Chris Walker

Cultural relevance is good. Excellence is good. God and our community are worthy of both. But those are lesser things that can’t become ultimate things. It’s not about one dominant, charismatic voice; it’s about a community responding to God’s grace with one voice.

A part of a series on wisdom for worship leaders, this article focuses on finding the balance between planning worship ahead of time and leaving room for the Spirit’s prompting during worship.

A part of a series on wisdom for worship leaders, this article focuses on letting the Triune God be the main character in worship and how to let scripture speak. Worship then becomes a dialogue between God and those gathered.

We’re going ebb and flow through seasons of strength and seasons of struggle, where you as a worship planner can take stock of the worshiping life of your church family and identify areas of health and sickness. Those areas of sickness are where a reshuffled version of the vitamin and aspirin metaphor is helpful. Instead of analyzing what the worship service or worship team is “offering” the congregation, we can ask about issues we see in our participation, our passion, our formation, and our mission.

There’s a big difference between the “Christmas spirit” of today and the original Spirit of Christmas. We can see the Holy Spirit’s work throughout the story when we remember and celebrate the Incarnation in this season. It’s the beauty of our Triune God - Father, Son, and Spirit - in collaboration.

"Entering into the upcoming season of Advent and Christmastide, I am full of gratitude for the plethora of unique voices that make up our church family. As a Worship Pastor and planner, I want to elevate “the unknowns,” especially during these significant Sundays of the church year."

"..spiritual” experiences are a result of the Spirit at work. We can sometimes forget this."

Our use of technology should clarify what we’re trying to share together and amplify the good news of the gospel. The microphones, what we project onto our screens, the lighting in the space, the way we incorporate video, all should help us clarify our communication and communion together.

As worship planners and leaders we spend so much effort and time making sure others can dwell in the story of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, to rediscover his mercy and grace through his passion, we sometimes forget the story we’re telling is also for us.

"As you plan and lead worship during this season, always aimed toward the death and resurrection of Jesus, lean into the privilege you have in asking the questions: When does this service speak? When does it sing? When is it silent?”

Jazz is “a vibrant, honest, gritty music that exults in the transcendent while staying grounded in the abrasive experiences that come with being human. In this sense, jazz music sincerely represents the human experience. Can our worship gatherings do the same?”