Harvest Songs

A month or so ago, I mentioned on Facebook and Twitter that I was going to start a new recording project. I included this photo of several acoustic instruments that I said will be used in the recording. At that time, I didn't mention the concept for the project that I was mulling around in my mind.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I have such great memories of when I moved to Ohio back in 1980, and the smell of burning leaves during Autumn permeated the air. The Fall took on a different feel for me there; in Southern California, where I was raised, there really was never a change of seasons, just lots of rain preceding the spring, then the killer SoCal weather—for which it is so famous—until the Santa Ana winds blow through in late Summer, reaching all the way to the rainy season again. The Southeast, here in Tennessee, has a more mild temperature, but there are four distinct seasons, none the less. It has always been my desire to write and record a batch of songs that the Fall inspired; songs that bring that crisp air and beautiful foliage to mind.

Fall in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

I can think of records I listened to back in the day, like Neil Young's Harvest, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's Deja Vu. Later, I would discover artists like Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs,  Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles—their music brings about a longing for wide-open spaces and beautiful vistas. I have always wanted to recreate that feeling in my songs (that's what artists do!), and I made up my mind to do a record during the Fall—for inspiration.

I started about 6 weeks ago, and I'm almost finished with the 9 songs on the record. I used a heavy dose of acoustic instruments like banjo (a "ganjo," in my case), mandolin, fiddle, and a smattering of steel guitar—thanks to my new friend, Mike Scaggs. I've written some new songs especially for this project, and there will be some old favorites from my past on there like "Only Always," "Garments of Praise" and one of my favorite camp song-hymns: "At the Cross." I've also included a new song, co-written with the great Ginny Owens (also on her upcoming record), called "I Am Yours."

I'm not sure what it'll be called, but I pray the project will be a delight to play in any season. It will definitely have you longing for the crisp days of Fall, and reaching for a warm sweater to break the Autumn chill.

Knowing—Growing—Sowing

Regarding our personal lives, it's good to ask ourselves every once in a while, "What the heck am I doing?" I get in such a groove with daily routines that I become stuck in a rut! Church is much the same: we go through the motions each week and, from time to time, try to remember the reason we're doing what we're doing (like I do these days when I go into a room, stop, and try to recall why I went in there!).

I am convinced that in our modern age of consumer church, by an ever-so-slight and a sometimes hard-to-recognize degree, we are veering away from the Church's simple yet profound original purpose: Helping to connect people with God.

This week, in the Wednesday morning men's meeting I attend at my church, I was thinking of our church's purpose in the community—these three words came to mind: to Know, Grow and Sow. It's probably cornball, and not at all original, but it reminds me that we should be all about people and not just designing incredible "big-top" extravaganzas of worship events each week. There is a place for worship services, music, preaching and fellowship in the life of our church (I just completed a 200-page book on the subject of worship), but to focus the majority of our fiscal budget, time and effort on producing events is out of balance.

To clarify: I am a proponent of killer music, excellence, and the "if you're gonna do it at all, do it the best you know how" approach. I love quality lighting because it helps me see what's onstage; I like good sound because it helps amplify even the smallest and most nuanced part of a sermon or musical arrangement; I like hi-def video because it helps me see the words to the worship songs, and I can be encouraged by my pastor's preaching in our Spring Hill auditorium, which is broadcast from our main campus, 20-minutes away in Franklin—and it can be seen at a later time online, too. Living in Tennessee, I am so very thankful for air-conditioning. I don't wanna go back to funeral fans and opened windows for comfort!

I am all for technology and the advancements that God has engineered to assist the Church throughout the centuries. But we must remember our primary purpose: to Know God and help others get to know Christ personally (through church services, events and outreaches and "circle-of-influence"-evangelism, etc.); to Grow spiritually (through various spiritual formation initiatives— from classroom learning to old-school one-on-one mentoring); and to Sow the Gospel and go into all the world, as the Great Commission commands (not suggests!). We are called to work along side God to help re-create in others what He has created through Christ in us. Ultimately, it's about fostering a community of people to (as the Westminster Shorter Catechism states): "...glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever."

I think there's probably a place for Christ-followers to sit in a comfortable building, watching the "pros" do church each week for an hour and a half. But as we refocus our purpose, the work of the Church is not for the professional Christians alone to accomplish. Rather, it's for every church staff member and volunteer believer, both young and old, to join together in the business of Knowing, Growing and Sowing!

Goodbye Pastor Chuck Smith

It was sad to hear the news of Chuck Smith's passing. For decades he was Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California. He slipped quietly away from his family and flock to be with the Lord last week, after an almost two-year battle with lung cancer. Chuck was 86.

I know that, ultimately, the death of a Christ-follower is a victory: we shed our mortal bodies to inhabit new, glorious ones that will never again experience struggle, sickness or pain. I watched Chuck's final sermon last week online. He preached in that old familiar sanctuary that I visited so many times back in the mid-'70s. Chuck made his way to the pulpit and sat while he spoke, an oxygen tube affixed to his nose to help him deliver a message on keeping the faith. No one knew at the time that this would be his last sermon from the pulpit. Looking at the video from that fateful Sunday morning service on September 29th, it was bittersweet.

So many came to the Lord over the years and grew mightily through Chuck's ministry at Calvary Chapel. I came to know the Lord and, in part, grew in my own faith through the ministry there. I am grateful that when the opportunity arose to minister to those shaggy-haired hippies back in the late-'60's and '70s, he said, "Yes!" While so many would turn their backs on the hippies, Chuck welcomed them into Calvary Chapel's fold. Many were barefooted, unkempt and unshaven—many of Calvary's members counseled him against it. His decision to reach out to those counter-culture dropouts helped set the wheels in motion for one of the greatest cultural revivals in America, not to mention the incredible Jesus Music and the subsequent worship renewal that was birthed out of it all.

Bittersweet—yes—because it's an end of an era for believers of my generation from the West Coast. Chuck made sure to raise up several leaders over the years who, in turn, helped plant several churches all over the world and disciple millions. The work will continue as those young leaders, many former hippies from the early days of Calvary Chapel, following Chucks example, duplicated themselves and raised strong leaders for successive generations.

God is honored through the life of Chuck Smith. I don't want to waste a single day messing around with worthless pursuits, and I would like to end my days knowing I finished the race as well as he did.

Worship Teams: Leading A Volunteer Army

Here's another excerpt from my new book, Worship Foundry, coming out on WestBow Press/ Thomas Nelson by late-fall of 2013. I am excited, to say the least, and hope you snag a copy of your own! I am also available to come to your church or organization to teach on the topics introduced in the book and certainly other topics, too, such as songwriting, if you like. I'd also love to join in with your worship team during weekend services to worship with you and your church while I'm there. Give me a shout at jamie(at)jamieharvill(dot)com.

Thanks for faithfully coming back to these pages each week, and I hope you've gained encouragement through the writings.

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With most church activities, the work is done through volunteers—people who have families, jobs, and many responsibilities in their personal lives. I highly respect the time given by volunteers for events, rehearsals, worship services, community outreaches, building projects, etc., and that’s why I start and end on time.

The best currency for volunteers is appreciation. It’s important to convey appreciation during and after each event. It’s also good to have “hi-five” moments when an event goes over well, and equally important to make necessary corrections, with love, when something doesn’t go as well. Volunteers want to be a part of something exciting, life-changing, and carried out with excellence and efficiency. As a leader, it’s my responsibility to bring direction and discipline to the whole process. Volunteers want to feel respected, protected and appreciated.

Becoming an effective leader is a life-long process, and it’s important to invest in leadership, as well as spiritual and musical training. This book will speak of leadership throughout, but there are so many resources available in Christian bookstores. Books by contemporary authors such as John Maxwell and Bill Hybels, and even classics like “D.L. Moody on Spiritual Leadership” are available in print or in e-book form. There are seminars such as the annual Willow Creek Leadership Summit, simulcast from the Chicago-area main campus to local churches throughout the world. Training videos are available on the Willow Creek website to help you become a more effective leader.

"Volunteers want to feel respected, protected and appreciated."

It’s not too late to finish your college or graduate degree. There are many universities that offer online courses on leadership. The opportunity to complete what you may have started years ago can be invigorating. Any investment that makes us a better person, leader, minister, and musician is a good one.

Jesus’ Method of Leadership

Jesus made sure the disciples knew that the true essence of leadership was being a servant. He taught them through the humble task of washing the disciples’ feet. Even though some relented, Jesus pressed-in to make His point. In John 13:12-16, we see Jesus, the ultimate servant, in action:

“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (NIV)’”

There is no greater display of true leadership than in the life Jesus. His way of dealing with people, prioritizing His time (He did what He was called to do in roughly three years), and making courageous and unpopular decisions, is a great example of true focus, passion and purpose. His obedience to God is our example to emulate. His behavior inspires us to get up, get out and be the leader we need to be. Our understanding of people, human nature, and how to inspire a diverse team of individuals, with a focused goal, is imperative to effective leadership.