Recently, I have been praying and thinking a lot about songwriting. The recording software and technology is somewhat new to me, but I made a promise to the Lord that I would record an album… hopefully sooner rather than later! I also sensed Him urging me to write all different types of music. I have lots of ideas and hope that my music will glorify God and bring freedom and hope to His people.
As I’ve been thinking about lyrical content, I was reminded of an article entitled “Motives for Ministry” published in Worship Leader Magazine writted by Paul Baloche that I read for one of my worship classes at Fuller. In it, Paul candidly shared about his experiences when he first began leading worship. He also wrote about his philosophy of songwriting and his heart behind ministry. On the topic of songwriting, he said,
“Our local church continues to be the anchor of my spiritual health and the inspiration for new songs-simple prayers set to music. I can’t seem to finish a song idea without running it through the ‘congregation filter’ in my mind, asking the question, ‘Will this song help others worship?’ If our motivation is to serve our community and see hearts changed, marriages strengthened, and broken lives restored that has to be the bottom line-helping others worship. Constantly asking this question is imperative in distinguishing and adjusting our motives for ministry.”
How about you? What was your experience like when you first began leading worship? Did you have people alongside you that supported your gifts and empowered you? Do you prefer to write songs that are congregationally-focused like Paul Baloche or do you have another audience that you minister to? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Love Dove Art 