Category Archive

Another setlist post! Check Fred McKinnon’s Blog Carnival for details!   1 – Indescribable  –  Laura Story, 2004Indescribable is a shock and awe song. Everything in the song is geared to a sense of childish wonder, while humbling us in raising His Name in song. The music floats lightly with the occasional “Oh-my-goodness-that’s-so-amazing” moment marked by the striking of chords and cymbals.   2 – Shout to the Lord  – Darlene Zshech, 1993This song is a pledge, a rededication to … Read More

A NEW RESPECT FOR THE MUSIC OF KEITH & KRISTYN GETTY Several years ago, after first hearing “In Christ Alone,” I became a fan of the Gettys.  However, I regressed from paying attention to their work in subsequent years.  Since then, they’ve come out with a follow up album to In Christ Alone, called Awaken the Dawn.  When Awaken the Dawn first came out, I listened to samples and, not without appreciation, did not choose to buy it or pay … Read More

RESPONSE TO DAN SCHUTTE ON SONGWRITING Last week, I attended one of the best worship conferences that is offered in the United States—the Calvin Symposium on Christian Worship.  It’s a multi-faceted, biblical, and ecumenical gathering, well-rounded with learning from the pragmatic to philosophical. One of the great breakout sessions I was able to attend was “Modern Songs for Worship: Conversations with Five Composers.”  Each composer had something different to bring to the table, and I benefited from their insights and … Read More

This week in Sunday Setlists (Fred McKinnon’s Blog Carnival), we return with another recap on last Sunday’s service (shocker, huh?). Anyway, here we go:   1. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing  –  Robert Robinson, 1758 / John Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music, 1813This song speaks directly to God. It’s a prayer of praise, thanksgiving and self-giving. My favorite line is “Bind my wandering heart to The// Prone to wander Lord I feel it//Prone to leave the God I love//Here’s … Read More

photo courtesty of Paul Adams (www.pauladamsphoto.com)When Ascent began 1.5 years ago, it was a dream attempted.  In a nutshell, my under-the-surface goal was to experiment with the edge of modern worship and see if the hymns movement and other liturgical elements could find a place there without compromising what makes modern worship beautiful and powerful.  I wanted us to grow in being able to do the modern worship thing well–lights, audio, film, experiential, hands-on elements and ministry, and visuals–while proving … Read More

“Honor your father and your mother.” That phrase appears 8 times in Scripture–Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:16; Matthew 15:4; Matthew 19:19; Mark 7:10; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Ephesians 6:2. That phrase appears in the best summary of moral code ever written: The Ten Commandments That phrase prophetically speaks against American obsession with youthfulness/youth culture and marginalization of one’s elders Today, I want to worship God by honoring my mother on an appropriate day to do so.  My mom was raised in … Read More

Our church has embarked on year two of a fabulous five-year goal–read through the Bible each year.  Last year, we worked with Zondervan for a very successful Bible in 90 Days sprint through Scripture.  This year, as one of my colleagues puts it, we’re reading the Bible oven-style rather than microwave-style.  We’re reading through the One Year Bible, and using the helpful online resource, the One Year Bible Blog.  At the same time, Cherry Creek Presbyterian is a church committed … Read More

PART 1: THE PSALMS AND THEIR PAGAN COUNTERPARTS Ooh…was that title provocative or what?  Though many modern worshipers feel that the worship wars are past us, I don’t think the fight is ever going to be over.  And if that’s true, discussions like these are still worth having.  I still hear the now age-old argument against modern worship (usually directed at modern instrumentation like electric guitars, drums, etc.), which can be basically summarized in this way: Modern worship is wrong … Read More

It’s all too tempting in worship to think more highly of oneself than one ought.  Evidence the myriads of worship songs (and the churches that regularly rotate them) which talk about our victory, our pursuit of God, our attempts to seek God.  These all aren’t necessarily wrong, but as I’ll make mention in a future post, worship leading is kind of like being a dietician.  When you feed people enough of the same thing, to the neglect of necessary counter-balances, … Read More

Welcome to another episode of Sunday Setlists; Brought to you by Fred McKinnon’s Blog Carnival! The worship this Sunday felt joyful and upbeat. 1.            How Great is Your Faithfulness  –  Matt Redman, 2009The musical arrangement of “Great is your Faithfulness” is bright and beautiful. Just as the lyrics point out “Everything changes, but You stay the same…”, so the melody and chord progression keep the same spirit of upward movement through the entire piece.  Not only that, but the … Read More