WorshipCentral

God-centred albums

The last few years have been incredibly exciting. There has been an explosion of creativity in worship music. It has been a time of favour and blessing. However in the midst of it all, I have sometimes felt a bit uncomfortable. As worship leaders, are we getting too preoccupied with the sounds and songs we are creating? Is there a danger that we look first and foremost at gifting and talents and forget the key thing - the heart? John Wimber once said, “The difficulty will not be so much in the writing of new and great music; the test will be in the godliness of those who deliver it.” These words constantly ring round in my head. Am I focusing first on a career, a song, an album, or is my priority going deeper into the heart of God?

Let’s be honest. Worship music sells. Everyone seems to be recording worship albums now. There are a few songs that have been recorded over and over again. It would be easy to become very cynical and judgemental about the heart behind it all. The key though is to search your own heart - to personally pursue holiness. This journey and these questions are constantly with me. One of my big fears in life is that I get caught up in a machine - churning out songs and albums, focusing mainly on a market. It could be so easy. So, how can we keep the process of making a worship album pure and God focused? I don’t claim to possess the answers, but here are a few thoughts.

1.    Shape of my heart

Jesus, when challenging the Pharisees in Matthew’s gospel, says, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matt 12:34) If we want to live lives that are pure and pleasing to God, if we want to write songs and create music that will glorify God’s name, we have to first look at the shape of our hearts. If our motives are for personal gain, then we can say all the right things, but actually all that we do, is fake. It’s like a clanging cymbal - hollow and meaningless. If our goal is personal wealth, we can write songs that thousands of churches may sing, but before God they are a detestable sound. Check out Amos. Here we see what God thinks of our songs, if they are not sung from a place of integrity. “Away with noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps [or guitars!!]. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream!” (Amos 5:23-24) If we don’t live the life, if we don’t share God’s heart, then the music is pointless. Before we chase after great songs, melodies and recordings, we must chase after God. Only when we put God first, will genuine, authentic worship follow.

Worship is our highest calling. There is nothing of more importance that we can do in this life. Worship is to God, for God and about God. It affects everything that we do.
 We all need to keep a check on the state of our hearts. What are our motives? Who are we living for? How do we handle criticism? Is pride an issue? Am I feeding off the attention of public affirmation in an unhealthy way? Tough questions, but important ones.

2.    Songs of Devotion

Worship leader Andy Park once said, “Songs of devotion spring from a life of devotion.” I love that. Songs that paint a big picture of who God is, songs that tell of the wonders of God, can only come out of a life devotion. Songs that have life and meaning, songs that last the test of time, will always be birthed out of revelation. When we catch a glimpse of God, our response will be worship. We won’t be able to help ourselves. A hugely important part of a great album is the songs.

After the album, ‘Here I am to worship,’ there was pressure to follow it up quickly. In a business world that makes most sense. However I knew that I couldn’t just write songs for an album. I knew for me it would be wrong to sit down and force out songs because of a deadline. My passion is to write songs that will glorify God and in some way bless the Church. I decided to take my time and write songs for the Church first. When I felt that I had enough, I’d then start to think about recording an album. God-centred, God-focused songs will come out of God encounters. You can’t rush this. “Worship of the true and living God is essentially an engagement with him on the terms that he proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible,” David Peterson. The bible is full of mans response to God’s revelation. The Psalms are filled with songs and lyrics that reveal a deep understanding of all that God is. For example Psalm 51 is a beautiful song about God’s mercy. Did David write this because there was a lack of songs on forgiveness? No - this Psalm came from the very depths of his inner being. David had messed up big time. He’d had an affair with Bathsheba and got her pregnant, and then orchestrated the murder of her husband Uriah. David thought he’d got away with it only to be confronted by the prophet Nathan. What was David’s response? He repented before God and encountered mercy. That’s why Psalm 51 was written. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” These songs don’t come easily. They can’t be conjured up. These are birthed out of a journey with God.  To create a worship album that doesn’t sell God short involves writing songs that come out of a deep relationship with God. This can never be manufactured.

3.    Capturing Worship

Have you seen the film ‘Chariots of Fire?’ It’s about the story of two British athletes competing in the 1924 Olympics. In one scene the athlete Eric Liddell talks about his passion for running and for God (He was a devout Christian). He says, “God made me to run and he made me to run fast, and when I run I feel His pleasure.” One amazing gift God has given us is music. Some people He has gifted in amazing ways to make incredible sounds and to pen emotive and powerful songs.

I love the process of recording an album. The creativity and buzz of musicians gathering together is fantastic. Often when I make music I sense Gods pleasure. That inspires me to give my best to Him. For the albums I’ve been involved in, at the start of most days, the musicians and producer would gather around and offer up the time to God. We’d cry out for His inspiration and guidance and offer all that we do as an act of worship. Doing this at the start of the day, can help keep a focus on the bigger picture. It doesn’t mean that the day is one intense spiritual experience, but it reveals our intentions before God. At times studio work involves concentration and discipline to nail down a track, but also I’ve found at times it’s great to be open to God. I remember one time in the studio recording a song. We had the arrangement mapped out, but at the end we kept on playing spontaneously. It was wonderful time adoring God. In the end that section didn’t make the album, but it was a great moment with God.

When I record vocals I really try and be free to worship. Again you have to think through things such as pitch, tone and the lyrics - but I think the most exciting vocals are those that are passionate. You feel that you’re listening in on something special. I love those times in a room on my own, singing my heart out to God. I’d always hope that any album I’m involved in would try and capture that.

For me a wonderful worship album will contain great songs that are God-focused and reveal something fresh on the character of God. It will also capture a sense of passion and authentic worship. It will look more to God, than the artist or band involved. We can’t judge the motives behind different people recording worship albums. We can’t be the ‘thought police.’ Rather does an album paint a big picture of who God is? Does it make you want to sing your heart out to God or fall to knees and worship? If it does, then that sounds like a great album that doesn’t sell God short.

Tim Hughes