main cow pic

10.10.11

From Roman Catholic kid to evangelical church-planter to Episcopal Priest…

Filed under: God's movement,willow,worship — 6:49 pm

Ian and the team

This weekend, we had the huge privilege of leading worship at Willow with my friend Ian Morgan Cron.  Ian is an author of two phenomenal books, a great musician, and crazy smart.

Ian grew up Roman Catholic, planted a non-denomina-tional church in his 30s, and is now an Episcopal Priest.  As you might guess, he has a fascinating perspective about God, church, worship, and liturgy…and so we invited him to Willow Creek to share some of his journey and lead us in a liturgical experience.

After reading a bit from his book Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and me…, Ian lead us in the Kyrie Eleison – which means “Lord, have mercy”.  He taught a very simple refrain, and then guided us through a number of liturgical prayers.  We (the band) did our best to think “What would Sigur Ros sound like in a Roman Catholic cathedral?”, and accompanied the prayers with a moody soundtrack that built and built and finally exploded into a soaring “Lord have mercy;  Lord have mercy.”

As it all landed, Ian invited us to quietly pray:

Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;
in your compassion forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone;
and so uphold us by your Spirit
that we may live and serve you in newness of life,
to the honor and glory of your Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

…and then he took the biggest risk of the weekend.  Ian tenderly said, “I believe that we all are the priesthood of believers, and so I’m going to ask you to do something that might feel weird.  Please turn to the person next to you, look them in the eye, and say ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven’”.

The next few moments were as holy as it gets.  Such a simple thing, but so powerful.

I’m really thankful to Ian for coming to serve our church – and exposing us to an entirely different experience of worship and the liturgy.  (You can learn more about Ian at iancron.com.)

10.04.11

What worship leaders can learn from Elbow

Filed under: creativity,music,worship — 1:09 pm

Elbow

Since 1996, I’ve had the chance to make a ton of music and lead a lot of worship services with Troy Hatfield. He’s a killer musician, true pastor, deep thinker, and one of the best frisbee golf players on planet earth. We co-lead the worship team at Mars Hill Church for a handful of years, and he continues to lead there today. I think really highly of him.

Troy just wrote an article called “Learning from Elbow” that I think every worship leader should read. (Elbow is a brilliant Manchester band that Troy’s been following for years. They have since become one of my favorites also.)   Anyway, this is a great nudge to all of us who lead worship…

Learning From Elbow (by Troy Hatfield)

09.19.11

All The Poor and Powerless

Filed under: willow,worship — 10:52 am

I love this song.  We sang it this weekend at Willow – and by “we” I mean “Becky and Sharon” –
and the song has been lodged inside me ever since.  (You can read about how we used it and why at beyondsinging.willowcreek.org, Willow’s worship blog).  Here is a video of All Sons and Daughters performing it live in the studio…

09.13.11

follow up to the best lecture I’ve ever heard about worship

Filed under: worship — 7:56 am

In April, I attended an incredibly thought-provoking and inspiring conference called “Liturgy, Music, and Space”, put on by Isaac Wardell of Bifrost.  (If you don’t know Bifrost, please check them out immediately!)

To open the conference, Rev Greg Thompson gave the best lecture on worship that I’ve ever heard.  I posted my notes from it HERE.

But I forgot to mention this summer that they’ve posted the audio of it.  You can download it for free HERE.

If you are a worship leader or a pastor (or anyone interested in what the role of worship could/should be in the church), this is an hour very well spent!

Isaac leading a hymn sing

09.09.11

Sneak peak at the first New Liturgy…

Filed under: A New Liturgy,creativity,music,worship — 9:23 am

Hi everyone!

As most of you know, some friends and I have been pouring the last few months into a new adventure called “A New Liturgy”.  It’s been harder than I could have imagined, and one million times more fun.

The first liturgy – “God is Love” – will be officially available at a new web site next Thursday, September 15th.  But since you are all so kind to stop by this blog, here’s a sneak preview.  (For best audio quality, after you hit “play”, click the 240p below and select 720p). This is a short section from the first movement…

I can’t wait for you to hear the whole thing!  Thanks so much for being interested.  More coming soon…

08.22.11

Jesus meets Trent Reznor meets an ancient Catholic practice meets Willow Creek meets communion

Filed under: willow,worship — 8:25 am

Jesus on the cross

This weekend at Willow was one of the more moving communion experiences I’ve experienced in a long time.  To help prepare us for this holy sacrament, we spent 6 or 7 minutes meditating on eight stations of the cross.  The title would come up (e.g. “Station 1:  Pilate Condemns Jesus to Die”), followed by the scripture (e.g. “
Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion.  Mark 15:15″), and then a haunting piece of art capturing this scene came up on the screen.  And as we meditated on this image, we tried to enter the story as deeply as we could.  What might it have felt like to be there?  What must have been going through the mind of Jesus?  What does this moment in history 2000 years ago mean for my life right now?  The ancient practice of The Stations of the Cross guided us through an intense journey.

During this experience, we (the band) played the haunting “Hand Covers Bruise” by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross.   This song is as beautiful as it is creepy, and it captured some of that intense, mournful, unsettling emotion that must have been present on that execution day in the first century.  Listen to it here…

After this reflection, we took bread and juice in sober silence.  You could have heard a pin drop.  I’m not sure what was going on in everyone else, but all I could think about was my own brokenness.  I have failed to live up to who God has created me to be in a thousand ways.  A million ways.  And yet God has not and will not ever give up on me.  In fact, as Brennon Manning says, God is quite fond of me.  And you.

Finally, through tears and throats coated with a shot of grape juice, we stood and bellowed
the old hymn “Jesus Paid it All”…

I hear the Saviour say:
“Thy faith indeed is small
Child of weakness watch and pray
Find in me thine all in all”.

Jesus paid it all
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

08.14.11

How Coldplay saved me as a worship leader

Filed under: creativity,music,worship — 10:55 pm

Chris Martin

First, I must admit that I’m only a moderate Coldplay fan.  “Rush of Blood” was one of the greatest albums of that last ten years, but I’m pretty sure they’ll never reach those heights again.  However, I was watching their performance on the iTunes Festival app recently, and I was reminded how Coldplay saved me as a worship leader.

True story:  In 1998, I graduated from college with a Music Theory and Composition degree, determined to write music that blew peoples’ minds and set the music world on fire  (humble, huh?).
My first job was as a worship leader for the high school ministry of Willow Creek, helping students to sing and pray and connect with the Almighty.

So I began writing songs for us to sing…and not those lame, 3 chord, boring pop songs.  I created epic, complicated masterpieces that soared through key changes, polyrhythms, and time signature changes.  Yes, I was the Freddie Mercury of high school worship music.

The problem was that even though this music deeply connected with me (and a few members of the band), no one could sing along.  In fact, most of my songs crashed and burned with students.  They didn’t always hate the songs. They were just confused.  Yes, I was the Bjork of high school worship music.

But then I heard “The Scientist” by Coldplay.  And everything changed.

How could this ridiculously simple song move me in such a deep way?  My Theory 2 professor would have laughed the predictable chord progression out of class, but I could not stop listening to it.  Or playing it.  Or thinking about it.  This song captured the magic and transcendence that I was looking for in all my complex harmonic adventures, AND it brought the whole world along for the ride.  Stunning.  I had so much to learn.

If you don’t believe me, put on some headphones, turn up the volume, and listen to “Politik” with your eyes closed.  “Oh give me love over, love over this…”

That’s the kind of pop song that can change the world.  Or at least change the way we see it!  A song doesn’t have to be simple OR moving…accessible OR authentic…sing-able OR deep.  It can be a glorious marriage of both.  And by stripping a song (or emotion) down to its very essence, it can become, in many ways MORE moving and MORE authentic.

So for all you fellow music snobs out there, what song or band violates “the rules” of making cool music…and instead makes simple music that moves you?

07.08.11

Everything I Know about Leading Worship I Learned from an Irish Rock Star

Filed under: music,worship — 8:10 am

I wrote this article a few years ago, but after seeing Bono turn Soldier field into a church service again Tuesday night, I thought I’d re-share it.  Enjoy!

“Everything I know about leading worship I learned from an Irish Rock Star”

In 1993, I tagged along with one of my friends to a U2 concert. Even though I wasn’t much of a fan, I had heard a couple of their songs on the radio and thought it might be a good show. I wasn’t prepared for what I would experience. . .

Bono just may be the greatest worship leader in history.

Some kind of supernatural group experience took place there in the LA Coliseum. We sang our lungs out and we stood in reverent awe and we raised our hands to Heaven. It was like the best church service I had ever been to. I almost hugged the drunk guy next to me.

What happened? How was he able to take 3-chord rock and roll, a bunch of video screens, and a giant mirror-ball lemon. . .and connect me with God? Why did I arrive wanting to buy a t-shirt, and leave wanting to change the world? How could something as throw-a-way as pop music connect me with the eternal?

I have a couple theories. . .

Read the whole article HERE.

06.21.11

The new recording of “God’s Children”

Filed under: creativity,music,worship — 9:55 pm

In January I finished a worship song called “God’s Children” that has been burning inside me for months.
The idea that God loves EVERY ONE of his kids equally – no matter our history, nationality, beliefs, sins, strengths, etc – moves me at a profound level.  For nothing can separate us from the love of God…. And not only do I want to see myself as one of those passionately loved kids, I want to see every single other person I ever meet as my brother or sister, engulfed in God’s bottomless, paternal and maternal LOVE.

We’ve been singing this song at Willow for the last few months, and now we’ve officially recorded it for the International Teams “Songs for the Oppressed (vol 1)” project…which came out last week!

God’s Children – listen to sample

If you’re interested, feel free to check out Songs for the Oppressed (vol 1).  You can learn all about the project, check out the artists who contributed songs, and learn how I-Teams will use the sales and momentum to bring hope to some of the most oppressed people on earth.  Please join us!

God’s Children
Aaron Niequist

Father of the beaten down
Lover of the strong and proud
God of every class, from the greenest grass to the underpass
You’re the Maker of us all

Father of each citizen
Lover of each immigrant
God of everyone who has ever been an alien
You’re Creator of us all
Animator of us all

Oh—You love your children, Love your children
Every daughter, every son
Oh—You love your children, All your children
Help us see You in each one

Father of the most oppressed
Lover of the least impressed
God of every kid who has ever hid from being hit
You’re the Seer of us all
Loving Weeper for us all

You bring the rain down
On the good and bad, The good and bad
On all of us
On all Your children

And You make the Sun shine
On the good and bad, The good and bad
In all of us
In all Your children.

We were all once aliens
And we’re all so full of sin
But in Jesus’ name we were welcomed in as citizens

A brand new family, old and young
From every nation, faith, and tongue
A new creation has begun
From every nation, faith, and tongue

———–

<Download God’s Children basic chart>

06.16.11

If Mumford and Sons were a Methodist worship band

Filed under: creativity,music,worship — 11:07 am

My friend Jeremy posted this video yesterday of something that he and his co-conspirators did at Faith United Methodist Church.  I couldn’t possibly love it more!

They took my song “Love Can Change the World” and breathed a whole new energy and life into it.  (The banjo player is my new hero).  Fantastic job, guys!

06.08.11

Day ONE of a new adventure!

Filed under: creativity,music,worship — 6:03 pm

tracking glock in my basement

Yesterday, I officially began recording a new project called “A New Liturgy”.  And it seemed fitting to start by tracking a glockenspiel in my basement.

I’ve been using every spare minute of the last two months to write, arrange, and flesh out the GOD IS LOVE liturgy.  Hopefully, this will be the first in a long series.  I could not possibly be more excited to keep working on it…and then finally share it with all of you.

The goal is to release both liturgy ONE: GOD IS LOVE and liturgy TWO: BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING in September 2011.  Much, much more info will be coming this summer as it all unfolds.  Stay tuned!

06.03.11

A new “Neue” article called “We Need a New Hymnal”

Filed under: God's movement,worship — 3:05 pm

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I am thrilled to have contributed some thoughts about worship to the latest issue of Neue Magazine.  If you’re not familiar with Neue (from the makers of Relevant Magazine), definitely check it out.  They are wrestling with fantastic, bold, honest questions about the future of the christian church.  I feel humbled to be a part of it.

Here’s the beginning of the article…

We need a New Hymnal

After a service at Mars Hill one morning, a friend came up to me and said, “Aaron, I like you, but I always come late and skip the worship.  The songs you guys are doing don’t really help me connect with God.”  Since I was the worship leader, maybe this should have offended me, but it didn’t.  Instead, I just shrugged my shoulders and lamented, “I know.  Many of them don’t really work for me either.”

Clearly, our worship of the Almighty God shouldn’t depend on whether or not we like the music, and as a worship leader, my goal is to serve the community, not just stick to my preferences, but the disconnect worries me.  Most of my Christ-following friends don’t connect or listen to much of today’s worship music.  And neither do most of my worship leader friends.  We love God and are giving our lives to joining His movement on earth, and we want to be worshipful people, but for some reason, the current approach is no longer helpful.

Maybe we need a new hymnal.

We need new melodies and new language and new understandings of the eternal God. We don’t need to keep recycling the same ideas and phrases over and over; we need artists, dreamers, prophets, and poets to step up and lead us into unexplored places. Might this….

You can read the rest HERE. Or better yet, subscribe today!

05.08.11

the ache

Filed under: music,willow,worship — 8:16 pm

This Mother’s Day weekend at Willow, we dusted off the stunning Alanis Morissette song “That I Would Be Good” to give voice to the deep longing and fear that so many mothers and women feel on a daily basis.  (I’d argue that most men feel this too, if we can admit it).  In the cracks of this morning’s rehearsal, my mind wandered to some other Alanis songs, and I started playing that haunting piano intro to “Uninvited“.  Numerous people commented how stirring that song is.  One friend even mentioned afterward, “Aaron, that little melody moves me more deeply than any of the worship songs you’re playing today.”  And it got me wondering…

Why was the most evocative, emotionally honest moment of the service restricted to sound check?
Why don’t more of these moments happen in our services?
Is there a place for these haunting, moody emotions in worship,
or should we just sing happy songs?

Theologically and theoretically, I believe that we HAVE to be honest about the deep ache inside every one of us, even in worship.  Especially in worship!  The Light only makes sense in context of the darkness.  Almost all the art that moves me deeply has a little bit of melancholy…a touch of sadness…a bit of that longing for how things are supposed to be…a cry that mourns our incompleteness.  But it doesn’t leave us there.  It honestly and courageously wraps its arms around the dark reality, and then calls us upward toward Hope.
Great art (and great worship) is not afraid of the ugliness while unapologetically pursuing the beauty.

I believe that to my core.  But I don’t know how to help this happen in a mega-church worship service.  Really.  No one is stopping me – I just don’t know how to do it well.  Any thoughts?

05.03.11

a Sunday full of monotheism

Filed under: creativity,God's movement,willow,worship — 10:57 am

On Sunday, I had the rare opportunity to spend the morning with Christians, the afternoon with Muslims, and the evening with some Jewish friends. While the packed day of conversation pushed my introverted self a little far, my exhausted head hit the pillow feeling really alive and thankful.  Here’s the day…

the band

As you may have guessed, the morning was at Willow Creek…leading worship with a few of my favorite people.  We decided to do an unplugged Mumford and Sons inspired set at the front of the stage.  It was a blast.  We sang and prayed and pounded floor toms and clapped and tried to lift up The Almighty as highly as we could!  I’m so grateful to be a part of a team who’s willing to try anything – and make it great.

After a quick lunch, I drove out to the Midwest Islamic Center, Masjid Al-Huda, in Schaumburg.  A few weeks ago, after emailing and asking if someone would be willing to meet with me to help me learn about Islam, a kind man named Nazir invited me to their center.  I confessed to him that I was a Christian who lived in the area – but embarrassingly – didn’t have a single Muslim friend, and asked him a number of questions.  We had a great conversation, and he invited me to observe their midday prayer.

Masjid Al-Huda

The highlight of our time was when Nazir said “We honor Jesus.  We believe he was the Messiah, born of a virgin, and we try to obey all his teachings.  But it seems like Christians are way more focused on what Paul said than what Jesus said.“  Fascinating.  (And difficult to disagree with!)

dinner with Rabbi Rosen

Finally, our “Middle East Engagement Team” had dinner with Rabbi Brant Rosen and a few members of his Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston.  These deeply spiritual brothers and sisters have given their lives to peace-making and justice, and our group felt an immediate bond.  We asked what it was like to be them, heard inspiring/heartbreaking stories, and discussed possible ways to work for peace together.  It was a wonderful evening.  Rabbi Rosen’s comment “The best way to fight extremism is to give people hope” seemed to sum up the night…and possibly the entire day!  Definitely check out his bold and insightful blog here.

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