LEADERSHIP
WORDS, SENTENCES, COMMAS, ETC. | Kristian Ponsford
Once a month, I sit down at my desk to write
mostly American audience.
A great time of Worship is more than just
an article for this magazine. I usually start with
an overall theme for the piece, the aim or the
choosing the most popular songs, it's actually
But are they rules or tools?
even more than thoughtfully selecting the
point I hope to make. After digging deeper into
songs. A great set is a collection of songs,
the subject, I begin to outline my thoughts and Putting aside my own preference, I started to moments, transitions and pauses that allow our
ideas, and then I write. see pitch, grammar, tone and punctuation all as congregation to focus on the character of God
tools to engage the listener or reader. and engage in an encounter with him. My theory
Sometimes I type on my keyboard and other
times I speak to my computer and watch her
of worship leading is this – worship leading is
Hopefully, you are still with me.
easy! Well, leading believers in worship should
type for me. It often amuses me to realize how I
be easy! It should be as simple as pointing their
use words differently when speaking or typing. I Maybe, the rules can be flexed as long as attention to Jesus and then leaving it there.
spend most of my working week in meetings or you understand how they are supposed to be But here's the challenge, directing people's
presenting and honestly for me, talking is easy used? attention to Him is simple, having it stay there is
whereas writing, not so much.
the where the skill kicks in.
But what does all of this have to do with
That's probably because the rules change. Worship Leading? This is, after all, the Worship We've probably all been in those services
When communicating with my voice, I need Musician Magazine and not Grammar Monthly! where a lousy transition, the shuffling of sheet
to think about pitch, speed, pacing and tone. So moments, music between songs, the drummer clicking in
When writing it's all about grammar, sentence transitions and pauses are to our leading as or the elongated awkward pause distracts us
construction and punctuation. Not to mention words, sentences, commas and punctuation and pulls our attention back into the room.
the challenge of writing in British English for a can be to our writing. 60 March 2020
here's
my
point:
Songs,
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