Worship Musician March 2018 | Page 34

WORSHIP SONGWRITER
[ MAKING WORSHIP SONGS WORSHIP | John Chisum ]
One of the most difficult challenges worship when heartfelt worship goes exponential with makes a huge difference in what the worshiper
songwriters face is to make their songs “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty/Who feels when she’s singing it. When you sing, “We
actually worship. I see it every day as I review was and is and is to come” (Revelation Song © want to worship You” it actually postpones the
and critique worship songs for our clients. Copyright 2004 by Gateway Create Publishing. All Rights very act of worshiping and only states a desire,
Seems it’s much easier to keep talking about Reserved). leaving you only anticipating worship, at best.
worshiping in the chorus than to lead people to When you sing, “We worship You” you actually
actually worship in and with the song. enter the act of worship and it all becomes real,
It may seem like a subtle distinction, but the
effect of talking about worship versus actually
worshiping with the song is quite dramatic. It’s
kind of like talking about someone you love
but not speaking directly to them, even though
they’re standing right there with you.
Here are a few suggestions for making your
worship songs the kind that people will actually
use in worship.
It’s kind of like personal, intimate, and authentic, not only for
talking about you.
someone you MAINTAIN THE SONG’S PERSPECTIVE.
love but not Again, stating the obvious, it’s very important
speaking directly throughout your song. If you start out in the first
that you maintain the same perspective
to them, even
KEEP A VERTICAL FOCUS.
though they’re
It may seem obvious, but a worship song that
worships has a vertical focus that addresses
God directly, i.e. “I worship You,” rather than
“We worship God.” There is a time for making
standing right
there with you.
shift over to the inclusive plural “we” halfway
through the song or you’ll confuse the listener
or potential worshiper.
Even if your listeners don’t catch the difference
consciously as they try to sing it with you,
they’ll still be stumbling over your inconsistency
unconsciously. It’d be like suddenly shifting
a friend from him or her to someone else. It’s
In Christ Alone (Townend/Getty), with which
kind of rude, even if it is unintentional. So why
MAKE WORSHIP PRESENT TENSE.
not keep the perspective where you start it?
our identity in Christ. Yes, we’re “worshiping”
by declaring these truths, but we’re not Another common mistake is making worship
addressing God directly. We’re encouraging futuristic instead of present tense.
CONCLUSION
As you write your next worship songs, make
our own hearts and others as we sing these
amazing words.
person “I” stay with it throughout the lyric. Don’t
your focus in the middle of a conversation with
broad theological statements like in the great
we stand and proclaim the mighty truths of
you, but for all who are there to worship with
Consider this potential worship chorus: sure they actually worship and not just talk
We want to worship You, O Lord about worshiping. The first line of a song
In grace and truth, O Lord sets the overall tone and perspective for the
Revelation Song is somewhat horizontal in the We want to give You the highest praise rest of it. If you begin by addressing God
verses, but explodes into “throne room vertical We want to worship You, O Lord (vertical), keep the focus there. If you begin
Interestingly,
Jennie
Lee
Riddle’s
classic
addressing the listener (horizontal), don’t stray
worship” in the chorus. “Worthy is the Lamb
who was slain/Holy, holy is He” is more of a Versus this slightly altered version: from that perspective. Maintaining consistent
statement when coupled with the exhortation We worship You, O Lord perspective keeps your listeners and potential
of the second couplet, “Sing a new song to In grace and truth, O Lord worshipers focused where you want them
Him who sits on/Heaven’s mercy seat” and We give You the highest praise without unconsciously confusing them.
is therefore more horizontally focused than We worship You, O Lord
vertical. Of course, we don’t care much about
that once we hit the vertically focused chorus
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This may seem like only a slight change, but it
March 2018
John Chisum
Managing Partner of Nashville Christian Songwriters,
a coaching and resource company for Christian
songwriters at...
www.NashvilleChristianSongwriters.com
WorshipMusician.com