Electric Guitarists, you have my ears...

Dear Electric Guitarists

If you were to attend a Saturday morning seminar on using the electric guitar in a worship ministry team context,

• what kind of stuff would you like to learn about?
• what kind of stuff would you like to do during the course of the seminar?
• what kind of guitar-related gear would you like to be able to buy, if there was a concession stand from a local retailer?

Share your thoughts with me, and then watch this space...

Review: OpenLP 1.9.6

Projecting words of songs and Bible verses is pretty much de rigeur for churches these days. But there must be something between those sad, greasy, OHP's and $100-a-month all in one service production stations?

This is where some nice guys in Cape Town, South Africa, have come up with a cross-platform projection interface, which is (*gasp*) free of charge! Introducing.... OpenLP! (applause)

And a very tidy piece of software it is too. It has a very easy-to-use interface, including live and preview modes, and can queue up not just songs, but Bible verses, PowerPoint presentations, images, videos and audio, allowing your entire service to run from the same interface. No more frantically swopping cables in order to project the youth camp report back after the first song!

The best part, in my opinion, is the ability to import song lyrics from SongSelect. This allows you to populate your database with the correct lyrics and correct copyright licensing information. Hey, the easier it is to be legal, the more likely we will.

This is an initial impression, so perhaps I'll do a follow up in the future. For now, I'd suggest you download it and give it a go. What have you got to lose?

Immortal, Invisible, Inaccessible?

The great hymns of the past have such rich words and concepts. Often we don't sing them today because the style of the music is inaccessible. We just can't relate to the choral harmonies and organ music. When last did you hear that on the radio?!

We must remember, though, that very often these hymns were written as poems and set later to music, and that many tunes were used for the same hymn. 100 years later, the most popular one has stuck.

Case in point is Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise. This hymn was written in the 19th century by Walter Chalmers Smith, and the tune that we know is called St Denio, a Welsh folk-ballad tune.

It is a hymn about the reading of Scripture (read the Wikipedia article - very interesting!), and takes its inspiration from 1 Timothy 1.15-17, Romans 16.25-27, 2 Corinthians 3.12-18, and 1 Timothy 6.11-16, among others.

Chris McClarney has just released a modern version of this classic hymn that sounds fantastic and that I can't wait to do at our evening services. Chris sounds a little like Paolo Nutini, but he's got a unique, classic-soul vibe that's all his own. The music can be purchased at http://www.kingswayworship.co.uk/immortal-invisible/

Love to hear your comments on the song!

(I found this song through my subscription to Kingsway.com. Each week, I have a new song emailed to me free of charge, both the .mp3 and the official sheet music in .pdf format. I can't recommend enough that you sign up!)

The Value of Praying as a Ministry Team

Some of the best times we have as a music ministry team are when we pray together at rehearsals. We usually begin the rehearsal with a reading from God's Word - something to take our minds off the business of the day, and the job at hand, and allow us to focus on our Heavenly Lord and Father.

Then we quieten our hearts before God for a time of prayer. We praise him for his greatness, thank him for his goodness to us, pray for those we know who are experiencing trials and joys, and ask for his help to make the rehearsal a time where we reflect on who he is as we prepare to serve on Sunday.

Before we leave the rehearsal, we also pray together, so that over the days between the rehearsal and the service, God might continue to work in our hearts, reminding us of what we have sung about him at the rehearsal and preparing us to serve.

Prayer is something that is never reserved for church services, prayer meetings and mealtimes. Paul writes in Colossians 4:2, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

Bob Kauflin, in his book Worship Matters (I know, I use that phrase a lot - but the book really is that good!) gives three reasons why prayer should be a priority:

1. Prayer helps me remember what I can't do
2. Prayer opens my eyes to God's purposes
3. Prayer cultivates care for others

Whatever you do at your rehearsals, however much time you have, don't neglect praying together, because it will put your heart and mind in the right place to do this ministry.

Cheap Love Songs

Here's a very interesting reflection on the kind of praise songs we sing at church.

http://theresurgence.com/2008/12/10/many-songs-about-gods-love-are-cheap

Read the Manual!

A lot of music and worship ministry is about the condition of our hearts, and the way we use our music skills in God's service to lead our brothers and sisters in his praise and adoration.

Something that we don't often talk about is the necessity of knowing how our equipment works. I realised this in a big way last Sunday morning, when I was left to lead the final hymn with a dead guitar, owing to my ignorance about how my guitar worked.

During the 3rd song, I noticed I was out of tune. During the reading, I hit the Tuner/Mute button on my guitar's preamp, in order to tune silently during the reading. As I did so, I noticed a light flashing green on the display. I've used plenty of preamps before, so my first thought was, "The battery's dying! But the good news is that I came prepared with a spare in my guitar case."

I opted to change the battery during the collection to be ready for the final hymn. When I did so, the battery connector fell down inside the guitar body, and I was stuck.

After the service, I used my Leatherman (vital for any church muso!) to unscrew the whole battery compartment, find the connector and put it all back together with a fresh battery. Now here's the joke - the light still flashed green.

You see, dear reader, what I didn't know was that the light flashes green to let you know that you're in Tuner/Mute mode, and the battery is in fact healthy as a young stallion.

I would have known this had I actually read the manual that B-Band supplied with my guitar, instead of confining it my 'guitar stuff drawer' at home.

So the moral of the story is this: in order to serve well, read your manuals. Make sure you know exactly how that stage piano/synthesizer/bass amp/preamp/wireless mic, etc. works, so you aren't caught by surprise when it throws you a curve ball. If you're looking for a manual for a piece of church equipment, ask your music director or your sound guy. If no-one knows where the manuals are, start Googling...