What’s Wrong With Getting Lost In Worship?
My three teenage children went to a youth camp recently. In addition to all the crazy fun they had, the athletic competition, the challenging sessions, small group discussions, games, and deciding whether to ride on the quiet or loud bus, they had times of worship.
Two kinds, to be exact.
Regular worship and Extended worship. Clever, I know.
They were particularly excited about the Extended one. But it turned out to feel more like 12 songs crammed into 36 minutes than an extended time of deep worship.
I’m not faulting the teens as they led. They are only doing what they know. Play the chord chart. Stop. Turn the page. Start the next chord chart. No flow.
I’ve also been in times of worship where I felt like I was watching the leader enjoy their time with the LORD in their prayer closet. Like it was too intimate for me to be seeing. And we were left behind.
I’ve been thinking about the bad rap “getting lost in worship” gets because of this. Don’t we want moments where we lose track of everything except the One we worship? Can getting lost in worship be a good thing?
But when a worship leader fails to lead us, we feel awkward, disoriented, bored, and left out.
Or when a worship leader fails to worship deeply or lead us beyond the chart, we can miss transcendent moments, transformational encounters with God, and tender intimacy with a loving Father.
Before I get into the best kind of worship wanderlust, I’m NOT saying you can’t meet with God in powerful ways by using rehearsed arrangements of songs, stock versions, or radio edits. God is way bigger than to be limited by…limits.
But there’s more! Many of us seem stuck wading in water that’s only ankle-deep. (Ezekiel 47)
One of the powerful ways God meets us and takes us deeper in Him is through worship. Specifically through gathered worship where we can linger in song, where we’re invited to create new songs together, where moments of surprise and spontaneity appear, where our mind-guards come down and allow Truth to speak to our spirits.
Whoa, Dave, that got a little uncomfortable for me. :) Tranquillo. Here are four ways to try dipping your toe into worship wanderlust. (And ps. One of the roots of the word wanderlust, which means a strong desire to travel and explore, is the idea of a journeyman, a trained worker. So we can approach this with the curiosity of someone learning the art of photography or carpentry.)
The Selah
I do this often. I sing a line of a song, and it stops me in my tracks. It’s meant to, right? Like in the song “His Mercy Is More.” The third verse includes, “We stood ’neath a debt we could never afford,” and I just paused, sighed, thanked God for His mercy, and then kept going. See, I’ve known debt. I’ve known financial limits and the inability to do something because I couldn’t afford it. And my mind went to the greatness of all my sin and the even greater-ness of His mercy to rescue me, and I had to pause.
Lead your congregation in holy pauses, in selahs. You can make it an obvious, musical thing, or simply a little lift and brief pause as you literally breathe. But draw us into the meaning of the words we are singing. This may be extra true when leading hymns because they have so many words and pictures that can be missed if you just keep going. Instead, selah.
The Fresh Ink
Long ago, I was the kind of person who frequented the purchasing, writing, and sending of greeting cards. There was a line of cards that Hallmark put out called “Fresh Ink.” Did you ever buy them? They were usually square. Just a little unconventional. (And in doing my research, I was… unsettled to discover that they were “aimed at WOMEN between the ages of 18 and 39.” My manliness remains intact. However, I’ve spent over an hour searching the web for information on them and when/why they were discontinued. I chatted, called, and emailed with Hallmark. Nothing. You can find a few on eBay like this one. But it’s old news. Nobody knows what happened.* And it’s crazy how much emotion is stirred in me by remembering these cards. But, back to the Fertilizer.)
I’ve never just signed my name and mailed the card. I always filled most of the white space with a long, personal note. Please don’t just sing the song. Add some of your own words to the LORD in your singing. That “new song” is the heart of Tehillah.
The Scripture
Keep the music going in the background. It keeps our attention. Slowly and deliberately, read portions of scripture with conviction.
The Soak
I saved this for last because it’s the one that comes in time. To linger musically requires the skill to improvise together. That’s a communication skill and a technical, musical skill. You can start by simply repeating the chord progression from the chorus you were just singing and branch out from there. Or you can play back and forth between the four and the one chords, which would be F and C in the key of C.
But what is your heart and mind doing during this time? It’s inviting the LORD to speak to you and through you. It’s giving you time to pray. You may meditate on a word or phrase you just sang. You may shift your mind into neutral and ask the LORD to direct you. A spontaneous song may come out of your mouth. Short, followable phrases are a good way to invite the congregation to join you in this time of soaking.
I’ll leave you with this thought. No one likes an Uber driver who doesn’t know where he is going. That’s the bad kind of getting lost. But when was the last time you left the house and just went for a drive? Let adventure fill your sails and lead your congregation to new places.
-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)
*ps. Here’s the rest of the story. I heard back from Ron Worley, a supervisor at the Hallmark Visitors Center. He filled me in gloriously! (THANKS, Ron!!)
Hallmark introduced Fresh Ink, a line of 480 alternative cards, on April 3, 2000.
Hallmark Fresh Ink cards were initially developed to meet the needs of women in the 18 to 39-year-old age group. The goal was to provide smart, witty, and unexpected greeting cards that were relevant to their lifestyle, written in the kind of language they use every day with their friends. Hallmark research - focus group results and feedback - from early test markets told the company that consumers were delighted to have a new option for communicating with friends that expressed their own sense of personal style.
In the summer of 1999, Marn Jensen, creative director of editorial, and Julie McFarland, creative director of design, drafted a team of approximately 20 artists and writers - and from that team, the Fresh Ink line was born. The main source of inspiration was found within the team, rather than any outside source. An open and trusting environment allowed team members to feed off each other's ideas, experiment with new ideas, and take chances - without feeling like they had to edit themselves quickly if an idea didn't work the way it was initially conceived.
Four simple words - original, hip, intelligent, and complexing - served as the foundation of the creative plan for the Fresh Ink cards.
The initial line, which was available in stores nationwide by the end of June 2000, featured 210 birthday cards, 170 friendship, love, and just-for-fun cards, and 100 occasion cards (new baby, engagement, wedding, get well, etc.).
The cards recognized everyday situations such as growing your bangs out, dumping a boyfriend, enjoying a good cup of coffee, or even getting annoyed with our in-laws. Most of the cards were hilarious, while some were straightforward. Fresh Ink’s approach was irreverent, urbane, honest, and quirky. The cards "talk" the way girlfriends talk, about the things they talk about. They were relevant to the lives of women today.
Sample sentiments include:
I opened the box, and inside was this tiny, delicate porcelain figurine that looked like me as a child....(Inside) I hate getting crap like that. Have a crap-free birthday.
Coffee shop. Corner booth. Lots of time. You and me. (Inside) Happy Birthday.
Let's talk and talk and talk until there's no air left in the room.
Condolences... (Inside) On the death of your car.
Remember how everyone was always asking, "So, when are you getting married?" Well, no one will bug you about that ever again. (Inside) So, when are you having a baby?
Be as strong as I know you can be. (Inside) Be weak when you need to be. I am here if you need me.
I wanted to get you something for your apartment, like a glove-soft Corinthian leather couch in taupe with sandalwood accents. (Inside) But how often does anyone put one out on the curb?
Hi. It's just me. (Inside) The person who loves you more the anyone else in the universe. Happy Birthday.
Beginning Christmas 2000, the line included seasonal cards (Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, etc.) in addition to a wide variety of everyday cards.
Their distinct look - most are square, some are round - was new and different for Hallmark. They could also be paired with a variety of envelopes in fun colors, designs, and shapes.
The cards were priced at $1.95 - $2.95.
A national television and print-ad campaign introduced the new card line with the tagline, “Say something real. Fresh Ink.”
Print ads appeared in People, In Style, Marie Claire, and Vogue. September issues included approximately 18 million coupons redeemable for a free Hallmark Fresh Ink card.
Fresh Ink was revised in 2001/2002 and 2004 to better meet consumer's needs, remain relevant, and provide something for everyone.
Unfortunately, I don't have an end date for the line, believe that the line likely evolved and/or been rebranded over the years. Likely evolved to be part of the Good Mail card line.
What’s Wrong With Getting Lost In Worship? (Nº 387)
