Older Songs Still Resonate
Feb 18, 2009 Worship Planning
Posted by
Russell Martin
Last summer I led worship for a group of college students at a work camp. They take a week to spend together repairing homes in the area where they are working. I was leading worship for their evening services. The first night I got up with a great songlist. Some new songs from the up and coming worship bands leading worship out there. The response I got back was mixed. There were some who knew the songs and sang along, but overall there was not a huge participation.
That night we announced our suggestion box. If anyone had a suggestion about camp, including song requests, they could put them in the box and we would try to work them in. What I saw both comforted and suprised me. The majority of the requests were not the new upcoming worship songs. Most of the requests were for songs like, God of Wonders, Here I Am to Worship, Heart of Worship, Light the Fire, Lord I LIft Your Name on high. To be honest I had overlooked alot of these when I was preparing for the week because I thought they might be too old, too overdone. That clearly was not the case.
I wondered. Maybe in the drive to hear, learn, play and write the newest great worship songs I had stopped using some songs that really resonate with people. Maybe it was because these were the songs that this group grew up in with in youth group. These were the songs they had come to faith to. They were the songs that they were introduced to at church camp. They were songs that are known by heart, no words needed, nothing to learn, just worship. I can tell you it was great to get up in front, strum one chord, sing the line “Lord of all creation…” and then sit back and play guitar.
What I learned from this experience is that it is important to find out the songs of the group you are leading. I wish I could have had the song suggestions before camp started, instead of after the first night. I will not stop introducing, or writing, or singing new songs. But I also will remember that some old songs still resonate loudly and not leave them out either.
What are some songs you may have passed by that still resonate?
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Tags: band, camp, Church, guitar, preparing, Songs, summer, work, Worship, youth
February 19th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Russell,
I agree. There are lots of old songs that still “resonate.” That’s why everybody had the “worship wars” a few years back when the “contemporary” thing was starting. It’s interesting to me that now the contemporary folks are building their own repertoire of “traditional contemporary” songs – that which was contemporary is becoming tradition.
Ultimately, I think every generation (& for that matter every Christian) will have their own set of songs that they will always enjoy. Songs which aren’t just sounds – but songs that are perfect expressions of their own hearts within the context of some particular experience or situation. As you say – songs that “resonate.”
Although there are certain songs within almost every genre/era that “resonate” with me, I get tired of most of the old stuff. Like you, I want to always be on the lookout for new stuff – asking the question, “What’s gonna ‘resonate’ with people today who have never known Jesus?” In doing so, we get to be a part of what God is doing today.
OK – not sure I said anything new but that’s how I feel.
February 19th, 2009 at 11:57 am
I think it depends on what you grew up or grew up in faith on. I went to church on Sunday mornings and sang out of the red Methodist Hymnal, I went to my grandmother’s church and we sang to an out of tune piano using the Cokesbury hymnal, in youth group we sang Pass it On, Sanctuary, and others from the green “Songs” book. I learned to play guitar and lead worship listening to Ross King and the Breakaway CD. I have continued incorporating new songs since then. Each of those genres or types of songs have had in impact on me, and I still enjoy each type.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:17 am
[...] He Reigns- I originally had Meet With Me scheduled but I thought we had done it too much recently, so I substituted this standby. The congregation knows it and sings well, and the band can do it with their eyes. It is definately one of those older songs that resonate. [...]
May 14th, 2009 at 11:40 am
[...] me a good list of ideas to use. I was surprised last year at the requests. They were for mostly “older” songs.. This year I am not sure what to expect so I am hoping we can start the process early by getting [...]