Though I have not written many songs, I was moved and encouraged by what Brenton Brown and Don Williams had to say on the subject of theologically sound songwriting. I am in a unique place in my worship leading because I am a worship leader who is also a pastor. Or should I say a pastor who is also a worship leader? I feel very much in the middle of both roles with both roles sharing an equal amount of my heart, time and energy. I tend to have one foot in both worlds all the time and find myself torn on any given day with how to give appropriate attention to both. I feel that I am continually asking God for more balance in this area and I hope it is on the way as new worship leaders begin to rise up in our community.
The songs I have written have been birthed from deep experience with God and others but I am reminded from the media this week that good experience is not enough, our songs need to be rooted and established in truth. I agree wholeheartedly with Don Williams that if we are not producing songs in truth then we are “trafficking in the Kingdom of darkness”*. That is a bold statement but I believe it to be a necessary one.
I appreciated how Brenton Brown gave adequate attention to the process of bringing a song to life. He shared how we can not ignore our emotion or experience when writing but hopefully our experience, rooted in scripture and theological soundness, will be the base from which our creativity flows.
* Don Williams – (Why Theology)
