Solos in Worship

I've heard worship leaders tell me before that their congregation don't understand solos, don't know how to respond to solos or simply aren't used to it. That's like saying new Christians shouldn't read the bible or pray because they aren't used to it. Obviously we don't do that.

Strangely, some also think solos exalt the musicians rather than God. Believe it or not, I've even heard people saying musicians should wear black on stage so as not to garner any attention. Firstly, if you don't want attention, don't even be on stage. Even preachers get attention but somehow nobody faults them for it. And btw, the preacher is talking about God, but the musician, is talking (worshipping/ministering) to God. So who gets more glory?

Many times, Christians have a tendency to make comments based on their cultural perceptions rather than biblical truths. When they're not used to healing, they say God doesn't heal. When they're not used to tongues, they say tongues are not of God. Now what about musical solos? You see, when the musician plays a solo, what he's actually doing is taking the lead in ministering to the Lord. There are occasions mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25 where a musician would prophesy with his instrument before the Lord.

Why then do some Christians think solos are wrong? This is so as in secular music, guitar solos or other types are played and this leads some to believe this similar art form is wrong or even evil in the Christian context. But what's happening in the Spirit realm is the musician taking a leading moment to minister to the Lord and the church gets ministered in the process. You can also say this spiritual art form is actually the musician prophesying. If you look back in the OT, even King Saul was restored whenever David ministered with his solo playing.

As you can see, it's completely out of line when people suggest things like not having solos or only wearing black on stage. Musicians have an individual identity and they are there to minister to the Lord and serve His people. People see them in action and they are there to lead, not hide behind a bush. They should be seen, on video, on whatever means simply because they're worshipping God and hopefully, that inspires and encourages the church to do likewise.

Next time when you see a solo in church, know that that guy is ministering to God, expressing his love for Him. As for yourself, enjoy it, be ministered by it and worship the Lord your God.

Technique or Feel Rules?

Recently, I was asked to give some feedback on the technical aspects of drumming. I don't claim to know a whole lot about it but it's something I won't consider as the end goal for music although I think it has its importance. But one must remember it's a means to an end, not the end in itself.

My approach to drumming is it has to feel good or make the music you're playing feel good. It's about creating art, not a sports event (see http://olichew.multiply.com/journal/item/19 on Vinnie's comments). Rod Morgenstein once said you can play all the fanciful strokes but if people are not dancing to your playing, you've failed. One of the most difficult mysteries in drumming (and that's something I still can't really figure out) is how do you explain or teach feel? Every drummer will certainly have his or her own feel and some artistes/worship leaders will prefer one to the other. Some drummers have a nicer feel than others.

While I can't really pin it down, I believe it's all about where music hits you. If music is about hitting all the fanciful notes than about art, then that's about all the feel you will have. I grew up loving music, particularly mainstream pop and rock. Despite practicing dutifully in the past various techniques, it has always been about the music, forming an emotional connection with it.

But wait you may ask, "If I'm not fanciful, who's going to like my drumming?" That's not the best question to ask. Rather it should be,"How can I contribute and enhance the song?" I don't deny that certain genres require greater technique but if you are lucky enough to be playing that kind of genre (jazz, prog rock, fusion etc), then it should come to you first as music that hits your heart, then the technical training to allow you to express yourself musically in that genre. But if it doesn't hit you emotionally, all the technical training in the world will not make you a wonderful jazz player.

Music has to start with passion. Look at The Beatles. They're definitely not the most technically gifted people, but their music defined a generation. Once, a buddy of mine told me how Guitarist A slammed Guitarist B for not being able to play jazz. My buddy simply told A,"Why do you care? B makes more money than you playing pop music." What rules? Technique or feel? I think The Beatles has given us the answer.

Worship Leader Types

Having played with quite a few worship leaders over the years, I’ve come to realise there are different types. Some I would prefer more than others but overall, I submit to all of them. That’s pretty important you know. We’re all there to make them happy. But hopefully their happiness doesn’t get in the way of making good music. At least I hope they realise.

One type is the song modifier. Some like to change the style of songs, arrangement, tempo etc. I’ve nothing against that but hopefully when they change it, it’ll sound just as good as the original. You see, artists spend lots of time arranging a song. It’s gone through several hours of editing and here comes some guy thinking he can make it sound better in 2 hours and he’s never made a record. Go figure.

The other type is the ‘my way or the highway’. This type believes every musician must follow his instructions. He doesn’t work with the band and expects the band to notice everything he wants to do. It’s fine if he’s leading alone, but if he’s with a band, he better understand the communication is two way.

The next type is one who doesn’t follow arrangements. Things can be quite difficult like this. The band practices one way and in the middle of worship, he does something else. Even the most capable musicians in the world, secular or church, follow the arrangements strictly. Some might say it restricts the Holy Spirit. I think we restrict the Holy Spirit more when we make a mess of things. As I said, it’s a band, not just the worship leader. He must know it’s a team effort, not just freely doing anything he likes. Discipline is key here.

The next type is the musical conductor. This guy would use all sorts of hand signals and signal in all directions that he beats the traffic policemen on duty when the traffic lights are faulty. Hand signals are not advisable as it's distracting. Some worship leaders have told me the band won't know what to play next if they don't use hand signs. This is a flawed concept. The idea is to simply arrange the song so that no hand signs need to be used. It's that simple! In the event the worship leader is dying to sing just that extra chorus for e.g., he can give some verbal signs at the last line just before the chorus. But this is usually the exception rather than the norm.

All in all, the worship leader must know he is not above the band. He has to work with the band. It's a team effort and if he thinks he's the ONE, then he should only lead worship alone. But in a band, all the musicians, singers and him are one. Worship leading is also a craft and thankfully today, we have plenty of resources online to help us get there as long as we're humble enough to learn.

Reality Bites

Ouch! The real world hurts. Sometimes the truth hurts but it can be good. Recently, I heard some interesting comments. You know, I’m somebody who gets inspired by stuff I read and people I hang out with. They can be from all walks of life. Here’s some of what was said.

A good friend told me this story. John (not his real name) is a guitar player in some church. He has a habit of criticizing fellow guitar players. This one criticism stood out for me. John slammed a famous guitarist who’s one of the top session players in the local scene, saying he can’t play jazz. My friend told him, “This famous guy makes more money than you playing popular music. Does that bother you?”

Ryan Hoyle (Collective Soul drummer) said something like he came to a point where he realized you can be the best drummer in the world but it’s pointless if people don’t know you. He then sought to further his contacts to get more gigs and eventually was hired by Collective Soul.

Someone told me Joseph Prince always preaches the same message about grace. I told him thousands are saved through his preaching. His church recently saw the attendance rocket by a few thousand in one week. Many people around the world have testified how his grace message has transformed their lives for the better, mine included.

I’ve heard preaching before that’s very deep. Imagine something like “reverence for divine authority at the expense of rational inquiry...”

Sounds deep, but who cares? Paul says, “And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 2:4).

Indeed, reality bites.

Radical Quotes

“It is pleasing to God whenever thou rejoices or laughest from the bottom of thy heart”

“If you are not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there”

“The fewer the words, the better the prayer.”

“Reason is the enemy of faith”

“Who loves not wine, women and song, Remains a fool his whole life long”

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Taken from http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/martin_luther/

“The God of the nation was extolled in happy music by the Israelites. Let no Christian be silent or slack in praise, for this God is our God. It is regretted that the niceties of modern music singing frighten our congregations from joining lustily in the hymns. For our part, we delight in full bursts of praise; we would rather discover the ruggedness of a lack of musical training than miss the heartiness of congregational singing. The gentility that lisps the tune in well-bred whispers, or leaves singing to the choir, is a mockery of worship. Blow the trumpets and beat the drums. God is not to be served with misery but with happy music.”

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Taken from Terl Bryant, A Heart to Drum

Preach it!

I have an opinion on how preaching should be like and like to share it. Not that I’m a preacher, but it’s just what I think makes a good one.

I’ve heard many preachers over the years. Some were really deep until I wish I had a dictionary with me. There are a few who were really boring that I slept or daydreamed. I don’t advocate such behavior but in times like that, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. There were those where no matter how sleepy I was, I just could not fall asleep but I listened attentively throughout.

“Hey Oli, it’s your responsibility to listen. There’s no such thing as bad preachers. As long as they say the right things, they are good preachers.” I’ve heard before.

Now, let me say it’s the job of the father to communicate with his child, not vice-versa. Likewise, I think a good preacher communicates with his audience. You can say 3 good points but if you can’t communicate it, nothing’s done. If you just want to say 3 points in 45 minutes, the audience can simply read those points off a book.

I’ve heard preaching before that’s very deep. Imagine something like “reverence for divine authority at the expense of rational inquiry...”

Sounds deep, but who cares? Paul says, “And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 2:4).

So there are techniques involved like gestures, humor, drawing responses etc. But ultimately, the anointing of God has to be upon the preacher. And when he preaches with that anointing, it’s not just head knowledge that’s given, but the changing power of the Holy Spirit. That’s how my life is transformed.

Culturally Relevant

I went for a workshop recently which talked about the perspectives (past, present, future) of teaching the English Language in Singapore. The speaker said a few things that caught my attention. He said kids are not able to link what they learn in school to their real world. Their world is about visuals, TV, gaming etc. They watch pop stars, football stars, movies etc. The problem is that most things in school have no relevance to them. The challenge for educators is to find that link. It reminds me of a word I came across- edutainment. It’s probably the thing to replace education.

Anyway, I can’t help but draw parallels to the church in general as I listened to him. Whatever is said or taught in church should have its relevance to the real world. Why should pop stars, artists, entertainers capture people’s imagination way more than the pulpit man?

When Brazil won the World Cup some years back, billions saw the players giving thanks to Jesus. It’s a great testimony no church in the world can pull off at the moment. The recent article in Life devoted several pages to artists making an impact in Singapore. There’s a saying that goes- He who controls the media controls the world. I hope the church is not isolated. I hope the church is not trapped in religion.

I read what Lawrence Khong said recently in a Life article when asked why he is dressed in a modern sense (I guess he dresses differently from most pastors!). He said he was not trying to communicate with traditional church people, but with people who wear red sneakers and red-rimmed glasses. The music, the message must have its relevance to the man in the street.

Giving & Receiving

Here’s something on giving money which I’ve learned during my meditations. It’s good to give to the Lord and expect to receive a blessing in return. If you want to receive, start giving. If you want blessings, start giving. But hey, isn’t that giving with the wrong motive? You should just give and not expect anything in return.

As much as I like to think that’s really noble, that’s not what the bible says about giving. Jesus says, “Give and you shall be given, pressed down, shaken together, running over will men give unto you.” God says, “Test me in this that I the Lord will not pour out such a blessing that your rooms cannot contain.”

Ok but what about the poor widow giving her last coin? That story is not teaching about giving without expecting to receive. That story is about sacrificial giving. I’ve heard preaching that tries to play down the receiving part, not wanting to lead people to greed. Firstly, if people are greedy, they won’t even give a cent. Greedy people only want to get, not give. If people give to get, they aren’t greedy!

“What about 4-D, TOTO?” That’s betting, not giving.

Now, I’m also not talking about investing though God can bless through that. Investing is not giving. Giving is an act of faith. You won’t see and understand how you become blessed later except that you know that He is Jehovah Jireh, The Lord My Provider.

“I’m still having doubts. Isn’t it self-centred to give like that?” God says My ways are higher than yours. When the woman poured the perfume on Jesus’ feet, Judas said that could be used to give to the poor. Jesus rebuked him. If God says expect to be blessed when you give, I rather not disagree with Him!

Yes, God wants us to be blessed as any good father will. But the bottomline of His blessings is not so that we can have a good time. It’s so that His name will be glorified and the people will know that I AM the Lord your God. So give, expect to receive and glorify Him when He blesses you.

Criticisms of Megachurches

I’ve heard criticisms about megachurches lately. A megachurch is simply one that is about at least 5000 strong. I’ve heard comments from various sources that they are all about commercialism, consumerism, even materialism.

Point is are these megachurches falling short of doing God’s will? I think for a start, their critics are barking up the wrong tree. They’re focusing on the medium rather than the result. People can criticize all they want but in the end, these megachurches are winning way more souls to Christ. Not that churches should compete to win more souls. But criticizing each other is not helpful to the cause of spreading the gospel.

One interesting thing I’ve noticed is while the megachurches get a lot of criticism, the small churches never get any! It’s as if it’s ok to be small, but big is bad. Stay small and you’re fine. Big? Ah…people are attracted to your prosperity message, your music, your style etc.

This problem is similar to Christ’s era where the Pharisees did not like the fact so many people were drawn to Jesus. They accused Him, “How could you drink wine? How could you mix with the tax collectors and prostitutes? You don’t look holy like us?” In today’s context, it’s like saying, “How come you’re drinking beer? How come you’re dressed so trendily? How come you don’t wear shirt and tie and look holy? How come you mix with worldly people?” and so on.

The point is Jesus knew in order to win these people, you’ve got to relate to them. Paul did the same thing too. The disciples Jesus picked were not your typical goody two shoes men. He picked those who could rough it out. True enough, in less than 200 years, the world was evangelized for Christ. To win the lost, we have to be amongst them, not hiding behind a church’s 4 walls talking about ‘deep’ scholastic stuff which half the world doesn’t understand. We have to play our music the popular way. We have to preach the gospel in a way people will respond. It’s one thing to preach and hope people are listening and another to preach and get people’s attention.

Being a Christian sometimes means having to be radical. Remember, we are supposed to reach out to people, not people reach out to us because they won’t. The critics will have always have issues. But Jesus didn’t come to set traditions. He came to save people. As for the megachurches, may the Lord bless them as they continue to do His work in this nation and beyond.

Grace, Undeserved Favor

It’s my hols again so finally I get to blog. I’ll start off with something on grace. It came from a sermon I heard couple of weeks back in New Creation. It’s not possible to list down all the points so I’ll just give some key pointers. Btw, this isn’t a response to recent blogs on a similar topic.

Back to the sermon. It was about the grace of God abounding in us from Romans 5. Interestingly, the sermon began with Hebrews that if we sin willfully, there remains no sacrifice for sin. Pastor Prince explained the context of that verse was Paul telling the Jews that if they continued to reject God’s grace in giving His Son, the grace of God will not be extended to them. Many Christians tend to think that verse meant if we sinned repeatedly, we cannot receive God’s grace anymore. But the verse was talking about the Jews rejecting the Messiah.

Citing Romans 5, he also said that grace abounds even more where there is sin. This does not mean we should sin more, but that we can be assured of God’s grace in times of sin. After we have received Christ, it’s impossible not to sin. There are times when we will fall. But as sons and daughters of God, we can never lose that status. When we have servants, we replace them when they make mistakes. But we never replace our children no matter how many mistakes they make. Therefore when we sin, grace abounds more in us. Why? Because, the more we sin, the more undeserving we are of God’s grace. To interpret this wrongly would be to say let’s sin more. But the spirit of what Paul is saying is His grace is sufficient for us and He will remember our sins no more.

Pastor Prince also gave some examples. He cited David who lived under Mosaic law. David was duly punished in losing his son for committing adultery with Bathsheba. But God restored him in giving his kingdom to Bathsheba’s next son, Solomon. Abraham had quite a different story. He was justified by faith and it was accounted to him for righteousness. He denied his wife when Pharoah confronted him and worse, let her sleep with other men to protect himself. Yet God blessed Abraham greatly when Pharoah asked him to leave. David experienced God’s mercy which included judgment. Abraham experienced God’s grace.

He ended his sermon with the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew. He mentioned how certain very questionable people were in the line of Christ- Rahab being a prostitute and Ruth who had a Moabite bloodline and so on. The point of it all is that it is not about the works of man, but the grace of God.

My personal feeling of this message is some will find it unacceptable. But actually Pastor Prince is preaching what Paul preached and getting his critics the way Paul had his. Christianity is often trapped in religion- which is man’s efforts to God. The only time God’s grace is really what it is is when we don’t deserve it. Yet, it’s not about sinning freely, but about freely receiving God’s grace so that no man can glory.

Over the years, I’ve heard many sermons on character building and living a holy life. But it’s one thing to preach about character and another on how to get it. In the end, it’s only his amazing grace that transforms us. I’m beginning to understand now why God made Abraham the father of many nations despite him forsaking his wife and why He allowed Jesus to come from a lineage of prostitutes, adulterers, liars etc. The amazing thing is Jesus hung out with these people during His time on earth. When we focus on the law, we are punished. But by God’s grace, we are His sons and we are blessed! My goodness, what a message. It’s like I’m seeing something totally new and experiencing it. The goal is not to avoid sin, but to live a life by grace through faith in the Son of God.

Dating Unbelievers

This is a controversial blog. It concerns the issue of mixed marriage, dating unbelievers or whatever you call it. I’ve heard some Christians say it’s wrong to date them. I’ve even heard sermons against it. The most famous verse supporting this point is from 2 Cor 6:14-16- “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers…”

Firstly, the context of that verse is not against marrying or dating unbelievers. The Corinthians at that time were practicing idol rituals while still in the faith. Paul told them it didn’t make sense to mix idols with God.

There are other verses that seem to go against mixed marriage. In Nehemiah, the Jews were strictly told not to marry foreign women. This was necessary as Israel has always had problems with its neighbors and it would be extremely dangerous to intermarry. You’re talking about risking extinction here.

The OT also specifically warns against intermarrying because foreign ways may negatively influence the Jews. The Jews have a strict set of laws. But as Christians, we are under grace, not law. Even obeying the 10 commandments is impossible. So to apply the OT law of intermarriage to Christians is missing the point of grace. Seriously, the Jews cannot even marry Gentile Christians!

Won’t one’s faith be compromised by intermarrying? As much as I like to say yes, it really depends. One of the worst things anyone can do is to make generalizations out of a few examples and apply it to everyone else. As Christians, we are here to reconcile people to God. So anyone who marries a nonbeliever will never lead him/her to God? I’ve known friends who’ve come to Christ because of their partners. Of course, I’ve also known friends who drifted from God because of their partners. But you don’t stop driving just because you’ve had an accident. You drive because you need to. You love someone because you need to and the both of you complement each other.

The bible talks about how when one is saved, so shall the household. Paul says if a spouse is an unbeliever, he is sanctified by the believing spouse. In Jesus’ time on earth, he never said a thing about intermarrying. He did not even tell the Jews they cannot intermarry. Btw, the genealogy of Jesus even has someone of a Moabite bloodline! How’s that?

Let me tell you what Jesus spoke against. He spoke against divorce unless on grounds of adultery. Divorce tears families apart, wounds young children emotionally. Jesus says because of the hardness of your hearts, Moses allowed divorce using a certificate. But what God has joined together, let not man separate. Yet today, we hear more sermons speaking against dating unbelievers, than against divorce, a rising trend in the church btw. Divorce goes against the very heart of God, which is being committed to the very end, just as Christ was committed to the cross.

So is it right or is it wrong to date unbelievers? You are the light of the world. If you can influence someone to Christ, why not? At the end of the day, it’s the ministry of reconciliation that counts. So let’s date any unbeliever then? That’s like saying let’s sin all the time just because we have grace. Even dating believers can cause one to drift from God. The point is unbeliever or not, there are larger issues at stake here.

There are lots of beautiful people out there. Even unbelievers can have better character than believers. I think it’s quite silly to miss out on a beautiful relationship just because of religion. “But then my pastor says so!” Again, you are ultimately responsible for your own decisions. No one can decide for you how you want to live your life. I’m not saying you should disrespect your pastor. But there’s a fine line between respect and blind obedience.

There are however some situations where it may not be advisable to date an unbeliever. But this is due more to common sense rather than any biblical law. I've seen from my experiences that those who are perhaps serving in a very large capacity and that most of your time is taken up by church work, it would make more sense to date a believer, even to the point of being from your own church. An unbeliever would find it very hard to keep going to church with you and pretty soon, your lives would drift apart. But then again, if you're so busy in church, you're not likely to meet enough non-christians to date them!

Back to my main point again. From my own experience, I dated an unbeliever. I was initially reluctant but a pastor friend told me this, “If she can accept you for who you are, why can’t you accept her for who she is?” After some research as well, I realized that sometimes a Christian has to make decisions that may not go well with the masses. But God knows the heart.

She’s a beautiful person with a wonderful heart. I shared with her where I stood in my faith. I love Jesus and nothing’s going to change that. And because I love Jesus, I want to love her the way He would. Like many, she’s heard of Christians shunning intermarriage. I told her that’s not the heart of God and explained to her what the bible really meant. I proposed marriage laying no conditions for conversion. I’ve heard Christians say they will marry only when the partner converts. That’s not the best evidence of grace.

By God’s grace, after a few months, He touched her heart. One night, she gave her heart to the Lord. A brother of mine in a similar situation also saw his partner give her heart to the Lord. The well-known worship leader Lincoln Brewster would not be who he is today if his then Christian girlfriend shunned him. Because of her exposing him to the gospel, he got on his knees one night and asked Jesus into his life.

To conclude, the gospel is always about God reaching out to man. It’s not about shunning sin or so and so. The Son of Man came to seek those who were lost and like it or not, dating/marriage can be a tool to reach out to someone. A lot more variables need to be considered which like it or not, ultimately boils down to one word- commitment. If you found someone with that big C word, it’s good enough for you to proceed regardless of religion. As someone once said, ”Ignore everything a man says, but watch everything he does.” I don’t think he was referring to believers or unbelievers.

Music Audition Requirements

I was part of a church audition some time ago so I thought it’d be good to write about some of the requirements I think are necessary. These pointers may apply to other musicians though I’m writing from a drummer’s perspective. I like to add different churches may look out for different things but I think these things are at least basic requirements to make it for an audition in a worship context.

Firstly, the musician has to understand he is auditioning, not learning. He’s not there to be taught how to play something. He’s there to play what’s required and impress. The key word here is ‘impress’. And by that, I don’t mean showing off all the skill and technique he has learnt since he was born. I mean playing with the band and clicking with them.

Next, know the songs well. If you’re given some songs to play, know them as well as you can. Or at the very least, know the verse and chorus. You may not need to play exactly like the original, but the feel must be similar. Let’s be realistic. In a church, no one is looking for some hotshot drummer (no harm having one though), but at least one who can play worship songs.

I can’t stress this enough. Since 99.999% of the time, the band is going to do cover versions, it is highly important to know worship songs, past present future if any. Know your Don Moen, Hillsongs, Paul Baloche, Chris Tomlin etc. I’m not worried whether you can play Chick Corea or Frank Zappa’s music. You lose the audition if you can’t make How Great is Our God sound good. I’m not saying secular influences aren’t important. They are crucial for musical development and I highly recommend them. But fundamentally, it’s a worship role you’re trying to nail.

Rest assured, there won’t be Simon Cowells breathing down your neck. At least for myself, my expectations are pretty basic. Play like the CD- that’s it. I’ll be glad if the musician can pull off at least the verse and chorus with a good feel.

Next, you have to earn your place. Prove you are good enough. Like I said, I’m not looking for fanciful stuff. I’m looking for worship musicians period. Anything else is a bonus. If you have other musical influences, I will very much enjoy talking to you about them. But I won’t recommend you for the role if you don’t know worship stuff. I’ll tell you to sort that part out first and then audition again.

Lastly, provide some details of playing experience. If you’ve played in some mega churches before, you’re in a pretty good position. List down your high points, don’t be shy about them. The kingdom of God has no place for shyness. David wasn’t shy about fighting Goliath. If possible, provide a recording of your playing. It doesn’t have to be crystal clear but at least a simple one which I can hear you play.

As you can see, the requirements are pretty simple. Play with confidence. A drummer with confidence makes a world of difference. Not many people know but the drummer’s role is the most crucial. As Paul Baloche says, “I rather have no drummer than have a bad one.” It’s a high call to play the drums for the Lord. The Levitical leader Asaph was a drummer apparently. The drummer is the life force and anchor which the band relies on. Once he plays, everyone just follows him. I won’t say worship music is the toughest to play. But it’s a genre in itself and deep understanding beyond skill is required. If this is what you can do, you’d be well placed for the audition.