LA in the 60s was a boom-town for rock and roll. The group of musicians responsible for making so many of the hits come alive in those days was The Wrecking Crew. They played on hits for the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, Jan & Dean, The Monkees, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Mamas and Papas, Tijuana Brass, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Rivers and were Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound. At the time the record industry was primarily in New York, London and Detroit in the late 50s and early 60s. Then there was a surge towards the mid-60s that pushed the recording to the west Coast. So these musicians were recording around the clock for a good 8 years. The heyday for the group was in 1967 when the charts turned to the west.

I would give anything to have been a fly on the wall in one of those sessions. A little known fact is that Glen Campbell was one of the Wrecking Crew; he played many of the Beach Boys guitar riffs that are so much a part of our collective pop music conscious. Since I was only in elementary school during those amazing times, I wasn’t aware that people made a living creating music. The only time I saw this was in the Disney cartoon, 101 Dalmatians, where Roger, the human lead, wrote songs in his London bachelor flat. Maybe subconsciously I made a mental note that it would be cool to do the same one day.

As every musician makes the transition from amateur to pro, there are a series of lessons to be learned. The video  below is an out-take from a film being produced about the famed Wrecking Crew. Louie Shelton, guitarist extraordinaire, talks about his early days with the WC and a golden learning moment concerning “playing in the pocket” with the Crew’s famed drummer, Hal Blaine.

Louie Shelton and the Wrecking Crew

Isn’t it amazing how we survived childhood? The other day Brenda and I were talking about the incidents we survived as kids of falling, tripping, skidding and bumping into objects that create wounds and lasting scars. I spent hours in Dr. Dostrow’s office receiving my share of stitches for childhood mishaps; some were accidents, some were just stupid-kid stuff.

Brenda has a scar on her thumb which is a lasting reminder of her brother mistakenly closing the front door on her hand as a little girl. The thumb was actually severed but miraculously re-attached. I have a matching scar on my right thumb from a stupid-kid incident involving a swing set in my neighbor’s back yard. There was a side car kind-of-thing on the swing set that allowed two riders to face each other as it swung back and forth. I was curious: what would happen if I stuck my thumb in the mechanism at the top? Well, I soon found out when I pulled out my bloody appendage–the thumb was cut to the bone right behind the nail. With a tetanus shot and several stitches later, I was out playing again. Another time, I was sitting on a wooden fence and fell backward directly onto a row of jagged bricks (it’s crazy how much a simple scalp wound can bleed!). I was rushed to Dr. Dostrow’s “office of pain” for another set of stitches.

The most notorious incident happened at my cousin Mike’s house when we were around 7 or 8 years old. While playing Cowboy and Indian, Mike used a toy hammer as his tomahawk and I was using the standard toy gun. When we met up in a clearing in the backyard after a quick game of hide-and-seek, Mike aimed his tomahawk at me, reared back, and let it fly. I swear, I saw that hammer rotate in slow motion until it met my forehead above my right eye. BAM!!! I literally saw stars and heard a bird chirping as I fell to the ground in excruciating pain. I was puzzled why Mike let that hammer fly; it’s still an unsolved family mystery. All I know is that I spent the afternoon with wires stuck to my head looking at a machine with squiggly lines as the Dr. reassured my mom that there was no brain damage from the incident–only a nasty, walnut-sized lump.

The no-brain-damage diagnosis was arguable as the question still remains: what motivates a kid to stick his thumb into a swing, fall back and bust his head on a brick flowerbed, and play Cowboy and Indian with dangerous weapons? All I can say is: thank God for His protection. Kids will do dumb things and the best we can do as parents is lock them in their rooms until they turn 18! No, just kidding! As parents, we need to realize that things happen and that kids will be kids…even though some kids like me really do some idiotic things while growing up.

Coffee is very important to Brenda. On the trip home from my brother’s in Birmingham today, we went an hour out of our way to sniff out a Starbucks, all the while passing up dozens of other establishments like McDonalds and gas stations, just to snag a perfect cup of Joe. We found our fix. It’s not fair to put the blame her because I am just as much of a coffee snob as she.

I was raised with “coffee milk” from as far back as my caffeine-soaked mind can remember. We three brothers sat on the opened door of mom’s oven, warming our butts and drinking mugs of coffee laced with copious amounts of milk and sugar. I graduated to more coffee and less milk and sugar as the years progressed (to this day I can’t drink coffee totally black). Once a kid is taught to love coffee, God forbid the soul who tries to wrench it from his hand. It has become a serious habit–one that I don’t plan on quitting anytime soon.

The first date I went on with Brenda was at a coffee place in Mobile. It was there that, aside from her beauty of face and frame, I knew she was the one for me. She really loved her coffee. Plus, she had toted her Bible, which was almost as big as her, into the place. God, coffee and beauty…I was smitten! To this day, after 25 years of marriage, we can’t seem to kick-start our day without a few cups of our favorite brew.

Coffee has transitioned from a simple, hot mug of pick-me-up to a high-brow, gourmet excursion. When I visited Italy 30 years ago while on a music tour, I had to ask what the big copper machine was on the bar. I was told by the server that the contraption was an espresso maker. A what??? You see, back in the prehistoric days, I had no idea what a cappuccino was. I had to shake my head a few times and re-focus my eyes following my first Italian espresso adventure. After visiting other parts of Europe, I realized that coffee was made to be considerably stronger there. I began to enjoy the full-flavor that European coffee offered. When I visited New Orleans for the first time, I found a similar flavor in the Community coffee that the folks brewed (I believe that the water there contributes to the great flavor, believe it or not!).

This Christmas, one of the most popular gifts was the Keurig coffee maker. Brenda and I bought one last year and have sworn off the coffee pot that we had so faithfully used up to that point. Once a single cup of fresh coffee is made with the Keurig, it’s really hard to go back to the stale, hours-old coffee of the past. We can even keep a collection of various assortments on-hand to break the monotony of one particular flavor. It has become an obsession and an expensive pleasure that keeps us going back to  sometimes twice a week for more boxes.

Even though there are things to surrender as resolutions in the new year, I know for a fact that coffee will not be one of them. When our Keurig finally fails after constant use, I will rush to Bed, Bath and Beyond with my 20 percent-off coupon and return with a new Keurig coffee maker in hand. It is a wonderful addiction!

Great worship moments rarely happen on their own–although God is very capable of bringing them about without our help! Some worship leaders think it’s more spiritual when less planning is involved. My humble opinion is that God can work in advance, too; He can anoint, inspire and guide in the planning of a service a month away. And why wouldn’t He? We don’t wait to plan for a Thanksgiving feast on the day before: we spend time in advance thinking about the menu, the people we invite, and the setting in which it will be served. Great moments in worship are like this, and we have a better chance of reaching our goal if we spend time praying, thinking about, and designing a plan. God already has a one–we just need to seek and discover it.

In planning for a service, I use 5 general guidelines: 1) Determining the Spiritual Statement being made; 2) the Song Selection; 3) Sequencing of the songs and spoken segments; 4) the Segues between each piece in the service; and 5) Sensitivity to people and, most importantly, the Spirit.

Spiritual Statement
Each church has a unique personality and the songs used every week are a reflection of that individuality. As one considers the songs for a given week, we must consider the spiritual statement to be made in the service as a whole. Next, we must consider the season of the year and the appropriate songs to use. Other questions might be asked: is the pastor preaching on a special subject?; is our church needing to focus on some specific scripture or topic?; is the audience going to be of a certain age or will it consist of mixed generations? Some generations outside of the main stream will probably feel left out at times, but the objective is to reach the greatest population.

Song Selection
As previously mentioned, the choice of certain songs is unique to each congregation. There are no right or wrong songs to use–just effective ones–those that foster great worship moments. Some songs are written “about” God and are filled with statements about His character, majesty, holiness, etc. (many hymns are written about God). Other songs make statements “to” God, as if in a conversation.

Sequencing
My suggestion is to sequence the songs by placing the ones about God closer to the beginning of the service as the congregation is warming up to the room (they just dropped off their kids in the nursery and have toted them from the parking lot–so don’t scorn them if it takes a few minutes for them to make the transition). Save the conversation songs for later when a more intimate moment is desired. The start of a service usually requires a faster tempo. Then, as the the service transitions into an introspective, more worshipful moment, slower tempos are better suited.

The mental picture here is much like inviting people to your home: you greet them at the door and work your way inside. Everyone settles in, becoming relaxed as the evening progresses. Conversations usually become more personal as defenses fall and authentic communication can be accomplished.

Choosing the correct key for each song is imperative to creating a great moment in worship. Since the service is about everyone singing together, the congregation needs to be able to sing the notes. Considering the vocal ranges of Mr. Smith, the baritone, to Mrs. Jones, the soprano, we must select keys that allow the melodies to stay within the congregational singing range. This range starts with B flat, below middle C, in the lowest register, to the D, an octave and a whole-step away from middle C, for the highest. The range is obviously limited because the general public aren’t vocally trained as soloists. Stay within the congregational singing range as you choose songs. Maybe the keys you’ve been choosing are the reason your people don’t sing!

Segues
Segues between moments are critical. Try to allow as little lag-time between each piece as as possible. Even nano-seconds of “dead air” are distracting to great worship moments. Work out key changes by using the simple technique of going to the dominant chord of the new key, and using a suspended 4th in the first two beats of the bar, then resolving it on the last two beats. A tempo can also be changed as you ritard during the modulation. Keeping songs with related keys together, as well as modulating by half or whole steps, make for cleaner and better flowing transitions.

Sensitivity
I always make it a priority to be sensitive to those who are in the service each weekend. It is my goal that they “win” in worship; I want them to connect with God during that time. I try to remove any distractions that may inhibit that connection–be it physical, musical, or spiritual. I choose and arrange the songs with this in mind. Each stage movement is scrutinized, illuminating any impediment inhibiting a full focus on God during worship. The ultimate sensitivity, though, is toward God: He is the ultimate focal point and object of our adoration. Always be ready to make a change if God is leading in another direction. Our plans are just a flexible starting point in the large scheme of things.

Pray before you prepare. Think about these items I mentioned today. They aren’t an exhaustive list, but are a great way to start the journey. Blessings to each of you as you prepare to lead your congregation toward the Throne of God each week. Join me again as I explore more helpful tips in Creating Great Moments In Worship, Part 2.

Write me with questions, comments or suggestions:
jamie@jamieharvill.com

Today marks our 25th wedding anniversary. Brenda and I walked down the aisle–flanked by Christmas trees decorated with white doves–a quarter of a century ago, this evening. We were joined by family and friends from all over the US. South Alabama in December is mild, and the atmosphere in the church gym that night was as romantic as we could make it; we tried to distract attention from the basketball goals in the background, but we just couldn’t hide them. That night, two kids made a promise  that we both consider to be our best decision in life– second only to following Christ. We celebrate today as we behold our two great kids and their spouses. The blessings we have seen unfold over time is proof that God has been very good to us.

Happy anniversary, Sweetheart.

Today  is also a sad one as two of my dear friends are being buried–one in Mobile, Alabama and another in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They didn’t know each other, but they both had a big impact on my life. Brenda wrote some tender thoughts in her blog yesterday about their passing and the memories that remain:

Auld Lang Syne