Week 5 Chronicles is an occasional series on experiments in worship format whenever there is a fifth Sunday in a month.
Psalm 145:4 says:
One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.
I have been leading worship for over 20 years. In that time, I have seen the landscape of church worship shift significantly.
I was blessed that, in my early years, I studied under an established older worship leader who used a lot of songs from the 1970s and 1980s as well as some of the more contemporary songs of his era. It meant that I was collecting a song vocabulary that extended well into the generation before mine.
There are many reasons why I love the old songs. I believe it’s not just because I grew up with them and that they have somehow been locked into a sacred chamber of my memory. It’s because the songs were written with a strong congregational focus; with simple, predictable melodies and hooks and uncomplicated, repetitive lyrics.
But times have moved on. We can’t keep doing the old stuff. We don’t want to live in an old, worn-out culture. We want to be on the cutting edge of what God is doing today. We can definitely learn from, and honour, the old, but we must live in the new. Old wineskins cannot contain the new wine.
So that’s why last Sunday, we did a “classics” set – a set of enduring songs from the last 20 to 30 years of the praise and worship movement; songs that most of us who have been in the church for a long time would have grown up with; songs that have shaped the worship landscape and paved the way for what God is doing today.
It was also a way for us educate the younger generation to help them understand where they came from and the sacrifices the older generation have made so that we can worship the way we do today.
What constitutes a “classic” of course is difficult to define.
In the end, we left it to our worship pastor to craft the song list. Even though Ps Dave Wong is only 26 years old, he practically grew up in Faith Community Church and so was completely immersed in the songs of the church over the last 20 years. If anyone had authority to speak to the “classics”, it was him.
The song list was:
- Jesus You are So Good (F) – Jamie Harvill
- God is Good All The Time (F) – Paul Overstreet and Don Moen
- For All You’ve Done (F) – Reuben Morgan
- When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (F-G) – Isaac Watts
- I Give You My Heart (G) – Reuben Morgan
- Majesty (G) – Jack Hayford
- He is Exalted (G) – Twila Paris
There were many, many songs that missed the cut, perhaps paving the way for another Classics Sunday next year.
Here is a recording of the session:
We were blessed with an amazing team, which included a guest appearance from our old friend Luke Tan on electric guitar.
The team was:
Worship leaders/Vocals: Dave Wong, Susan Cai, Sunray Zheng, Lydia Ling, me
Music Director/Bass: Addie Choon
Drums: Caleb Leong
Electric Guitars: Luke Tan, Joash Ang
Acoustic Guitar: Dave Wong
Keyboards: Samuel Ng, Su-Ern Lee
Cello: Tiffany Foo
Sound: Samuel Oh and Liimei Lim
There was quite an intense moment during “I Give You My Heart” as we recalled how, over the years, many of us would have rushed to the altar to that song. Much of the church was on their knees. And we experienced a beautiful time of consecration.
After the worship time, Dr Dan Mo gave a stirring message on “Catalysts of Revival”. When he gave the altar call, half the church stood up and flooded the altar. In my five years at Faith Community Church, I have not seen anything quite like it. Many cried hot tears as we committed ourselves to be world changers and history makers.
It was a significant Sunday.
We have reached back into history to give us an impetus for the future. May revival fire fall once again!
(Photo credit: Shane Wee)
The Worship Revolution 