I.

MECHANICS OF HARP & BOWL: A CYCLICAL PATTERN

A. Corporate Worship (2-3 songs)

B. Spontaneous Singing: Devotional, Scriptural, in the Spirit

C. Development of a Biblical passage through prayer and antiphonal singing

D. Spontaneous Choruses & Name of the Lord (“Jesus, Come”) closes it

1) Worship Cycle – 3 Parts

(WL= Worship Leader, PL= Prayer Leader)

Worship Cycle # 1: 30-40 minutes

a) Worship songs: for 20 minutes to give the team and the room time to focus
on the Lord
b) Spontaneous singing: for 5 minutes (feel free to go longer if there is life on
it)
c) Develop a Biblical passage (antiphonal singing): 10-15 minutes (longer or
shorter)

Worship Cycle # 2: 20-30 minutes each (feel free to go longer if there is life on it)
a) Worship songs: for 20 minutes to give the team and the room time to focus
on the Lord
b) Spontaneous singing: for 5 minutes (feel free to go longer if there is life on
it)
c) Develop a Biblical passage (antiphonal singing): 10-15 minutes (longer or
shorter)
1. We aim for 4-6 worship cycles (you may do more or less). As a
rule, we finish a worship cycle by developing a passage with
antiphonal singing and then we begin another worship cycle by
singing a worship song. (However, if the antiphonal singing is
flowing in a strong theme and you think you will lose momentum
by changing the music to sing a new worship song, then
occasionally you may choose to start the new worship cycle with a
spontaneous chorus instead of a regular worship song and then you
can move into spontaneous singing from there.)
2. The WL has the primary responsibility to lead this set and to
choose the chapter and make worship outlines. The WL may
delegate this to another as the WL invites partnership from any on
the team. The WL will print the verses on the outline so that all
have the same translation and so they can edit out phrases that are
too hard to sing. (Aim at fitting it on one page.)
3. On the outline, break the chapter down into 5-7 cycles. You may
not use them all, but have them ready. Give each cycle a title. The
 WL determines the order in which the verses are sung when
making the outline; going through the chapter in any order. (For
example, in Psalm 24 you may start with v.8 “Who is this King of
glory?” and then go to v. 1-3 in one of the following cycles.) The
team may use the same outline for several weeks (or as long as you
want) and will also study that chapter together. Note: the PL
should announce the Psalm so that the room can follow.

2) Developing a Passage – 4 Parts

a) “Sing through a biblical sentence”: that is established from 1-3 verses of
Scripture. When singing through the biblical sentence, we will primarily use the
wording of the text.
i) Feel free to add an additional sentence using your own language to flow better
with the text. (For example, when singing Rev. 4:8, “Holy, Holy, Holy . . .”
we may add, “You alone are the Holy God, who we adore.”} Select biblical
sentences with phrases that are easy to express heart responses to God. Omit
phrases that are difficult to sing.
ii) End the biblical sentence with a name of God (ex. “Oh God” or “Lord God
Almighty”, etc.)
iii) The WL sings through the first biblical sentence, followed by singer #1, then
singer #2, etc. unless otherwise assigned by the WL. (The PL does not
introduce a passage.) The singer lifts their bible during spontaneous singing to
indicate they are ready. We can learn to sing oracles by singing the biblical
sentence with a “declarative style.”

b) “Isolating a phrase”: the PL clearly designates (echoes) one key phrase from the
biblical sentence that the prophetic singers may develop by singing “around it.”
The PL’s goal is to make one phrase obvious to the prophetic singers as the
phrase from which to develop a theme. The PL isolates only 3-7 words from the
biblical sentence. This makes an easy target for the singers so that we reach a
“swell” or “crescendo” in singing the Word.

c) “Developing themes through antiphonal singing”: (10-15 minutes unless there is

life on it.) The PL is to speak only short phrases (3-7 words), not sentences and
paragraphs. The PL may isolate phrases that cause us to “branch out” into other
themes within the cycle. They may emphasize this by exactly repeating a phrase
that a singer just sang, or by repeating their own phrase twice or by saying “In the
name of Jesus” before a phrase. Often there will be more energy in the worship
cycle if we would not linger to long in developing a passage.

d) “Spontaneous Choruses”: the chorus leader/ WL establish “spontaneous choruses”

for all to sing (8-10 times so the room catches onto the chorus) at anytime.
Choruses are the most effective way to engage a room in any prayer format. Sing
one of God’s names to signal the last time a chorus is to be sung.

Additional Personal Notes: