Music – John Markum

The Tuesday Ten: Big Influencers

Posted on September 18, 2012 by johnmarkum

This week, I decided to share the top ten people who have influenced my life the greatest, whom I have never met. Also, these are non-biblical individuals, so the obligatory “Jesus,” or “Apostle Paul” didn’t make this list.

Billy Graham: Taught me that the Gospel, itself, was powerful enough to change multitudes.
Rick Warren: Dared me to think about church differently.
Peter Furler: Former lead singer for the band, Newsboys. Showed me that good music can be fun, loud, powerful, and full of the Holy Spirit.
Steven Furtick: The church should be the most creative entity in the world… and it’s OK to preach in jeans.
Perry Noble: Be real. Be yourself.
Bob Hughes: Missionary to the Philippines. Don’t hold back!
Chuck Swindoll: It’s lonely to lead.
Andy Stanley: Discipleship happens in community.
Mark Zuckerberg: Connected more people to a social website than were on earth during the time of Christ.
Steve Jobs: A man who clearly had an amazing gift. He changed much about my world. I think of people like him advancing God’s Kingdom.

These are not perfect men, and some of them may not even be Christ followers. But I – and much of my generation – have been greatly influenced by these individuals, and I’m grateful to be the recipient of their contributions.

Worship Perspective

Posted on August 25, 2011 by johnmarkum

With our consumer culture and love of music, it’s easy to get the wrong attitude for how we worship in church. Some people, quite honestly, annoy me with how they criticize worship music in churches. Like they’re the Simon Cowell of worship leaders.

Now don’t get me wrong… no one in church appreciates good, powerful music more than I do. And because of my church background, I have as much appreciation for the old hymns as I do RED. But regardless, if the song is something that challenges the people of God to be Christ-like, or lifts up the name of Jesus, it is something to glorify God.

I think we get it mixed up so much because we confuse ourselves with the three participating groups in church worship services:

The Performer(s) – The person(s) doing the actual worshiping.
The Audience – The one(s) for whom the worship is intended.
The Catalyst – The one responsible for prompting The Performer(s).

Typically, we see the people on the stage as The Performers, God as The Catalyst, and the people in the seats as The Audience. With this mentality, worship in our churches often becomes entertainment: the people on the stage are easy to criticize based on how well they did, or (as we’ve learned from American Idol) what songs they chose, and the people in the service are either mostly passive, or critical of what they liked and didn’t like, while God’s presence is judged by how well the band entertained us. This problem occurs in every flavor of “worship styles” too. So this is not just a generational thing.

But God intended differently. The people playing and singing on the stage are not The Performers… they are The Catalyst. the people in the service are not The Audience, they are in fact The Performers. And God is not The Catalyst, He is The Audience. When we see worship in our churches this way, we realize that the job of the worship leader is to call us into God’s presence with praise. The Audience (the people) has the job of accepting the invitation and bringing their praise before God. And God takes His place as the rightful recipient of our worship.

I find it offensive toward God when we talk about “what we got” out of worship. Since when has worship ever been about what we get?!? It’s about what we bring before Him.

We receive the greatest benefit of worship, but only because true worship requires us to be surrendered to the One we worship.

Blessings,

John

Favorite Worship Music: “The Stand”

Posted on July 20, 2011 by johnmarkum

This is a newer favorite. The first time I heard this song was by our youth band, who by the way, is hands-down the best youth band on earth. And, no. That’s not an exaggeration. At any rate, the song is “The Stand.” And it’s just this powerful anthem of worship that is awesome to sing with hundreds of followers of Jesus. It’s written by Joel Houston of Hillsong United. If anyone from Hillsong has ever written a bad worship song, I haven’t heard it! PLEASE listen to this one. You’ll be glad you did.

THE STAND (music/lyrics by Joel Houston – Hillsong United)

Verse 1:

You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

Verse 2:

You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
And what can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

Verse 3:

So I’ll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
And what can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You (x 2)

Chorus:

So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all

So I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours