your imagination, inspired by t' holy ghost.

I've been busy since the beginning of December, so only just seen your response Clive!

I heard something amazing the other day related to songwriting. Noddy Holder was on the radio talking about the Christmas song Slade wrote 'Merry Christmas Everyone'. Here in the UK, it's played non-stop at Christmas, and every year without fail. Some people love it, some hate it!

The interesting part is that he was saying that any musician can take a few christmassy words, like jingle bells, snow etc etc, put them to music and come up with a hit. He said that to write a song, you have to understand and be in touch with the spirit of the time. When they wrote the song in 1973, there was recession and economically the country was up the creek, everybody was on strike, and life was not perceived to be good.

Understanding the times (like the sons of Issachar who were wise men who understood the signs of the times), Noddy Holder knew that when they wrote the line 'Here's to the future now, it's only just begun' it was in reference to the hope that people needed to bring them out of the present situation. He knew it wouldn't just be another Christmas song, but that it would be relevant to whoever needed to know that the future held something better than the persons present situation.

I think many worship songs can be like he mentions, where we take a few worshippy words, put them in a song, and it's a 'hit'. I love this example of understanding the times, and we need worshippers who understand the times and what God is doing in the world so that our songs are relevant for sure!

Thanks for the encouragement Clive! The great thing about not producing CD's for sale is that we're under no pressure to produce songs, we're not contracted, and we're not under pressure to make targets! So we can continue to hear the songs that God digs up from deep within, and then put them out there when the time is right!

hey pete. that is so cool about the song you all wrote and recorded. when you listen to van morrison, it sounds like he just came up with some stuff spontaneously. there is a loose, free-flowing feel to some of his material. or maybe it's just well rehearsed to make it sound that way!

my comment about the bible references is just a grievance i've had for a long time - it wasn't connected to what you said - though we were all talking generally about inspiration and scripture, etc. i agree with you entirely that jesus is 'the word', rather than just the letters on the page.

it does sound like you have stumbled upon something special. so you should keep going with that and let it take you places you haven't been before. scary but exciting as well! blessings on all that you do...

When I say Word, I don't necessarily mean bible. :) I agree, we see albums released with verses attached to all the songs, and at times those songs appear to have no relevance to the scripture referenced anyway!

Where it says the word is living, active, sharper than any two edged sword etc, we often don't get to quoting the bit at the end of that where it says that "nothing is hidden from his sight". The Word is Christ, "dug up from deep within" (great quote there Clive) by the Spirit. Not everything needs to be bible referenced I agree, but sometimes those references to scripture have become living in the experience of Christ. Without Christ, they are just words on a page, or on a scoresheet. I prefer what Jesus said "It is written", but to many nowadays that is not enough without book, chapter and verse reference!!

We've just recently recorded some songs here that were received spontaneously (I guess we would call them spiritual songs) over the last 5 or so years. Some people get them, others don't. That's fine, they are free and cost us nothing to put together, so we don't lose out! One of the songs comes straight out of John 1 in terms of words, no word changes from scripture or anything else to make it 'relevant', and it's titled In the Beginning. The main emphasis is that the light shines in darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. (When you research this a bit, you find that its scientifically impossible to create perfect darkness!). We didn't sit and take the words out of scripture and then fit them to a song. It just came up from within one evening, and was recorded as received!

We are seeing this song being given to young people (non-church by the way) in the town who live in the middle of what they perceive to be overwhelming darkness. Drugs, alcohol, domestic and physical violence etc etc. You know what? They get it. We haven't changed the words, made them relevant (or unscriptual!) to the youth, nor followed a pattern on how to make the music contemporary. We've just followed the Spirit, and because the song is a spiritual song, it reaches deep down into the spirit of these young people and impacts them where they are. I guess when Jesus said Spirit and truth, the truth part is important. The thing is, the song is still scriptural, it is truthful, but it is inspired by the Spirit and able to impact the spirit.

Scripture has a part to play, the living Word a greater part I think. Without experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ (to quote the title of a book) scripture is just words on a page. As you say, most non-church people don't understand scripture. But they do get the living word, from my experience anyway!

Inspired is not just taking words off a page and putting them to music. It is the living word, which is however confirmed scriptually, becoming alive in us through the Spirit of God, who then creates through us something spiritual but that speaks to the mind so we have understanding there too!

I guess my point is when the musician overtakes the worshipper in us, that's when we end up with a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense to anyone, regardless of background or understanding of church stuff! It shouldn't lead us to demote the two essentials of inspiration though, just because there's a lot of confusing stuff out there. Treasure is out there, it just takes a bit of searching among some other stuff to find it!

good debate. it's interesting, isn't it, that we insist on being 'inspired'? for instance, i have countless christian recordings in my collection, where every track has been assigned a scripture reference. it's printed right next to the song title. so i come to these albums and think, is this a bible study set to music? and just how is that meant to work? how do i lend that to a non-church friend?

i don't know if we think that sticking a bible reference on a song somehow makes it more legitimate or 'inspired'. first of all, references are not biblical! the whole idea of using coded references was added later to scripture. yet we treat references like holy writ in themselves.

second, i don't need to stick a bible reference to everything deemed to be 'worshipful'. i kiss my wife - i don't add a bible reference to that moment. i put a few coins in the collecting tin for the lifeboat institute - i don't give the charity rep a bible reference to justify my giving. i give a friend a helping hand to fix up their home - i don't add a bible reference to authorise my good deed.

i find bob dylan's 'mr tambourine man' spiritually uplifting. but it doesn't have a scripture reference tagged to it. it's definitely 'inspired', in my opinion. but i reckon dylan put a bit of work into it, to make sure the lyrics had a sense of journey and continuity, and that the verses and chorus worked well together.

although worship is much broader than just music, there is a definite role that the artist has to play in the broader life of the church as it engages with the wider world. so artists and composers need support so they can do their craft to the best of their ability – and work at their 'inspiration'. nothing just falls out of the sky - it's all dug up from deep within.

I happen to agree about the songs! What I'm saying is that much of what is deemed to be 'inspired' I'm not sure actually is inspired, at least by the Spirit or the Word. That might be dangerous to say on here, but hey, it's what I see/hear.

I liked Sue's comment below about the bible stirring up lyrics and patterns upon waking, and this is a great example of the foundation that is essential.

A quote I once heard says it all for me; "worship has been hijacked by musicians". Now musicians don't like that quote, nor do they understand it. They struggled in our church when we taught about worship from John 4. They are about to struggle again, as we are about to teach from John 4 about worship to the team. Things have come full circle to the point where it is the music and the musicians that are leading and not the Spirit. I hear and see too much music, but not enough worship at the moment.

But worshippers do understand that quote. A worshipper will write songs by the inspiration of the Spirit and the Word, but I totally believe that they will be memorable and easy enough for all to sing, regardless of the level of their musical talent!

Without the inspiration of the Spirit and the Word, they are just songs, and you can listen to countless CD's/MP3's of 'inspired' christian music which is anything but. Much of it sounds the same, with little creativity (which surely the Spirit has in abundance??), and much is impossible to sing because it's all about how high the guy leading can reach, and how musically complicated the song is. Complicated doesn't necessarily mean dynamic.

I'm convinced the Spirit gives music that is easy to sing, yet dynamic, creative, and most importantly spirit impacting. There is a huge difference between an emotional response to a song and a spiritual one. How much 'worship' is just emotional and not spiritual?

I guess what I'm saying is that to dismiss inspiration is a dangerous thing to do. Just because there is so much stuff out there that is uninspired, doesn't mean that those two elements are not essential. A musician can create a song without inspiration (Spirit and Word that is), a worshipper cannot even begin to create anything without those two elements. A worshipper is not focused on music, but a worshipper will express what the Spirit and the Word are saying through music (and other means) at times. Memorable songs are not memorable because they have a catchy tune, they are memorable because they impact the spirit of a man. It is not the mind of a man that matters, but his spirit. The mind comes into line for those who live in the Spirit, and worship is a huge part of someone who lives like that, regardless of musical talent.

In saying that the Spirit (Eph 5) and the Word (Col 3) are ideals, much like we are not meant to sin, does that mean that we don't aspire to these things? The bible is all about ideals, but if we dismiss them as not attainable, then it begs the question, why did the writer say that in the first place? And if we dismiss them as not attainable, surely we are selling ourselves short?

In a sense, I think we focus far too much on the music and not enough on worship. A distorted view has arisen, and music has become the sole focus, driving an industry which I think one day will implode as people seek what the Spirit says and not what the latest album sounds like.

Clive, I wholeheartedly agree about songs with lyrics that are understood and memorable tunes, but disagree about inspiration not being essential. Isn't it Paul who says "I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also"? Singing with the spirit surely must be inspired by the Spirit, but we must also sing with the mind so that the mind understands, and as you say, many songs are written which just don't make sense! I hope I have explained my thoughts adequately...

Spot on Clive. If the words, "User friendly," do not apply to a worship song then it should regarded as a performance piece and not as something the congregation should be expected to sing.

Two common pitfalls are verses with differing numbers of sylables that require extra notes to be inserted, and awkward pauses / rushed notes whose presence do not seem warranted by the lyrics.

surely the bible is talking about ideals, here? just as we are not meant to sin any more, so we should always be inspired by God. but who lives up to that ideal all of the time?

and even if we are inspired, does that really guarantee there will be a perfect melody with perfect harmonies? even divine inspiration comes through a human filter, which muddies the water somewhat.

i think we have more than enough singers and songwriters who feel they are inspired. surely what we need now are some common sense lyrics and memorable, singable tunes?

Seems to me that the foundation for any song of worship comes from two inseperable things, both mentioned in the bible.

The first is in Eph 5, where it says "be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

The second is in Col 3, where it says "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs".

Are all the songs that we hear born of the Spirit and the Word? Or of other songwriting tools?

For me the two are inseperable, no song to God or about God should be without the inspiration of the Spirit and the Word. I happen to think that not all songs that we hear are inspired by the Spirit and the Word. And that applies to those the church sing too!

The Spirit should be able to give songs that makes sense, and have the perfect melody, harmonies etc, being full of the word of Christ and relevant to anyone who has ears to hear.

2 Samuel 23:1-2 highlights how a worshipper should speak through songs.

1 Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: "The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue.
2 Sam 23:1-2

Sometimes 'worship' can be more about the music than it is about the Father who seeks true worshipers. Maybe its why we have an industry now???

Of course I am correct, to create any artist has to be inspired!!!!

I have to agree with Jonnie, yesterday I had to say, "No," to doing a patricular worship song because I simply do not have the vocal range. Even dropping the key didn't help because the lowest note was then unreachable.

I do not see the point in writing songs for corporate worship that cannot be sung except by a vitruoso singer.

Although i think all these things have a place, i know that especially for the next generation there are words being sung that aren't even in use anymore, so people end up singing words they don't really understand. ALso i think musical hook is important. There are some amazing lyrics out there to tunes people can't either reach because of the musical range, or tunes that are in need of an update. i don't mean add electric guitar to every old hymns but there are some tunes that people find it hard to pick up. Thats my experiance anyway

Falsetto... hmm, I've never heard a worship song written for falsetto. Can anyone give me directions?

You play the usual A - E - D - A chords in this very sequence and your Christmas song is done.

The Bible stirs up lyrics and patterns in my mind and on waking in the morning I often have a line or two that now has a tune to help me put melody and rhythm together. I find I am more creative when the Holy Spirit reminds me of something I was reading in the word during the week. Although I voted inspiration myself, I would say a recording of a new song can often be the only way the song lives on to be heard and sung by others.
Sue

I think inspiration is a given. I don't know why we're writing if not through inspired thoughts or revelation. Having said that, I wouldn't consider it a "tool." Give me a lyrical hook every time. Get it out of a thesaurus or a rhyming dictionary if you must. Get it out of a time of prayer and meditation or deep thought and reflection if you can. But say something that sticks in my heart and helps me see things in a new light.

sadly, the voting levels reveal the current state of our worship...'inspiration' is running way ahead. we are still stuck in the 'stream of consciousness' movement, which produces lyrics that don't make sense and tunes that you can't sing unless you're a trainee Bee Gee and can sing in falsetto. will someone at least use a thesaurus and find new ways of saying the same old things? please!

Perhaps it would be better to say that troubles, focus our attention. On God. Our reason and inspiration for writing the song in the first place.

I agree completely, troubles concentrate the mind.

Has anyone noticed that some of the best written songs are done while the writer/composer is going through life's crisis? Take Henry Lyte for example. He wrote Abide With Me at a time when he probably knew he was going to die soon.

I find that inspiration is not the most important thing, instead it is the need for a new song. It is like realising that you don't have the size of spanner you need to do the job. If none of my existing songs say what is needed then it is time to write a new one.

True... but could you say inspiration is a "tool"? if so, then yes inspiration is the winner, hands down. if not... co writer

If you're not inspired, their will be nothing to write about!