{"id":9998,"date":"2015-02-22T17:48:19","date_gmt":"2015-02-22T17:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/?p=9998"},"modified":"2019-08-01T15:03:59","modified_gmt":"2019-08-01T15:03:59","slug":"is-something-missing-from-our-worship-guest-post-by-dave-bilbrough-writer-of-abba-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/is-something-missing-from-our-worship-guest-post-by-dave-bilbrough-writer-of-abba-father\/","title":{"rendered":"Is something missing from our worship? Guest post by Dave Bilbrough (writer of Abba Father)"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

It was 3:30pm on what had been, up until then, a rather unremarkable Tuesday afternoon when I received the phone call. \u2018\u2018We have a project that we might be interested in using your songs for over here in the States,\u2019\u2019 said the caller. Trying to sound relaxed, but with a growing sense of urgency, I quickly scrawled down the address in Nashville where the record executive wanted my CD demo to be delivered. \u2018\u2018If it could be done promptly, that would be great,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

This was terrific news for me. The market in the USA for worship music is huge and the opportunities and increased profile for my ministry could be very worthwhile if my songs were accepted. It was a priority \u2013 something to be done straight away! So, hastily I compiled a CD containing of a selection of my songs I thought would be of interest, opened up a new jiffy bag, slotted the CD case inside, wrote down the address, bought the stamps and popped it into the post box . . . done! I noticed on the post box that there were still ten minutes to go before collection time. \u2018\u2018Job well done,\u2019\u2019 I thought. My thoughts swirling with grand illusions of the widespread approval my songs would receive across \u2018\u2018the pond\u2019\u2019 and the resulting increase in influence that would follow (yes, it does happen to worship leaders as well!) I strolled back to my house.<\/p>\n

Back inside I decided to break for a well-earned cup of coffee when I spotted, to my horror, the newly burned CD of songs, minus its case, lying on the kitchen table. Shock! It should have been nestling safely in its jiffy bag in the post box, but I had forgotten to actually put the thing in its case! Glancing at my watch I abandoned my coffee, scooped up the CD and was off at a sprint back to the post box. I arrived in time, caught my breath and tried not to look too embarrassed as the postman arrived and I sheepishly informed him of my predicament, meekly requesting my package back so that I could insert the all-important CD.<\/p>\n

In short, the packaging was right, but something was very wrong inside \u2013 the most important ingredient was missing. It looked fine from the outside, but it wasn\u2019t going to be of much use to anyone in Nashville!<\/p>\n

Incidentally, the songs were eventually rejected for the project, but the whole episode served as a valuable lesson for me in how we can overlook the essence of the message we are seeking to communicate and become obsessed with all the \u2018\u2018packaging\u2019\u2019 that goes with it.<\/p>\n

In our desire for relevance and the pursuit of the new, it can be very easy for us to lose sight of the truth \u2013 that the \u2018\u2018thing\u2019\u2019 we are striving for in our worship is simply to encounter and give thanks to Jesus. Our packaging may look attractive, the band might sound great, but without God\u2019s presence our latest offering of musical expression will become a shallow reflection of the greater reality.<\/p>\n

Beautiful and meaningful songs, wonderful as they are, can never fully satisfy as an end in themselves – they\u2019re not meant to. Our worship is simply a vehicle to help us express and experience our true satisfaction in Christ.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s treasure the song, the packaging, but understand that there\u2019s something greater that\u2019s going on as we worship. The song is not enough!<\/p>\n

Other posts you might like:<\/h2>\n

Why we worship<\/a> – guest post by Dave Bilbrough<\/p>\n

The worship leader\u2019s prayer \u2013 Dave Bilbrough<\/a><\/p>\n

So you\u2019re going to be a worship leader<\/a><\/p>\n

Has worship music lost its soul?<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cChristians don\u2019t tell lies \u2013 they just go to church and sing them\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dave Bilbrough, writer of songs such as \u201cAbba Father\u201d, \u201cI am a new Creation\u201d and \u201cAll Hail the Lamb\u201d is one of the fathers of the modern day worship movement. He continues to travel and write songs and lead worship extensively. www.davebilbrough.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Empty seats photo creadit\u00a0drocpsu<\/a>\u00a0Flickr Creative Commons<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  It was 3:30pm on what had been, up until then, a rather unremarkable Tuesday afternoon when I received the phone call. \u2018\u2018We have a project that we might be interested in using your songs for over here in the States,\u2019\u2019 said the caller. Trying to sound relaxed, but with a growing sense of urgency, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5303,"featured_media":15551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6,98],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs something missing from our worship? 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