Let’s face it.
There are a lot of worship songs.
And with so many great songwriters like Matt Redman, Jason Ingram, Chris Tomlin, and Reuben Morgan cranking out such great songs, are you and I even needed?
Should we even bother to write?
Do We Need More Worship Songs?
We shouldn’t write worship songs just because it’s popular to do. Or because we’re trying to write the next 10,000 Reasons. However, I believe more worship songs need to be written.
You may be surprised.
More worship songs? Really?
Sure, there are plenty. But the glory of God demands careful attention…forever. There are facets of God’s character that we don’t understand yet. There are riches of revelation waiting to be unlocked.
That’s why there will always be worship songwriters…and the need for your worship songs will never die.
Here’s the bottom line: We can’t write worship songs for an industry. We must write worship songs for our hearts. Finding new ways to articulate the Gospel keeps its message fresh before our hearts.
Plow the Path
Let me give you an example.
The snow just won’t seem to let up here in western, PA. Just when you think it’s passed with a day in the high 50s, you wake up looking for your car underneath the white nonsense. It’s as if the snow is laughing, bickering, pointing. But I’m not bitter. I’m. Not. Bitter.
You know what I appreciate? The brave guy in the plow truck who wakes up at 3am to go and plow my street. While I sleep in my warm house, this guy is driving through a blizzard just to make my life easier.
He goes before me.
He prepares a way.
He serves me.
He makes it easier for me to do what I need to do.
His momentary inconvenience creates a path for me to leave my house.
You probably know where this is going.
As a worship songwriter, you are that plow man.
But we forget about the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to slave over a song until it’s done – to make sure it’s theologically sound, singable, powerful, and sticky.
It’s the “3 am” moment of songwriting.
“3 am” Songwriting
I don’t know about you but my songwriting process is anything but glamorous. Sometimes I’ll quit after 2 minutes of writing because I’m so discouraged. I convince myself I’m not gifted, have no business writing, and should do the church a favor and just give up. I mean, that’s what Matt Redman would say to me, right?
[See what I just did there? Paying attention to these erroneous thoughts is important so you can discard them before you believe them.]
I want you to think about something. Every time you’re in that discouragement zone, think about the plow man.
As a songwriter, you are going before the church to prepare a place of encounter. Through your future song, hearts will be drawn to Jesus. You are serving people. Your momentary struggle will make it easier for God’s people to see Him. You are plowing a path into the presence of God.
That changes perspective doesn’t it? Songwriting is serving. It’s a responsibility. Just because there are thousands of incredible songs and thousands of incredible writers more talented than you, doesn’t get you off the hook.
Your world needs your songs. They need your perspective. They need your insight.
Bring it.
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