In my chapter, “The Worship Leader and the Trinity,” in Doxology and Theology, I try to give feet to how the people of God encounter Him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in worship. Sometimes, as church leaders we think too narrowly about the ways in which people can learn of and actually know God more deeply. We can think that our only recourse for people understanding and engaging God as Trinity is didactically, in the wooden sense of imparting … Read More
The Magnificent Three EP is Released!
Several years ago, I was floored by a shocking exposé. No, the article wasn’t about a political scandal, a pastoral failure, or even a Kardashian. It was a revealing study about how “under-Trinitized” our worship songs are. Now, to be sure, in one sense, you can’t “under-Trinitize” anything. Whether or not we are aware of the all-encompasing, ever-productive, supremely glorious work of the Great Three-in-One, if we are a Christian, we are inescapably “Trinitized.” The effectiveness of God’s work is … Read More
Worship Leader Magazine’s 2014 Editor’s Pick of Top Blogs
I’m very grateful to be on a small list of select blogs honored this year by Worship Leader Magazine’s Editor’s Picks (Nov/Dec 2014 issue). What a blessing! I’m not sure how I got there, but I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. Blogging is an interesting medium. It’s leveled the playing field in some ways, and it’s made discourse and deep thought harder in others. But, if you engage with blogs as one of the several ways you process worship-related issues, you will … Read More
Luther’s Case for Psalm-Singing
Ligonier on Luther and the PsalmsWorship leaders and thinkers who stand in the Reformed worship tradition emphasize the importance and necessity of Psalm-singing. In fact, there are several smaller Reformed denominations who are chiefly known as “psalms-only” worshipers, meaning that the only songs they sing in worship are tuned translations and versifications of the Psalms. John Calvin, the father of the Reformed tradition of Protestant Christianity, was an outspoken champion of the supremacy of Psalms in worship. He encouraged Psalm-singing … Read More
Why the Doxology & Theology Conference is Worth Checking Out
November 13-14Louisville, KY There are a handful of conferences that come around every year or two that I think are worth a worship leader’s time and investment. They’re not all the same, and they therefore don’t serve the same purpose. I tend to think of conferences like these in two broad categories. The first are the “big tent” conferences. A great example of this would be the National Worship Leader Conference, now hosted regionally 3-4 times a year. Big tent … Read More
If You’re Interested in Deeply Studying Gospel Centered Worship
If you’re like me, thinking about furthering your education in the area of worship studies, you’re less interested in flashy admissions campaigns and impressive campus acreage. I want two things: A handful of great professors zeroing in on excellent subject matter. There’s a lot of talk out there about “gospel-centered” this and that, and a lot of people have spilled a lot of digital ink explaining how diluted and convoluted that discussion has become. Such is the fate of “gospel-centered … Read More
Four Exciting Projects in the Hopper for Coral Ridge Music
Coral Ridge is a busy place. With my own eyes, I’m witnessing a movement, a kind of new reformation, taking place in our walls, in our community, and around our region. And I’m witnessing a gospel revolution continue in my own heart and family. It’s the reason I moved down here in the first place. Coral Ridge Music is a kind of subset of the larger vision and mission of both Coral Ridge and Liberate (read my thoughts on why … Read More
If You Can Only Go to One Conference This Year…
We couldn’t say it ten years ago, but nowadays, there are so many great conferences to choose from. God is raising up amazing conferences on church life, worship, spiritual formation, preaching, the Christian journey, mission, and on and on. But though I will attend and be a part of several conferences over the next twelve months, one, I believe, stands out. It stands out because I’ve witnessed what it does to people for several years now. I’m talking about the … Read More
Confession Song Based on the Book of Common Prayer
I want to share with you a little bit about what drove us to write and record “Most Merciful God” off our EP, His Be the Victor’s Name. (You can listen to the song below.) When I arrived at Coral Ridge, one of the things that I and the other leadership began to discover is that God was leading us into a season of expanding our worship vocabulary. Particularly, we discerned that our church needed to be able to have … Read More
Album Roundup Week: We Will Proclaim, Live Worship with The Falls Church Anglican
This week I’ll be highlighting a few albums that have come my way over the last few weeks and months. First up is We Will Proclaim: Live Worship with The Falls Church Anglican, a project overseen by my friend and fellow worship leader-blogger, Jamie Brown. This album is a true “church album”–ecclesiastical and communal from top to bottom. It runs like one, beautiful worship service. It is highly collaborative at every level. Lots of musicians and minds contributed to it, … Read More