Having traveled a bit and visited many churches this past year, I see a pattern in the modern worship world. In fact, for the past decade I have been in that category as a worship leader. There are twitter feeds sharing set lists of the songs worship leaders choose. People in the pews or theater seats across America experience more of the same on their Sunday morning worship music menu than ever before. This one-size-fits-all thinking might be the death of true creativity. And, as a result it may flatten our ability to connect deeply to our community. 

There are guitar sites, Youtube channels, and businesses built on showing how to paint-by-numbers. This includes the tone, sound and look of the most famous worship bands out there. Even the hipster dress code, as I observe when speaking or attending at worship conferences, conforms to plaid shirts, Tom’s Shoes, and v-necks. The worst offender is the skinny jeans. Seriously, fashion sense is really not a problem and creative people lead in this. But, why so monolithic?

Today’s recipe for success is the “me-too” cover band. Churches echo sermon series and graphics from the popular houses of worship. Everything is downloadable with a click. A local artist recently said this: “Cover bands are where dreams go to die.” After dying in laughter for a few minutes, sadness overcame me when reflecting on our Sunday experiences. The idea of being an “artist” and the calling that God has given artists dies in a cut-and-paste mentality that pervades our Sunday programming. Creativity is really “copy-tivity” in this world. And, it goes beyond music, shaping the sermons preached in our pulpits, graphics on our website banners, and fog machines.

Some will balk at this perspective. They will ask, “if it works, why not use things that are efficient and popular?” “Why reinvent the wheel?” The idea is to measure the ends, not the means. “If a pastor in another town preaches better, why not use his sermon instead of your own?” This is faulty thinking. We create not because creating is our goal, but to create indigenously means the people I serve, the people I am called to reach and the city I live in matter. If we know the people as we should, we should actually be able to connect far better to them than someone else who does not know them.

We should employ good tools. Yes! And, the innovation of some churches challenges us all. Being influenced and inspired is one thing. Copying as a habit is another. We can take the best practices and become better. If we ban innovation, creativity and the skills and work this requires we may lose our voice to the very people we want to reach.

Do we lose our connection with people or increase it by Cut-and-Paste Creativity?

What an honor to be among some very talented and thoughtful bloggers who were also nominated in the category of Worship Blogger.

Here is the list:

• DavidSantistevan.com
• Ragamuffinsoul.com
• RKWeblog.com
• Worshipmatters.com
• RobRash.us
• VickyBeeching.com

Go vote there for this category as well as others such as worship band or favorite worship song. And, thanks to you my readers for continuing the conversation about faith and culture which worship surely encompasses!

RECAP: This past weekend was busy with Emilie singing at a local Temecula event and then her leading worship with me at Chorus Church in French Valley, CA. This was our first time leading at Chorus Church and after partnering with Eric Beeman on the School of Worship last month we were happy to fill in for him as worship leaders. Eric took the Sunday off, by the way, to run in Race for the Cure.

Working with volunteer musicians is always a challenge and always rewarding. The group did a great job preparing and their media guy treated me well, even buying me a Starbucks for the morning. Of ourse, we will not mention how he accidentally spilled it.(Sorry Tim, you are awesome by the way!) Well accidents happen, and when you are renting a school like Chorus Church does you have to be prepared. And, they were!

Dave Reynolds, their pastor, delivered a challenging message out of Nehemiah chapter 2. “In order to give, something’s got to give.” There is a cost, and sometimes it might mean when you follow God you can’t do your other priorities at all. We all hear messages on how we put God first, but not often on how we just put God and nothing else. You will have to download the sermon to fully get the point, I think.

On top of leading worship, Emilie shared her newly recorded song “Turning This Town Upside Down” which is off her new EP. It seemed tie in great with the message.

SET LIST: When you are itinerate as a worship leader, you rely heavily on the host church’s set list. Here is what Eric helped me come up with. Songs are listed with artist/worship leader who recorded the version we used:

• Our God – Chris Tomlin
• Your Love Never Fails – Jesus Culture.
• Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) – Chris Tomlin
• Lead Me To The Cross – Hillsong
• Turning This Town Upside Down – Emilie Kirkpatrick

LINKS:

• Chorus Church Facebook
• Emilie’s EP Release Party Link (She is being hosted by Chorus Church!)
• The Worship Community set lists

How was your worship weekend?

I am grateful to the editors at Worship Leader Magazine for choosing RKWeblog as a “Best of the Best 2011″ Blog with four other bloggers. (StephenBrewster.me, LarryTardy.com, DavidSantistevan.com and LoopCommunity.com/blog). Here is what they said about this blog:

Rich Kirkpatrick is a worship leader and a tech steward. Versed in social networking, music, and leading, this is a perfect place for Web savvy WLs to plug in. Rich’s podcast, Worship Mythbusters is worth a stop on your next walk through the Web, as well.

Check out the other bloggers. I recommend them as well! With so many leaders and worthy sites, it is humbling to be mentioned. Thanks to my readers for participating in the conversation here!

At The Forge Conference in Ocean Grove, New Jersey we recorded a LIVE version of Worship Mythbusters! The panel was made up of worship leaders and speakers from the conference. Episode 10: The Myth of the Happy Clappy.

When Joel Klampert said I had to come to the New Jersey Shore and help with The Forge Conference, I immediately knew it would be something unique. Joel is unique. I had never met a worship leader from Rhode Island like him! (Actually, he is also the only worship leader I knew from there.) And, the vision of this conference to serve the smaller local church and challenge out-of-box thinking resonated with me and the seasons I have spent in church planting. The diversity of backgrounds from liturgical, charismatic, Messianic, baptist to modern worship stretched the pallet and enriched the environment like no other conference on worship I have ever attended.

Here are some highlights from my perspective:

• I was led in worship by and jammed in the late night worship with a dulcimer player and worship leader Dan Wilt and was moved deeply by Jeremy Dunn and Dan Wilt’s liturgical-yet-modern time of worship.
• Facilitated the WorshipMythbusters.com podcast live with an amazing panel on the topic: The Myth of the Happy Clappy. It seemed this and the other open forum panel encouraged me to continue and hone what I do with my podcast and other teaching settings about worship.
• Taught a WorshipMythbusters.com session in an 1880s chapel where the song “Great is Thy Faithfulness” was first sung. The religious history of Pilgrim Way, the Victorian architecture, the helpful staff of Ocean Grove all were appreciated and made for a terrific setting.
• John Voelz’s talk about indigenous worship hit a chord with me. He and the other Key Note guys were on fire!
• My daughter and I with Joel Klampert and Shannon Lewis lead worship together in a very meaningful session where all the attendees were prayed over and sent out.
• I LOVE people from New England. Their accent and sarcasm is almost as good as some of us from the Left Coast.
• Yes, my daughter Emilie was with me and that made the travel and the conference just that much more meaningful.
• The attendees: The top highlight was how encouraged I was by meeting, chatting and praying with worship leaders as we swapped stories.

 RECAP: This past weekend was full of worship! I had the privilege of teaching a Worship Mythbusters session and leading worship at the School of Worship at Chorus Church on Saturday and Sunday was part of the Rancho Community Church Murrieta campus worship team. 

Eric Beeman of Chorus put together the School of Worship conference. We had people as far as Bakersfield attend. My daughter and I led worship with Eric, Karl and the “panel” worship team and were able to share our original music that night. Emilie did a great job, and it was rich to sit in with these talented worship leaders.

At Rancho Murrieta with Chad and the team, I had my first opportunity to join this band on the keys. I have led worship at their main campus and played keys there, so these guys are like family to me. Like always, this team is well prepared and I thoroughly enjoyed being on their team this weekend!

SET LIST: Here are the songs from the two worship sets I was a part of.

School of Worship, September 24

• Here For You
• Sweetly Broken
• You Love Never Fails
• Lead Me To The Cross
• Spirit Fall

Rancho Community Church, Murrieta, September 25

• Freedom is Here
• Desert Song
• Arms Open Wide
• You Won’t Relent
• Sing To The King

Links: Here is some info related to this post.

• The Worship Community Set Lists from all over!
• Rancho Community Church, Chorus Church
• School of Worship
• Emilie Kirkpatrick music page
• Worship Mythbusters

Music Video: “The Least I Can Do”

This is one of the songs we sang at Southwest Community Church in Indian Wells, CA where I was a guest worship leader. “The Least I Can Do” was written by worship leader Mark Roach.

Recap: I missed my Venture people this weekend to help my friend Dave Moore who currently is doing short term mission work in Uganda, Africa. This was my third time being with Southwest Community Church and each time I have loved being there. The musicians, tech and production people are top notch! Besides that, they truly are a well oiled and big hearted group, thanks to leaders like my friend Dave!

One of the treats for me personally was having my daughter Emilie help me lead worship. She is an amazing vocalist, both in a lead role as well as in a backing vocal role. Yep, I admit to being a proud dad.

Leading here has some challenges. You do not get a full run-through in the venue but a short 5-10 minute sound check and boom! We even rehearsed in a different room. So, this meant having to take a deep breath and just going for it. I think overall after watching the whole service that it went great! This does not mean perfect, however.

So, because this is LIVE folks, there are always fun things that happen. One mistake I made was not realizing that this particular service was concurrent to a video venue upstairs! I was about two minutes short which means upstairs they had to scramble or something. This prompted me to put together a fun 45-second clip of my foibles for the service. (Realize I am just making fun of me, and that the team at Southwest did a terrific job!)

Video: Worship Outtakes!

Worship Set List: Worship Pastor Dave Moore worked with me on this set for their Classic Venue.

• Majestic – Lincoln Brewster
• Because of Your Love – Paul Baloche
• The Least I Can Do – Mark Roach
• Glory to God Forever – Vicky Beeching
• How Great Thou Art – Paul Baloche
• Never Let Go – Matt Redman

Recap: This week I switched out playing both piano and acoustic guitar. Most modern worship music is assessable enough that I can do pretty well on guitar–especially if the band is spot on. The band was, thankfully. When switching it up I have found it important to do it at a break in the service. There is nothing more annoying than watching someone switch an instrument, unless he or she is very funny or you have lighting changes.

Set List: I am still in love with Joe Day’s “Death to Life” worship tune. Musically, it is just a blast to play it. But, lyrically it is crafted well and theologically deeper than most modern worship songs.

My one weaker song this week was a new one for us called “Spirit Fall” by Chris Tomlin. It is great when voiced for  a stadium, but in a smaller church I am not sure it works as well. The lyric is meaningful and message good, however. So, it fit well in the set. However, musically it does not work as well. (For the worship buffs: Also, it sounded as if Hillsong United had Tomlin fill in as a lead singer.)

Here are the songs with the artist/worship leader who sang them:

• For Your Glory – Matt Maher
• Today is The Day – Lincoln Brewster
• All We Need – Charlie Hall
• Death to Life – Joe Day
• Spirit Fall – Chris Tomlin (Passion)

 Recap: Here at Venture Christian Church summer is in full swing, which means a summer kids program called VBS (Vacation Bible School). Theses kids were featured in our service so our musical set was shorter. All in all, we had a blast this Sunday using two electrics on one of the songs. The modern worship sound often misses a lot without two electric guitars in the mix.

Set List: Here are the four songs we sang in worship today with the name of the artist we covered.

• Because of Your Love – Paul Baloche
• Awesome is the Lord Most Hight – Chris Tomlin
• How He Loves – John Mark McMillan
• Everlasting God – Lincoln Brewster