Archive for All Others

Give Us Clean Hands

September 3, 2009 at 8:00 am · Filed under All Others ·Tagged , ,

On September 13th, our 3 piece band will be singing a song called “Give Us Clean Hands” during the Offertory.   The song has been chosen because it goes with the Gospel lesson (Mark 1-8 and selected verses). 

You can listen to the song and read through the lyrics here (the song is actually sung by Chris Tomlin in this video but it was written by Charlie Hall):

The song is based on Psalm 24:3-6

Psalm 24:3-6:
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
       Who may stand in his holy place?
 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
       who does not lift up his soul to an idol
       or swear by what is false.
 5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
       and vindication from God his Savior.
 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
       who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

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“Lord I Lift Your Name On High” – A song for many occasions

May 31, 2009 at 11:19 am · Filed under All Others, Using Videos ·Tagged ,

The song, “Lord I Lift Your Name on High” has been around for 20 years now, perhaps long enough to knock it out of the “contemporary” genre but its popularity is still high.  I think that one reason for this is its broad application for the Christmas through Ascension church year that’s summarized in its short and simple chorus as shown below:

 

You came from heaven to earth – reference to Christmas (Christ’s birth)

To show the way

From the earth to the cross – reference to Lent

My debt to pay

From the cross to the grave – reference to Good Friday

From the grave to the sky – reference to Easter & Ascension

Lord I lift Your name on high

 

It has a verse as well:

 

Verse:

Lord I lift Your name on high

Lord I love to sing Your praises

I’m so glad You’re in my life

I’m so glad You came to save us

 

CCLI Song #117947

© 1989 Maranatha Praise, Inc.

By Rick Founds

 

I like to use this song when I know there will be a lot of unchurched visitors and children because it captures a lot of information about Jesus’ life in a memorable and singable format and is easy to comprehend.  I’ve specifically used this at our worship service that concludes our Summer VBS where a lot of visitors are in attendance. 

 

As Lutherans, we tend to like a lot of words, some doctrine, and some theology packed into our music.  This song doesn’t do much of that, although it contains the Gospel and is specific in its references to Christ.  It’s not a hymn, but sometimes, keeping it simple is a good idea.  Sometimes we need to see what the creatures do to praise God that were made specifically for that purpose.  Consider the Seraphims for example, they call back and forth to each other, in the presence of God, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full with His glory.”  As far as I know, they are still repeating this today. 

 

If you aren’t familliar with this song, you can hear it here:

This particular version is sung by Paul Baloche.  This is also an example of Integrity’s worship videos that can be used for congregational singing during worship.

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Music for Holy Trinity Sunday & How to Transpose

May 12, 2009 at 4:16 pm · Filed under All Others, Capo, Children, Holy Trinity Sunday, Theory ·Tagged , ,

On Trinity Sunday, I have chosen the song ”Father I Adore You” as a song choice.  Many congregations use this on Trinity Sunday.  There are other good contemporary song choices, such as “Glorify Thy Name”, but I chose ”Father I Adore You” because there is a portion of our congregation that normally does not sing, but they will be singing this song.  I’m talking about our smallest children, and more importantly, those too young to read.  At our church, this age group knows this song from previous VBS and other children’s activities.  I think it’s important for us as worship planners to include a song that they can join in on every once in a while.

 “Father I Adore You” was written by Terrye Coelho Strom, many of us WELS types know it as LAPPY # 67.

 Last week, during our monthly contemporary service, a teen in the congregation approached me after worship and offered to play her guitar in future services.  Apparently she has been taking lessons and is ready to use her gifts.  I am very excited about this because it’s a teen showing an interest in participating in worship which for some reason is an age group that we find to be difficult to get involved.

 But here’s the problem.  “Father I Adore You” is written in the key of F and includes the chords: F, Gm and C.  Not a big deal for most guitarists, but for a beginner, the F and Gm chords can be difficult.  Here’s the solution: transpose.

In this instance, usually the best thing to do is to transpose down to a more guitar-friendly key, then use your CAPO to lift the pitch back to the original key.  For example, let’s transpose this song down to the key of D.  To find the new chords, we need to write down both of the major scales (F and D) as follows:

Original Key:  F  G  A    Bb  C  D  E    F

New Key:       D  E  F#  G    A  B  C#  D                   

Next, find the original chords in the original key (upper row), then read the new chords, in the new key directly beneath the original chords.  For example:

F becomes D

Gm becomes Em

C becomes A

The new chords are now D, Em and A which are all very easy to play.

The last thing we need to do is to find the CAPO position.  Remember that we lowered the key from F to D, which is 3 half steps (just count the number of frets between the F and D note on any one string). This means that we need to raise our pitch by 3 half steps so the CAPO needs to go at the third fret.

And here’s a neat trick; if you have two guitarists, let one play in the key of F and have the second guitarist play it in the key of D at the capo 3 position.  This will add some color and different chord voicings to your music.  Also, check your guitar tuning with the CAPO in place as this will sometimes throw your tuning off.

For future reference in transposing, here are all the major and minor keys: 

MAJOR SCALE   R   -   2   -   3   4   -   5   -   6   -   7
   C  maj.:   C   -   D   -   E   F   -   G   -   A   -   B
   Db maj.:   Db  -   Eb  -   F   Gb  -   Ab  -   Bb  -   C
   D  maj.:   D   -   E   -   F#  G   -   A   -   B   -   C#
   Eb maj.:   Eb  -   F   -   G   Ab  -   Bb  -   C   -   D
   E  maj.:   E   -   F#  -   G#  A   -   B   -   C#  -   D#
   F  maj.:   F   -   G   -   A   Bb  -   C   -   D   -   E
   F# maj.:   F#  -   G#  -   A#  B   -   C#  -   D#  -  (E#)
   G  maj.:   G   -   A   -   B   C   -   D   -   E   -   F#
   Ab maj.:   Ab  -   Bb  -   C   Db  -   Eb  -   F   -   G
   A  maj.:   A   -   B   -   C#  D   -   E   -   F#  -   G#
   Bb maj.:   Bb  -   C   -   D   Eb  -   F   -   G   -   A
   B  maj.:   B   -   C#  -   D#  E   -   F#  -   G#  -   A#
 
MINOR SCALE   R   -   2   b3  -   4   -   5   b6  -   b7  -
   A  min.:   A   -   B   C   -   D   -   E   F   -   G   -
   Bb min.:   Bb  -   Cb  Db  -   Eb  -   F   Gb  -   Ab  -
   B  min.:   B   -   C#  D   -   E   -   F#  G   -   A   -
   C  min.:   C   -   D   Eb  -   F   -   G   Ab  -   Bb  -
   C# min.:   C#  -   D#  E   -   F#  -   G#  A   -   B   -
   D  min.:   D   -   E   F   -   G   -   A   Bb  -   C   -
   Eb min.:   Eb  -   F   Gb  -   Ab  -   Bb (Cb) -   Db  -
   E  min.:   E   -   F#  G   -   A   -   B   C   -   D   -
   F  min.:   F   -   G   Ab  -   Bb  -   C   Db  -   Eb  -
   F# min.:   F#  -   G#  A   -   B   -   C#  D   -   E   -
   G  min.:   G   -   A   Bb  -   C   -   D   Eb  -   F   -
   G# min.:   G#  -   A#  B   -   C#  -   D#  E   -   F#  -

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Song Opportunity – “Nothing Without You”…try it on May 10th at your church!

March 24, 2009 at 10:26 pm · Filed under All Others ·Tagged ,

Once again,  http://www.greatworshipsongs.com/ has another free song offering if you are a registered member at their site.  If you are, check out the latest freebie “Nothing Without You” by Bebo Norman and Mitch Dane.  If you’re not registered; consider joining today.

 

From the site, you can download a free MP3, leadsheet, chord sheet, and a cut capo chart for this song in the “free download area.”  If you listen to the MP3, you will notice that the acoustic guitar sounds real full.  This is the cut capo.  The cut capo arrangement of this song is real sweet, but you can play it without one as well.

 

I hope to use this song at our church on May 10, because it goes well with the Gospel lesson which is John 15:1 -8.  In fact, try singing this song with your praise band during the Offering and step right up to the mic and before singing, recite this verse:

 

In this morning’s Gospel lesson, Jesus said…“I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  – John 15:5

 

The lyrics in this song go particularly well as an Offering.  It is however a band song unless you transpose it to a lower key.  Most people in your congregation will not be able to reach the high E notes.

 

Here’s the song lyrics from http://www.greatworshipsongs.com/:

 

Nothing Without You

 

Verse 1

Take these hands and lift them up

For I have not the strength to praise you near enough

See, I have nothing

I have nothing without you

 

Verse 2

And take my voice and pour it out

Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found

For I have nothing

I have nothing without you

 

Chorus

And all my soul needs is all your love

To cover me, so all the world will see

That I have nothing without you

 

Verse 3

Take my body and build it up

May it be broken as an offering of love

For I have nothing

I have nothing without you

 

Chorus

And all my soul needs is all your love

To cover me so all the world will see

That I have nothing

That I love you, yeah

With all my heart

With all my soul

With all my mind

And all the strength I can find

 

Verse 4

Take my time here on this earth

And let it glorify all that you are worth

For I am nothing

I am nothing without you

 

© Copyright 2004 New Spring, a division of Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing; dba GreatWorshipSongs.com / AppStreet Music / Rotten Banana Music (ASCAP)  Licensing through Music Services. All rights reserved.

 

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

 

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You Are

March 4, 2009 at 12:41 am · Filed under All Others, Capo, Learn a Song ·Tagged , , ,

One of my favorite songs to strum & sing is ”You Are” by Mark Roach.  It does a beautiful job of emphasizing the names and attributes of Jesus.  I will often use it as a pre-service piece to draw our attention towards Jesus, or I’ll play it during the Offering to draw attention to the lyric “you (Jesus) are the reason I make this offering.”

 

We have chosen this song as another pre-service piece for the upcoming Installation service of Pastor Timothy Ehlers at Messiah Lutheran Church (South Windsor, CT) on 3/8/2009.

 

If you are a guitarist, Mark Roach, has provided some wonderful resources on youtube.   I now play this song with a cut capo.  If you’ve never used one before, you might want to watch Marks’ instructional video followed by his instructions on how to use the cut capo on “You Are.”  Here are the videos:

 

How to use the cut capo:

How to play “You Are” with the cut capo:

The finished product:

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Ash Wed – Song Choice

January 26, 2009 at 10:15 pm · Filed under All Others, Lent ·Tagged , , , , , ,

The Psalm that we usually use on Ash Wednesday is Psalm 51.  This is a great penetential Psalm.  Everytime I read it, I am amazed by how familiar I am with certain parts of it, because we use it in our liturgies all the time.  There’s a nice contemporary song based on this Psalm; it’s “Change My Heart, Oh God” by Eddie Espinosa and its in both the LAPPY and BOB songbooks (songs 38 and 33 respectively).

The message is short and simple, yet voices a beautiful prayer:

Change my heart oh God
Make it ever true
Change my heart oh God
May I be like You   

You are the potter
I am the clay
Mold me and make me
This is what I pray 

CCLI Song No. 1565
© 1982 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)
Eddie Espinosa

The song uses two sections of scripture, combined together into a prayer, asking God to change our lives.  I emphasize the point that music does not change our lives – the Holy Spirit does.

 

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.  – Isa 64:8

 

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  – Ps 51:10

 

The song is “congregational friendly” and is easily learned.

 

By the way, if you are ever looking for a supplier of either Palm fronds or ashes, we use the following:   www.stpatricksguild.com

 

 

 

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Everlasting God

January 5, 2009 at 11:43 pm · Filed under All Others ·Tagged , ,

Several weeks ago, I was practicing the song “Everlasting God” by Brenton Brown with our keyboard player in the church sanctuary while our Pastor was teaching the Confirmation class on the other side of a folding wall.  The wall is thin.   I think we disturbed them.  The next week, they moved their class into a separate out-building.

This past week, I overheard one of the children asking if they could move back into the sanctuary for class so that they could listen to the “cool music” on the other side of the wall.   Here’s the great thing – “Everlasting God” is a biblically sound song based on Isaiah 40. 

Here’s the scripture reference (from Isa 40):

 28 Do you not know?
       Have you not heard?
       The LORD is the everlasting God,
       the Creator of the ends of the earth.
       He will not grow tired or weary,
       and his understanding no one can fathom.

 29 He gives strength to the weary
       and increases the power of the weak.

 30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
       and young men stumble and fall;

 31 but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

And here’s the song performed by the original artist.  Give it a few minutes.  It’s worth it.

Here’s what Bob Kauflin posted on this song:

1. The melody is singable but creative.  It has a wide range and some syncopation, but most congregations should be able to pick it up fairly quickly.
2. Brenton does a great job communicating the passage of Scripture in a fresh way.  Some songs are taken directly from Scripture and can help a congregation memorize God’s Word.  Other songs serve as a commentary on a passage, helping us to better understand its meaning.  I’ve found these “commentary” songs very helpful in congregational worship, where the problem is usually not knowledge of God’s Word but comprehension.

3. The repetition of the line “we will wait upon the Lord” reinforces our need to look to the Lord for strength repeatedly.

4. The chorus acknowledges that there are times when we feel faint, weary, weak, and in need.  God helps people who recognize their lack!  Yet in the midst of our inadequacy we find our everlasting God to be more than sufficient.

5. The song presents clear objective truth about the God we worship: He reigns!  He is our hope!  He is a strong deliverer!  He is everlasting!

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Silent Night

December 16, 2008 at 12:19 pm · Filed under All Others, Christmas ·Tagged , ,

Intro to Silent Night

 

The following is read by the Pastor, as the guitarist softly fingerpicks “Silent Night” in the background.  After the history is told, the congregation joins in singing “Silent Night” to the accompaniment of the acoustic guitar.

 It happened almost 200 years ago to this very night.  It was a cold clear starry night; a good time to be a Christian in the Alps of Austria.  In a stone church, known as St. Nicholas’ Catherdral, in the village of Oberndorf, an organist named Franz Gruber, and a Pastor named Josef Mohr collaborated on a song that changed Christmas Eve services for centuries to come.

 

As the story goes, Gruber was walking to the church during the daytime to practice the music for the Christmas Eve service.  To his surprise, the organ was inoperable.  Upon further investigation, Gruber discovered that the mice had chewed a hole through the bellows that supplies the pipe organ with the necessary wind pressure to produce sound.  He called for the Pastor in a panic.  As it turns out, Pastor Mohr had just finished writing a poem based on Luke 2:8.

 

 ”And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night”.

Gruber only had a few hours to come up with a melody which could be sung with the accompaniment of a lone guitar.  Later that evening, as the two men, backed by the choir, stood in front of the main altar in St. Nicholas Church and sang “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!” for the first time, they could hardly imagine the impact their composition would have on the world.

 

What’s the miracle of “Silent Night?”  The words flowed from the imagination of a modest curate.  The music was composed by a musician who was not known outside his village.  There was no celebrity to sing at its world premiere.  Yet its powerful message of heavenly peace has crossed all borders and language barriers, conquering the hearts of people everywhere.

 

We will now sing “Silent Night” accompanied by a lone acoustic guitar tonight.

 

Note – All scripture text is NIV (Zondervan Publishing)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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God Will Make a Way

November 19, 2008 at 12:00 pm · Filed under All Others ·Tagged , ,

On Dec 7, we will be singing the song “God Will Make a Way” by Don Moen.  This is a congregational favorite.  When I first heard this song I was enamored by the opening lyric: “God will make a way where there seems to be no way.”  I immediately wanted to use it in worship.  But then I got to the verse and I was stymied by the lyric “Heaven and earth will fade”.  I didn’t understand when or why heaven would fade – until I read 2 Peter 3; then it became clear.  Our Epistle reading on 12/7 is 2 Peter 3:8-14, hence the occasion to sing this inspiring song.

 

2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar…”

 

Chorus:

God will make a way

Where there seems to be no way

He works in ways we cannot see

He will make a way for me

He will be my guide

Hold me closely to His side

With love and strength

For each new day

He will make a way

He will make a way

 

Verse:

By a roadway in the wilderness

He’ll lead me

And rivers in the desert will I see

Heaven and earth will fade

But His Word will still remain

He will do something new today

 

CCLI Song No. 458620

© 1990 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music

Don Moen

 

Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”

 

This song also draws from Is 43:19 “I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”  But I think that people really like it because of it’s’ tie with Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.”

 

Sometimes when we have exhausted all of our own resources, God is about to show us that He is not limited to our small ideas and solutions.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

 

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Never say Never – Unless you’re God

November 7, 2008 at 11:12 am · Filed under All Others ·Tagged

Revelation Song
 
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.  And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”  At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.  And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian.  A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.  Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.  From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.  Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing.  These are the seven spirits of God.  Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
 
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.  The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.  Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings.
 
And here’s my favorite part:
 
Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”  Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
 
OK, this one’s a favorite as well:
 
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,  for you created all things,  and by your will they were created and have their being.”
 
“Never” is an interesting choice of words.  Guess what you will hear when you get to heaven?  These amazing creatures saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”  How can we be so sure?  It’s that word “Never”.  Never do they stop.  They’re still doing it today.  That’s what “never” means.    This tells us something about using repetition in worship doesn’t it?
 
There’s a wonderful song based on this passage called “Revelation Song”.  If you’ve never heard this song (no pun intended), you need to listen to it for two reasons.  First, because it’s based on this powerful passage.  Second, and this is hard to explain, the accent is on the wrong note.  You’ll know what I  mean from the very first line.  All I can say is that it works.
 
Listen to it here:
 

 
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

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