David Whiting Live

Northridge Band Try-outs - A Video

It is a week of videos... I've been asked several times in recent weeks to share the videos we've been using - so we slowly uploading them.  Here is another one. It is the one we used for try-outs for our Praise Band. Mark Dudley has the ability to do two things very well: 1) make me laugh, and 2) embarrass his wife. He does both masterfully in this video.

As always, if you receive this by email - click on the title above or click HERE.

A Great CD Worth Owning

I don't often recommend CDs because I don't often find CDs that I love. But I've found one recently that I really enjoy.  If you are thinking about getting a new CD - look into Rush of Fools latest CD, "Wonder of the World." It is difficult to find a CD with catchy melodies, great music, and worthy lyrics. This CD does all three well (especially the catchy melodies and great music)!

If you have a few minutes - listen to a few of my favorite songs by clicking on the song titles below:

There Is Nothing

Escape

Tonight

On the website where these songs are from - you only get to listen to the entire song once - so enjoy it... then buy the CD! Or, if you want to wait - we plan to carry this CD in our bookstore.

One of My Favorite CD's - LAURA STORY - "Great God Who Saves"

Here is a video introducing one of my favorite singers - Laura Story. She is best known for writing "Indescribable." I heard her sing about eleven or twelve years ago and was thrilled when she started making CDs. Watch the video and see what you think... If you don't have the CD - you should buy it. Every song really is great!

The Best Day of the Year

I don't think there is a better day in a year than Easter Sunday.  Going back to when I was a child - there was something very special about that day.  The singing of favorite hymns like "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," "Because He Lives" or the classic, "Up from the Grave He Arose." Those hymns are still songs that I love.  When I was young, it always seemed I had to wear a suit that day, which made it more "special" - and I didn't seem to mind it back then (I'm sure I despise dressing up more today than I ever used to). The church "felt" different... probably they decorated special for Easter, but I didn't notice that in particular. I just knew it "felt" different.  My parents did the Easter basket and candy (I still love the speckled Easter egg malted milk balls), but ultimately, it was ALL about Jesus rising from the dead. There was no doubt about that. Resurrection Sunday doesn't fight with the commercialism of Christmas.  There are less distractions...  Less confusion...  Less competition crowding out Jesus (it's just a bunny and candy - not Santa, presents, trees, decorations, music, etc...)

As an adult, Resurrection Sunday means even more to me.  It was the day that my salvation was settled - even 2000 years before I was born. It was the most dramatic moment in the history of the universe - even more dramatic than the creation of the world.  And I still "feel" something different on Easter Sunday. 

I have a tradition that I've done for about 12 or 13 years.  Every Easter Sunday - first thing in the morning - I get in my office and blast "Arise, My Love" by Newsong.  It is one of my favorite songs of all time.  It is a song that matches to "mood" of Resurrection Sunday.  I still have the CD and pull it out once a year.  Have you ever heard the song?  You can see it on www.youtube.com.  Just click HERE to watch a video of the song on Easter Sunday.  Put in the headphones, crank the volume, and worship the Risen King!  I played it loud this morning in my office.  I hope I didn't wake the Nelsons up on the 3rd floor...

John Calvin said THAT?!?!

I'll never forget the first time I read this quote. It truly surprised me, and was a great joy to read again and again. It is a quote by John Calvin on the topic of culture, change, and the church (frankly, not the type of thing I would expect to hear from John Calvin).  I love John Calvin, but wouldn't expect "us" to agree on the issue of culture, change and the church.  But, according to this quote, we do:

The Master did not will in outward discipline and ceremonies to prescribe in detail what we ought to do (because he foresaw that this depended on the state of the times, and he did not deem one form suitable for all ages)... Because he has taught nothing specifically, and because these things are not necessary to salvation, and for the upbuilding of the church ought to be variously accommodated to the customs of each nation and age, it will be fitting (as the advantage of the church will require) to change and abrogate traditional practices and to establish new ones. Indeed, I admit that we ought not to charge into innovation rashly, suddenly, for insufficient cause. But love will best judge what may hurt or edify; and if we let love be our guide, all will be safe.

- Institutes of the Christian Religion, Vol. 2, John Calvin, edited by John T. McNeill, trans. by Ford Lewis Battles, [Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960], p. 1208.

My Soul Finds Rest - Psalm 62 (words and video)

As promised - here are the words to the new song we taught on Sunday.  At the bottom of the blog is a video of Aaron Keyes singing it.

PSALM 62
Words & Music by Stuart Townend & Aaron Keyes
© 2006 Thankyou Music

My soul finds rest in God alone, my rock and my salvation.
A fortress strong against my foes, and I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse, and lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness; I’ll look to him who hears me.

Chorus:
O praise him, hallelujah, my delight and my reward
Everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer, my God

Find rest my soul in God alone, amid the world’s temptations.
When evil seeks to take a hold, I’ll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go, don’t set your heart upon them.
The fields of hope in which I sow are harvested in heaven.

I’ll set my gaze on God alone, and trust in him completely.
With every day pour out my soul and he will prove his mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath, a sign to brief to measure,
My King has crushed the curse of death and I am His forever.

Bridge:
O praise Him, O praise him, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

For those who receive this by email - you will need to click HERE to watch the video. Or click on the title above and it will take you to the website.

The Challenge of Choosing Songs

There are two requests that I regularly receive when it comes to worship:

1) "I have a song that we really need to sing.  Is it ok if I send it to you?" (On average, each month I probably receive two or three suggestions for a song that we should sing. I don't mind this at all! So if you are one who suggests... don't stop. I don't mind you suggesting if you don't mind that I say 'no.')

2) "We haven't sung __________ in a while (fill in the blank with your personal favorite). Can we sing it again soon?" (I get this three or four times a month. Everyone has their songs that mean a lot to them that we don't sing as often anymore. I miss singing some songs we used to sing a lot... "How Deep the Father's Love for Us," "Jesus, Thank You," "You're Worthy of My Praise" - to name a few that I miss...)

So - let me walk you through my challenge...  How many songs should we have on our potential list of songs to sing?

Think of it this way... Let's say we sing an average of four or five songs each week.  That is eighteen songs per month.  One of those songs is our "song of the month."  That means we will sing it four times that month.  Which means we actually sing fifteen different songs in a month.  Fifteen!  That isn't that many songs.

Now - think through this... if we sing a song every other month - we will only sing that song six times in an entire year.  How well can a person new to North learn a song that we sing six times a year? Not very well.
We are always looking out for newer people here at North.  We don't want them to feel like they are never learning the songs.  Therefore, my personal "rule of thumb" is to sing a song once every five or six weeks if it is on our song list .  That means we will sing it about ten times a year.  So - if we sing a song every five or six weeks - that means there is a maximum of 20 to 25 songs on our potential song list.  That really isn't that many songs.  That also means that with every NEW song - we need to take an OLD song off the list.  That is the REALLY hard part!!!

It is the challenge of what I face.  We add ten or eleven new songs a year.  That means ten or eleven songs have to be taken off the list every year.  That's horrible!!  I HATE to do that! 

Anyway - I hope you feel my challenge. Do you have suggestions for me? I'm all ears.

Why We Sing the Songs We Sing - part 2

Planning the weekly service is not one of my favorite responsibilities.  But choosing the song we focus on for the month is something I enjoy.  When I am picking songs of the month, here is the criteria I tend to use:

1. Is the song "singable" musically?

Some would think that this shouldn't top the list, but it does for me. The melody line ought to echo in people's heads through the week. If a song is enjoyable musically - people will remember it. For me, it starts here.

2. Is the song accurate theologically?

Most would think this would top the list, but it doesn't with me for one simple reason: I'm more than willing to change poor lyrics. If I find a melody line that won't leave my head - and the lyrics need some adjusting, I'm more than happy to do that.  We've done that on one song over the past year ("Our God Saves") and on several songs over the years ("Mighty to Save" "Hear Us from Heaven"). 

3. Is there balance is our song selection?

I want a balance between deep lyrics and simply words of adoration for God. So if one month the new song was a deep expression of the atonement of the cross, then I'd like to have a more "simple" song of adoration the next month. It seems that some writers want to write songs that are so packed with theology that you need a dictionary to know what you are singing. I do want the lyrics to teach, but that is not the primary purpose.  I want us to worship God because of Who He is and what He has done.  I want our songs to capture people's minds and emotions.  I also want a balance between fast and slow tempo songs and a balance between songs that are "softer" in feel and ones that drive pretty hard.

4. Are the lyrics God-centered?

There is a place to sing about our response to God ("Now Is the Time to Worship") or a song that teaches ("Ancient Words"), but I want the vast majority to be ABOUT God or better yet - simply singing TO God.

5. Are the lyrics cross-centered?

I want every song we sing to point to the cross.  I long for our church to be a Gospel-centered church. This is probably the category that I DO want our songs to teach. I long for people to focus on the cross of Christ and what he accomplished for us.  And the songs we sing do help us remember what Christ accomplished on the cross for us (perhaps more on that in a future post). The songs we sing need to point in that direction or I lose interest in them pretty quickly.

6. Can our band play it well?

Not every worship song you hear on the radio is "playable" by the average worship band. But our group of musicians are extremely talented so this question is rarely answered 'No.'  And when it is 'No' - it is because of our limited instrument selection. Without an electric guitar and a larger percussion section - some songs just don't "work" well. There are some songs that need certain instrumentation to do them well.

That's about it.  I don't have this list in front of me when picking a song; this list is based on hindsight observation. The way I pick new songs isn't very impressive.  I buy a lot of worship CDs and play them in my office and find out which ones I find myself singing throughout the day. That shows me the most singable of the songs - then I begin to evaluate them based on the other criteria. Not too impressive - huh? And about two or three times a month someone suggests a song (which I like too).

I love the songs we sing and the energy with which our church body embraces them!  Make sure you vote on your favorite songs from the past year.  It will help me in the future.  Go to yesterday's blog  "Why We Sing the Songs We Sing - part 1" (click on that) and place a comment there (at the bottom of the post - look for the "comments" option. Or simply reply to this email with your favorite song we have taught in the last year.

Why We Sing the Songs We Sing - part 1

(READ TO THE BOTTOM - I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!!!)

I look forward to the day when I no longer have "double-duty" on Sunday mornings (primary teacher and one of the worship leaders). I look forward to handing over the song leading responsibilities to someone that has more musical gifts than I do. But the one thing I will miss most is choosing the songs that we sing.  Not the week to week song set - that is more burden than pleasure - but what songs will be added to the list of songs we sing (i.e. the "chorus of the month").

Tuesday night a few of us got together to work on the new song for October. So between cookies (made by Morgan), coffee, and great conversation - we worshiped our great God for two hours using the new chorus.

(left to right: Jim Ford, me, Gary Gagarinas, and Willie Lopez)

This month's song is called "At the Cross" and it is a POWERFUL new song!  I can't wait for you to learn it.  It is written and performed by a group called "Pocket Full of Rocks" (I have no idea why groups give themselves these names). But don't hold the name against them - you will love the song they wrote! 

Here are the new songs we introduced over the last year:

• The Power of the Cross (September) - "This the power of cross; Christ became sin for us - Took the blame - bore the wrath - we stand forgiven at the cross..."
• Lift High (August) - "Lift High - your chains undone. All rise - exalt the Son. Jesus Christ - the Holy One - we lift our eyes to You..."
• Let Me Sing (June) - "Let me sing - Louder than creation to You - for the pain you bore in Your body - to bring my soul to You..."
• All Because of Jesus (May) - "All because of Jesus I'm alive - All because the blood of Jesus Christ - Covered me and raised this dead man's life - It's all because of Jesus - I'm alive..."
• Hallelujah to My King (April) - "Hallelujah, what a Savior - I owe everything to Him - Hallelujah, what a Savior - Hallelujah to my King..."
• Our God Saves (March) - "Our God saves - Our God saves - there is hope in Your name - mourning turns to songs of praise - Our God saves..."
• He Is Jesus (January) - "There's a treasure great in beauty - far surpassing earth's great wealth - He is Jesus - Prince of Glory - source of all grace, peace, and health..."
• The Son of God Came Down (December) - "The Son of God came down - and laid aside His crown - Born without great renown - this Sovereign One..."
• Unto the One (October) - "Unto the One Who sits on the throne - unto the Lamb Who was slain - Be all blessing and honor - glory and power and praise forever..."

Tomorrow (or the next day) I want to share my philosophy of choosing songs that we sing. BUT - until then, which one of our choruses of the month is your favorite? Let me know. If you receive this by email - you can hit "reply" (it will come to me), or you can comment on the blog. (You can go to the blog by clicking on the title "Why We Sing the Songs We Sing" above). I will let you know what I find out.