'Best' Worship Songs from 2018

Don't you dislike words like 'best worship songs'...! What does that even mean? For us, it's just a title, nothing more. We all recognise that various songs work in differing contexts, groups, churches and occasions. Songs rise up and fall back, others stay longer, some come for seasons and in certain churches.

But from my church, worship events and local area within the missional Anglican and charismatic church, which songs have really been 'taking off'? What songs have I seen God use to really speak into people's lives and seen people sing with a passion in church? Which worship songs have seen God's anointing on them? New songs, old ones, songs somewhere in between....

In no particular order....

Living Hope

Written by Phil Wickham and Brian Johnson, this is a song that has really taken off in 2018. The words are really anointed as is the construction of the song. This is sung with more energy by Phil Wickham compared to the more mellow Brian Johnson. Cross Point Church have done a great version (and electric guitar tutorial). All versions work equally well. This is a song that can cross over between band in a charismatic church and in a more traditional evangelical church. It's a song I find myself singing to myself over and over.

What A Beautiful Name

The bridge still has an incredible anointing on it as we corporately declare who God is and the fact that he has no rival and no equal. Love that. The song has fallen back in use, possibly due to over-use. Still such a powerful song, lyrics and tune.

O Praise The Name

Another incredible Hillsong tune and one that is still going. The chorus is so powerful and can be used and attached to many other worship songs. This is used and declared with passion wherever I go.

Surrounded (Fight My Battles)

A Housefires song that has taken off in 2018, the song is about how we fight our battles through worship. The declaration is that 'it may look like I'm surrounded, but I'm surrounded by you' is a message to a world often hostile to Christianity and an encouragement. The song is simple and powerful.

Reckless Love

Still being used and still loved, especially the chorus and bridge. The song speaks to a generation that is often confused and needs God's comfort. The only reckless thing about this song is the silly fuss some people online have made about it. Thank goodness God calls us to the throne of grace, not to the throne of 'theological perfection', to paraphrase Mike Bickle. Part of the power of this song is the use of the word 'Reckless' which gives the song its anointed edge. If you don't like the song, don't use it and move on!

This I Believe

Hillsong's declaration of the creed and what we believe is brilliant. We often use this for communion. Similar to this song is 'O Come To The Altar' by Elevation Worship which we've occasionally used.

Great Are You Lord

I like All Sons and Daughters and they've done some great songs in their own unique ways. But 'Great Are You Lord' seems to have actually risen up in 2018 if that makes sense. Again, it's another song that declares who God is. These songs are needed in the church in a dark world and remind us, encourage us and give us boldness as we know our God.

The bridge 'All the earth will shout your name' is also powerful. The chord structure for that is 1, 1sus, 4, 1.

Personally I like the way All Sons and Daughters (the final time around) go: 1, 1sus/6, 4, 1. Try it and see!

10, 000 Reasons

Still going and still loved. It's being sung less but still retains that Psalm 103 praising God at all times vibe. It's more of a hymn as we know and so has an appeal across church traditions. Thinking again of the chord structure,

I heard Hunter at Bethel Music (I think) sing the final chorus with a replacement chord, as follows, which I've done and works well... The normal way is: Bless the (4) Lord, oh my (1) soul, (5) oh my (6) soul...

The way Bethel did it was: Bless the (4) Lord, oh my (1) soul, (3) oh my (6) soul...

Take Courage

We've found ourselves singing this from Kristin DiMarco at Bethel quite a few times. The song has spoken to many people who find themselves in a time of waiting, of hoping, trusting and desperately in need of God. The Bible tells us in places like Psalm 27 and 37 that it's good to wait on the Lord. But sometimes the waiting just seems endless, as I know from personal experience. But this chorus moves from 'Hold onto your hope, as your triumph unfolds' through to 'Hold onto your hope, watch your triumph unfold.' It's active waiting and I've seen many people crying or just holding onto God as this sung sung over them and into the core of their spirit.

Stand In Your Love

'My fear doesn't stand a chance, when I, stand in your love..." I was at Exeter University Great Hall when the excellent Josh Baldwin led his song in October 2018 and the roof nearly blew off. To be fair, it did with every song. The passion for God was incredible. The semi-country, semi-worship style with the electric guitar riff using a slide on the A-shape just adds to another powerful declaration. This time it's for a generation where fear is rising but God is bigger!

Tremble

Co-written by Mariah McManus, this is another tune that has risen up and again when sung at church (and at the Bethel event at Exeter Uni), the passion and worship of God was almost overwhelmingly powerful. I actually find myself walking around and working, singing and declaring "Jesus, Jesus, you make the darkness tremble" constantly. The bridge of 'Your name is a light that the shadows can't deny. Your name cannot be overcome' is another declaration and powerful truth that needs to be sung, heard, spoken out and seen manifested in life!

Yes and Amen

Another Housefires song that has seen real traction, again due to a declaration of a truth in God's Word. This time from 2 Corinthians 1.20 that "All your promises are yes and Amen." The inspired shout of "Faithful, you are..." only adds to another song of declaration. Again, when Hunter Thompson sung this at iHop's 2018 OneThing, there was such a passion of worship.

PS check out Morgan Faleolo's version of this (and 'Do It Again' by Elevation Music). Amazing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys01143j3uA

'Best' worship songs from 2017? (Songs that worked!)

OK so I hate the word 'best' or 'greatest' because all God-focused worship is powerful and meaningful - and various songs work in various places. I also recognise that worship is about our response to God, our heart attitude and not simply about a song or words!

This title is more of a 'catchy' title to look at which songs really seemed to have an anointing on them in my experience leading and playing across various places in the South West of the UK in 2017.

There is no real rank to these, there is nothing to say this is 'right' but we all understand that some songs have a real anointing on them. They may work for a season or they may become 'classics'. If a song isn't on the list, add it in the comments and why you think it worked.

And let's continue to pursue God in music, in writing, in singing, in playing and give God our best in everything, doing all we do for God's glory.


- 10,000 Reasons - Matt Redman - still going and still loved

- Good, Good Father - Housefires - a cry from the depths of hearts as to who God is

- King of My Heart - John Mark and Sarah McMillan (but popularised at Bethel) - like 'Good Good Father' a testimony of God's heart and goodness

- Build My Life - Housefires - if any song lifted people's hearts and the roof it was this and...

- What A Beautiful Name - Hillsong - so powerful it's unbelievable. The bridge is probably one of the best and most passionately sung, heartfelt cry of God's power I've ever sung.

- Cornerstone - Hillsong - still going and still powerful. Faithful God even through hard times

- O Praise The Name (Anastasis) - Hillsong - often using just the hook

- The Lion and The Lamb - Leeland - a cry and declaration of God's power

- Guardian - Ben Cantelon - an older and not always used song. But a cry of God as defender

- Yes and Amen - Housefires - God is faithful and his promises are true

- Take Courage - Kristene DiMarco (Bethel) - such a powerful journey and testimony. Sung this in 3 places within a week and people were in tears each time.

- Reckless Love - Cory Asbury - crazily good song. God's extreme love for us

- Get Your Hopes Up - Josh Baldwin - lifting our faith, lifting our eyes, lifting our hearts

- Catch The Wind - Jonathan & Melissa Helser - personally this was a powerful uplifting song

- Great Are You Lord - All Sons and Daughters - been around a bit but a declaration of who God is and a powerful God focused bridge

- This Is Amazing Grace - almost been over-done as so few 'bangers' (anthems) in worship music but this still has a power and testimony to it

- Praises (Be Lifted Up) - Josh Baldwin - just praising God.

- The Weight Of Your Presence - Kelley Warren Augi and Robert Augi - these guys are just so humble and kind and full of God's life and so is this song with a nice break out of key too

- Worthy Of It All (Day and Night) - David Brymer/Ryan Hall (iHop at the time) - a song that hasn't gone that much mainstream traction since it was released a few years back but very powerful

- So Will I (100 Billion X) - Hillsong - absolute monster of a song. The heart behind this is to be like Christ and it's amazing. It will work in church but maybe not every church. I know some people have issue with the 'evolving' line but if it matters to you, just change it to say 'adapting' :)


Over to you... What songs worked??

When people reject songs due to theology issues

When people reject songs due to theology issues

The context for this is a YouTube tutorial video for a song called 'Reckless Love' by Cory Asbury. The person doing the video has gone to a huge amount of trouble to put together a brilliant tutorial.

In the comments section, there is a response from someone who states they aren't doing songs from Bethel or from Hillsong any more due to the theology from the churches.

In the specific instance of this song, the commenter also didn't approve of the word 'Reckless' as thinking about God, or the undertones of romantic love in the song.

Update 2019 - I've also had the displeasure of seeing a YouTube 'review' of the song Reckless Love which is unhelpful at best - "Reckless" isn't "Biblical". Hmmm.. Don't remember seeing YouTube or the internet in the Bible either... And some old hymns are full of non-Biblical words or (as with the King James Version) full of words that we don't use and make no sense.. My dad used to teach me that if you can't be nice then don't say anything. I'd add except pray. The enemy wants to see the church divided. As Joyce Meyer says we need the church to unify around the core truths we all agree on rather than the smaller issues we disagree on.

So why do people dislike some songs?

Often there are people that may have a good point theologically. Other times someone may just have a personal issue or grudge that has built in their mind. Sometimes people focus too much on theology that they lose sight of the wider picture. Others become so tunnel visioned on what's 'right' that they can lose their love and actually become 'wrong'. Sometimes it's a simple misunderstanding of the meaning of words. Other times people want their way or feel frustrated. And there are times where people simply don't like songs.

My Experiences of people rejecting songs

A few years ago, I was at a church that I felt moved away from seeing a wide picture of worship to focusing on some very minor and trivial issues that became so magnified that it started to lose sight of what worship was in a macro sense - songs helping us engage with God, worship him.

This is the same church that (wrongly and actually not even Biblically) felt we did too many songs having the words 'I' and 'me' and not enough saying 'us' and 'we'.

One of the issues that one person had was with the words of 'Consuming Fire' by Matt Redman. In this person's view, they didn't like the lyric, 'There must be more than this...' In their view, this was saying that there must be more to what God will do which seemed to be against the fact that what Jesus did on the Cross is complete.

In this instance, the complaint wasn't right because the song is not saying Jesus hasn't finished his work but a cry from the heart that 'God there must be more to you than what I'm experiencing' with the writer inviting God to breathe within him and waiting on God to do a work in him.

At the same church another week, someone giving a talk made a big song and dance about a song from Ben Cantelon called 'Guardian.' The complaint on this occasion was that the song talked about God as a 'guardian' with the speaker very vocally stating that God isn't our 'guardian' but our Father.

Again, the speaker was completely wrong and he had quite an aggressive attitude about the whole thing! The song is talking about God as our protector and not as a guardian that you'd have to manage a trust fund for an under-18 (which is what the speaker believed the song was saying).

Another person also mentioned their frustration with the lyrics of the song, 'Our God' by Chris Tomlin. In this instance I can't recall what the issues were specifically but a reading of the song shows a strong and Biblical framework.

In the case of 'Reckless Love' on YouTube, I also feel the commenter was wrong to suggest that the song writer was meaning that God was 'reckless' as in 'unconcerned.' This is not what the song is saying. Instead, it is saying that God's love is a love that is daring, adventurous and one that goes beyond what we would do.

The comment about the song being too romantic, is not one that stands up to any scrutiny either. Instead, this song is about God's passionate pursuit of people to show himself as God, as well as his pursuit of his people to make them fully his. A cursory (and for some uncomfortable, even reckless) look at Song of Songs shows both a romantic love and a picture of Christ's love for his bride, the church.

In a more recent case, some people have taken issue with the Hillsong track, 'So Will I (100 Billion X')' which they mainly disapprove of or have questioned due to the use of the lyrics, 'A hundred billion creatures catch your breath, evolving in pursuit of what you said.'

Those who believe in creation in 6 days and reject evolution (but not adaptation) question whether this is a song that promotes an evolutionary worldview (and indeed one where there must have been sin and death before Adam and Eve). The question here is whether the songwriters meant 'adaptation' (within species) as opposed to evolution (between species and something that has not ever been found). Then the question is 'if they meant evolution' then should we reject the song?

Should We Reject Songs due to theology?

This is perhaps at the root of some of the comments made. Their cases are specific, but the general point is about whether we reject songs due to their theology? Or whether we reject songs if we don't like a particular artist, ministry, church.

One question revolves around Biblical interpretation: how do we understand and read the Bible? If we take the Bible literally then we have to literally do all the things the Bible says. But this can never be the correct way to read the Bible and it also reduces the Bible down to only what we read (so it can never comment on things that aren't in the Bible).

Instead, the Bible needs to be read as God intended it to be read when he moved on people by the Holy Spirit to write it. This honours God and the Bible in the highest and greatest possible way and is our model for living. As followers of Jesus, we are mini-christs, reflecting his glory and carrying his light, life and presence.

Reading the Bible in this correct way, it helps give principles as well as specifics about issues of every area of life, death and eternity. We see what God gives us to see, feel what he gives us to feel and do what he says we should do.

Theologically, we also know (from Scripture) and common sense, that not everything about God is in the Bible. The Bible is God's true word to us that he knows that we need. The Bible is not a complete overview of God, his character, nature, history etc. God's Word makes it clear that God is above and beyond our understanding. The way we approach him is to seek him for revelation into what we do know revealed in the Word. Sometimes he reveals what we don't know and other times he doesn't, knowing that we couldn't understand or deal with things. He is God, we are not!

We also know that not everything Jesus did, said, thought is in the Bible - the Bible testifies to this in John 21:25. So conversely, we know that Jesus did things and said things that were of God (because he is God) but that aren't in the Bible.

In terms of song-writing, songs directly from the Bible should be at the heart of what we do. It is good when songs are taken completely from Scripture. The International House of Prayer in Kansas City do this in a great way. But if we always do this for every song, we're sometimes forced to compress words into spaces that don't fit, or we can lose a poetic rhythm, lyric or timing that God may give us.

So along with songs straight from the Bible, songs that capture the essence of the Bible, of God, of Jesus, of his Kingdom should also be part of what we sing. To not do this is a denial of the fullness of God, who he has released us to be (creators, creating in the image and for the glory of the creator) and of songwriting potential.

It is good to use words that we maybe can't find in the Bible but that reflect God's heart - or even modern ways of saying things, or even new words.

Remember that God's Word was written outside of time (by God, although in time by man inspired by him) for the whole of time - but was written for every tribe, race, tongue and generation - and we're all different. We all say things different ways, express ourselves differently. As another example, the English language (as one example) doesn't have the words for something that the Greek language does, so obviously using different words is a good thing.

Ultimately it all boils down to whether something glorifies God. All of our life should do this. We can sing a theologically correct song and read the Bible in church but if our life isn't being transformed into his likeness and we're not loving God and others, then our words are empty.

In terms of the rejection of songs from places or people we may not agree with, it's a slightly more tricky or personal choice. My own view is that we can lose something if we become incredibly limiting in what we sing. And the question is: you may not like something or a church (like Bethel) for example. But are they glorifying God? Is God using them? And be really, really honest with yourself - what's the real reason you have an issue?

I personally have no issues with Bethel or anyone else and unless a church is completely off the Biblical grid I don't consider these to be issues when choosing worship songs. Remember that David was a mess and yet his Psalms have been used in millions of songs through history. Are we to reject David because he had views we don't agree with or did wrong things? Can we even deny the redeeming power of God in we become so choosy? Are we placing our personal preference over what we sing? Is it about control? Maybe it's not, but it's worth considering.

I often find those with the biggest issues with things like worship or songs are often people who are deeply frustrated within themselves and even struggling.

And maybe you need to be challenged about what you believe. Maybe it's you that's limiting God. Sometimes our fear of being wrong in something can actually hinder a work of God that regularly (in the Bible and in the life of God's church) does things that confound, confuse and offend. As someone famously wrote, 'God often offends our minds to reveal our hearts.'

So maybe a question for all of us is that when we feel offence rise, maybe this is God's challenge to us and not for us to judge others with a standard may or may not be right. Don't miss out on something of God because you don't fully understand it. God did great things in the Bible that people would have missed out on had they been offended! He is still doing that today.

Worship is Powerful and Transformational

Finally, worship is about God's presence and it is transformational. When I sing a song, in my heart I'm asking the question, 'is this anointed?' Is this a worship song that is God-breathed, reveals something about God, does something in my heart or in the heart of others?

The answer most times is yes.

Reckless Love, So Will I, Our God, Guardian, Consuming Fire have all lit fires in the hearts of people that I have worshipped with. They have breathed life, fuel, God's encouragement, a passion for God, a desire for the nations, for prayer, for a life that honours God into hundreds, maybe even thousands of people that I've known and seen.

It is absolutely right to want to honour God and his Word and the pursuit of this is what we're all after. But...

At the heart of worship songs for me are these questions: does it have God and his Kingdom, his Holy Spirit, his love, his power, his glory all over it? If it does and it's got a good tune (!) then I want to use it. At my heart I don't want to miss anything of God that he has for me.

Worship Influences and choosing new songs

Chatting to someone recently, they asked where I go for influences for new songs. This got me thinking (dangerous, I know...)

At my previous church, there was what appeared to be a real resistance to new songs and seeing what others were doing and writing. The worry was that we would become 'copyists' and not follow the leading of the Holy Spirit ourselves. This may be an issue in some churches occasionally but certainly wasn't the case for us.

There is a complicated process that goes on when thinking about new songs. First of all, what might be an old song to some will be a new song to others!

That aside, new songs are a way for me of seeing what God is doing. God is always speaking to us and we should always be aware of his presence, what he is saying and what he's doing. God's always true to his Word but is always doing new things. So I want to be someone who catches hold of what God is doing and goes with it. Some songs come and go - but at times, certain songs will take off across the globe or maybe just in your church. The more we are open to influence from what God is doing generally, the more we can walk in step with him. And new songs plain inspire me!

Like anything, use the good 'meat' and 'spit out the bones'! I want to be open to what God is doing and what God is saying - even if I 'don't like' the band or the 'style'. We need to grow up and get beyond this (every song can be re-done in a way that works for you, or re-keyed etc). And I would hate to miss out on something God is doing just because of my agenda or personal preferences! God's Kingdom is too important and more important, although God gives us a personality and choices as well :)

So new songs and where I tend to look...

1. One thing I do is have a free account with Bethel TV.  I like to hear what they're doing and the new songs that are coming out. Which songs are they singing from other artists outside of Bethel? Is there any kind of theme emerging that God may be speaking to his church generally?

2. I listen to iHop KC and the live web stream. These guys have a huge range of younger worship leaders who bring all kinds of songs because the worship and prayer is 24/7. I listen to what songs they're doing, listen to which ones seem to 'take off' and speak. I also just like to have it one, soak in it or play along / learn new songs.

3. There are a number of 'artists' and 'bands' who it's good to keep a general eye on because the songs they have done have had many anointed songs in them. Examples (end of 2015) that I would suggest... (in no particular order...)

- Bethel Church, Redding, CA
- Hillsong (and Hillsong London)
- Matt Redman
- Tim Hughes and Worship Central UK, Worship Central Aus/NZ
- Rend Collective
- Chris Tomlin
- Passion (Passion Conference)
- Vineyard
- United Pursuit Band
- Phil Wickham
- IHOP KC and OneThing conference each Christmas in KC
- Chris McClarney
- Jesus Culture
- Martin Smith
- All Sons and Daughters
- Housefires
- New Wine and Soul Survivor
- Matt Gilman
- Cory Asbury

4. I also listen out for new bands and artists.  I just like to hear what people are singing and doing. This also includes local artists and people I know where appropriate!

5. I also whip my iPad out when I'm worshipping if a new song comes along. I have several songs that have just sprung out of the Holy Spirit in me. I also look for this to happen when leading. I'm very open to God bringing a new song although I'm cautious not to over-egg things as you can start to lose people - and you're a worship leader not a worship dictator !!

Ultimately, it's about God, building his kingdom and going with anointed God-songs!

What about you? What influences you, how and why?

"Biblical Worship" ???

Been spending time on Youtube recently, learning some songs, practising songs, learning new chords and just worshipping.

One thing kind of troubled me and that was some of the comments from Christians about worship, about certain churches and ministries. While I cannot tell the heart of those posting comments, the general vibe of the comments are mostly of judgement and legalism, especially towards new moves on God - which seems very unhelpful to me at least...

They backed up a few thoughts I've been having about worship recently that I feel need to be challenged.

Put simply, it's become popular to bash 'performance worship' or make exaggerated claims about what 'Biblical' worship is or get into real legalism regarding worship. 

At my previous church, one of the worship leaders who was also in a position of authority made the startling claim one day that we want to be 'worship leaders not worship divas.' Not one single worship leader was a diva in any way. He also expressed the need for us to not be 'rock stars'. Again, we were all left scratching our heads because no-one even thought in those terms. All were solely dedicated to worshiping God in humility, glorifying him alone. Needless to say not all the worship leaders and musicians stayed at the church, including me.

But the comment came from a misplaced and poor judgment call. He had read a book challenging some of the practices of some US mega-churches and services and had tried applying them to a laid back and informal church of 140 people meeting in a hired building in the UK. The lessons simply weren't relevant.

But beyond this there seems to be a need for some to knock big worship sets, stages etc. Some people suggest we can't find these things in the Bible. But that's ludicrous. We also don't find iPhones with Bible Apps, we don't find 'welcome teams' and we don't find thousands of other things that we use in our Christian life and worship.

The Bible isn't an exhaustive list telling us that we should worship God only in the way that we find in the Bible! To make this claim is to completely misunderstand and abuse correct interpretation of the Bible. Instead, we find key and core principles that we should come into agreement with because they are from God. For example we worship with humility, with grace, we worship to glorify God alone, we are servants etc. Just because we don't find 'bands' or 'stages' or 'lighting' in the Bible, doesn't mean that we don't use them. God is interested in our motivation in our Christian life. Our outward actions simply reflect our heart.

There are loads of things in the Bible that we don't do and things that we do - because we don't live in 1st century Israel in the first ever churches. We live in an inter-connected, complex, global world in 2015. If we truly did everything that was 'Biblical' in some people's eyes, we'd be wandering round with sandals wearing robes and stripping off our clothes and dancing before the ark.

People also forget that the Old Testament had bands, training, singers, instrumentalists, written and free songs under the leadership of David. We also know from nehemiah that there were worship leaders. History also tells us about the songs, worship and locations of worship in the New Testament (for example Solomon's Collonade in Jerusalem).

People that constantly call for what we do to be 'Biblical' need to understand that their very desire to stay true to the Bible actually undermines the Bible because of their misinterpretation of it.

God doesn't want us to become focused on the performance. But if the performance is done to glorify God then what's the issue? You can have someone who looks humble and doing something 'Biblical' but with a heart full of pride. Or you can have someone on stage in front of 1000s who is living out an authentic humble God-life.

The Bible gives us glimpses about worship. It gives us glimpses into heaven and glimpses even into the nature and awesome-ness of God. I've said this before but if the Bible was the complete guide to God, he would be beyond our comprehension and beyond words, awesome and holy and pure and magnificent beyond words, thoughts or actions. But God is even bigger than that! God is even bigger and way beyond even his Word which he has set above all things (Psalm 138).

The Bible is God's revelation of himself that he knows we need, not the complete revelation about God!

We should not limit our worship to what we find in the Bible. We should be Biblical in the nature and character and spirit of our worship. Our worship should be Scripturally sound in principle and in Biblical theology. But our actions in worship should not be made to fit within what we read in the Bible - if this means only doing what we read about in the Bible.

To be sure you know that I'm speaking with a passion for the Word of God as absolute truth, here's what I mean:

If we do worship that is 'Biblical' in practice above principle, we would only use instruments found in the Bible, we'd only sing songs found in the Bible and we'd only use musical principles found in the Bible. Now if this is what you want to do, that's fine. But God has nowhere called us to only do this. There is nowhere in the Bible that says 'worshipping God must look only like this...'

But correct Biblical interoperation isn't following Bible days' practice as an 'only this way formula'. Instead it means we know and follow Biblical principles. So we know that we worship in spirit and in truth. We know that praising God opens doors, brings the presence of God, glorifies God, that we enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. We know that God looks at our hearts etc.

In Revelation 4, we get a glimpse into the throne room of God. But let's be clear - this isn't the only thing going on in the throne room of God. What we read in the Bible about heaven isn't the complete picture about heaven. In the same way, what we see in Bible practice of worship is not the complete picture of worship. Those who say it is are wrong, sorry.

To add in another example, did you know that God speaks to people outside of the Bible? To some people this is a heresy. They claim this is adding to the Bible. But again, this is completely wrong theology. No-one is adding to the Bible. I haven't re-written my Bible with all my own thoughts added in as if they are God's Word! But clearly God speaks to people beyond the exact words written in the Bible. The same is true of worship. So here are some examples...

1. Not every miracle and thing Jesus did is recorded in the Bible. This is what the Bible says. So we know that the truth is that not everything Jesus did and said is in the Bible. So God spoke and work outside of the Bible.

2. God also spoke many things to his people beyond what is recorded in the Bible. There is no way that God didn't do or say anything throughout time other than what we find in the Bible. So again, God spoke outside of the Bible.

3. But what about today? Well, we know from Corinthians that Christians are God's love-letter to the world. So when we speak, act, love, care, we are doing God's will and work - work that is founded on the principles of the Bible and God's Spirit in us, but not 'Biblical' in the sense that some people would misrepresent. Every time you send an email of encouragement, make a phone call, record a testimony, put on a youtube video etc you are doing God's work and will and yet you won't find any of those things in the Bible.

The motivation behind lots of people regarding the Bible and worship seems to be to limit God. It's extraordinary. I heard a sermon once where the Minister read from the Gospels about Jesus healing all the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons. He then went on to talk about how we need to do the works of Jesus. Sounds good so far. But what were these works? Compassion and justice according to him. Now that's great as a start, but what about healing, raising the dead, casting out demons!

The same is true with worship where people seem intent on limiting God to what they think, feel, understand and can cope with. But let's never limit God in this way. We never go contrary to the Bible and we never do anything that is against the nature of God as revealed in his Word. But please don't limit God and make him smaller than he is. That doesn't glorify God.

Matt Redman sung, "I'm coming back to the HEART of worship." That should be our aim in all we do - whether it's you singing a song on your own or whether it's a 10,000 person packed worship event. 

Don't be legalistic (and actually un-Biblical) in asking where's this in the Bible? But instead ask - does this glorify God? Is this building up the church? Are people's lives being transformed? Can we see God moving? Are people coming to faith? Are people encouraged and lifted up? Is the fruit of Spirit being demonstrated? Are people real? Are they open to God? Are they putting God first and seeking first his Kingdom? Is God moving in power? If they are, then who cares about style!!

Listen, I've been to many big worship events and almost without fail I have felt the tangible presence of God and seen lives change - the last event was a GOD TV event in Plymouth on May 19 2015 with a stage, a band and a worship leader. The presence of God and of God-focused worship was so tangible it was incredible.

So you're too late to tell me your theories. I've experienced and seen God work, love it and want more!

Biblical Worship

Here's a question for you... Is your worship Biblical?

And another question... What do you mean by Biblical?

One famous worship leader said that when people say they want Biblical worship, he points them to how David danced exuberantly before the Lord wearing just a linen ephod... (2 Samuel 6.14)

So the question remains - what do we mean by Biblical?

I had a very polite chat via youtube with a friendly guy who kindly wrote on my youtube page explaining his thoughts about worship. For him, worship should be Biblical (what he means is - according to the ways of doing things that we read about in the Bible only). For him, this means pretty much vocals only, the occasional harmony and no real percussion. Fair enough.

But it did set me thinking about what we say when we talk about 'Biblical' worship and whether what we find in the Bible should be our only guide to how we do worship. The problem for me with this approach is that I feel it doesn't honour God or the Bible, or correctly interpret the Bible.

The Bible is God's Word and is absolute truth. But we must make a difference between theology and simply things that the Bible records. Additionally, the Bible is God's Word that God knows that we need. It is not the full counsel of God. If the Bible was the ultimate guide to God, he would be absolutely awesome. But God is way beyond what we read in his Word. We don't know everything about God, the world, dimensions, heaven, God's nature etc. We don't even have all of Jesus' miracles recorded in the Bible (according to the Bible itself in John 20.30 and 21.25).

Taking the first argument about theology - bear in mind that there are lots of things in the Bible that we don't want to copy! The Bible talks about sin, gives examples of how people sinned and the evil that people did. So while these things are Biblical, we certainly don't copy them!

Secondly on the same theme, there are things we find in the Bible that are good examples or interesting but don't relate to us - for example the size of the stones that built the temple. It's interesting and fascinating for some but it doesn't relate to my relationship with Jesus today.

Thirdly, we have to distinguish between theological essentials (the divinity of Jesus, the virgin birth, the 3 in 1 nature of God, the death and resurrection of Jesus etc) and those things in the Bible that can relate to and help us today but are not theological essentials and can even be questioned for what the Bible really says and why (for example Paul's opinion on women wearing hats).

So in the example of worship, if we say that our worship must be Biblical in terms of what we find in the Bible then we actually abuse good interpretation of the Bible. I once had a debate with someone over organs in worship (no organs in the Bible by the way...) and asked this person whether they thought it was ironic that they were writing on the internet on their website that churches shouldn't have drums etc. I asked whether this wasn't a bit hypocritical (i.e. there is no internet or websites in the Bible).

The Bible records the instruments of worship that were available in the day, time and place when the Bible was recorded (in earth time - God is outside of time!) But nevertheless, in the day of King David, electricity hadn't been discovered, nor had advanced electronics that was able to create synths, recording, mics, DJ decks, electronic instruments etc. To only use instruments we 'find' in the Bible seems misguided at best - the Bible doesn't even pretend to list all the instruments that were available at the time of writing, let alone throughout time! Nor is this the Bible's prime aim. The Bible is the record of God's Story primarily and the truth about God. It never attempts and never once demands that we use the Bible to be the only basis for our worship.

Going beyond all this, we live in a world that has existed for thousands of years, across countries, tribes, races, cultures, traditions etc. God made us all different and loves our different forms of music. My brother was a missionary in Africa and people commonly used drums. But according to some (usually in traditional Western denominations), using drums in worship is wrong! But that simply isn't true and doesn't do justice to the world of cultures, races, worship (through time) that God created.

Nor do worship expressions simply include music. If we look through the Old Testament especially, we find that worship always included a posture of the body - singing, dancing, bowing down, being prostrate on the floor, arms in the air, jumping about, silence, the fear of the Lord putting people on their faces etc. If we want to talk about 'Biblical' worship as so many people see it, why are we not seeing people do this!!

Worship itself is Spirit to Spirit (John 4.23-24) and is not primarily a visible thing anyway. We know from 1 Samuel 16.7 that man looks on the outward appearance but that God looks on the heart. We know that God's eyes search across the earth looking for those who hearts are for him (2 Chronicles 16.9). Ephesians 5.18-19 talks about worship including making music to God in their hearts!

Our worship is also not really about what we do for a couple of hours on a Sunday. Our worship is a life experience - it is our love for God manifested 24/7. Even my musical worship goes on each day as songs come to mind, as I sing, grab a guitar, jump about the place, talk to people about God and the Bible, praise God, thank God, or write a dance music remix of a song that God brings to mind!

Worship is our response to God's goodness. Worship is the overflow from our hearts and mouths about who God is and what he has done and is doing for us. To limit this expression is completely outrageous. If I want to rap, shout, sing, fall on my face because of God and his greatness and worthiness to worship, this should be completely normal. To limit people's musical and other genuine God-expressions of worship is nothing short of limiting and boxing God. Nor is it Biblical :)

Worship Thoughts - The Philosophical Sessions

OK, right from the start let's be very clear that God sees our heart and it's this that he really honours, not necessarily our deep thinking!


1. Serving Jesus and serving people

There is a very fine line when leading worship and it can be hard to judge in so many ways. But the way we're looking at here is the tension between hearing from God and doing what he's called you to do - and still continuing to lead people.

To explain...  I was once counselled by a very good and experienced worship leader who had been struck by the fact that when we lead worship, we can become the servant of man above serving God. So for example, we worry about the fact that people don't seem to be into what God has put on us to do rather than following that call from God. This can imprison us and the worship and break off what God's call us to do, break creativity and break the flow. So we may feel to go into the 'hook' of another song, rather than simply sing the same song again - or sing a new line etc. Or we may want people to shout something rather than sing (insert your example here).

But there is a fine line with doing this and recognising that in a Sunday service there is a limited amount of time; that some people won't feel comfortable with new things (should you challenge them anyway... yes but probably slowly); that there may be better times and places to do new things in worship (even doing an evening and getting people used to it in advance).

I have seen two worship leaders who are very good at leading where they feel God is calling them to lead but less good at 'judging the room' and sensing where people are at. These two leaders will carry on doing 'what God's told them' even if it means no-one sings and everyone is sat down. On a Sunday service, I'd suggest this isn't ideal. In an ideal world, the new things we feel God has called us to do would connect with what's happening in the church - the two should be the same.

It is hard to combine the two 'tensions' but as long as we're aware of this, it's a healthy thing. The truth is that worship is complex, people are complex and as a worship leader (note the word 'leader') we must consider various tensions when leading. So yes, go with what God has put in you but also be sensitive to whether this is for you; for the church; for this time; if it could be done more effectively. And of course, reflect back to yourself on what you do.

But yes, feel a freedom to do new things and help draw people with you. I think some worship leaders would do well to remember that they are leading by example and bringing people with them, rather than frogmarching people or running off into the distance and expecting people to follow them. Good leadership does new things, draws people out and deeper but does so by taking people with them.


2. Songs to God, prophetic new songs and songs with the church

There can be a tendency for some worship leaders to get lost in the presence of God. While this is the place we all want to be and while everything else should flow from this, it's not the complete picture. While the eyes of the worship leader are shut, while they're abandoned to God and caught up into heaven, everyone else is lost and quietly sitting down and disengaging.

I know of one worship leader who was so caught up in a song that even a cursory glance around the room would have told him that 97 of 100 people were not captivated by the song - it had gone on so long that I joke not when I say some of the young people were playing games on their phones and some people had formed little groups and were talking!!

People were no longer engaged and it was because the worship leader had lost focus (in this instance). Worse was to come when the person leading the meeting (and who was facing the front) turned and explained that this song would continue because it was 'anointed'. Very few other people agreed.

The 'new song' is mentioned in worship on many occasions. And we must be free to bring the 'new songs' that God brings up out of our hearts. The 'new song' often builds from a loop of chords (perhaps from the chorus of a song we've been singing). As the band plays, sometimes one of the more prophetic singers or leader (or person in the church) sings out something new - Bible verses, or makes up something as they co-operate with the Holy Spirit. This can be extremely powerful and we should be open to this.

I heard one worship leader make a comment similar to the fact that the new song created in worship is more powerful than one that's already been written because it's what God is saying 'now' to you as a church, rather than a song someone has written for you. They even say that we shouldn't simply 'copy' the way songs are done. I've blogged about this before, but this is a perhaps well-meaning but certainly very incomplete explanation.

Yes, we should grow in a new song but a song (that for example Hillsong) sing has been thought about and prayed about over a long period of time. The music and lyrics are thrown backwards and forwards between worship leaders (inside and outside the church), musicians and others. The song is checked for its theology etc. In terms of the music and the parts of the song, these are practiced and thought, prayed over. Many times when we 'replicate' a song it's because the song is already excellent and the riffs better than ones we'd come up with. The 'riff' of a guitar etc or keyboard also communicates to the church when a song comes in / starts / stops / when sections of the song come in etc. We should also sing songs that people know. The same process happens for people like Matt Redman, songs from Worship Central etc. With a song that someone's written already, as long as the worship leader and the projection person have communicated (!) the words are on the screen.

When we sing a new song (and please hear me, there's nothing wrong with new songs, prophetic songs) but much of the above paragraph doesn't exist... It hasn't been checked theologically by others; no-one else knows it; it hasn't been bounced around to improve the song, words, melody etc; the words aren't on the screen (unless it's a repeated phrase with a good person on the 'words' to type them up quickly etc). I've  heard prophetic songs that have terrible tunes and nonsensical words. So just because someone sings a 'new song' on the spur of the moment (if they haven't already planned it) doesn't make it good or necessarily prophetic.

Remember that God's Holy Spirit leads us all the time. There isn't necessarily anything more 'spiritual' about spontaneity than in something organised - and God isn't necessarily more 'in' the new song than in the song you know. Many times when preparing for a service, I've spent a lot of time in prayer, practice, listening to God, listening to worship etc. Then out of that place - out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Out of the place of preparation God also speaks. God is in our planning as much as God is in our services on Sundays!

Yes, it's good to have prophetic singing (places like iHop pro-actively build it in to worship). Yes it's good to have times of soaking. But everything in balance and in the right time and place.


3. Open Worship and 'The River'

In a book called 'Following The River', there are various excellent points made. The authors of the book call for a good balance in worship. But one area where I found myself disagreeing was when they talked about a river of worship.

The book was written in an American mega-church / performance type of context. Neither mega-churches nor highly pre-planned worship is wrong - there is a place for both. The authors of the book felt that this kind of planned worship was wrong and didn't allow space for the Holy Spirit to move. The argument was that building such a tight structure into worship restricts the space for God to move.

The example they gave was from Ezekiel and the picture of the 'river'. In their view, the structured worship was worship that was like a straight river - going from point A to point G and then finishing, without deviation. And they have a point for sure. We should allow space into our worship. Many churches in their desire to honour God (and keep things on time) have built professional almost meticulous performance into their worship. There is something unhealthy about this for sure.

But where I diverged in my opinion was in the idea that structure is necessarily wrong or that a river doesn't ever go straight. The authors of the book in their desire to effectively build a good argument (which they do), stated that our worship should be more like a flowing, bendy, meandering river as this is what rivers are like.

But not every river is like this and not every river is always either straight or meandering. Rivers tend to do both in different places according to the soil / land / forces of nature etc. We must not say that a highly ordered God in a highly ordered universe with a world built on logic and order - doesn't like worship that is ordered. And we mustn't replace one straitjacket of structured worship with another - i.e. we can't say 'don't have worship that is ordered and goes from A to B because this is structure' and then say, 'what we must do is have worship that meanders like a river'. Because you're replacing one structure with another.

Our worship should be prepared and ordered. A worship leader once said to me that it's good to have disorganised worship because it gives the Holy Spirit freedom. Wrong. It's good to be very well prepared and to be very organised. We honour God and each other by being organised, by thinking, praying, practising, communicating with one another. Then out of this can come freedom. Freedom doesn't just happen. If you have a garden, you have to cut back the weeds and organise your plants so that it looks good and people can walk through it. It doesn't just magically happen. We plan and prepare so that we can have freedom.

For example, I know of worship leaders who would turn up on a Sunday and they would have no music, no song list for the person doing words. They would even have those in the band who were young and very inexperienced who would have no clue what notes to play. Sometimes they hadn't communicated to people they were playing, hadn't sorted a band and didn't even sort instruments for those needing to borrow them. This doesn't bring freedom - it brings stress for people! Freedom comes when either you lead in this way (if you're comfortable with it) with those who are. Or be organised so that you can be free.

Again, things are a balance. We're not so stressed over getting things right or being organised that it detracts from worship. But we also should be organised enough to that a lack of organisation doesn't detract from worship. As Mike Pilavachi says - anything that distracts people from worshipping God (bad organisation, no words, bad notes, people going off on one in worship etc) is bad worship!

Joy in Worship - The God Song and God Colours

Has anyone noticed one of the things God is doing in worship is releasing joy, releasing songs that just glorify God, reflect God's nature and just lift him up? It's like God is releasing songs of celebration and jubilation that are just pouring out of the hearts of worshippers in a non-contrived and incredibly exuberant way.

If any of you caught the last set of OneThing 2012 at iHOP, you'll have seen Cory Asbury and team in the usual fun, cheeky, joyful and passionate selves... It was an awesome night and just made me feel alive in God, full of the joy of the Lord which is our strength (Nehemiah 8.10). Then there are songs like some coming out of Bethel and' God's Great Dancefloor' by Chris Tomlin and Martin Smith and many more.

One of my Great Aunts (or some relative somewhere!) was part of some 'holiness' movement. In many ways, this was great as God calls us to be holy as he was holy. But as ever with some of these movements, it all got a bit extreme as they took certain Bible verses and took them out of context. One of the things they did was only wear very dull, or black clothing. They didn't wear anything colourful!

But when I read Ezekiel 1, when I read Revelation 4. In fact when I look through the Bible period, I see incredible colours, amazing gemstones, rainbows, thunder, waters, lightning, fire, flames, clouds, signs in the skies and heavens, a colour-filled earth all around. And this is a fallen earth that is longing and groaning for the return of Jesus! Imagine what heaven, the new heavens and new earth will be like.

I say all this because this is the kind of colour of sound that God is releasing into worship. At my church recently there was a conga. It was (to be brutally honest) dire! But it's just a very polite and under-stated example of the kind of joy that heaven is releasing. The return of Jesus grows ever-closer and it's like all of heaven senses this!

Since the days of Jesus we've been in the 'last days' but the joy in song is a joy of expectation of Messiah. It's full-on praise to a glorious and awesome God who reigns. It's praising God for who he is. It's not taking our eyes off Him. It's lifting him up to the place he deserves.

One of the things that happens in my church is people come and give words. Very often these words detract from what God is doing. I'm passionate about worship where we all focus on Jesus. Worship is our response to God's revelation to us. It is one time that corporately we can come and gaze at Him, just as the eyes do in the throne room. As Stuart Greaves said at iHop OneThing, maybe there are all these eyes because there is so much of God to gaze on and see.

But this is the kind of worship I want to be part of. God-focused, God-exalting and joyful worship. We want to join in with the thousands of angels, the 24 elders and the company of heaven singing God's name, fame and God's song. Zephaniah 3.17 reminds us that God sings us, that he is in the centre of us, he takes great delight in us and sings over us. Lets join with God and see worship that reflects that sea of glass, the thunder and lightning, the sound of waters, the rainbow.

Let's join in harmony with the song that God is singing over us. Now that will be worship!

Same old worship?

Is there a danger that our worship can become too generic?

I absolutely love listening to new releases, new ways of doing worship, new songs, new ways of seeing thinking and doing. But recently I was watching a conference that shall remain nameless on GOD TV...

There was the usual mix of passionate worship, with choirs standing to the left and to the right. The band were centre stage with various guitars and singers (in a Hillsong type approach). The songs, which were fairly good, were brilliantly played with life and vigour, dressed with impeccable outfits and smiles.

The lights rolled with the music, with colours sensing the moods of the songs and delicately and vibrantly reflected what was going on stage-side. The cameras panned, rack focused, did close-ups on worshipping parts of the audience. Then the well-dressed speaker appeared to make some cool comments, preceded by a video segment carefully crafted by the awesome visuals team. The speaker made his points, bringing a slightly fresh approach to a Biblical passage. The equally well-dressed members of the conference stood, sat, made notes as the preacher mixed his emotions, drew people in, made them repeat his words like parrots and exploded into life with shouting (as attendees stood and roared, nodded approvingly).

But something was missing. At least it was for me.

I'm definitely not someone who advocates just getting back to basics or doing things simply for the sake of it. Some people say this is what's needed, especially in the North American church. But that's like putting a fresh coat of paint on a car that needs fuel. The fuel we all need in our worship and churches is the Holy Spirit.

Now I'm not saying for one minute that this conference didn't have the Holy Spirit. Far from it.

But I guess my heart is that we need to stop trying to be cool, stop trying so hard to be right. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to direct us in every way. There is something that feels a little fake in some of the worship I see. It is too generic. And this isn't about a movement of getting back to more organic ways of worship like the awesome Rend Collective. Now they have a passion and freshness that comes from God. So we don't want to copy that either. Ultimately it's about what God is saying to you and your church and your worship ministry. What God is saying may be to do things like other churches. That's fine and I'm not criticising any styles.

The passion that burns within me is for our churches to be real. It's hard in huge churches understandably. Tight programming, stage managers, MIDI controlled lighting synced with click tracks is utterly awesome and I love it. But every week? Every band? Every worship service? Every church?!

I can't quite put my finger on everything I mean and feel. I really don't want to be critical and I'm sorry if this comes across as being judgmental (not intentional at all). But Matt Redman's 'Heart of Worship' says it all to me and it's about coming back to the very heart and essence of worship - the presence and person of God, who alone is worthy of praise.

 I so want to see the fire of God in our worship, to see the person of the Holy Spirit released. God is logical and organsied but he is uncontainable and beyond our understanding.

Let's not have such generic and tightly controlled worship that the Holy Spirit isn't given a look-in. Let's not have such performance oriented worship that we have superficiality over substance. I want worship 'meat' and not worship 'milk'. I want God-crafted songs, not songs because we have an album deadline. I desperately want God more than anything and I've nowhere near arrived. But I guess this burning underlies my frustration with much of the generic worship I see. Yes, sometimes our hearts aren't right as worshippers (forgive me if mine isn't). But let's lose the fake and get real. God is looking for worshippers in Spirit and in Truth. Let's be those people.

New songs in worship

Recently, my church went through a few questions about new songs in worship. This caused me to think a few things about new songs which I hope may encourage and get people thinking! 

The questions include: how many to introduce, why do we do it, do we even do it, what makes a song a 'new' song, how to do it, how to choose songs, whether different worship leaders agree to play the new songs or are involved in their choosing, do the church leadership team have any say?

So let's have a quick look...

For me, it's well worth introducing new songs (and I say this as part of a very informal charismatic church). God is always on the move and the Holy Spirit is saying new things all the time, so we need to follow his leading. There is a danger of introducing too many new songs, but  I believe a greater 'danger' is not introducing new songs at all!

New songs can inspire, uplift and it also keeps us musically 'fresh'. This isn't about keeping up with secular music or doing it for the sake of it. But we must recognise that music changes (although quality is timeless!) and one reason to look out for new songs and styles is to keep connecting with young people. For example, one of our young people is very into 'finger tapping' and harmonics / guitar drumming. So we considered how we could implement this (and how we could learn from this young person). Why? Because this inspires him for God and so we want to channel his passion as this passion will infect and then encourage others in the church!

So how should we introduce new songs? Well, we had an informal 'rule' that when a worship leader introduced a new song, the person who led the following week would also play the same song. Of course, this impacted on the 'week two' worship leader's choice of songs (and didn't always work as leaders have different styles!) so it's quite tricky. It would also mean (ideally) that the 'week one' and 'week two' worship leaders would have to almost collaborate on their choice of songs to some extent. So we also started asking worship leaders which songs they'd like to introduce and then share them with all the worship leaders. Trouble was, some more independent minded ones simply didn't contribute to the discussion, or people felt differently as God leads each of us uniquely. In the end it came down to an honour system where we simply trusted each other. This meant sometimes too many new songs and sometimes none!

Another issue we found was that new songs depended on the musical history of a worship leader / their physical age / the time (eg 'late 90s') when they felt most worshipful or had time to learn the most songs etc (eg before they had children). So sometimes we found that 'new' songs were being introduced that weren't actually recent. Instead they were simply ones that the worship leader knew, but that the church didn't know. On one occasion this led to a worship leader stopping playing a song after a few bars. (Ironically this honesty actually lifted the worship!!)

These 'new but not recent' songs aren't a problem however. When choosing songs there are so many things to think about such as which songs the church knows well etc. But one of the things to think about is allowing the worship leader to use the songs that God is really speaking to them, as again this passion spills out into the church. The proviso here is that as a worship leader (emphasis on leader), you are not leading yourself, but the church. So you need to think about whether the songs you choose are God's leading for the church, not for you personally. I know one worship leader who clearly hears God, but I feel this is for him personally and not the church. Therefore the songs chosen and new songs brought rarely touch the spirits of people in the church!

So how do we choose songs? This is always really tricky and of course involves things like how catchy the tune is; how easy the song is to sing; Biblically accurate (in word and/or in spirit); whether the song will connect with a congregation; whether the song will connect with your individual church or situation; how the Holy Spirit is leading you; what God is speaking at that time; which songs are around; and basically how 'annointed' the song is! For example "10,000 Reasons" by Matt Redman is clearly an annointed song and so was one I immediately introduced. But each church will have its way of choosing new songs.

One thing I would caution against is over-meddling in songs from the leadership team. I am very cautious about churches where leadership teams or leaders exercise too much control. Yes, we must honour God and the church in our song choices; yes, we must be accountable to authority. But I've known at least two churches (one over-charismatic one and one baptist one) where the leader wanted a controlling say in what songs were sung and introduced. If people are put into positions of leadership and are Godly (as worship leaders for example), we must trust them enough to allow them the authority to lead in the position they've been appointed to!

And where do we look for new songs? Well, personally I look around as much as possible. Firstly, because new songs really move and inspire me as I watch people's passion and hear what God is saying through them. I see God as someone who is always moving forward. We don't reject the 'old' in any way. But let's face it, many songs we sing have had their day. Some are for a season only. Others will last for an eternity. But we must keep our eyes to the ground. I look at what iHop KC are doing (online and have been over twice); Bethel and Jesus Culture; Matt Redman; Chris Tomlin; Tim Hughes and the Worship Central guys; Rend Collective; Gungor and way beyond into other Christian bands and genres. I also ask young people what they are listening to and we talk as worship leaders (well, some of us do LOL!) But it's worth listening, spending time in worship personally and of course, the huge area of new songs... Writing your own.

In the last 2 years myself and my friend have written a number of songs that God has just given us. We haven't always sought to write, but God has just opened up a number of songs in a kind of 'throne room' style with very 'flowing' music! It's something that God has opened up and led us into so it's clearly something he's given. But it's exciting to be part of what God is doing and use these songs when appropriate. I'd encourage you to follow God's leading and sensitively see which songs God is giving to you and to others in your church.

So what songs do you introduce, what are you listening to and do you have any helpful comments?

Dress code in worship

Question - does your church have a 'dress code' for those involved in worship?

Maybe it's a North American thing, but on looking around the web for info, courses, conferences etc recently I have come across quite a few churches - all in the US - where there is a dress code for being involved in the worship (and sometimes even for attending). This kind of thing is very rare in the UK -  thankfully!

My question is whether this isn't just religion in disguise? I sort of understand the need for levels of decorum in the public place and the increased need for this if you are being broadcasted. But I seriously struggle with the idea of having to have a dress code for worship or being on stage. I think it's outrageous to be honest.

What is the motivation behind it? Is it to look respectable? Is it to look good or professional? Is it to project a certain kind of image? Is it about a corporate look? Is it to look good on camera etc? To a small extent I can understand this, but only slightly. The whole thing sounds a bit too much like control and religion. There's very little direction or even guidance on this kind of thing in the Bible, except Paul's comments towards an out of control Corinthian church. So where does this come from if not the Bible?

Maybe it's a North American cultural thing or a legacy of church when it was all about being smart on a Sunday. But even that has a religious inheritance, even if we Brits are highly responsible for this. (I struggle when I see churches birthed from UK missionaries in places like Africa, where the church dress code and style resembles the UK church that birthed it. Instead we need to encourage and empower the local church to be who God's made them to be, and never to copy others!) Wearing 'Sunday best' is fine if that's what you want to do, but don't force your beliefs on others. We talk about being fully committed to Christ and about living 24/7 as a Christian, but once a week we dress up in clothes we never wear - just to attend church.. If its cultural, no problem. But if it's a rule, big problem!

The dress codes I've read include only wearing dark coloured jeans, having to wear shirts or polo shirts, not wearing anything with any logo on it. Presumably some of these rules are made for middle-class people who have the time and money to buy these kinds of clothes...? It just doesn't seem to be what God intended church to be. I can't picture Jesus building a church that had dress codes and other kinds of codes - he called a bunch of smelly fishermen as his first disciples for goodness sake!! Can you imagine Paul or Peter (just out of prison perhaps) being turned back at the church door for wearing the wrong clothes...?!

The trouble with rules is that you always have to add more when something happens... So if the rule is to wear a shirt, what if someone has one without a collar - do you then have a new rule the shirt must have a collar? Or what if someone wears a bright yellow shirt - do you then need a new rule that the colours must be low-key or pastel shades? Or if (as is the case with one church) there are no hats allowed under any circumstances, what if someone has a scalp condition? This is what happened to the Pharisees - they started creating new rules when the current rules weren't enough. There is a huge danger of doing this in all our churches in many ways...

Ultimately, if we are filled with the Holy Spirit and want to honour Jesus, we wouldn't do things that dishonour God. This needs to be our guideline. Yes, sometimes we need to help people, but to have stringent guidelines is just wrong. What about saying, 'as Spirit-filled believers who love God and each other, let's honour God in what we say, do and wear'... It's strange how middle schools and high schools in the States have no uniform, yet so many churches do (often in a hidden way). We may as well all wear choir robes!

I've seen churches where musicians are wearing suits and ties (often in boiling hot places). It's ridiculous. They wear casual clothes all week, wear casual clothes when they play and practice, when they're at home, when they play music in other venues. But on Sundays, they have to wear a suit. I can understand a uniform at work (just about!) but especially in the business world. But I personally would really struggle to play wearing clothes I'd been told to wear as I would feel like a clone! We don't use our freedom in Christ to do what we want, but we do have freedom. Being told what to wear is not freedom. I don't even see it as submission as it has no Scriptural basis or practical sense! (I even saw a strict dress code for students on a course...)

I really think this is one area where North America can learn from people across the globe. It's only in rich countries where this kind of thing is even an issue. In countries where people have to hide themselves and meet underground, they focus on real issues - like the Bible, prayer and faith. In many other places, people don't always have 'Sunday best' or other clothes (though they often make a real effort) because of poverty. Telling people what to wear in church is almost indicative of church life where priorities have got completely out of sync with the true Christian life and faith. (Come to think of it, why am I even blogging about this?!)

Let's focus on what really matters - seek God and his Kingdom, be filled with the Holy Spirit. These other things are immaterial and will follow from putting God first anyway.

Any thoughts anyone??