One thing thats been flitting around my thoughts recently is how easy it is to over complicate so many things on our sunday mornings... for a start we have to cope with PA, musicians, people wanting to talk about various things completely unconnected with what we are doing, such as which song we want the kids work to go out after! so why not just make our songs of worship simple?
look at some of the 'greatest' worship songs of all time.. 'Happy Day', 'In Christ Alone', 'Jesus, Lover of my Soul', 'Amazing Grace'
they are just easy songs, people can pick them up quickly, they are singable, catchy and they achieve all this whilst been written to glorify Jesus. Is this not what we should be aiming for? As songwriters it is our prerogative to write these songs, i'm not saying we aren't achieving this, but with all the songs that are being written it becomes harder to come up with something fresh, something exciting, something which draws people to a new level of intimacy with christ.
so what happens when the words run out? what do we do? how can i write without fresh words?
well, for me songwriting comes out of a place of personal revelation, i believe it to be a particular gift, such as leadership, prophecy or tongues, a gift which is freely available. When you run out of words seek God, songs of worship will naturally flow out of relationship... want to keep it fresh? indulge yourself in his word and delight in his presence, its there your ideas come from :)
Richard
