). The sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and baptism were given to be signs and seals that remind us of God’s promises and work.
This remembering roots us in the only story that matters, the one that makes sense of all of our lives—the story of redemption. Long ago, church leaders recognized that Christians’ rehearsing the gospel each week has a powerful effect on how they view God, how they interact with Him, and how they live their lives. Participating in gospel-shaped worship trains people to develop the discipline of thinking and living in the redemptive story. Each Sunday as we consistently walk through who God is, what He has done, and how we are to respond, we are training ourselves in how to do this in our lives as well.
WE GATHER TO EDIFY ONE ANOTHER
One of the significant mistakes in the history of the church and its various liturgies was in terms of participation. Over time, God’s transcendence and glory became so emphasized that any thought of edifying the congregation and encouraging them to participate was lost in the weightiness of the event. The Reformers sought to bring back the picture of New Testament worship: communal, life giving, and edifying. It is the people’s worship, not a priest performing mediatorial tasks.
God calls all of us to participate to build up the body. God has given each one of us gifts, and as worshipers, we are called to use them to edify others, particularly in our Sunday gatherings (Acts 2:42–47; 1 Cor. 12:12–31; 14:3–5, 12, 17, 26; 1 Thess. 5:11; Eph. 4:11–16). The Sunday worship service is never merely a means to an end—a “fill-up” to then go out into the world where real ministry takes place. It is rather a demonstration of how we are to live our lives as Christians. God ministers to and reveals Himself to us, and we respond in that moment by ministering to each other. The church assembled, then, represents and resembles the changed community of God. Our gatherings should look distinct from the world because we are a picture of the heavenly community that God is creating.
A GRACE-FILLED INVITATION
The details of what we do each Sunday can vary according to denomination, culture, and season. But underlying what we do are God’s grace-filled purposes for His gathered church. He invites us each and every Sunday to behold Him in His glory, to respond in worship, to rehearse all that He has accomplished through Jesus, and to participate in the work of building up His body through Spirit-empowered ministry. What an opportunity!
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This content was originally written for and posted on Tabletalkmagazine.com here.
How Do You Prepare for Sunday?
A couple weeks ago, my wife and I went out to eat on a date. On a whim, we decided to go see a movie as well. Just like that. No preparation, we just decided and went. The lack of preparation had absolutely no bearing on how much we enjoyed the movie. After all, we just wanted to be entertained.
Unfortunately, we can often approach the Sunday meeting in a similar way.
How do you prepare to gather with your church family? Is your preparation limited to the frenetic collecting of your children, snacks, and diapers? Do you spend your time trying to convince yourself that going is better than sleeping in? Or maybe you don’t even think to prepare, because it’s just another routine that you’ve developed?
How we prepare for our Sunday gatherings is directly related to how much we benefit from our time together.
Two Common Mistakes
Here are two common errors we can make.
At times, we can prepare as spectators. We come mainly to watch, not participate. It’s like how I prepare to go see a sporting event. Besides making sure I’m not wearing the opposing teams colors, I don’t prepare much. I anticipate it, but my general attitude in going to a sporting event is, “Entertain me! Move me! Show me something amazing!” Or if you’re a loyal fan of a lousy team like I am, “Make me suffer!”
We can have the same attitude as we come to our Sunday gatherings. We come with the expectation, spoken or assumed, that everyone else needs to make sure we have a good time. I need my kids to be taken care of. I need people to seek me out. I need the music to sound a certain way. I need the preacher to stop speaking on time so that I can get on with my life. As for Jesus? Hopefully he shows up by his Spirit so I can have a spiritual, emotional experience that carries me through my week. We come as spectators, expecting to be served.
For some of us, we prepare for our Sunday gathering as workers. This is what I typically face as a vocational pastor. But it’s not limited to being a pastor. You might serve in your church as a children’s ministry worker, usher, setup team person, greeter, or hospitality person. We prepare much like we prepare for work (and for some, it really is work). We make a list of all the things we need to do. We make sure we leave on time. Our mind is filled with logistics and details. We remind ourselves how important our role is.
Preparing to meet with our church becomes an assessment of what we need to do rather than an excitement for how God might meet us. Maybe our gatherings even become a place where we derive our significance and self worth because of all the ways we serve, rather than a privileged opportunity to be with our family. Ever been there? I have.
So how should we prepare?
Prepare to Receive
Every time we gather as a church, God will speak to us as his word is preached, sung, read, and studied. Hearing from God is a weighty and glorious thing. Just read Exodus 19–20. To see God for who he is, to be overwhelmed by his greatness and holiness, to experience his presence, to see his boundless love and mercy, to encounter what should make our hearts tremble. Through Jesus, we can boldly come and receive (Hebrews 10:19–22), but confidence does not equal casualness. Prepare by asking God to help you receive his revelation with gratefulness and humility.
Prepare to Respond
When God reveals himself to us, things happen. Experiencing God leads us to respond (Isaiah 6:8). Rather than being a spectator or a passive participant, our hearts are moved to worship because we have once again seen the beauty, greatness, holiness, mercy, and love of our God. We sing to him, confess our sins, receive his word preached, take communion, and give our finances, all in grateful response to seeing who God is and what he has done for us in Jesus.
Prepare for this Sunday by asking that God would help you rightly respond to him.
Prepare to Edify Others
Our worship doesn’t stop when the singing ends, or the preacher says, “Amen.” It continues as we greet, encourage, serve, pray for, exhort, and care for one another. God chooses to use people to edify his body (1 Corinthians 14:26). You and me. Isn’t that amazing?
Do you come to church expecting that God will use you? It might be as you serve practically, it might be as you take two minutes to pray for a friend, or greet a new person, or encourage a child. You have a part to play. This Sunday, prepare for gathering with your church family by asking God how he might use you to edify his church.
So how do you prepare to go to church? This Sunday, come ready to encounter God and respond to him in glad and grateful worship with your heart and life.
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This content was originally written for and posted on DesiringGod.org here.