Write for Worship?
Many times I have started to plan a worship service where it is next to impossible to find songs that fit the topic of the sermon. Things like “God's Perspective on Marriage“ or “What is Real Leadership?“ are a challenge. Sometimes I punt and we just focus on the Lord and worship, which is cool. But I love to give reasons why “Real Leadership” makes us want to worship God. That is when I tend to use a song not specifically written for congregational use, or else I consider writing one if there is enough time (there rarely is). At times I will stretch the limits to drive home a point.
Some songs have verses that are rhythmically too difficult for most people to access without a laborious teaching session. Often times I will have the church sing on the chorus and let the worship team handle the verses. It also takes a long while for people to learn a difficult bridge which only shows up once per song. If I have a chance, like a retreat where there are repeated sessions, that situation enables me to use songs that would not generally work well with the normal congregational setting. I even find that people tend to latch on to a song that is a little more challenging if they can master it. It becomes their favorite one to sing. It is like teaching an intricate song to a choir. It's not fun at first but once they have it mastered, it is wonderful. New material, if introduced properly keeps the hearts of people engaged with the fresh truth and musical variation it presents.
Different congregations also have varying abilities to absorb new material. When I began to lead worship in Jamaica, It amazed me how quickly they picked up the new songs I was teaching. But, of course they nearly always sing from memory and are used to learning everything by rote. Syncopated rhythms are also normal musical vocabulary for them.
Convention settings are the most restrictive because you must find songs that are familiar and accessible to a greater number of people. The top 25 CCLI list of songs is a safe bet. With care, it is good to introduce a great new song, if it can be taught and appreciated in a single setting.
David Crowder give an interesting perspective on worship writing in a recent Worship Leader Magazine article. http://www.worshipleader.com/feature_tbt.htm
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