How the Digital TV Transition Might Affect Your Wireless Mics

UPDATE – THIS WILL NOW OCCUR ON 6/12/2009!

I’m not sure where the US stands on the 2/17 Digital TV transition as I’ve heard some rumors that it might be postponed.  If it does happen on 2/17 as planned, those of you that use wireless microphones or in-ear monitors need to look at the operating frequency range of your devices.  If they operate in the 700MHz band, you will need to replace them.  This is described on the Shure website here:

 

http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/PressRoom/WhiteSpaces/index.htm

 

As I understand the situation, if you do have 700MHz in-ear monitors, they will stop working completely and your microphones will sporadically drop-out if they also operate in the 700 MHz range.  All brands of wireless microphones operating in the 700MHz band will be affected.  I’m only commenting on Shure because they have addressed the situation on their website.

 

The good news is that Shure will offer rebates of up to $1,000 to upgrade your wireless equipment.  See details at this website:

 

http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Rebates/us_pro_rebate_wireless

 

I’m told that any wireless microphones purchased before 2/1/2007 are potentially affected.

 

If you’re currently shopping for new wireless equipment, stay out of the 700 MHz range and look for products that operate in the 500-600 MHz band.  Be sure to ask the salesperson if the new equipment is compatible with the upgrade.

 

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Isaac Watts meets Chris Tomlin)

BACKGROUND OF ISAAC WATTS & “WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS”

Isaac Watts was born in 1674 in Southampton England.  “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is thought, by many, to be the greatest hymn ever written. 

The eldest of nine children, he was the son of an educated deacon in a dissenting Congregational church.  At the time of Isaac’s birth, his father was in prison for his non-conformist beliefs.  Young Watts showed an unusual aptitude for study and learned Latin at the age of five, Greek at nine, French at eleven and Hebrew at thirteen.  He began to write verses of good quality when he was very young.  Watts is frequently referred to as the father of English hymnody.  One of his early concerns was the deplorable state to which congregational singing had degenerated in most English-speaking churches.  The singing consisted of slow, ponderous Psalms in which each line was first read by an appointed deacon and was followed by the droning of the congregation.  Watts was a revolutionary producing “futuristic music” for his time.  Because of this bold departure from the traditional Psalms, Isaac Watts was often considered to be a radical churchman.  Watts not only rewrote the Psalms in this way, but he also wrote a number of hymns based solely on personal feelings.  These hymns were known as hymns of human composure.  Such hymns were very controversial during his lifetime.  “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is an example of this type of hymn written by Watts.  It’s the first known hymn to be written in the first person, introducing a personal religious experience rather than limiting itself to doctrine.

 

Isaac Watts, and his hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” helped to reshape the future of church music as we know it today.  Mr. Watts would have been proud to know that Chris Tomlin is continuing his tradition.

 

The words of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” tell a wonderful story.  They tell of the paradoxical beauty of sacrifice.  They tell a story of pain and suffering woven together with joy and love.  Who would have ever thought that these polar opposites could come together and form a paradoxical statement that on the face of it sounds ridiculous, but when taken to heart and pondered makes so much sense that even the simplest of minds can understand it?

 

The lost Verse:

 

Watts, actually wrote 5 verses but one has been dropped through the years (including in our hymnal).  Here’s is the missing verse (it’s actually meant to be the fourth verse):

 

“His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree:
Then am I dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.”

 

BACKGROUND OF CHRIS TOMLIN AND “THE WONDERFUL CROSS”

Born and raised in East Texas, Chris Tomlin grew up on a steady diet of country music, learning his guitar style by playing along with Willie Nelson records.  Not that you would ever guess it from listening to the gentle smoothness of his vocals.

“I love the simplicity of drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitars,” Chris explains. “We’re not about putting on a big show. We don’t want to be rock stars. We’re about connecting with people and having a shared experience of coming before God and worshipping Him.

Credited with venerable church choruses such as “Forever,” “We Fall Down,” and “The Wonderful Cross,” Tomlin is considered one of this era’s top songwriters. With millions singing his songs weekly, Chris is recognized as a pivotal voice of today’s modern expression of Christian worship.  Yet, Tomlin has masterminded several remakes of classic hymns including Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) and “Take My Life and Let it Be.”

Here is the chorus that Chris Tomlin added:

 

Oh the wonderful cross, Oh the wonderful cross

Bids me come, and die, and find

That I may truly live.

Oh the wonderful cross, Oh the wonderful cross

All who gather here, by grace,

Draw near and bless Your name.

CCLI Song No. 3148435 © 2000 worshiptogether.com songsSix Steps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)(Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Chris Tomlin / Isaac Watts / J. D. Walt / Jesse Reeves

The scriptural reference to “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is Galatians 6:14.

 

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. – NIV

 

Tomlin’s chorus draws from Gal 2:20:

 

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – NIV

 

You can listen to Tomlin’s version here (with a little help from Matt Redman):

Want to give this new version a try this year?  Here’s a few places that sell the sheet music in digital form (can be downloaded instantly):

Here’s a free pdf of the lead sheet (no piano notation):
http://www.musicatmars.com/worship/sheet/The%20Wonderful%20Cross.pdf

Here’s piano/vocal/guitar music for $3.99:
http://www.sheetmusicdirect.us/search/productDetail.do?itemId=1000001419

You can also download a nicely done MIDI file of this arrangement for free here:

     Listen to it here:  http://www2.mlc-wels.edu/dbauer/midi%20files/oct%2024%202004/wonderful%20cross2.MID

     Download the file by scrolling down to “Wonderful Cross” (right mouse, save target as) here:
http://www2.mlc-wels.edu/dbauer/CCLI%20Resources.htm

     Or, you can download it from my file download area (lower right hand column of this BLOG page).

Information Sources:

1.  Isaac Watts Bio – http://www.webedelic.com/church/isurveyf.htm and other internet sources

2.  Chris Tomlin Bio – http://pressroom.emicmg.com/artists/ChrisTomlin/files/uploads/filedownloads/Chris_Tomlin_Arriving_Bio.doc and other internet sources

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

 Please report song usage to CCLI if you have such a license.  The song number for “the Wonderful Cross” is #3148435.

The Beatitudes

The Beatitudes are contained in Matthew 5:2-12.  This video of the Beatitudes was made possible with the help of WELS musician Michael Schroeder and is presented here with his permission.  Thanks Michael for sharing your song!

The video actually starts in silence for the first 40 seconds, so don’t turn up your speakers.

You can learn more about Michael Schroeder and his band here:

www.michaelschroeder.com

Or at his myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/michaelschroeder

And here’s his band members:

RANDY ERICKSON: ( Drums )

SCOTT BREAULT: ( Guitars )

DEB KNUTSON: ( Keys & Vocals)

BRODY KNUTSON (Video Tech )

MICHAEL SCHROEDER (Vocals, Keys, & Guitars)

Michael is a member at St. Paul’s in Wis. Rapids, WI

Files for Download

I have added a new feature to my BLOG.  At the bottom of the right column is a box where you can download files that I have posted for general use and distribution.  There are two files right now.  One is the revised lectionary from our Synod that goes with the Hymnal Supplement and the other is an EXCEL database of contemporary songs that has been compiled by BLOG reader and member of Mt. Olive Lutheran in Appleton, WI – John Kehl.  John has listed many CCM songs, rated them for their lyrical content, identified themes, and included publisher information.  It’s a great resource and thanks go to John for sharing.  By the way, John’s band is known as “Joyful Noise” check them out if you are in or near Appleton.

Music Videos

Several people have asked me for a good source of music videos to use as sing-a-longs either in worship or at youth events.  These are great, especially if you have limited instrumentalists in your congregation.  I have found the best videos to be produced by Integrity Worship.  They have several families of music videos but the “iworship at home” series seems to offer the “best bang for the buck.”  For about $15, you can buy one DVD that contains a half dozen or so professionally recorded song videos with lyrics to sing along with.  You can purchase these at your local Christian Bookstore and on-line at Amazon.com (search on “iworship at home”)

 

You can also see the full line up of Integrity music videos at their website:

 

http://www.integritydirect.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category__10151_-1_10051_15739_15735

 

You can view individual songs at this website:

 

http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/index.cfm?hndl=producer&id=25

One note of caution, please review the songs prior to usage and make sure that the lyrics are in line with your doctrinal beliefs.  I have found most of these songs to be good, but I have not seen all of the DVDs.

 

Psalm 103 – Responsive Reading

The Case for Blended Music in Worship

The following is a responsive reading that uses two readers with congregational responses.  Soliciting Lay readers once in a while helps to build their faith and encourages others to use their gifts in support of the ministry.

 

Pastor: Praise the LORD, O my soul;

Congr:with all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

 

Pastor:              Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-

Lay Reader:      who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

                                Pastor:              who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

                                Lay Reader:      who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 

Pastor:              The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

Congr:He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

 

Pastor:              The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

Lay Reader:     slow to anger, abounding in love.

 

Pastor:              He will not always accuse,

Lay Reader:    nor will he harbor his anger forever;

Congr:             he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

Pastor:              For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

Congr:             so great is his love for those who fear him;

Pastor:              as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 

Pastor:             As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

Congr:             for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Pastor:              As for man, his days are like grass,

Congr:             he flourishes like a flower of the field;

Pastor:              the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

Congr:             But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children-

Pastor:              with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

 

Lay Reader:      The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

Pastor:              Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding,

                        who obey his word.

Lay Reader:      Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

Congr:             Praise the LORD, all his works, everywhere in his dominion.  Praise the LORD, O my soul.

 

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

 

The Case for Blended Music in Worship

If you are a regular reader of this BLOG, you know that I post on both Contemporary Music and hymns.  The fact is that I see a place for both in worship.  The following paragraphs describe reasons and advantages for each musical style.

 

1. God himself encourages musical variety, twice in fact, using the words of the Apostle Paul:

 

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  – Eph 5:19,20

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  – Col 3:16

 

1. We worship an incredibly creative, expansive and powerful God.  I think that it’s safe to say that he has been offered god-pleasing worship in all cultures and throughout the centuries.  This in and of itself implies that there is no one right way to worship.  He can be worshiped with chanting by monks in monasteries at one extreme and by Africans to drumbeats at the other.  We cannot even hope to capture all of his worth and majesty with one style of music.  He simply deserves more. 
2. God deserves the best musical offerings that we have, and quite frankly, many of us have been gifted by Him in the area and instrumentation associated with contemporary music (guitars, keyboards and drums for example).  We need to use our gifts to glorify Him.
3. “God is not Western; God is not Eastern; God is not exclusively the God of classical culture or primitive culture; God is the Lord of the plethora, the God of the diverse, the redeemer of the plural.  Likewise, God calls for responses in different languages, dialects, and idioms, accepting them through the Son.  Pentecost tells us that one artistic tongue is only a start and a thousand will never suffice.  There is no single chosen language or artistic or musical style that, better than others, can capture and repeat back the fullness of the glory of God.  This truism cannot be avoided.  No single culture can hold the wholeness of praise and worship or the fullness of the counsel of God.”

 

– Harold Best, in MUSIC THROUGH THE EYES OF FAITH, Chapter 3, “Musical

Pluralism and Diversity,” Harper Collins, 1993, p. 66.

 

1. Charles Spurgeon Quote: “Let us not present old worn out praise;  put life and soul and heart into every song.  Since we have new mercies every day and see new beauties in the work and word of our Lord.”
2. Bob Kauflin quote: “Differing musical styles allows people of differing backgrounds, ages and experiences to worship God wholeheartedly together.”
3. “The Scriptures include or allude to just about every approach to worship there is: organized, spontaneous, public, private, simple, complex, ornate or plain. Yet there is no comment anywhere about any one way being preferred over another.  Rather, it is the spiritual condition of the worshiper that determines whether or not God is at work.  This fact alone countermands the tendency to assume that if we could just find the correct or fashionably relevant system, all will be well and God will come down.  This doesn’t imply that we have no responsibility to make intelligent and sensitive choices or to be creative.  But whatever these choices eventually are, they are incapable all by themselves of establishing the superiority of one system over another.”

 

-Harold Best, in MUSIC THROUGH THE EYES OF FAITH, chapter 7, “The Nature of Worship, Faith, Grace, and Music Making,” Harper Collins, 1993, p. 146.

 

1. All music was at one time considered to be contemporary.  Yes even hymns.  In fact, Martin Luther, the writer of many hymns, used contemporary music of his time as the melody for many of his hymns.
2. Contemporary music uses simple words and simple phrases that are easy to comprehend.  Visitors, children, and those young in faith can often times relate better to CCM than to deeper, theological hymns with “churchy” words.
3. Contemporary music offers an exciting approach to leading congregations in worship with a modern sound that might help the church to facilitate worship to a new generation of worshippers.
4. Contemporary Christian music, usually brings with it a Lay “lead worshipper” to assist the Pastor in worship planning and song selection.  Soliciting the laity in the works of the church and worship in general, is always a good thing.
5. “The music of the strings makes you glad.” – Psalm 45:8
6. “I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,” – Psalm 144:9
7. “The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD.” – Isaiah 38:20
8. As a practical matter, it is getting more and more difficult to encourage young people into learning to play the organ. 
9. “As a songwriter I can tell you that the greatest moment of encouragement comes not from awards or high numbers on some chart but from the singing of a new song for the first time.  To sing new words that have never been sung just this way before, to play combinations of notes that have never been heard, to wonder whether they will have the desired effect on the listener, whether people or God – the sharing of the new song is an experience unlike any other.   In the wisdom writings of the Old Testament (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) we see excitement about the singing of a new song. The simple act of writing and singing something new demonstrates that the truth contained in the Scriptures can now be placed in the heart of the community as they sing together the truth of who God is. By singing the new song, they have made this truth their own.”  – Singer/Songwriter Michael Card

 

— + —

 

And now, the case for hymns (and it is strong I might add). 

 

1. Hymns cover a broad range of scripture, which simply do not exist in all of contemporary music.  Even the concept of the Trinity is hard to find in most contemporary Christian music (CCM) today.
2. At funerals, at Christmas and Easter, and at Reformation services, CCM just doesn’t carry the weight that hymns do.
3. Hymns teach doctrine and being better theologians makes us better musicians.
4. Hymns connect theology to real life applications.
5. Hymns are mini-sermons.
6. Hymns have been passed down to us through the centuries.  The bad and questionable ones have been eliminated.  We are left with “musical gold.”
7. Hymn texts are written by scholarly Pastors and theologians, while the music is often written by learned musicians.  We get the best of both worlds!
8. Hymns are our heritage.  Some of our ancestors may have died defending them.
9. Hymns are incredibly poetic.
10. Hymns are making a comeback.
11. You can find a plethora of hymns for any holy day, and Holiday, or any portion of scripture that you are interested in.
12. Hymns are reverent.
13. Scripture tells us that we are to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  – Col 3:16  To me, “dwell in us richly” has hymnody written all over it, as does “teach and admonish”.
14. Hymns more than adequately cover both Law and Gospel.  CCM concentrates more on Gospel.
15. There are biblical examples of singing hymns:

Matthew 26:29-31 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Acts 16:24-26 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

I Corinthians 14:25-27 What then, brethren? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

1. Hymns engage our minds and imaginations for more than a few minutes.  One can actually spend hours on meditating over one hymn.  That’s how rich the lyrics can be.
2. There’s something endearing about hymns.  My grandmother sang the same music that I sing today!
3. Hymns remind us that the God that we worship is HUGE.  Bigger than our denomination, and bigger than our country.  He expands time and culture.  Hymns are written in hundreds of languages and the “Thees” and “Thous” remind us that God transcends time as well.
4. Hymns allow us to connect with something that is bigger than ourselves.
5. Do you realize that “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel” is over 800 years old?  I think it’s still fresh enough today to be a hit on FM radio.
6. Hymns aren’t easy to comprehend always.  They engage our intellect and exercise our mind.

 

In the end, we cannot become too enamored with how we currently “do” worship.  All of our worship and all of our musical offerings are but filthy rags in the eyes and ears of an infinitely holy God.  Our job, is to offer him our best – instrumentally and lyrically.

 

I have heard it said that Lutherans, especially WELS people, are an immovable bunch.  This just isn’t true.  I remember as a young man – say 20 years or so ago, it was forbidden to use cameras or video equipment during worship.  Now, most WELS churches are fitted with video and sound recording equipment so that they can podcast their services on the Internet or on local TV networks.  Things change.  God is doing something new today.  So should we.

“This precious gift (of music) has been given to man alone that he might thereby remind himself that God has created man for the express purpose of praising and extolling God.” – Martin Luther

Might I add that we share the gift of music with angels as well!  It says in Rev 5:13:

 

“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

 

Now go sing with all that is in you!

 

These are my thoughts.  No mud slinging at either side; just peace, oneness, harmony, fellowship and an understanding that resounds with love, obedience and honor towards Jesus. 

Ash Wed – Song Choice

Ash Wed – Song Choices

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