Great Cover Band or Interpretation?

There are lots of people who make a living covering other peoples songs. Lots. Beatles impersonators, Elvis lookalikes. There is a local band I see from time to time who do Heart songs better than I have ever seen.

That's great in some settings where people want virtual jukebox in a live band. Where we have lost our way is worship leaders who do "covers" of worship songs.

My favorite worship band Corey and the band can really do covers. They do "Rain Down" verbatim. They do all the Hillsong United stuff cold.

When they do, it's good. But, it's better is when they really go deep and take a song and give it a shake up, listen to the words, and flow in new and fresh ways. They can do it so well.

Covering music can be stale. Fresh is better. Much better.

You can't be fresh unless you can flow. Flow comes from the ability to feel and sense what is happening in the Spirit, changing tempo, different cords, going slower, quieter, repeating a passage, sensing the moment. Sometimes playing just ONE NOTE for a very very long time can be right while the tension builds.

While I enjoy the skillful covers Corey and the band can provide, what I really want is music driven and directed by the Spirit of God.

It doesn't need to be an original composition. So many musicians believe there is a rule that the song has to be a carbon copy of one everyone hears or knows or it's not good. For that reason they write original music, some of which can be banal because they can't or won't flow. It only needs to be fresh.

I have heard Bach's Air on a G String played 50 different ways. The essence was there but the color changed with tempo, acceleration, instrumentation, dynamics and much more.

I can listen to a CD any time. It's always the same. It's not bad, it's just the same. I would rather not endure that in Church.

How about something fresh, new, dynamic, sensitive, alive. It doesn't need to be new. Just alive. That's what I really want to hear. Let me know this is more than a processed regurgitation I'll have to endure. If we are doing more than covering tunes and actually leading worship, then lead.

My wife long ago told me the reason I'm not a great worship leader. It's because I play songs instead of worshiping. I don't lead worship because I play songs. It cut me like a knife but she was right. Anyone can play songs. It takes a worshiper to lead worship. A musician who just plays songs is giving a concert and calling it worship. I know, I've done it. I've had to endure it. Put even a small child in front and let them worship and others will follow. We were created to worship. We want to worship. We will follow someone into true worship if they will just show us the way. That's what Leading Worship means.

If you want a flavor of what that sounds like, turn on your speakers, click on one of the songs and listen. Best if you listen to all of them. It's not elegant, polished, professional, or technical. It's rugged, passionate, rich and real. People respond to real. They really do.

Try reaching out to your people with that kind of Spirit and watch what happens.