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THE JESUS REVOLUTION AT 50
A
n unexpected—but not unprepared for— outpouring spiritual awakening among young people fifty years ago paved the way for new
forms of worship, outreach, and leadership that transformed American Christianity.
Fifty years ago, on June 21, 1971, Time Magazine drew the nation’s attention to a rapidly developing phenomenon in American Christianity it called “the Jesus Revolution.” In contrast to the largely traditional religion embraced by the post-World War II generation, the new religious expression of young baby boomers (born 1946-1964) was characterized by a profound personal and emotional experience of God’s mercy and grace coupled with a genuine desire to live
The music of the Jesus revolution connected with the counterculture of the times.
a life of radical discipleship, featuring a passionate personal and corporate worship, Bible study, fellowship, and evangelism.
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The desire for authentic Christian faith was often
his genial personality and hospitality, and a simple
dismissed as youthful enthusiasm. While the “Jesus
message of the life-changing power of God’s love
people'' would often be critical, even judgmental, of
and forgiveness, ”simply teaching the Word, simply.”
their parents’ religion. It seemed cold and conformist,
Smith had befriended a dynamic new believer named
lacking the saltiness and commitment of early Chris-
Lonnie Frisbee, who invited his fellow hippies to the
tianity. There was a fair amount of youthful rebellion
church, in particular, to the midweek Bible studies
encouraged by popular culture promoting (some
which featured music from newly converted artists,
might say creating) a “generation gap” through
like Love Song. Calvary Chapel hit the national head-
music, movies, TV, and advertising that contrasted
lines in January 1972 when Pastor Chuck baptized
youthful “cool” with the “square” middle-aged, middle
some 700 people, many of them hippies, in the surf
class America.
at Corona del Mar. Around that time, Calvary Chapel
THE FAMILY AT WORSHIP.
began taking the message on the road, hosting festi-
Preparing the Way
The Jesus revolution did not appear out of thin air, there was plenty going on in the post-WWII era that prepared its way. Youth ministries became popular in the late 1940’s, led by innovative youth pastors at larger churches and parachurch high school and
vals up and down the west coast featuring new “Jesus music.” The festivals spun off local Bible study groups that soon formed into Calvary Chapel congregations. Within 20 years, Calvary Chapel had grown to a network of over 1000 churches with more than 25,000 members; at that time, 10 of the 25 largest congregations in the US were Calvary Chapels.
college ministries, including Campus Crusade for
Calvary Chapel was not the only location of the Jesus
Christ, Youth for Christ, Young Life, InterVarsity
revolution. Starting in the late 1960’s, Christian coffee-
Christian Fellowship, and Navigators. These minis-
houses sprang up in college towns across the country
tries looked to new media, especially movies, and
like mushrooms after a rainstorm. In the early 1970’s
to popular music to connect with teens and young
Campus Crusade for Christ held stadium-sized events
adults. Don Hustad, a musician who worked with Billy
for tens of thousands of young people. Mainline Prot-
Graham in those years, wrote that “Youth for Christ
estant churches—and even Roman Catholic parishes—
activity was the first twentieth-century emphasis
were experiencing the charismatic renewal. Young
on special worship/evangelism styles for a specific
people were coming to Christ, and the Church in
age group.” Youth musicals began to appear in the
America would never be the same.
mid-1960s, designed for youth choirs and accompanied by piano, guitars and (gasp!) drums. Youth musicals like Good News (1967) and Tell It Like It Is (1969) were widely adopted and had a significant impact on young Christians in the 1960s in at least
Changed Lives— Transformed Churches
two ways: they validated the popular musical styles
The Jesus Revolution changed the lives of thousands,
kids heard on the radio, and they encouraged kids to
if not millions, of young people in America and around
use their instruments and their music for worship and
the world. And it transformed churches as well.
outreach. They were the seeds that would blossom into the Jesus revolution.
The worship awakening that began in the early 1970’s has been well documented. Chuck Fromm used to
The California drug culture was in full swing in the late
say that the most significant innovations in worship
1960’s-early 70’s, and the beaches from Los Angeles
in the 20th century were the guitar and the overhead
to Orange County were a favorite hangout for hippies
projector—a stark contrast to the formal worship of
from all over. While traditional churches often shunned
traditional churches, which relied on the organ and the
them, Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel in Costa
hymnal. The music of the Jesus revolution connected
Mesa welcomed the hippies and won them over with
with the counterculture of the times, but it pointed to
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a new kind of worship music, simpler and more direct. Early Jesus music was often Bible verses or short passages of scripture with a rock, folk, pop, or country arrangement. Songs like
A generation of youth estranged from God yet searching desperately for meaning and purpose in their lives.
“Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down,” “Seek Ye First,” “Psalm 8,” and others were just the beginning of a songwriting wave that continues to the present. There was more. Besides worship, the Jesus Revolution brought a renewed emphasis on small groups for study and prayer, new ways of doing outreach and evangelism, fresh commitment to social ministry, new styles of ministry leadership, and a wave of church planting. Young men (and women, for the first time in significant numbers) answered the call to pastoral ministry. Seminary enrollments surged in the 1970s80s across the country and before long, churches found themselves led by the former hippies they had previously shunned.
Then and Now What lessons does the Jesus Revolution hold for us today? Consider the similarities between then and now. One that leaps out is a generation of youth estranged from God yet searching desperately for meaning and purpose in their lives. Pew Research reports that among Millennials, those reporting no religious affiliation is approaching 30%, well above the national average for Nones. Now, as then, powerful cultural forces are trying to push young people away from God. Replace sex, drugs, and rock & roll with digital technology, entertainment culture, social media, and you have the same sort of cultural factors that promise everything but deliver nothing, leaving young people feeling empty, lonely, and in despair. The growing number of teen and young adult suicides and other “deaths of despair,” especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, should be a wake-up call for pastors and other ministry leaders in much the same way the widespread drug abuse that damaged young people led Pastor Chuck Smith and others to open the doors of their churches and ministries to them.
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Greg Laurie, who was saved during the heyday of
While many are tempted to write off Millennials in
the Jesus Revolution, observes, “looking back on
much the same way the young Baby Boomers were
the late 1960s and early 1970s, I see a lot of parallels
often dismissed by their elders, young people today
between then and now. It was a divided nation back
hunger for more, they are weary of the culture’s
then. Things were very dark. But when things are very
endless vacuous loop of “just be yourself.” Teens
dark, God’s light can shine brightly. I think we’re due
and young adults may not affiliate with a specific reli-
for another Jesus Revolution.”
gious group, yet they are more open to conversations about God and Jesus than many realize. The search will only become more desperate.
...build stronger connections between congregations and their neighborhoods through service and witness.
As with the Jesus Revolution of fifty years ago, God has been preparing the ground for the next Jesus Revolution. Some hopeful signs include a renewed interest in deeper biblical and theological foundations for ministry and a rejection of simple pragmatism, renewed interest in the ancient practices of worship and discipleship, and a desire to build stronger connections between congregations and their neighborhoods through service and witness. When will it happen? What will it look like? That’s not really for us to know. But we can expect the results to be no less life-changing than the original Jesus Revolution and no less transforming of our churches.
R O B B
R E D M A N
Robb is the Director of the Worship Leader Institute and serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader Magazine. He is also Professor and Director of Ministry Programs at South College of Tennessee. He lives near Savannah, GA with his wife Pam, and daughter Martha.
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songs of
REVIVAL
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G A R R A R D
We were hungry for God, naive in our expectations and skills, and reliant on the Holy Spirit.
What is Revival? How do we know if we're in one? Can we be in one and not know it?
T
hese are all questions that came to my mind. I don't profess to be an expert, but I have experienced times when "Revival" or a
"move of the Spirit" is the only way to describe what was happening. I can see or understand this looking back. I'm not sure I understood this at the time.
Can we think we're in one, but actually, we're not?
In my time with Delirious? There was a time when it
Is revival a Sovereign move of God, or do humans play a part?
full of people connected that moment in an experi-
felt like we were riding a rocket ship. It felt like whatever words we put to music and then sang in a room ence of heaven touching earth. There's no other way to describe it. We were hungry for God, naive in our expectations and skills, and reliant on the Holy Spirit. We saw breakouts of healing and people becoming free from the things that bound them up. We saw an extraordinary unity among church denominations in the UK and a willingness to collaborate as one big community.
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We saw an extraordinary unity among church denominations in the UK and a willingness to collaborate as one big community. It wasn't just us, but movements like Soul Survivor
The Charismatic House Church movement of the
and our friends Matt Redman and Tim Hughes were
'70s and '80s in the UK, spearheaded by people like
also beginning their journey.
Gerald Coates and Clive Urquart, was key in forming a Holy discontent and a hunger to not settle for the
We were experiencing a great hunger for God wherever we went. Over 25 years ago, we traveled to the Airport Fellowship in Toronto and experienced firsthand the "Revival" happening there. All these years later, I've reconnected with that movement of churches now called "Catch The Fire," and I'm mentoring and being a big brother to their worship team in Raleigh, North Carolina. We're still hungry to encounter God's transforming presence. Looking back, I see that we were the beneficiaries of decades from the prayers of faithful saints who weren't ready to settle for "normal."
way things were. Songwriters and worship leaders like Noel Richards, Graham Kendrick, Chris Bowater, and David Fellingham paved the way for Delirious to exist. We also cannot ignore the influence of the Vineyard movement. For us in particular, the impact of Kevin Prosch, whose prophetic gift, songwriting, and musical skill radically changed the way we in Delirious? looked at spiritual music. Of course, worship isn't only about music. It's the whole of life, and the fruit of that time is that now we are seeing hundreds if not thousands of people inspired by that time making history and being world changers. Bringing it up to now, I want to say that I'm a fan of all the incredible church movements and worship teams that are out there leading the world in worship right now. However, I sense discontent and longing with our current worship-leading experience from pretty
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much everyone I talk to. We are hungry for more, for
I hope that this Holy Discontent inspires a fresh wave
things to be fresh again. We find ourselves in a "genre"
of prophetic imagination in the next generation of
and fall into tried and tested formulas because we
worship leaders and musicians.
know what sells.
We might not see it ourselves, but our task is to obey
Jeremy Riddle's book "The Reset" is inspiring in this
that desire and longing. Can we become the faithful
regard, and the Redman and Riddle podcast is worth
saints whose prayers make a highway for others to
listening to. Please go check it out.
travel on and experience revival in the years to come?
I think this is a "Holy Discontent." We are onto some-
I'm not giving up on this pursuit myself. My guitar and
thing here. We sing and long for "Spirit breakout,"
I will continue to put prayers to music for as long as
and this is a great longing.
I have breath. But I want others to go further than I ever imagined for myself. May it be so.
S T U G A R R A R D Stu G is a guitarist, songwriter, producer and soon-to-be author. Stu is best known as the guitarist for the British band Delirious?, who, for nearly two decades, penned many of the best known worship songs in modern Christendom. He was also a member of the distinguished CompassionArt songwriters collective, which also boasted heavyhitters Paul Baloche, Darlene Zschech, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Israel Houghton.
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J O I N
N OW
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R E V I VA L S
T I M E
1 6
TA L K S
2 0
AC R O S S
R E V I VA L
LEADERSHIP.
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LEADERSHIP
REVIVALS ACROSS
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N I C H O L E
C R I S S
E
very few years or so, there seems to be turnover in buzzwords, slang, and catchphrases laced with nuances of pop culture. Of course, it’s the cool kids who immediately know the appro-
priate way to incorporate the updated vocab into their conversations, memes, and DMs, while everyone else secretly googles the meaning of the current trending Twitter hashtag to be in the know. Not so long ago, the concept of servant leadership—a term used by Robert Greenleaf in his book Servant Leadership: A Journey Into the Nature of Legitimate Power & Greatness—became the topic of the cool kids in christian leadership. While Greenleaf’s book wasn’t written for christian ministry, but rather corporate America, his methods and technique for leadership through service were latched onto by churches and leadership teams. Ironically, given that the subtitle promised personal power and greatness, Greenleaf’s concept of servant leadership replaced a biblical theology of service and, therefore, became the epitome of Christian leadership. Greenleaf briefly used Jesus as a case study on servant leadership, but the premise of his characterization of Jesus was not rooted in the biblical truth that Jesus was God, but rather simply based on Jesus’ acts of service to his disciples as it pertained to the procurement of power and greatness. Let’s be honest: Jesus’ parables probably wouldn’t have gone viral on Twitter—the nuance wouldn’t have been
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quite right for the Pharisees. On the other hand, that little scene of him
Formulas teach transactional faith: We do this, and God will do that.
turning over the tables in the temple would have given TikTok some new original audio. Despite Greenleaf’s apparent lack of biblical theology of Jesus; his presumption that Jesus was, in fact, a servant leader was true. Jesus was a servant. Jesus was a leader. The dichotomy of servant leadership lies in the purpose of servant leadership itself: what is the objective of service and what should the outcome be of leadership? The truth is that Jesus didn’t exchange his sovereign, heavenly throne to be an example of servant leadership. In fact, as was prophesied in Isaiah 53, Jesus did not come to Earth in order to possess power or gain greatness based on his acts of servitude toward his closest friends; Jesus came to Earth in order to redeem the broken relationship between humanity and God. Jesus’ continual example of service to his disciples was a demonstration of humility, friendship, and, ultimately, love— not an illustration on how to slyly procure power and grasp greatness. Following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven, the disciples led the early church and the first Christians in the first revival the world had ever known. They followed in Jesus’ footsteps and led others to the good news of the gospel not to gain power, recognition, or notoriety, but simply to share the message of salvation from sin. The disciples preached a gospel of hope and love, redemption and purpose—yes, a gospel of revival that brought restoration to the relationship between God and man. Jesus had illustrated true leadership to his disciples by washing their feet in John 13, and further called his disciples to manifest that same leadership to others in John 15:12-17. As a reflection of the love they possessed in abiding in Christ, the disciples were able to further the gospel of Christ all throughout the book of Acts as they preached to Jews and Gentiles alike. The disciples’ acceptance of the call of Christ to serve others in leadership that was representative of Jesus’ own act of loving service perpetuated the spread of the gospel across the ancient Roman Empire, and ultimately into the centuries that followed.
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History is full of Christian leaders who served in such a way that led others to wide-spread revival during their lifetimes. George Whitefield, an itinerant preacher and evangelist of the eighteenth century from Great Britain, preached to thousands of people simultaneously— without the aid of technology or even the most basic AV systems. He eventually traveled to North America and preached a series of revivals that became part of the Great Awakening. D.L. Moody, a nineteencentury preacher, is said to have had charisma that would have taken him far if he had chosen a career outside of religious service. Moody, who was an advocate for social work, had an encounter with God in New York City that prompted him to preach the gospel in order to change the world. C.S. Lewis, possibly one of the most renowned Christian authors of all time, continues to influence those who learn from his wise writings, thereby advancing the gospel through revival.
The advancement of revival through the past two-thousand years was a result of leadership and teams working together in accordance with Jesus’ precedent of servant leadership. Jesus and his disciples are representative of the first leadership team: Jesus, as the leader, represented the Father to the disciples (John 14:9); as his team, represented Jesus to those around them. Through representing Jesus, the disciples were representing the gospel and perpetuating revival that would enable all people—regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status —to become the people of God, as the apostle Paul declared in Galatians 3. As the church of the twenty-first century, we are called to the same protocols of discipleship that Jesus had commanded to his original twelve disciples—that is, to serve others in love and friendship for the purpose of sharing the gospel to those who do not believe in the message of salvation of Christ. The objective of service done by
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the people of God should always be established in the love of God
As the people of God, we have authority that comes with abiding in Christ, which transcends any type of earthly power.
according to John 15:12-17, and the outcome of leading teams within our churches should always be for the sake of spreading the gospel of Christ according to Matthew 28:19. Were Whitefield, Moody, and Lewis perfect examples of servant leadership? Certainly not, but neither were the disciples—I seem to remember a story of a certain Simon Peter who, at one point, even denied that he knew Jesus. We’re humans, incapable of perfection; yet this is where God’s grace becomes so poignant in our own lives, and we should strive to lead our worship teams and those around us to the gospel in order for them to experience the goodness of God’s grace. Perhaps we should consider replacing a pursuit of social media influence and community notoriety with a pursuit of discipleship that promotes revival by virtue of living out the gospel of Christ. Perhaps we should be cognizant in our use of current buzzwords, slang, and catchphrases to be sure that we are living a life that is representative of true servant leadership and not an impostrous illusion of it. Perhaps we should focus our time and energy in leading our teams in the pursuit of revival, that brings with it restoration that is more beautiful than a curated social media feed. Christian leadership has never been about achieving a certain sense of authority or status within society. As the people of God, we have authority that comes with abiding in Christ, which transcends any type of earthly power. Furthermore, our status as the people of God— although a privilege—isn’t meant to grant us Twitter fame or Instagram popularity. Christian leadership should never be about gaining personal power, but should always be about serving others in a way that transcends the nuances of culture shifts in order to point the world to revival for the sake of the gospel.
BY N I C H O L E C R I S S Nichole is the worship band director at New Life Tabernacle in Massillon, Ohio, is a doctoral candidate at The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. Outside of worship ministry, Nichole is the founder and director of The Piano Studio, where she teaches students to combine classical music technique with functional music skills. For a glimpse into her life, check out her personal blog: www.nicholecriss.co
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LEADERSHIP
REVIVAL TA L K S
B Y
S T E V E
F R Y
Pure Worship When God begins to stir peoples’ hearts, they rise to a new passion to worship Him. But what often happens, over time, is that worship becomes more a means of encountering God’s Presence, than a declaration of God’s worthiness. When we worship primarily to encounter God’s Presence, I suggest that we’re not worshiping purely.
WHAT OFTEN HAPPENS IS THIS: When God moves by His Spirit, we experience God’s Presence in certain ways. We encounter God in a way that is life-changing! In fact, SO lifechanging that we develop a deep need to re-create that experience in order to feel that God is still with us.
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And this is where our own hearts—and even Satan—try to deceive us.
If worship is based on my need to encounter God, I will slowly lose my desire to worship God.
We experience God... and then very subtly our worship becomes a way to duplicate that experience. We develop a hidden agenda. Hidden agendas that can corrupt our worship. Wanting an experience... And even wanting God's presence! This sounds right, and it partly IS right. It is right to want to experience God’s Presence, but that should not be the bottom-line motive for worship. If ‘worship’ is about encountering God, then overtime I may measure my worship by my experience... and if I don’t ‘feel’ God at any given point, I may be discouraged. Or I might try to ‘work up worship’ in an effort to ‘feel’ God like I did before. If worship is based on my need to encounter God, I will slowly lose my desire to worship God. But REVELATION 4:11 says,
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Here is the core motivation to worship: We worship to declare that God is worthy! Regardless of what I may feel at any point, God is ALWAYS worthy... So I should ALWAYS be ready to worship. Worship is not first about encountering God’s Presence; it is first about declaring His worth. Remember our word ‘worship’ comes from the old English word ‘worth-ship’. Before anything else, worship is declaring God's worth. Declaring He is worthy. This is the core of worship; this is ground zero! When worship is about declaring God’s worth, I can worship anytime no matter what I feel; worship isn’t’ about my experience. When I gather with others to worship I don’t have to wait for the 3rd or 4th song in the set to start ‘feeling’ God’s presence. I can enter into worship at the downbeat of the first song! When we get that worship is about acknowledging that God already is the ultimate value, there is no need to "tune-up" to worship. Worship leaders don’t need to coax people to worship. We don’t need a ‘psychological approach’ to worship where we sing two up songs to help people get focused, then move into reflective songs to ‘really worship.’
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Worship isn’t about my experience. It is about God’s worth!
We pray for a manifestation of God’s glory—and what we mean, often, is a greater sense of His Presence. But the glory of God is more than a greater sense of His Presence.
Believe it or not worship to experience His Presence can be me-centered! Feeling that we haven’t worshiped until we feel His Presence. But when we drop our agenda to ‘feel God’s Presence’ and worship JUST because He is worthy, not only is our worship purer, we will better steward revival.
Real Revival We know we need a spiritual awakening. We have prayed for revival. But what is that to look like in the days ahead? And how are we as the people of God to prepare? The prophet Haggai foretold that God would shake all nations... and fill His house with glory [Haggai 2:7]. Though initially fulfilled when Christ Jesus came to earth, this prophecy still echoes to our present day. God still shakes all nations, still manifests His glory. Ah, that’s what we need! More glory! More of His Presence! Maybe not. Of course, I believe that we need more of His glory and Presence, but shouldn’t our focus be not just ‘more glory’ but ‘more glorifying’? More of what it means to ‘glorify Christ’? We need to humbly come before The Lord and question some of our assumptions. Are we seeking the right things and asking the right questions? We pray for revival—and we should—but shouldn’t the first question be “Are we glorifying Jesus?”
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In His prayer in JOHN 17, Jesus sums up three years of ministry:
Formulas teach transactional faith: We do this, and God will do that.
Father, I have glorified your name! This was core for Jesus! We pray for a manifestation of God’s glory—and what we mean, often, is a greater sense of His Presence. But the glory of God is more than a greater sense of His Presence. It is the urgent motivation—compulsion, if you will—to glorify God. He comes to drench us with His presence in order to awaken us to our urgent need to glorify Him. If we really wanted God’s glory, our number one passion would be that the character of Jesus would be seen in everything we do.
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WE WANT REVIVAL—
Do we just as much want unity with those believers who think differently than us?
do we just as much want unity with those believers who think differently than us?
WE WANT REVIVAL— do we want to be faithful to Christian community as much as we want ‘individual encounter’ with God?
WE WANT REVIVAL— do we want it because we want a personal spiritual buzz? Or to be set afire with fresh passion for people far away from God?
WE WANT REVIVAL— is it because we seek reassurance that God’s ‘still there’? Or do we want renewed vigor to demonstrate Christ’s character? These days, I think I’d rather pray...
That my heart would be turned to all of God’s people That I would be faithful to walk out my Christianity in committed long-term relationships with other believers; That I would have enough passion for people far away from God that I would make time to fellowship with them; That I would have just as much zeal to be conformed to Christ’s image as I would to encounter God’s Presence. That I would love God enough to let His Spirit make me like Jesus! Ah! Maybe that is revival!
S T E V E F RY Steve Fry serves as Senior Pastor of The Gate Community Church, located in Franklin, Tennessee and is the President of Messenger Fellowship. Steve received his Masters Degree in Theology from Wesley Institute, a member college of the Sydney College of Divinity.
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MUSIC. WO R S H I P
R A DA R
S O N G W R I T I N G
T I P S
2 6 2 7
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MUSIC
Anne
WORSHIP RADAR
WILSON
WATC H
V I D E O
WILSON New artist Anne Wilson joins us on the heels of her debut release to share the story of how she started doing music, her creative process when creating an album and the heart behind her new songs.
W I T H
C A I T L I N
L A S S I T E R
Caitlin Lassiter is a worship leader, writer and college student with a passion for worship ministry in the church. She is currently studying worship and journalism at Trevecca Nazarene University and lives in Nashville, TN.
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SO N GWR ITI N G MUSIC
T I P S //
BY
J E R E M I A H
J O N E S
WRITING WORSHIP FROM A REVIVAL HEART
I
’ll never forget the experience of leading worship for close to 1000 college students crammed into a hot and sweaty warehouse just off the campus of Clemson University. It was the late ‘90s and we really had no business calling
ourselves a church, at least a respectable one anyway. The warehouse was an upgrade from our previous humble beginnings, an elementary school cafeteria. From the school we decided it would be a great idea to have church in a bar. So thanks to South Carolina blue laws, Charlie T’s was closed on Sunday nights and allowed us to schlep our gear in and set up shop on concrete floors that were still sticky with beer from the previous night. As our little ragtag group grew, we moved to a hotel ballroom and then on to the sweaty warehouse nestled at the foot of a large, earthen dike that held in the waters of Lake Hartwell. But it wasn’t so much the novelty of doing church in a bar, or the cool factor of being in warehouse that made that experience so special. It was the idea that being a church had nothing to do with external things, like buildings or how we dressed. It had everything to do with a collective hunger we had for the very real presence of God. The euphoria of singing song after song, people lining up and down the aisles to take communion, seeing my friends on their knees in repentance—that was truly, without any hype, a revival.
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It is from this humble posture where seeds of our own personal revival can sprout into songs that breath new life into the Church.
At that time the Passion and Vineyard movements, along with Delirious? and Hillsong, fueled our worship sets. Songs like Matt Redman’s “Better Is One Day” or Martin Smith’s “Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble” gave our church a glimpse into heaven that almost shook the metal roof off of the place. And it’s not as if we were looking for “songs of revival” to sing. We just happened to be in a time when contemporary worship music was becoming more mainstream in the Church, and there were plenty of songs being written that gave voice to what we were experiencing.
...to find the balance between these three distinct ways of speaking will be part of the Google you’re going to get songs that either reference or use the literal word itself in the title. And plenty of songwriting great songs that speak specifically “wrestle” in there the are worship process.
Today, if you type “revival worship song” into the search bar of PraiseCharts or
about the Church moving in revival! Yet, in my experience, revival songs can be about any aspect of the character and person of the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) that inspires our collective repentance and brings a fresh awareness of His presence.
…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 CHRONICLES 7:14 NIV
This scripture says it clearly: God listens and acts when we walk in repentance. Repentance requires that we put aside the time to be in the presence of God, seeking to understand His voice and know His heart. I love how Paul Baloche puts it when he says that we should learn to “waste time with God.” It is from this humble posture where seeds of our own personal revival can sprout into songs that breath new life into the Church. Worship songwriting is essentially listening, receiving and transcribing what God wants to say to His Church through song. As songwriters, continually living “Corum Deo,” the latin phrase for “before the face of God,” is where the fires
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of our personal revival is born. By meditating on His words and seeking His face in prayer, we have a heart prepared to distill His truth into a song for the Church to sing. Many writers over the years have given us songs written from a posture of “Corum Deo.” Tim Hughes’ “Here I Am to Worship” is a classic example of a song calling the church to repent and seek God’s face. It happened to coincide with a significant revival within his local church. Lyrics from recent songs like Elevation Worship’s “Graves Into Gardens” paint a beautiful picture of revival when it references Ezekiel 37 and Psalm 30:
You turn graves into gardens You turn bones into armies You turn seas into highways You’re the only one who can. Brooke Ligertwood’s “Hosanna” and Passion’s “God of This City” both carry a similar weightiness that usher us into the presence of God and celebrate the
...to find the balance between these three distinct ofdays speaking willwarehouse be partworship of the While I still hopeways for more like those sweaty services I experienced in college, I know that true revival is a lived daily practice of “wrestle” in the worship songwriting process. seeking God’s face. And it’s from that place I hope to keep writing songs that Spirit moving through the Church.
will encourage the Church for years to come.
BY
J E R E M I A H
J O N E S
Jeremiah is a BMI Award winning songwriter, best known for penning “What A Savior” recorded by Grammy Award winning recording artist Laura Story. He has been a nationally touring independent artist as well as worship pastor for over 25 years and currently oversees worship for the six campuses of Radius Church in South Carolina.
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S O N G
D I S COV E RY
E XI STS
S O N G S
T H AT
N E E DS
TO
&
PR OV I D E
R E S O U R C E S
A D D R E SS
O F
S U B M I T
T H E
T H E
C H U R C H .
YO U R
S O N G
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T E C H N I C A L LY
S P E A K I N G
3 2
TECH + GEAR.
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TECH + GEAR T E C H N I C A L LY S P E A K I N G
Technically Speaking. A
C R I T I C A L
L O O K
N E E D -T O - K N OW
AT
T H E
T O O L S
O F
L AT E S T T H E
T R A D E
Kent Morris lends his insight to uncover and evaluate the latest technological products and developments you need to know.
On Hearing A Jesus Movement
W
oodstock defined a generation only because there was a sound system there to deliver it. As a testament to
the rawness and grittiness of the event, there is a stirring photo of Bill Hanley perched on a wooden folding chair astride a table atop some scaffolding with a smattering of modest mixers at hand.
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This photo encapsulates how Woodstock was
they would be appalled at the
captured and sent to the thousands of attendees.
sheer nastiness of the sound and
There is no cadre of techs in black using chain motors
complete lack of envelopment.
to rig modern line arrays and forklifts to deploy scores
However, they would likely still
of digital consoles. It’s simply a man with some duct
be caught up in the moment and
tape and a few small, rudimentary mixers at the helm
engage in the proceedings due
of a dozen tube amps and some loud, but obnoxious,
solely to the quality and value of
horn speakers. Yet, somehow, Woodstock is remem-
the music and its presentation.
bered half a century later when a state-of-the-art
Yet, the sound system was and
concert last month with pyro, lasers and hydrauli-
is vital to the performance.
cally driven stages brought in on twenty semi-trucks is completely forgotten.
In a similar vein, the impact of the Jesus Music movement of the 1970s has more to do with expression of spirit and heart
The impact of the Jesus Music movement of the 1970s has more to do with expression of spirit and heart than with technical prowess or extraordinary skill.
than with technical prowess or extraordinary skill. Still, Love Song needed sound equipment and its associated technology to deliver the Message in their unique manner. The Pat Terry Group’s old Tapco rotary controlled mixer and Bose speakers were essential elements of their music, just as the unique snare drum sound
Woodstock was dependent on technology, but only
created by Clint Aull for Bethel defines their music
to the extent of transference. The sound system
today. Hearing a Jesus Movement, unlike any secular
conveyed the audio coarsely, but the musical art of
equivalent, requires the interlacing of music, tech-
the sound resided elsewhere. Since the attendees had
nology and spirituality in order to be valid. It is not
not experienced modern immersive sound with its
enough to have great music with excellent sound;
amazing clarity and digitally controlled parameters,
God must be integral to the proceedings and as much
the quality of what they heard was acceptable, but
a part of the microphones as the lyrics and chord
pales in comparison to what is available now. If today
progression.
a Woodstock attendee were taken back to that farm in 1969 and listened to the music with modern ears,
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EXTEND THE ON-RAMP. When a ministry decides to transition worship style or environment, it must also develop a plan to mitigate the vagary of moving from one form to another. Having a plan which includes enough time to learn the new process without severe consequence is wise leadership.
To that end, here are some ways to merge the technical and spiritual planes:
REMEMBER THE CONCEPT OF GRACE. Technology can fail and typically does so when needed most. Tech operators, even experienced ones, have limited control over gear that decides to go
KNOW WHY YOU NEED A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
down during the Easter service. While back-ups and work-arounds should be part of the process, sometimes things just break with no recourse. Instead of
The fact new gear is cool is not enough; there must
bemoaning the issue and lashing out at the techs, use
be a reason to spend Kingdom resources on some-
those moments to allow God to move in a candle-lit
thing. If the pastor’s old wireless system drops
room when the power goes out or via unamplified
out during services, there is a clear connection
voices when the sound system crashes.
between buying a new professional, reliable wireless package and imbuing the Message into hearts. On the other hand, having six moving lights for the sake of six moving lights imparts no lasting value.
FINALLY, NEVER CONFUSE GEAR WITH GOD. Some of the most vibrant churches in the world
INVEST IN PEOPLE, NOT JUST GEAR.
have antiquated sound systems and deplorable lighting while the deadest churches may boast the latest tech installation. God is irrespective of tech-
With the complexity of today’s equipment, training
nology. He doesn’t need it, but will use it when He
the tech team how to use it to its full capacity is essen-
deems appropriate, regardless of its age or condition.
tial to success. Volunteers are more likely to remain
It’s all His anyway, so use what is available to its
engaged when they understand how a product works
greatest impact.
and how to use it in a given situation. Part of the human investment also includes scheduling enough downtime for techs to simply attend church on occasion without having to always do something.
BY
K E N T
M O R R I S
40-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge digital is a temporary state.
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ENCOURAGEMENT. INTRO TO ENCOURAGEMENT
L E T T E R S
W I T H
LOV E
3 6
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ENCOURAGEMENT
LETTERS WITH LOVE B Y
DA R L E N E
Z S C H E C H
At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. HEBREWS 12:26-29 NIV
I know that in this season we are walking through as a global community, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the shaking. Whether its earthquakes, bushfires, storms, pandemics and heartbreak, or economic crisis, the shaking is real. Emotions tumble around… stress and anxiety has certainly gained some momentous ground across the earth. The shaking is uncomfortable. The shaking feels like uncertainty. And if you are living in shallow waters around your faith, shallow waters about your convictions with regards to what you believe, then my friend you will find yourself being tossed around, you may even feel shaken loose from things you’ve always believed to be true. I was brought up in an era in church where questioning was not allowed. Somehow you were made to feel like an inferior Christian, that your
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trust life was not strong. But the older I have become, the more I have found a Saviour and friend who welcomes my questions, my doubts and my fears…reminding me that when I AM WEAK, His strength is made perfect IN my weakness. So, what do we learn in this season of shaking regards to worship? Any shaking, any season when you are faced with giants of any kind you soon realize that a worshipping life is critical to the spiritual resilience of any Jesus follower. And I am not talking sweet songs that please the senses, I am talking about spirit and truth prayers and melodies that resound louder than panic or fear, giving us theological handles to grab onto when it feels like the earth under our feet is slipping away. Nothing like a good shaking to find out what you really believe. If you look historically at some of songs that have held communities and nations together, you find again and again, the sound of authentic hearts crying out in pain AND YET wonder at God’s nearness and faithfulness to His people, especially in times of suffering. We draw near to Him, He draws near to us. He is always close to the broken hearted. The nearness of God is not something we simply HOPE for, but the knowledge of the presence of the Holy Spirit is a necessity for any Christian. My heart has always been drawn to David, who we know faced so many shakings throughout his life. But toward the end of David’s journey we read in Psalm 37:
I am talking about spirit and truth prayers and melodies that resound louder than panic or fear, giving us theological handles to grab onto when it feels like the earth under our feet is slipping away.
I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or His children begging bread. A lifetime of watching the faithfulness of God developed such spiritual resilience in David yet it didn’t start out like that. When the prophet Samuel came through to anoint someone as King, David’s own Father had not even considered David would qualify to be God’s anointed… and on his journey to Kingship he faced many years in hiding fearing for his life. He served in wars, saw the death of at least four of his sons, had long-term serious health problems, three uprisings against his kingship, multiple persecutions because of his faith… years and years of SHAKING and yet God had still purposed him to be a KING. His courage and resilience was built over many years, as through eachchallenge—facing a giant, a lion, a bear, a cruel and Godless leader, he faced things that were no fault of his own and then faced things that were due to his own selfishness…AND YET…God highlights something about David when He says in Acts 13:22:
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After removing Saul, God raised up David to be king, for God said of him, ‘I have found in David, son of Jesse, a man who always pursues my heart and will accomplish all that I have destined him to do.’ Back to Hebrews, when we read about the importance of worship in the midst of receiving the Kingdom of God, is that His presence keeps our heart after HIS heart not after our own dominion, not getting our own way, for worship has always been the tenderizer of our soul. His worship gives rise and voice to the Kingdom of God within us.
Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Worship God if you want the best, worship opens doors to all his goodness. PSALM 34:8-9
In our own strength, operating in protecting our own personal kingdoms and looking after our own interests we tire, we approach service and worship as if it were a labor or maybe even doing God a favor. We can easily act like slaves, rather than those who live as sons and daughters of the most high God. We can start to lose sight of our personal practices that keep us tied to the principles of God’s Kingdom, such
We can easily act like slaves, rather than those who live as sons and daughters of the most high God.
as being in God’s word, being with God’s people. Paul reminds us in Hebrews, that as we receive God’s Kingdom we are to remain THANKFUL and filled with praise. Can I encourage you to cultivate a thankful grateful spirit. A thankful spirit will keep you from a spirit of entitlement. A thankful heart will find itself buoyant even when the shaking is happening. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, one of the great privileges of any leader of worship, is to lead when times are tough, helping people see Jesus when they are buried beneath the rubble of life. LASTLY.…what about the consuming fire that Hebrews talk about. Charles Spurgeon said this…
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Everything that is holy will endure the fire, and as for all within us that is impure, let it be consumed speedily. So let us serve the Lord with fear, but not with terror, and let this service be continued all our days. The consuming fire is all about becoming more like Jesus and sometimes it is very uncomfortable as our flesh nature is fashioned to be more like Jesus. Just because something is uncomfortable does not mean it is not worthwhile. SO, hear my heart to you today..…
IN THE SHAKING dive deep into God’s word.
IN THE SHAKING live deep within His community.
IN THE SHAKING invite God’s spirit to do what He wants to do within your life, that in the sifting that which remains is the gold that will always bring great glory to our God. With much love,
Darlene
BY
DA R L E N E
Z S C H E C H
Australian Darlene Zschech is acclaimed all over the world as a composer, worship leader, pastor, author and speaker, and became most well known for her involvement in the worship team at Hillsong Church, Sydney, Australia over many years. Alongside her husband Mark, they are the Senior Pastors of Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC) on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, which has now grown into India and the USA.
darlenezschech.com | yourministrymentor.com | Instagram.com/darlenezschech | Facebook.com/darlenezschech
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