"New Song" Tips

[DeanZF]

:zf: "New Song" Tips & Techniques



Helena has been after me for weeks to write something on the pursuit and encouragement of the use of the "New Song" in worship. I've finally found my old files, gotten them updated, and at least a starting point of thought collection. <EMOJI seq="1f607">:innocent:</EMOJI>



For the purpose of discussion, New Song is one of the many contemporary phrases that allude to what was called "singing in the spirit" for many years in charismatic circles of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The scriptural bases for it are found in Ephesians 5 where we're told to all be coming together with songs, hymns, and spiritual songs. That last one is what some folks interpret as spontaneous song from the heart, unrehearsed, unplanned, but expected. Some commentators use the word "ecstatic" when talking about these songs. The phrase "new song" is found in several psalms (depending on the translation used) including 33:3, 40:3, 96:1, 98:1, 144:9, and 149:1. Isaiah 42:10 brings us the imperative: Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth! And finally, in Revelation (5:9, 14:3), "they sang a new song...", they being the saints triumphant.



:lecture: What is it? Spontaneous, heartfelt expressions of adoration, praise, or worship is about as close as I can come quickly. Most of these are indeed "sung" as you and I understand singing, so far as I can tell. These can be nicely formed in verses with rhymes. More typically in my experience, they are more prose-like, with declarations and proclamations of Who He is, What He's like, my responses to Him. "I love you, Lord" is a good, common way to start it out. Picking scriptural phrases describing Him, proclaiming some aspect of Him that is particularly meaningful to you. That's all in your given language, of course. There is also the possibility of singing in tongues or in your prayer language, if you have been so gifted, and if that's a comfortable thing for your congregation. More than a few charismatics have been "let go" after introducing New Song to a baptistic congregation and forgetting to sing only in understandable syllables. Sad but true.



We were privileged to receive a nifty chart of chord progressions a bunch of years ago, with some nifty teaching on developing congregational participation in the New Song. It's good to start simply, maybe a two chord progression, with some instruction so that the folks know what they can do and that it's okay! Permission is important. Going until it's done is important, even when it seems to want to trickle off. Press in, press on! It's a journey, and it takes some practice.



For one's personal time, these can afford a nice foundation to explore New Song, both vocally and instrumentally. Remember the scriptures that talk about prophesying on instruments??? Numbers of folks think that's related to New Song. Some folks have taken the progressions, created different styles or beats with them using MIDI equipment to form "loops", and can practice without having a band, but still with the benefits of a larger sound. No hurting fingers from hours on the strings, and it can be done in any of the keys easily. Lets the mind and spirit soar without the limitations of musical abilities.



Here are the links. You may have to save them to your computer and place them on a Word page or some other source for printing. JPG files are kind of unpredictable. They were set up for really skinny margins because of the amount of material involved.



Explanation, instructions, and disclaimer (included in the download):


<CENTER>

WORSHIP CHORD PROGRESSIONS

</CENTER>

Here it is, a very useful collection of Worship Chord Progressions. this is NOT my collection of stuff, rather something I came across maybe 15 years ago that was of great value and immediately went into reprocessing and became a transmittable file. I do not know who gets credit for compiling this gem, but it has been an invaluable tool over the years. This is GREAT for helping ears-only musicians understand the eye-musicians and great for encouraging transpositions and facility in the more distant keys. It is provided as an Acrobat file format, easitly readable and printable for use in your chruch or praise band. [A download of this is available at the end of this thread. You will not be able to print the chord chart from the "print this topic" link because it is an image file.]



These are really great for introducing groups of people to the concept of "singing in the Spirit" or what some call "the new song" or "song of the Lord". It helps the musicians by providing something more than a one or two-chord progression. It can be used to help build facility in singing spontaneous praises, in singing prophetically. It provides a wonderful ground on which to teach Spirit-led improvisation and with good introduction and proactice can be used in congregational singing unto the Lord with delightful results.



I hope they will be as great a blessing to you has they have to me.



We've modified progression #11 The original IV/inv was shown as a 7 chord. We like it better without the 7th.



If you find anyone who claims credit for compiling these, please advise so that I can give them proper credit. And be sure to post any small testimonies as to their use. Thanking you in advance.



Dean Thomas

<EMAIL email="ContactUs@ZionFire.com">ContactUs@ZionFire.com</EMAIL>

<URL url="http://www.ZionFire.com">www.ZionFire.com

<URL url="http://www.ZionFireFriends.com">www.ZionFireFriends.com

August 2006



<IMG content="http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/3064/chords2ie2.jpg">



The PDF version can be downloaded by clicking the Attachment Link at the bottom of this post.



Give us some feedback on this. Thoughts, questions, or experiences (good, bad, and funny or not).

[HelenaZF]

I'd like to add that these progressions can be used in two ways.



They can be used on their own. Start by playing the progressions instrumentally for a while before adding vocals, so that the pattern becomes established in people's minds, and then build from there in to spiritual songs. There are times when you might even start a song-set this way. It can be a way of preparation and intercession before moving into the song list. Other times, it's a wonderful insertion somewhere that gives people an opportunity to personalize their response to the Lord, or allow for prophetic song to come forth.



Or, a progression can very naturally be added to the end of a regular song. Pick a progression that is complimentary to the song you have just finished. Or, choose a progression used in the song itself. (You are certainly not limited by the ones included in the above list.) As the progression repeats at the end of the song, it will be a natural transition into singing in the Spirit.



Varying the harmonic rhythm can be used to change the mood and intensity of the underlayment. For instance, instead of 2 or 4 beats on each chord, try 8 beats, or even something in a triple rhythm, like 6/8 or 12/8 meter.



Here are a couple of more progressions that I like to use:



I - I7 - IV - iv6

( C - C7 - F - fm6) Good for sweet, dripping with myrrh kind of spiritual songs



i - bVII - VI - V

(cm - Bb - Ab - G) Pulling down strongholds, militant or mournful type songs.



I - bIII - bVII - I

(C - Eb - Bb - C) Awesome, heroic, heavenly host on the move type of music.



I - bVII - bVI - bVII

(C - Bb - Ab - Bb ) Throne room, worship hushed OR powerful.



I also sometimes use the ground from the Pachelbel Canon in D. Very peaceful and something you can sing over for a long time without getting tired of it.

[sonworshiper]

Hi Dean (I know you knew I'd bite on this topic!) :wink:



Could you describe then, the difference between:



1. New song

2. Spontaneous worship

3. Prophetic worship

4. Free worship



Are they all separate worship "forms"? Or very similar--too close to differentiate kind of thing?? Thanks in advance!



Blessings!



Moe.

:crooner:

[DeanZF]

All of them can be (and frequently are) used interchangeably, IMO, in current and common usage.



We also use the term "prophetic worship" as a genre more than as a particular act, but that's us. There we're talking about the expectation that we're tied into something much larger than ourselves, and expecting an interaction with the Almighty. Prophetic in this sense means "forth-telling" and often either repeats or comments on, or expands on scripture. That last is a kind of loaded term; what I mean there is that sometimes we might add pageantry, movement of other sorts, or some sort of visual to bring visual interpretation to the written and sung word. It's one thing to sing about the cross, but often images of an actual cross, pictures from the art world (or even from movies) depicting the crucifixion can bring a tremendous depth of understanding that mere words often lose.



I could certainly pick some nits and establish separate definitions for each phrase, but there really is no need. You could do that, too. The important thing is that you are trying to find ways to expand your own worship experience and that of your congregation. Pick a name that will work and use it with your people. Define it carefully so that everyone knows what you're expecting. I think that's why "singing in the spirit" was an important phrase in the 70s and 80s. It uses scriptural allusion (I Cor 14:15, "If I sing with my spirit..." or "If I sing with the spirit...", both referring to MY spirit, not THE Spirit), and yet does not get bound up in English grammatical problems like "new song" or "prophetic worship". The latter is not a scriptural phrase and it gets pretty badly abused around the English speaking world, IMO.



Does that help??

[sonworshiper]

Yes! (that helps -- as always!) :wink:



Could you elaborate on or explain the concept of "forth-telling" as opposed to "fore-telling"????



Moe.

:crooner:

[DeanZF]

Could you elaborate on or explain the concept of "forth-telling" as opposed to "fore-telling"????

Sure!



Foretelling is the easy one. It is revelation that has no current foundation in the accepted Word of God. "Moe, you will come into a large sum of money on..." or "George, your ministry will blossom... I see you travelling and ministering to thousands." Those would be personal prophecies, both foretelling, revealing future events. "This church will grow and become a..." Corporate foretelling, a revelation of a specific plan.



Forth-telling is quoting or agreeing with scripture, and when used in a "prophetic" sense, there is usually an anointing, an unction, some sort of divine power "loaned" to the telling. This is usually perceived in a setting where someone is speaking a spiritual truth that is directly applicable to ME or to US, and applicable TODAY. Margolit shared a free-verse poem in Miriam's Dance Studio <URL url="http://zionfirefriends.com/index.php?showtopic=791">(Click Here!) that kind of does this. What she has written, her poem has a lot of scriptural allusion in there. Lots of quoted verses that her Spirit-enlivened imagination collected into a vision. She is not foretelling the future. In this vision, she has found herself in a scriptural context, agreeing with what scripture has to say about her and about all of us. The Song of Songs invites all of us to the dance, not just the Shulammite. Margolit's vision obviously spoke very directly (there's the power I was talking about) to several folks, bringing tears to some, and a lightness of heart to others. These were not just emotional responses, but rather responses of their spirits to spiritual truths repeated and revealed in a personal way. Again, because the concept is not new, this is not revelation per se, but because of the personal identification, the revelation takes on a new, very personal level. Forthtelling.



When I personally became aware that I personally was a part of the Bride of Christ, that was as a result of forthtelling, not foretelling. It was a revelation of the truth of the Word of God.



The power aspect of this thing is greatly connected to the truth that His Word goes out to accomplish, and never returns void.



Hope that helps.

[Margolit]

Sure!





Forth-telling is quoting or agreeing with scripture, and when used in a "prophetic" sense, there is usually an anointing, an unction, some sort of divine power "loaned" to the telling. This is usually perceived in a setting where someone is speaking a spiritual truth that is directly applicable to ME or to US, and applicable TODAY. Margolit shared a free-verse poem in Miriam's Dance Studio <URL url="http://zionfirefriends.com/index.php?showtopic=791">(Click Here!) that kind of does this. What she has written, her poem has a lot of scriptural allusion in there. Lots of quoted verses that her Spirit-enlivened imagination collected into a vision. She is not foretelling the future. In this vision, she has found herself in a scriptural context, agreeing with what scripture has to say about her and about all of us. The Song of Songs invites all of us to the dance, not just the Shulammite. Margolit's vision obviously spoke very directly (there's the power I was talking about) to several folks, bringing tears to some, and a lightness of heart to others. These were not just emotional responses, but rather responses of their spirits to spiritual truths repeated and revealed in a personal way. Again, because the concept is not new, this is not revelation per se, but because of the personal identification, the revelation takes on a new, very personal level. Forthtelling.



When I personally became aware that I personally was a part of the Bride of Christ, that was as a result of forthtelling, not foretelling. It was a revelation of the truth of the Word of God.



The power aspect of this thing is greatly connected to the truth that His Word goes out to accomplish, and never returns void.



Hope that helps.

Dean,



Thank You. You have captured what I experienced exactly, and what I felt in the spirit as it was occurring.



I literally saw Yeshua, heard him speaking to me in the spirit, felt the words of what I wrote in my mind as I wrote them. I remember the excitement I felt as it occurred, and not being able to write fast enough. It was a heady experience and I could barely contain myself, keep myself from laughing aloud, from sharing it. And yet it was only the beginning.....for it did not come to completion for many months. A friend of mine who has used the Song of Songs as the basis for a lot of her writing, saw what you did almost immediately. Another saw and felt the wedding scene very clearly. All I know is the joy I feel knowing that the L-rd has used it to touch and reach people in some small, and sometimes unexpected, way.