Let's take a vote. How many of you reading this like to learn a new song in a worship service versus singing a song you already know? If we could get actual results from this survey, I would bet the dislikes outweigh the likes.

I listen to a lot of worship music. I am constantly listening to songs of artists that I like, as well as researching songs that would fit a message series that we're doing here at WC. When I haven't been able to find that perfect song, sometimes I'll ask a few, "trusted"' music lovers for some song suggestions (although that doesn't always produce great options - like when I was looking for the perfect song that would match the message on "Godly Foundations for Marriage," someone suggested "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. NICE!)

Anyway, I am always on the lookout for new songs. Whether they're congregational worship songs or specials, I love new music. Now, I realize not everyone likes new music. In fact, some might even prefer that for worship in our services, we just sing familiar songs so that you can "really get into worship" and not spend time learning a new song. Others, if they're really honest, might go further and say, "Just about the time I learned this song, Matt goes and does another new song," with a hint of irritation.

So why learn another new song in church?

I could quote you Psalm 33:3 that simply says, "Sing unto the Lord a new song..." And there it is, boom, proof that it's scriptural to sing new songs (actually, it almost sounds like a command), but that could look like I'm taking this scripture out of context to prove my point. I believe there's a deeper purpose for continuing to learn new worship songs.

Hopefully, we all agree that Jesus, the Word, is the same yesterday and today and forever, and that His Word is our foundation and moral compass. With that established, we also know that God sent His Holy Spirit so that we could have the spirit of truth living on the inside to guide us through everyday life. This is important because we all go through seasons of change and face different circumstances. Some are incredibly fulfilling, and some can be life-changing disappointments. The combination of music and God's Word, which is how I describe worship songs, is a powerful tool to help us in our everyday lives.

Look what it says in Isaiah 43:19, 21 (NKJV): "Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise."

How many of you have ever felt like you are in the desert or wandering around in the wilderness? I was talking with a young dad after a service one weekend, and he was telling me how his employer was cutting his hours down, because there was a shortage in work. This, of course, resulted in a smaller paycheck at the end of the week. Then that same week, he continued, the "check engine soon" light came on in his vehicle. Coincidence? I don't think so! So why didn't the light come on three months ago, when he was really busy at work? And then what he said next was what struck me the most. He said, "My wife and I looked at each other, laughed at the 'coincidence' and then rested in the fact that we know God will provide for all of our needs and that we're not going to let this get us down, because that's what the devil would want."

That's a great example of focusing on the roadway in the wilderness and not the wilderness only - focusing on the rivers in the desert and not the hot, dry desert. A new song can give us a new, fresh perspective on God being our deliverer in what we're going through today. Take the words of the song "Your Love Never Fails" (written by Anthony Skinner and Chris McClarney) that we've just started singing here at WC. The verse says "The wind is strong and the water's deep, but I'm not alone here in these open seas...Your love never fails. The chasm was far too wide, I never thought I'd reach the other side....but Your love never fails"' It's a fresh, creative way of proclaiming that God's love will never fail us no matter what. Have there been other songs through the years that proclaim this same theme? Absolutely, and great songs at that! But I'm convinced that we, as humans, grow in our understanding of something when we continue learning, and it's no different for us continuing to learn about the character and faithfulness of God.

Here's the thing: the 20-minute worship set that we have every week in our services should not be the only time you open your mouth and worship God. I hope that it's a jumpstart or a shot in the arm for you, encourages you, and inspires you to continue worshiping God with all of your heart...every day!

-Matt

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Sometimes the word "worship" is overused. I’ve heard it as a noun: "We are going to have worship today!" I’ve heard it as an adjective: "I love worship music," or "I’m going to buy a worship CD." It’s used as a verb: "Worship God, all you people!" It describes a genre of music, and most churches use the word as a title in their service schedule for the singing time before the message. When I lead worship I tend to say the word a lot, and it’s even in my official job title as the Worship Director. (You’d be surprised how many times I use the word in this article.)

I’ve had an interest in music since I was a young child. As I got older, I began to love the idea that music can be a powerful tool in helping people connect with God. One of the first experiences I had where my life was truly impacted by God in a time of worship was when I attended a worship concert led by Kent Henry back in the early '90s. I remember standing at my seat as a young teenager, singing out with my hands raised as an act of surrender to God, and knowing that His presence was very real to me. And in that moment, I re-committed my life to live for God and follow the plan that He had for my life. This took me on a journey where I began to realize that God called me to help people connect with Him through music. It also took me on a journey to understand what true worship is. I began to ask myself questions and ended up asking God the same questions. What exactly is worship? Is it more than just music? Does worship only happen in a service where people are gathered together?

The Bible has a lot to say about worship especially in the Book of Psalms. Over the years as I’ve read the Bible, words like "worship" and "praise" always jumped out at me. But about six months ago, I began an intentional study on what the Bible says about worship. I took my Strong's Concordance and began looking up every scripture that has the word "worship" in it. I read it in context and then would meditate on it or write it down long hand. Then I looked up every scripture that has the word "praises." I’m still in the middle of this study and have other specific words to look up in the Bible, but it has been very eye-opening to me.

I don’t know if I can boil worship down to one thing, but God has definitely spoken to me through His Word, and it’s this: Worship is a decision. It’s a choice not based on feelings that we make to give honor and praise to God, and sing about His goodness and character no matter what situation we are going through. It’s spending time with Him and telling God that we love Him, and then quieting ourselves and listening to Him. We can base this on the principle found in Psalm 40:1-3 (Amplified).

"I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord."

The phrase "I waited patiently and expectantly" is the key. That’s not describing sitting on our hands doing nothing or like our kids waiting at the bus stop for the school bus to come. It is described in Isaiah 40:31 - "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…"

I love this principle because it’s based on having a personal relationship with God. We can trust that when we seek Him first, He hears us and will meet us right where we are. It makes no difference if we’re singing together with 1000 other people about God’s faithfulness or if we’re driving in our car listening to a song that draws us to worship Him. The point is that we all need to make a decision in our hearts that no matter what we face, we will worship our Creator, our Father, and the One who delivers us from all of our fears.

-Matt

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