There’s something about Psalm 137 that seems to speak to the soul who has never felt at home in this world. As a people who belong to the King of “another” Kingdom we are literally strangers in a foreign land.
Here is a demo that was made at the Studio at North Park Baptist Church. Guitar and piano work is done by Woody Nelson, and bass is Dylan Heath. I hope you enjoy “Rivers of Babylon”
Words and Music by Shannon Byrd and Woody Nelson
from “The Song” by Calvin Miller
“Blessed are the musical,” he
said, “for theirs shall be a
never-ending song.”
“Blessed are those who know the
difference between their loving
and their lusting, for they shall
be pure in heart and understand
the reason.”
“Blessed are those who die for
reasons that are real, for they
themselves are real.”
“Blessed are all those who yet
can sing when all the theater
is empty and the orchestra is gone.”
“Blessed is the man who stands
before the cruelest king annd
only fears God.”
“Blessed is the mighty king who
sits beside the weakest man and
thinks of all their similarities.”
“Earthmaker is love. He has sent
his only Troubadour to close
the Canyon of the Damned.”
Then they broke his song and cried
out with one voice, “Tell us
Singer, have you any hope for us?
Can we be saved?”
“You may if you will sing Earth-
makers’s Song!”
“Is there another way to cheat
the Canyon of the Damned?”
“None but the Song!”
The practice of solitude is one of my spiritual weak points, and could be the most neglected spiritual discipline in the church today. But may well be the most needed in our fast-paced, interconnected, socially-networked culture. Jesus modeled it for us.
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35 (ESV)
Please excuse all the quotes, but others have said it more eloquently than I ever could. Much of this comes from the excellent book, “Worshiping with the Church Fathers.” In it Christopher A. Hall writes: “…the discipline of desert spirituality-in it’s best moments-was a training ground for good works as the kingdom of the evil one-this present evil age-was invaded by the kingdom of God.”
Hall goes on to quote 20th century monk Thomas Merton:
It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race….God Himself glorified in becoming a member of the human race. A member of the human race! To think that such a commonplace realization should suddenly seem like news that one holds the winning ticket in a cosmic sweepstake. I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate….My solitude, however, is not my own, for I see now how much it belongs to them-that I have a responsibility for it in their regard, not just my own. It is because I am one with them that I owe it to them to be alone.
Henri Nouwen, in his book “The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry” says this:
Often it seems that we who study or teach theology find ourselves entangled in such a complex network of discussions, debates, and arguments about God and “God-issues” that a simple conversation with God or a simple presence to God has become practically impossible. Our heightened verbal ability, which enables us to make many distinctions, has sometimes become a poor substitute for a single-minded commitment to the Word who is life…But when our words are no longer a reflection of the divine Word in and through whom the world has been created and redeemed, they lose their grounding and become as seductive and misleading as the words used to sell Geritol.
Many of you are familiar with Richard Foster’s, “Celebration of Discipline.” He writes, “Our adversary the devil majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. If he can keep us involved in muchness and manyness he will rest satisfied.”
“The arrows of the enemy cannot touch him who loves quiet. But he who moves in a crowd will be often wounded.” – Abba Nilus
So I ask you brothers and sisters, how can we minister to the crowds when we have not met with God in silence and stillness? Let us “go out” and find a “desolate place” in which to hear the voice of God.
As many churches transition to a musical style that is more popular (modern, contemporary) in nature, one of the most difficult things to teach is proper microphone technique. It is also one of the most neglected areas of instruction in many worship ministries. Some of the more common mistakes I see are -
1. Holding the mic at a proper distance. You want it close enough to get good tone and presence, without “eating it” or popping the plosives. (mind those p’s and t’s) About an inch from your mouth is usually about right.
2. I see a lot of church singers who will let the mic drop down by their pant pockets when not singing, or even wave it around. When you’re singing with a band and have the monitor wedges turned up hot, this is not a good idea. Your sound tech will not be your friend if you do this a lot. Pull the mic down around chest high and keep it tipped up when it’s not your turn to sing.
3. Singing with the mic “off-axis.” Don’t hold it to the side or at your chin. You’ll get a much better sound if you keep it straight in front of your mouth.
I’ve found that for those new at using a microphone, putting it in a stand will help. For one it keeps the feedback down, because they can’t forget and hold it in front of the monitor. Also, it allows them to focus on vocal technique without the crutch or distraction of thinking about holding on to something. Plus, if you’re using wired instead of wireless, it keeps the wear and tear on the connections at a minimum.
Here are a couple of good video tutorials on mic technique.
Microphones 101, Paul Baloche with Doug Gould
It is a common misconception of many Christians that the quality of their worship is determined by whether or not they “get a blessing.” In today’s passion for “creative worship” the quest seems to be for a “notable experience” of worship. Worship is first and foremost giving to God; any blessings one receives, or any significant experience one has is a serendipity, an “extra.” Today, when many churches seem to expect very little of those who come to services, it is still proper to ask: What has it cost you-the full congregation as well as the “appointed musicians”-to offer to God your best sacrifice of praise?
Donald P. Hustad, Jubilate II, pg. 117-118
