Picture: Steve Bell.

Welcome back.

You know how you sometimes read something that at first you don’t like, in fact you throw in the delete folder? Those are the articles, emails, etc. that I usually come back to, because they’re the ones that convict me the most. Application – get them out of the delete file quickly.

The article by Steve Bell, whom I had never heard of before (sounds like Michael Talbot, folk, guitar), is one of them. He speaks here almost abruptly as in chip-on-my-shoulder-with-modern-worship-leaders and songwriters (which is not the best way to do mentorship) about the lack of depth, content, meaning, beauty, Scripture, theology, etc in our current modern worship songs. Much needed. I do wish Steve wasn’t as upset about this as he says he is, but what he’s got to say has much merit. After all, he made me undelete his file back to my IN-folder and blog about it. In fact, I’m printing this one out and sharing it with our WL (Worship Leader) Forum in August.

Here’s a sample of Steve Bell’s music.

In his interview he talks about asking worship leaders “what are you reading?” The idea is that we write from what we put into our minds. He asked a class of popular modern worship songwriters this question and Steve says he got a bunch of blank stares. Ouch.

So, what am I reading? I didn’t think this was such an anomaly. But here it goes. May this list help young worship leaders to read and put into their hearts and minds things from 100 years ago, 5 years ago and today:

1. Webster’s Dictionary. I am songwriter, so words are everything. I’m currently in the IN (as in INcandescent) section.

2. Rhyming Dictionary. Again, words, words, words.

3. Psalms. Psalm 8 this week, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name…” (feel free to humm the chorus along : ) I know I am

4. 1 Timothy. I’m studying to speak at our evening services the next 2 Sundays, I speak about once a month

5. Selected Readings from the Gospels and OT. From “A Guide to Prayer for All God’s People” – This week, readings from the book of Matthew

6. Francis de Sales, John of the Cross. From Richard Foster’s “Devotional Classics”. Themes such as “Dark Night of the Soul” and “Introduction to the Devout Life.”

That’s what I’m currently doing. And of course listening of all music genres (country is a tough one). Plus like for most of you, I have a bunch more on the ‘working on’ list – “Emotional Intelligence”, “Learning to Lead”, “Divided by Faith”, “What’s So Amazing About Grace”, “Searching for God Knows What”, “Conversing with Emergent” and others.

Application: Does your worship leader have a budget for books? If not, how will he read? I’d go with 25% of their music budget for books, conferences, and leadership development.

So how does this come out in worship? I’d say in terms of actual words and verbosity upfront, only about 10% of it. Worship leaders sing, pastors preach. But if you have a speaking gift (as in, people are touched when you open your mouth), you can go up to 12-15%. That’s a lot! That’s how much I do after 12 years of WL and much affirmation. Otherwise, it comes out during rehearsals, auditions, WL training forums, emails, blogging, conversations at the Church Picnic, at home, in my marriage, loving our children, what I actually DO with my time, my posture while leading worship, my goals and values on what to do with compliments as well as failures.

“Let’s get back to your message board. You said you’d asked some songwriters what they’d been reading lately, and you got a bunch of blank stares.

Bell: Yeah. I was with a bunch of songwriters. I won’t say who, but you’d know a bunch of them. Anyway, I was just very keen to find out what they were drawing on. It wasn’t a sucker punch at all. I was just looking for good leads.

There was one fellow who’s turned out a lot of songs, and the guy just didn’t read. I think that says something when you’re supposed to be a person who is making, ostensibly, meaningful music. I want to ask, ‘What are you drawing from?’ For someone who’s supposedly doing meaningful art to not be in the discipline of reading, I don’t know . . .”

Into the future,

davidT