Proskuneo » Josh Davis

Multilingual Worship: Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship (part 5 of 7)

josh — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:59:11 +0000

This is the fourth in a series of seven short videos I made for our Ministry Partners entitled, “Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship.” As we live this life as a dress rehearsal for heaven, we need to look for ways to worship together with other believers from every tribe, language, and nation. I am happy to share with you a step-by-step process. (Note: this process is not the only way, but a valid way…)

Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship [part 1 of 7]

Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship [part 2 of 7]

Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship [part 3 of 7]

Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship [part 4 of 7]

Multilingual Worship: Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship (part 4 of 7)

josh — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:31:21 +0000

This is the fourth in a series of seven short videos I made for our Ministry Partners entitled, “Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship.” I get asked all the time about how to go about introducing multiple languages to a mono-lingual congregation. I am happy to share with you a step-by-step process. (Note: this process is not the only way, but a valid way…)

Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship [part 1 of 7]

Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship [part 2 of 7]

Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship [part 3 of 7]

Palm Sunday at Clarkston Int’l Bible Church

josh — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:51:16 +0000

I had the privilege of getting to lead worship on Palm Sunday at Clarkston Int’l Bible Church in Clarkston, GA. CIBC is a church that has many different congregations that come together a couple times each year to worship corporately. On Palm Sunday, the “mother church” of CIBC (which is comprised mostly of Filipinos and Anglos) worshiped together with Liberian, Sudanese, Burmese (Karen), Burmese (Zomi), Nepali, French African congregations that meet at CIBC weekly. Normally, when they gather, each congregation presents a song that they sing for the other congregations to listen to and enjoy. This is what I call the “separate but equal” approach. Everyone gets equal time, and they do their thing, which is beautiful and honoring to their culture, and allows them to share a bit of themselves with the others. However, there is no corporate participation with one another’s songs and languages.

[this photo was taken BEFORE the service started! many more came in after this! and there must have been 200 children who left for children's church! Amazing and beautiful!!!!]

On Palm Sunday, CIBC’s pastor asked me to lead a corporate time of singing in each other’s languages, however. And, it was a JOY for me! We sang in French, English, Chin, Arabic, Ki-Swahili, and Nepali. Here was the set-list:

Alle [Proskuneo standard song; French, English]

Ishwarle [Aradhna song; Nepali, English] This is normally done only in Nepali, but I wrote a singable English translation for this song.

Baba Al Fi Sama [African song I learned from Sudanese congregation; Arabic, English, Ki-Swahili] I wrote a singable English translation for this song, after I found out that this song is sung widely throughout different parts of Africa, in a variety of African languages!

How Great Thou Art [Traditional Hymn; Chin, English, Arabic, French] I had just learned the Chin translation of this song a couple of weeks earlier from a PSOTA student. (Read more)

Multilingual Easter Song: Death Is Swallowed Up In Victory

josh — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:56:55 +0000

Here’s a video of an original song I just finished for Easter 2012. The chorus has space to go multi-lingual…

See what you think!

Email info@proskuneo.info for a chord chart if you are interested. Happy Easter!!

MULTILINGUAL WORSHIP: Incorporating Language into Musical Worship (Part 3 of 7)

josh — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:49:49 +0000

This is the third in a series of seven short videos I made for our Ministry Partners entitled, “Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship.” Maybe you’re realizing that in heaven, we will worship multi-lingually. Maybe, like me, you are praying for that to happen here on earth. Maybe you have no clue where to start. I am happy to share with you a step-by-step process. (Note: this process is not the only way, but a valid way…)

Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship (part 1 of 7)

Incorporating Language Into Musical Worship (part 2 of 7)

Spontaneous Worship Song/Cancion Espontanea: Yo Te Quiero Conocer

josh — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:04:35 +0000

Last year when I was in the Dominican Republic on a trip with my family, I had the opportunity to lead worship at Iglesia Triunfadores en Cristo in Santiago. There was a guest preacher that day speaking on intimacy with Christ, and the desire to know him deeply. As the sermon was concluding, I began to hear a bit of a melody and some words in my head, and when given the opportunity, I knew the Lord would have me sing it spontaneously, writing on the spot a response to what the LORD had been saying and doing. Singing spontaneous worship songs is one of my favorite things to do, whether corporately or privately…but rarely is it documented on video. We ended up worshiping on the song for upwards of 20 minutes, but I edited it down to about 4. Worship with me!

The translation of the song is as follows:

I want to know You.

In the deep places of my being.

Your passion and your love,

Your power and your pain,

I want to know you…

Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…

Multicultural Worship Song: Haye Aan Ammanno (Somali, English)

josh — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:16:23 +0000

Here is a video of me singing a Somali song that I translated into a singable English. Enjoy!

Check out our Cultural Spotlight: Somalia blog for more information about language and culture of Somalia.

PWI, Wimbledon, & the Benefits of Creative Community

josh — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:14:25 +0000

One of the things I love about PWI is that I get to spend a whole month in God-honoring community with other creatives. I find that being around other creative people inspires my own creativity. It’s kind of like Wimbledon…

When I was a kid, I used to love to watch Wimbledon. Every minute that I could during those two weeks of the summer, I would watch tennis. My favorite players back then were Andre Aggassi and Chris Evert Lloyd. (That clues you in on how old I am…) But, not only did I watch tennis, but I was inspired to play tennis just by watching those greats. And so I did… I would watch for a couple hours. Then, after the match was over, I would grab my racket and go outside and hit the tennis ball against the wall on the back porch for hours. I couldn’t just watch…I had to do something!

That’s the way I feel each year at PWI. Every summer, for a whole month, God-worshiping creatives from all over come together at our Proskuneo Worship Institute. They learn their craft. They worship. They write new songs, paint new paintings, choreograph new dances. And it is inspiring. I can’t help but be more creative when I am around them! Last year, though it was by far the most busy month of my year, I ended up writing 5 songs during PWI, and starting a few more. (And some of the songs I wrote during that month are on my top 10 list of favorites I have ever written!) Normally, when I am busy, songwriting is the first thing to go. I can’t explain what happened last summer any other way than to say: Being around other creatives inspires my own creativity. I love it!

Come join our PWI family this summer, and be inspired. Find out more at: www.thepwi.info

Changing Circumstances, Unchanging God

josh — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:03:11 +0000

This post is part of an ongoing collaboration of multicultural social media ministries. We are all writing a post this week to examine God’s unchanging nature, and how it relates to multicultural ministry. Links to other blog posts that are a part of this collaboration will be posted at the bottom of this post, in the comments section.

The circumstances of life are constantly changing. Constantly. In the past 3 months, another daughter has been born into our family, Proskuneo has opened a School of the Arts in Clarkston, Ga and today we are buying a house in Clarkston. Three members of our Proskuneo team are moving in the next month, one to Michigan, another to New York, and another to Florida. Each member of our Proskuneo staff team is undergoing major changes in life and I am contemplating change…

We have undergone a lot of change in this ministry over the last 10 years. We have moved the ministry once, leaving our entire volunteer, support, and contact base in Florida and starting again in Georgia. We have changed our name from davis54:2 to Proskuneo. Back in 2004, we changed our mission statement and focused on the God-given task of “bringing nations together in worship.” We lost a good friend and fellow-founder of the ministry, Heidi Goodbar, to cancer. We have had 3 staff members come and go. And now, while our mission statement remains the same, we are changing our focus a bit. Rather than scattering seeds so broadly, we feel called by God to focus our energies on a little town called Clarkston, Georgia.

With all the change happening, and sometimes at a staggering pace, it is easy to become disoriented. It is easy to fear the unknown. It is easy to second-guess. But, there is one constant. Our GOD is unchanging. James 1 says that He is the “Father of lights who does not change like shifting shadows.” I can’t tell you what a deep settledness in my soul this knowledge brings.

So many times, I go back to what I know of GOD’s nature. When money seems scarce, I remember that the GOD who provided for the first two years of this ministry’s operating expenses with an unsolicited donor (who had no idea we were dreaming of starting this ministry), is the same GOD that provides for us today. When the work of “bringing nations together in worship” seems too messy, difficult, and time-consuming, I remember that GOD has always had it in His heart to bless the nations (Genesis 12:3). And that He is working a plan that culminates in people from every tribe, language, and nation gathered around the throne praising Him (Rev 7:9,10). When I don’t know how I am going to lead through the next change, I remember that I didn’t get myself into this ministry. GOD did. And I know that the One who called me is faithful, “He will do it.” (I Thess 5:24)

Multicultural Worship Song: “Inside Out” in ASL

josh — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:25:45 +0000

Because God has called me to lead nations in worship, and because He has given me a gift and passion for languages…I am always in the process of learning language. I have enjoyed the last several years learning American Sign Language. I was introduced to it by my Deaf neighbors who are great friends and teachers. I have picked up a lot of ASL by watching and lately participating in the interpretation ministry at my church. I recently led this song in ASL at my church. It was a challenge and I did some real thinking beforehand about what the song means…which included asking friends and theologians and watching other people’s ASL interpretations of this song. I love the process…it is by no means perfect (I have already made some improvements), so I would love your feedback, your questions, your ideas, your thoughts…