BONUS - ISAAC WATTS

Hello and welcome to the Bright Forever bonus episode. It's really short, but I just felt like I needed to say this because I couldn't fit it in and I really wanted to talk to those of you out there who are worship leaders for just a moment. This week we're talking about "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and something I wanted to say, but I was like, uh, it's, it's, it's more directed to a specific group. And so I didn't want to put it into the overall podcast because it was just going to take up extra time. But I want to share with those. If you are a worship leader out there, um, we talked about the nonconformity of, um, of Isaac Watts and how he took, uh, the old traditions of the church, and he made them new for a new generation. And if you are a worship leader out there who enjoys bringing these amazing hymns and the amazing hymn lyrics and powerful theology and doctrine to a new generation by changing the tune or trying new things with these old hymns, then I want you to know you are in good company. If you are a worship leader out there who is getting an enormous amount of pushback from your congregation or maybe just certain individuals in your church, you know the ones I'm talking about, the ones who never hold back their opinion about how you are ruining beloved hymns and how you're destroying church music forever by your blatant disregard for the, quote, way things have always been done. then do not fear. Do not lose heart. You are in good company. One of the roles of a worship leader, in my opinion, is to take the doctrines and theology of the church and to put it to music. I know that sometimes I can remember a song better than I can a good quote or a good anecdote. If that song is good, if it's catchy, then or if the melody and words just work, something about it helps me remember what it's saying. I remember as a child, one of the first scriptures I ever memorized, I learned because the scripture was put to song on a Kid's Praise album. The ones with Psalty the Singing Songbook, which, okay, I realize I'm dating myself right now, but kids praise with Psalty the Singing Songbook was my jam as a kid. And yes, for all of my friends out there who are going, I remember that. I remember you doing that. Yes, I played Psalty in a fifth grade children's choir production of, I think, A Hymnological Adventure Through Time. I got to play young Psalty and sing Take My Life and Let It Be. Pictures from which many of my friends have used as blackmail in years past. You know who you are. But there is a scripture that, to this day, I will never forget because of the song on the Kids Praise album. And it's 1 John 4, 7 and 8. And it says this, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God, he that loveth not. Knoweth not God, for God is love. Beloved, let us love one another. 1 John 4: 7 and 8. I will never forget this scripture. It is one of the first ones I ever memorized, and I remember this song like it was yesterday. I will never forget 1 John 4: 7 and 8, and that God is love because it's ingrained in my memory as a song. Our job as worship leaders is to edify God's people by giving them the tools to preach to themselves the gospel every day, to sing to themselves the gospel, to remind themselves every single day of the gospel. It's not just good news for salvation. It's the good news of every day lived for Christ. I can't think of a better hymn to know and to memorize and to sing to yourself the truth of the gospel than "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." To remind us of what the cross is in our life. And to let the cross of Christ loom large in our lives. And what a great reminder that we can preach or sing to ourselves every day.