Thanks for the replies regarding songs that reflect our Covenant identity and values. It seems this theme is striking a “chord” in the Covenant community. It is my hope that forums like this will be one small part of helping to further develop a corporate culture where Covenant identity is increasingly being sung as part of the worship life of our local churches.

One way I think we could celebrate our Covenant identity in worship is by having indigenous songs (songs written within the Covenant church) being submitted for consideration by local church as potential “theme songs” for our larger denomination-wide events.  While there would no doubt be some sort of selection process involved, (perhaps involving the Worship Commission) it would allow at least one new “Covenant” song to come to the forefront at each major Denominational event. Participants would leave knowing the song, and possibly eager to share it in their home churches.

What do you think? What are the greatest challenges you think an idea like this would face? Would you be interested in sharing more Covenant-culture affirming music with your congregations? (Assuming the song quality is high.)

Rooting for you,

Andrew

Hi All!

Let’s keep building on the ideas of songs that reflect Covenant distinctives and character.

Thanks to Dan for the the helpful suggested additions to the list started last week.

But better yet… perhaps there’s some songwriters out there who might take this up as a challenge! It’s time to write some great songs that celebrate what God has done and who He has formed us to be.

Come on writers… I double-dog-dare you!

Rooting for you,

Andrew

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace each of us may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.†

From the Book of Common Prayer and used by Phyllis Tickle in The Divine Hours

We’ve found the naming names helps people to see why this song fits for our church. You might not like the song yourself, but if you know that God has used it to touch someone else in the congregation, and who, you get over that more quickly, rather than gripe and complain about how you’re convinced God doesn’t like the song. (It’s amazing how often God hates all the things you happen to hate isn’t it?)

We’ve had services where “In the Garden” is in the same worship set as “Jesus Freak.”  And strangely enough, it fits for us.

Rooting for you,

Andrew

Worship Connect is pleased to announce the addition of two voices on our blog. We asked Andrew Thompson and Josef Rasheed to contribute regularly, because we admire their work in the church and their passion to serve and connect with worship artists and leaders throughout the Evangelical Covenant church family.

Josef Rasheed is Sr. Pastor of CrossRoads Covenant Church in DeSoto, TX. If you attend our national events like: Connection, Midwinter Conference, Feast or Annual Meeting, you may have seen Josef playing piano and leading songs and other worship moments. Josef is married to Rochelle Rasheed. His family is a loving and joyful gang of five daughters, one son, one son-in-law, one grandson, and one God-daughter, and one God-son. He is gifted in music, the creative arts, and likes to go fishing.

Learn more about Josef Rasheed.

Andrew Thompson is the planter and lead pastor for Columbia Grove Covenant Church in East Wenatchee Washington. Andrew is native to British Columbia. He’s a songwriter, and his songs are widely sung in Covenant Churches across Canada and the U.S.. He and his wife Anita, both grew up in Nelson B.C.  They have two daughters, Lauren and Elizabeth.

Learn more about Andrew.

We also welcome you, the worship connect community, to submit comments, blog topics and blog posts. If you have something to contribute in addition to the comment threads, just send it to us at worship.connect@covchurch.org.

I would not be surprised if this song continues to be a regular in our worship vocabulary, because it touched the congregation so deeply.

This also got me thinking. This is how songs shape us. A moving song reflects God’s work in our midst, and then lives on to shape the language by which we relate to God in the future. In  the future, people in our church will relate to God with the metaphor of peace in the midst of “chaos,” in part because they related to this girl’s experience as expressed in song - and the way they experienced God in the musical retelling of the story.

This song, and the way we experienced it, will influence our theology.

If you tell me the song themes your church sings the most right now, I’ll tell you what your church’s core theology will be in the future. We become what we sing.

What do you think? Do you disagree with this idea? Why?

What songs were present in significant spiritual moments in your life? How did those ideas shape the Christian you became?

Or the big picture questions: What songs are your church singing the most right now? How will those songs shape the future core theology of the Covenant church?

And the flip side question: what core theological ideas we hold as priorities now will lose influence in the future because we do not sing about them?

Rooting for you,

Andrew

Holy Father, creator and sustaining wisdom of all that is, both in heaven and on earth, take from me those thoughts, actions and objects that are hurtful. Give me instead those things that are profitable for me and all who seek rightly to praise you. I ask this grace in the company of all believers and through the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who is, with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.†

Do you ever wonder if God chuckles at some of the silly things we say to him in our worship songs? From his perspective, I wonder if he thinks we say some weird stuff.

For example: Things we don’t really mean.

“I surrender all!” (Really? - Everything? - You have money to buy a new car, and you tithe how much?)

“Draw me close to you.” (You’re interested in having a near death experience? I think you’re actually hoping I will do the “moving” closer.)

“I’m desperate for you. “ (That’s funny… you’ve been acting pretty self-reliant all week long.)

Things that contradict themselves.

“O to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be. Let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wondering heart to thee. “ (But grace is NEITHER about being a debtor NOR being bound.)

I don’t mean to be harsh to any song, or songwriter, but I think it’s appropriate to laugh at our own weirdness. What do you think? What are some of the silly things you have heard yourself say to God in worship? Or do you disagree that we (and you) are wierd?

Rooting for you,

Andrew

By Gustav Skogens

CHICAGO, IL (May 18, 2009) – The paths to professional ministry have been different for Bruce Helgeson, Heidi Wiebe, Paul Lessard, and Rick Carlson—some have been more winding than others. But they all share one thing in common—all began with Covenant Heartsong. 

Read the rest of this Covenant News story.