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How Are New Worship Songs Chosen?

What does the weekly worship planning meeting look like? Every week, a team meets for about an hour and a half really early in the morning (usually with lots of coffee).  We celebrate what God did in worship last Sunday.  We talk about any improvements or changes. We discuss the upcoming message.  We look at music and an order for the service that best fits the message.  We let the passage that will be preached drive the service. Often there are some songs already in the plan, but we aren't afraid to change/ add/ delete them. Our main framework for worship is that it be about Jesus and that it flows from hearing the gospel to responding to the gospel. We pray over the upcoming service and for you and your friends/ family.

How do we pick songs? We are constantly listening to new (and old) music. We email each other links to songs and videos.  We devoted a whole meeting recently to new worship songs. We all brought a couple, listened to them together, weeded some out, and then made a list of ones we will pursue in worship. Here are a few factors we take into consideration:

  • Theologically, is the song doctrinally sound (no matter how good the beat is)?
  • Missionally, is it a good fit for who we are and who we are trying to reach in our context?
  • Musically, how singable is it?  Is it a good song from a compostion stand point?
  • Structurally, where in a sevice it might be used? Will it work for our services?

"Exalted One", by Elevation Worship, will be a new song this Sunday.  Nathan, our worship leader, brought this one to the table (iTunes).  He had been listening to it and working on it for a while.  Some songs are "about" Jesus.  Some are "to" Jesus.  I really like that the song is directed to Jesus. We really liked it stylistically and thought it would be a great song to use to kick off a service or before the message.  It seems to be a really singable song and easy to pick.  

The main refrain repeated throughout the song, "our eyes are on you", comes from and reminds me of a couple verses from the Bible.  Everything we sing is rooted in scripture.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."  Psalm 121:1-2,

"Fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith." Hebrews 12:2

I think it is a good fit for the series we are in right now because the main idea in the series is that we rebel against God when we take our eyes off of Him and put them on ourselves.  But we find full, free, and eternal life when our eyes are fixed on Jesus as our sole source of help.  This song speaks to that.  It also speaks to those of us who have struggles and pain in our lives right now as it talks about being in times of darkness, brokeness, madness, and hopelessness.  It is then we look to Jesus.  He comes to us with grace to save.

Verse 1: In the midst of the darkness, Your light, it guides me through.
Our eyes are on You.
You are near to the broken, Though we find the strength in You.
Our eyes are on You.
When I'm lost in the madness, Your peace, it calms my soul.
Our eyes are on You.
You bring hope to the hopeless, Your love, it wont let go.
Our eyes are on You.

Chorus: We lift our eyes to You, Where our help comes from.
Our love is found in You,Jesus, Lord of all.
We lift our eyes to You, Exalted One, Exalted One.

Bridge: Your promises, Your love Endures,
Nothing can shake the standing of yours...
We're not afraid, We're full of love
We'll never leave; You'll never let us go.