Episode 77: Interview w/ Leigh Nash (of Sixpence None The Richer)
On this episode, we feature a special interview with Sixpence None The Richer’s singer, Leigh Nash, about her brand new album. We also feature a song from her project, an interview with Chris Lydle of RightsFlow.com, and some tributes our listeners left on our comment line for their pastors.
If you can’t get enough of Wisdom Moon and Ben Abu Saada, be sure to listen all the way till the end of the podcast for some secret humorous content.
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Limelight 20% off code: AAWLL (www.SongClearance.com)
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Episode 73, Interview with Stuart Townend – Show Notes
On this episode, we feature an interview with one of today’s most renown hymn writers, Stuart Townend. Stuart has written songs like “How Deep The Father’s Love”, “In Christ Alone”, “The Power of the Cross”, and many others.
Be sure to tune in towards the end of the podcast for a special promo code from our sponsor, RightsFlow, which gives you $5 off LimeLight in September.
Stay connected with us:
comment line: 913.735.4229
allaboutworship@gmail.com
Special thanks to:
Stuart Townend – for taking the time to be on the show
RightsFlow – for sponsoring this podcast; follow them on Twitter & let them know how much you appreciate them sponsoring our podcast.
Interview with David Santistevan
Dan Thomson, one of our contributors, recently had the opportunity to interview worship leader/songwriter/blogger – David Santistevan.
Dan: As a Worship Pastor and Young Adults Pastor, how do you organize your time with your team(s) to be ready for services each week?
David: With my worship team, I’m fortunate to work with some skilled, passionate young players who come prepared.
We use Planning Center as our home base of communication where our musicians can reference the weekends they are scheduled and come prepared to rehearsal. This enables us to rehearse on Saturday before our Saturday night service and skip a weekday rehearsal.
It’s pretty rare for a musician to show up on Saturday unprepared, which is amazing. It hasn’t always been this way!
Dan: Do you try to introduce original music in your worship services? If so, how often and what is the response from the congregation?
David: Yes, we do. Most songs typically take 2-3 weekends before they catch on. What I’ve found is that the original songs we write are embraced by the congregation even more than other songs. I’m not sure why, other than the congregation believes in what we’re doing. And, hopefully because the songs are good. 
I’m currently trying to introduce one original song a month. We just finished a songwriting retreat with our team a few months ago, so there’s a lot of songs we’re working on finishing and introducing. The hard part is finishing the songs! Sometimes you just need to call it done (for now) and test it out.
Dan: How long have you been blogging and what gives you the drive to write as many as 5 articles per week?
David: Believe it or not, I’ve actually been blogging for about 4 years. I started blogging just because a few close friends said I should. I had no vision or strategy for it. It was random and not very good. Barely had any readers.
About 9 months ago I decided to get more serious about it as a way to extend my influence and have a ‘home base’ for my ideas and ministry. I have a passion to teach so it’s been a great outlet for that as well. I write so often because I challenge myself to do it. I think it’s a great habit for everyone to write every day. Whether they have a blog or a journal or scribble on napkins doesn’t really matter.
Writing has made me a better thinker, artist, pastor, and leader. Positive feedback, blog growth, and having a passion for my niche keeps me going as well.
Dan: Your blog seems to have a lot of participation through comments and social media sharing. What topic would you say has brought the most feedback?
David: Anything worship related gets the most feedback and sharing. I was nervous that narrowing my niche would exclude readers and shrink my blog. It’s only grown as I’ve invested in this niche of worship leading in the local church. Second would be when I write about blogging. I think that’s because bloggers are online more than non-bloggers, so they’re always devouring content.
Dan: If you had one word of advice to give worship leaders, what would it be?
David: Invest your best energies into loving God with all your heart. “Passion for Jesus” is not a one-time event where you then move on to more practical matters. The practical aspects of worship leading are important but nothing can fuel a life of worship leading other than falling more in love with Jesus every day. Guard that passion with your life.
Dan: You are a Pastor and blogger, but you are also a songwriter and in 2008 recorded a worship album entitled “Near”. Can you tell us about the project and how that came about?
David: Recording “Near” was a dream come true for me. I’ve always wanted to record a worship album of original songs because my life was shaped by worship music as a youngster. I spent more time than I’d like to admit listening to Matt Redman, Vineyard, MorningStar, and Hillsong.
I wanted to release what was inside of me. The album was the result of a long season of physical suffering. I had an undiagnosed disease for over a year where I was unable to walk up stairs and lift up my hands, let alone play my guitar and sing. I laid down my passion for that year because I had no choice. Many of the songs were written without me actually singing them because I was so sick. But they were breath in my lungs as I poured my heart out to God through it all. He’s been so faithful.
Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win David’s CD – Near. We’ll pick 3 random winners. Deadline is September 6th. You must be a U.S. resident and at least 18 years old.
Exclusive Interview with Dwayne Moore
Wisdom Moon (founder of All About Worship) had a chance to sit down with author & speaker, Dwayne Moore. We discuss his recently published books, ministry, heaven, and much more.
Exclusive Interview with Joshua Seller
Joe Brookhouse, one of our contributors, recently had the opportunity to interview Canadian worship leader/songwriter – Joshua Seller.
Joe: For our readers who may not acquainted with you, introduce us to Joshua Seller. What is important for us to know about you?
Joshua: I’m a husband, father and worship leader and love my life! I get to write songs, lead people in music and see worship break out. I’ve been serving as the Director of Worship at Harvest Bible Chapel in Oakville, ON which is just outside of Toronto. Our little boy London just turned 2 and we have a little girl due in September.
Joe: This past October, you released your first full-length album, My King is Coming. Tell us about the process of creating your latest release. What was the vision behind the album?
Joshua: My King Is Coming is a project that I had unknowingly been writing for about 3 years. I never had the intent to make a record out of these songs but simply wanted to sing and share them with my church congregation. It was through much prayer and waiting on the Lord that it became clear it was time to record them and release something official. The “Passionate Reverence EP” was a result of winning “Scriptural Song of the Year” at the Covenant Awards in 2009. Part of the award was free studio time for a 3 song project. That got the ball rolling and lead to a follow up full length project that I recorded in Nashville in the summer of 2010. 
My church leadership really got behind the project which really served in the decision that now was the right time and fit to do something like this. After we recorded the project I felt the song “My King Is Coming” was the biggest “thought” I wanted to remind both believers and non-believers. My friend Andi Rozier inspired me to make the record missional in the sense that someone picks it up or is given it that it actually shares the gospel with that person. I desire to remind believers and unbelievers that Christ will return. That’s the truth.
Sure it’s a worship record, but these songs are birthed out of the desire to meet Christ one day and see His love lived out through us on this earth until that day. It gave me new purpose when working with the designer on the packaging and wording. I wanted the Gospel to go out and be heard.
Joe: “Worship Rises” is a standout track on the album and was also featured on the EP resulting from the Worship Rises songwriting event. For those unfamiliar with the event, can you tell us more about it and how you came to be involved?
Joshua: My good friend Chris Vacher came up with this idea to get like-minded worship leaders together to form some sort of community and out of that community hopefully birth some new songs for the church in Canada.
On my way to our first writers retreat I get hit with the conviction that I could very easily make this day about me, about my agenda and my goals and write songs that were “commercial’ instead of “corporate”. I began to pray out loud in my car and for some reason recorded it into my phone. The chorus and verse for Worship Rises came out of me. I showed it to Chris when I got there and we began to work on finishing the song. It all came together within 20-30 minutes.
Joe: What is your approach to songwriting? How are you inspired to write songs? How does your approach differ when working with a co-writer or co-writers?
Joshua: I’ve tried to block out time each week to write. Usually I’m inspired from a specific passage of Scripture or time alone with the Lord. But there are times when I hear a sermon, read a book, hear someones testimony, play with my son or simply be driving down the road and I melody and lyric pops into my head from somewhere.
I think Chris Martin from ColdPlay said once songwriting is a lot like fishing. You just sit at the end of the dock and wait for something to bite. I find I can relate that to writing songs for my church. Sometimes I’ll lock myself in a room with my guitar and just play and sing random ideas and prayers I want to say to the Lord. Sometimes something comes of it, sometimes its just a sweet time locked in the room singing to Jesus. It’s easy to make a song the goal and when writing “worship” songs that’s a bad plan. The goal is worship and the by product is the song.
If I can get past the goal to write a song and just sit before Jesus, those are the songs I find I’ll want to sing again or sit on till their finished. When it comes to co-writing I almost prefer it sometimes then writing alone. I just love crafting something with the right person next to me for many reasons but mainly because it allows more than one persons experience with the Lord and taste for music, melodies and creativity. Worship leaders should make every effort to co-write with other people in their ministry or other area churches. Its a great resource for practicing humility and seeking God’s Glory with others.
Joe: Tell us about the journey that brought you to become a worship leader. How has your history with secular performance influence d your perspective of the role of the worship leader?
Joshua: I remember after my short time on Canadian Idol I stood to a sell out crowd in my home town of 7000 people. I sang a bunch of covers, ran around the stage, tried and tried to entertain and give these people their money’s worth. There were many other opportunities and experiences like that for about a year or so where I would sing my songs and entertain people. I’m so thankful I don’t have to entertain anyone anymore.
When Jesus put a passion in me to lead worship I had to be willing to flip upside down why I loved music, why I loved to write, why I loved being on a stage in front of people. I joke and say alot that the worship leader has the best seat in the house because I get to watch a lot of times men and women connect and experience God and express back to Him their love and devotion.
People aren’t raising their hands to me, they’re not singing that I would hear them, they are singing to the Most High and I simply get to witness it and accompany those praises. I’m so aware of my insecurities in my flesh but so confident in the Gospel of Jesus Christ who has saved me and turned me around to be a vessel for HIS use and not my own.
I’ll be the first to say there is nothing special about me apart from Christ. The fact I can provide for my family through a worship ministry is still mind blowing after 5 years. I don’t deserve it but I’ll spend my life saying thank you to my God for the opportunity to serve Him this way.
Joe: You posted your testimony on your web site (thank you for sharing – it’s a blessing). You mention, in your past, faking being “Christian”. How do you avoid being a “fake” or being inauthentic as a worship leader?
Joshua: Part of avoiding being a fake is replacing and protecting yourself from your flesh and the human tendency we each have to seek glory for ourselves. Being a Christian isn’t easy but I will tell you its easier when you have things like moral boundaries, accountability, discipleship and a plan in place to do battle with your flesh.
God’s grace is a huge part but my part is taking what His Word says seriously and making a choice to take my sin seriously. Do that and watch the Holy Spirit do the rest. I read somewhere this quote I keep in my Bible to remind me of my responsibility to Christ and what He has called me to, it reads, “The power for Christian Living is entirely from the Holy Spirit, just as the power of salvation is entirely in Jesus Christ. But BOTH in the justifying work of Christ and in the sanctifying work of the HS, man’s will is active and commitment is called for.” Easy? no. Worthy it? Always.
Joe: How do you define success now as a worship artist with the perspective provided to you from your achievement in Canadian Idol?
Joshua: I describe it as “night and day”. Before Christ I did everything for myself. It sickens me to think how self absorbed I was with chasing things like fame and money. The truth in success is to the world or the Christians it looks much the same on the outside.
What I mean by that is if you are a successful songwriter, artist then popularity, fame and the financial side is bound to happen. Whats not the same is the heart of why we do what we do. I remember always being stressed or anxious and loosing sleep over how I was going to do something new to get my name in lights. It was so annoying looking back.
Now, I trust and know that God is for me. He is the one who guides me and keeps me. He is the one who plans out my steps even before I take them and if I walk in His shadow and desire to see His will be done than the Bible tells me I have nothing to fear and can rest in that. I desire all the time and effort I put into my ministry and my songs to result in spiritual fruit.
If any of it is done in my strength or with a underlying motive to seek self glory then I pray God would stop me in my tracks. Hard prayer to pray but the last thing I want is to stand before my Savior one day and be held accountable to a life lived for God but not knowing God.
Joe: A question that we ask at the end of all All About Worship interviews this year: if you weren’t able to be involved in music, what would you be doing?
Joshua: Making films. I love telling stories and think if I would have picked up a camera before a guitar I might have been in a whole different creative space.
“Broken Things”, Sarah Reeves – CD Review & Interview
I like to listen to worship while reading and studying. It’s truly remarkable when an album is so good that I have to put my books down. I found this in the new release from Sarah Reeves’ Broken Things. With 10 songs that last a little less than 45 minutes it gives you enough time to enjoy, but it’s short enough to cause you to want more.
I love tracks 2 and 3: “Mighty Wave” which leads right into “Spontaneous One”. “Mighty Wave” is such a soft and soothing track that it’s easy to get swept away. (I am sorry about the pun.) Both are very simple tracks, but carry such weight. “Mighty Wave” is about getting lost deep within the depths of God.
I love the chorus, “So I’ll pour my tears in the ocean. And I’ll leave my pain by the shore. With Your mighty wave You’ll sweep them away, till they are no more.” That is the heart of the song, being so lost in Jesus that people have to find Him to find you. The song leads into the first spontaneous track which is really an overflow of Sarah’s heart, about taking your cares, burdens, and weights and casting them aside and going before Him.
Sarah is a phenomenal piano player and it really shows in this album. Most of these songs are devotional worship as opposed to the traditional corporate worship. I love the refreshing nature of them. It’s like a cup of cool water for my soul in the midst of this hot summer.
“Spontaneous Two” is another amazing song. It begins with Sarah lightly flowing over the keys of her piano while lightly humming along. It’s a powerful song about how the Lord is dancing over us. It literally drips with the Love of the Lord. She is able to almost dance between the Love of God to us and our response of love back to him. It’s an intricate tango that really draws you into a deeper place of worship. It is not the kind of song you listen to lightly, but rather one that makes you lay out and just worship Him.
The final track on the album “Sweetest Name” is just amazing. There are probably dozens of worship songs written about the name of Jesus, but Sarah truly does it justice. That is a high compliment. She really honors and does justice to the name of Jesus. What other name is worth anything. It shows the beauty, the power, and the Glory of His name. It is with no reservations, my favorite song on the entire album. This is a song you need to hear.
Be sure to go get this album on iTunes or on SarahReeves.net!
-Review by Mathew Reams
Check out this clip from a recent interview Wisdom Moon, founder of All About Worship, did with Sarah. You can listen to the entire interview on the upcoming episode of the All About Worship Podcast.
Exclusive Interview with Matt Redman
Wisdom Moon, founder of All About Worship, recently had the opportunity to interview worship leader/songwriter, Matt Redman, about worship leading, ministry, and his new album 10,000 Reasons.
Wisdom: Matt, thanks so much for taking the time to share with us today. I’ve followed your ministry since your album, The Friendship And The Fear. You’ve been a mentor to me from a distance all these years. I know that people like Mike Pilavachi have been a mentor to you when you started leading worship. How are you currently mentoring young worship leaders?
Matt: One of my favorite ways to get alongside younger worship leaders is to look at the whole songwriting thing
together. It’s such a great way to hang out anyway – in every song there’s a conversation, a bible study and a creative sharpening. Honestly, I get quite a few songs and albums sent to me to listen to and comment on, and I can’t really commit to many of those because of how busy life is. But instead there are a few younger writers who I’ve committed to hanging with now and again, and we’ll songwrite and talk about God, life and music. I really enjoy that. Of course the funny thing is I’ll end up learning a lot too – because they have a new approach with creative ideas that would have never entered my mind.
Wisdom: Looking back at your experience in worship ministry, if you could share one thing with all the up-and-coming worship leaders in the world, what would it be?
Matt: Approach ministry as a ‘team-player’. That might mean co-leading or co-writing, but there’s such a huge spiritual and powerful strength in working together. God loves ‘team’. I hope this new album displays a little of that dynamic. All of the songs were co-written, and some have up to four different writers. We’re all linked by a love for God and friendship with each other – and that makes for such great writing experience. It fosters an environment where people can be honest and creative.
Wisdom: I’ve been listening to the pre-release of your latest album 10,000 Reasons. Another amazing live album from you, I must say! Do you prefer recording a live album over a studio album?
Matt: Studio albums are always an exciting creative journey, but there’s something about the live album recording when it comes to worship music that’s very hard to capture in a studio. I hope this album is creative and musical and all that, but I also love that it has some effervescence to it – the people of God pouring out their hearts before Him. I’m so grateful that we got to record this with around 1,100 worship leaders, musicians, singers, and pastors in attendance. It was like having a choir of over a thousand people!
Wisdom: What is one thing you would like the listener to take away from your album, 10,000 Reasons?
Matt: A ‘readiness’ to worship Jesus. At all times and in all places we need to have a song to sing. If we wake up one morning with nothing to say in repines to God, there’s something desperately wrong. When I say there are 10,000 reasons to worship God, of course that’s a huge poetic understatement! True worshippers are always ready with a prayer or a praise – a heart response to the goodness and greatness of God over their lives.
Wisdom: If you were invited to an event full of non-believers and could only sing one song from the album, which would it be and why?
Matt: Maybe ‘Where Would We Be’. It’s a song of salvation, but while writing we were thinking about the Chilean miners rescue last year – and so use a lot of imagery and language from that news story. They say a billion people around the world watched that rescue, and so it feels like a song which I hope could relevantly convey the story of Jesus – the One who came to ‘seek and save’ us – or, as the song says, to ‘search and rescue’.
Wisdom: Thanks again for taking the time to share some of your insights with us and about your new album. We pray that God will use it to advance His Kingdom in a powerful way.
Matt: A pleasure… thanks!
Check out Matt Redman’s new album on iTunes:
Exclusive Interview with Daniel Bashta
Wisdom Moon, founder of All About Worship, goes one-one-one with worship leader, songwriter, Integrity Music artist, Daniel Bashta.
Daniel shares about his music, life, and ministry.
Exclusive Interview with Joanna (Reyburn) May
Joe Brookhouse, one of our contributors, recently had the opportunity to interview Joanna May about her latest album – Here’s My Cup. Joanna is a worship leader/songwriter at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City.
Here’s My Cup is your first cd release. Can you share with us the journey of its creation? Has it been a long time coming?
It has been a long time coming. I’ve been at the House of Prayer since 2002 leading worship in a lot of different areas. I sensed a personal invitation to commit the first 5 years of my ministry life to the Lord; not to try and build a name for myself, record albums, or travel extensively but simply to be at His feet like Mary of Bethany. I am so thankful for that time, and do not regret it one bit.
In the last year, I felt that it was time to do an album. So I put out some “fleeces” (that’s the possible plural of “fleece”) like Gideon in Judges 6, and said, “Lord, if it’s time to do this album, bring about A, B and C.” And you know He did. I won’t go into the details of all that, but I am convinced that if the Lord has really called you to do something, He has made complete provision for it. In my case, there was a season of waiting for the right time, preparing my heart, and contending for the release of provision.
I started the recording process in the spring of 2010, while my fiance and I were planning a wedding and trying to close on our house. We got most of the recording process done at that time, but as my wedding date came closer, I put it on hold, and picked it back up months later to finish the project.
This is definitely a worship album, but very intimate. You refer to it as “devotional worship”. How does it differ from what we might normally associate with corporate worship? How do you hope the listener will respond to it?
When I started this project, I had a couple thoughts in mind. I wanted someone to be able to put on this album and let it play all the way through. I also wanted the album to make sense as a progression from song to song, each track building on the previous. I envisioned someone laying on the floor, and spending 50 minutes in the presence of the Lord, using this album as inspiring background music for their personal prayer time, or playing it as their children fall asleep. My goal for this project wasn’t to write songs that would be sung in congregational worship, but to provide a peaceful, presence-worship soundtrack for dialoguing with Jesus. I knew that I wanted to use excerpts of spontaneous clips, prayer, and some violin because I love the violin.
Despite being a studio album, Here’s My Cup has the feel of live, authentic worship. Did you approach recording the album with that in mind?
I was SO scared that doing a studio recording was going to end up sounding “canned.” I wanted that same atmosphere that exists in a prayer room devotional where the Holy Spirit leads people directly into the presence of the Lord. I talked with my engineer Luke Hendrickson, and we approached the recording process a bit differently because of this.
We created a peaceful and prayerful atmosphere in the studio. I’ve worked on recording projects where there were day-old pizzas laying around, and 5 extra guys there goofing off. Where each take was brutally critiqued, rehashed, auto-tuned and rerecorded. I knew I didn’t want that kind of a process. When I went in to record, I’d light a candle, turn off the overhead lights, and spend a few moments praying. Then I’d start playing and singing. I didn’t decide a hard and fast song layout. I went in with a loose outline of each song, and if that changed during recording, we went with it. Because of this process, no take was the same. After the first recording, we went back and fixed only the major goofs, leaving a sort-of rawness to it. Later we added other instrumentation. I think this process contributed to the “live” feeling. The three songs with a full band, Ocean, Humble and Here’s My Cup were recorded with everybody live in the studio in two to three takes.
The album starts with “What Do You Think About Me”, a powerful song and plea. Would you share with us the story behind this song?
This song was composed during a devotional worship time in the prayer room. One of the most important things in the life of a believer is to have confidence in the affections of the Father, to know how He feels about you, and what He thinks about you, whether it’s in weakness or in strength, on a good day or a day when you feel like you’ve completely blown it.
So many Christians are haunted by the idea that God is mostly upset with them, that they have disappointed Him, and He’s not happy with them. That view is so debilitating! It causes us to live in shame, condemnation, and rejection. It thwarts our ability to walk with boldness and confidence into the things the Lord has called us to, and causes us to live with a constant expectation of judgment.
When we, like David, are sure of the Lord’s affections, when we are confronted with our sin or compromise, we can run right back into His heart without spiraling into rebellion, feeling disqualified and shameful, or trying to earn back God’s approval. In the place of repentance and a contrite heart, we are the apple of God’s eye and His delight is in us. That’s so powerful! “What do you think about me” came out of singing those concepts over a prayer room full of people, and I’m convinced it’s a message God wants us to really get a hold of.
Your songs have a very fluid, almost spontaneous feel to them. Are your songs most often the result of an intentional songwriting process or do they come some other way?
My husband is a songwriter, he can sit and write a rap on a particular topic, and it’s so powerful. I’m not good at that. When I sit down to intentionally write songs, I produce some of lamest stuff I’ve ever heard. You may think I’m exaggerating, but trust me, I’m not – it’s bad. The songs on my album are the result of spontaneous singing. I’ll sit down at the piano or grab my guitar, and just start singing. Sometimes I’ll pick a Psalm, or a parable and weave together other Scriptures, or even sing my prayers. Other times, I’ll take the perspective of the Lord and sing over myself, my family or my city. It’s like a biblical stream of consciousness.
I’m a huge proponent of spontaneous singing – it’s something anyone can do (even non-singers) that will benefit your heart immensely. It’s a muscle you have to exercise, and it may not be comfortable at first, but learning to sing the Scriptures is something that Paul talks about in Ephesians 5:19, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” A good way to practice is to find an instrumental album with simple melodies, and just start singing along. I like to go on walks and sing acapella to the Lord.
We can hear you praying on “Humble”. I’m sure you’re used to leading prayer in a public venue; how different was it to pray for a recording? Did you prepare in advance?
Yikes, you really caught me on this question. I remember the day we recorded this prayer. It was early in the morning on a Saturday towards the end of the project, and I tried waking up my husband saying, “You have to come to the studio with me today! I’m going to pray on the recording and you have to tell me if it sounds stupid.” I was terrified to pray on a recording, and I still cringe a little when I listen to it. It’s like listening to yourself on a voice mail message.
I have a few albums that people pray on (Laura Woodley and Apostolic Prayers to name a few) and I have been profoundly ministered to by agreeing with recorded prayers. Praying out loud was one thing that the Lord brought to mind when I was considering what to do with this album; I felt like I was supposed to do it, but it didn’t make it any more comfortable. There is something very personal about praying on a recording. And even though I’m a singer, I still don’t like listening to the sound of my speaking voice. I did a couple takes, each time praying something different, and picked the one that I felt fit best. It’s not the most comfortable thing for me to do, or listen to later, but I hope that people will be encouraged.
You’ve been involved at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City since 2002 in a number of capacities including leading worship at the Prayer Room. How did that relationship begin? How has your experience with IHOP influenced you as a worship leader?
When I was 12 years old, I heard a message about Mary of Bethany pouring out her fragrant perfume at the feet of Jesus, and I knew that I wanted to give my life to Him in adoration worship, and when I heard Julie Meyer and JoAnn McFatter spontaneously singing the heart of the Lord at a conference, I knew that’s what it was supposed to look like for me too. A 24/7 prayer room began in Kansas City when I was in high-school, and I spent my weekends driving 40 miles to be there because for me, that was such a natural starting place for learning to live a lifestyle of adoration worship. After graduation, I enrolled in IHOP’s internship program and began singing and leading on worship teams, and the rest is history as they say.
24/7 prayer and worship is a unique phenomenon in the earth, it’s unlike many other ministry forms. As a worship leader in that environment, you have so much time actively leading worship. In the early days, we would do 12-24 hours of worship leading a week. It would take months to gain that experience at a Sunday service. With that kind of frequency, the practical benefits of being a “seasoned worship leader” come quicker like learning about song selection, transitioning, how to lead a team, leadership, practices, etc. But there are trying elements as well. In a 24-hour prayer room, people can leave whenever they want. Being a young worship leader, and having a mass exodus when you take over a session is a little disheartening, but you’ve still got two hours ahead of you. Not to mention major goofs? You will make them. Enunciation flubs, key change nightmares, sound issues, equipment failure, you name it. One time, I fell off the piano bench and got tangled in some cords and was completely mortified, but I had to go in the next day and do it all over again.
Another dynamic of a prayer room is that corporate worship is not the only worship expression. People are not always standing, many times they are reading, praying, studying, crying, taking communion, etc. The “2 fast songs, 3 slow” model doesn’t always apply here. Not to mention that one popular worship song? It’s going to be sung 12 times a day, and you’re going to get tired of it pretty quick. This is where that muscle of spontaneous singing really got developed, we’d sing through whole chapters, leading the room in sort of a musical Bible study.
Your husband, J. May, is an artist as well. How does his music compare with yours? Do you ever collaborate?
My husband J.May is a rap artist, and has released an E.P. Conflict and a single, The Throne. He has also contributed to a couple compilation projects. I’m so proud of him, and love his music. He writes theologically solid raps, that are also really fun to listen to. We’re still working on how to bring our sounds together on the same project, but I can definitely see some fun collaboration in the future.
A question that we ask at the end of all All About Worship interviews this year: if you couldn’t do music for a living, what would you be doing?
I think the question for me is “What would I be doing today.” I am a bit of a Jill-of-all-trades. I love doing all sorts of stuff. Right now, I’m programming an iPhone app for a ministry. Sometimes I do design work, wedding photography, and web development. I also really enjoying working on marketing campaigns, and brainstorming new ideas. Recently, we moved into a new house, and I’ve become mildly obsessed with decorated, DIY, rehabbing furniture, and renovating, so if you asked me today what I would do, it would be to run a decorator business. But tomorrow my answer might be totally different.
Thanks, Joanna, for taking the time to share your heart and ministry with us!
Episode 67: Interview with Michael Gungor
On this episode we sit down with Michael Gungor in person and talk about music, ministry, and more.
Wisdom and Ben also discuss the upcoming All About Worship Retreat. Join us live online as we stream the Night of Worship on May 20th at 7:30pm CST at livestream.com/gracevideo
Also on this episode:
-We say farewell to our long time sponsor of the podcast.
-Share exciting news about the launch of Sounds of Redemption, the new nonprofit ministry that will become the parent ministry of All About Worship.
-Chat with our friend, Joel Klampert, about Forge Conference coming up.
-Feature a song written by one of our Plus Members who is participating in our monthly songwriting challenge.
QUICK LINKS
- Hosts: Wisdom Moon & Ben Abu Saada — check out their blogs
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