Chris Bowater - Journey Into Worship
Having the opportunity to write this article provides a perfect opportunity to honour the many who gave encouragement, guidance, correction and help on this most privileged journey into worship. Becoming a worship leader, songwriter and teacher was in one sense not a career decision, though I do not doubt that being `wholly available’ to serve God came from the simple and sincere promises and prayers of a very young Chris Bowater at innumerable missionary meetings. I'm glad that God received the offerings of a child. I'm in awe of the Grace that enables me to keep walking in those commitments.
The Redemption Hymnal and the Elim Chorus book was my earliest introduction to music. Playing by ear came naturally and had to suffice because a formal musical education did not begin until I was 12 years old. Here I am grateful to Charles Walker, music teacher at the Grammar School, who recognising something worth encouraging, introduced me to Mary Parsons, an outstanding piano and voice teacher in Birmingham. I had only one ambition, to become a student at the Royal College of Music , London. From the age of 12 - 18 years, she refused fees and sponsored my music education, all the way through to gaining a place at the R.C.M.
London provided the most amazing privileges Internationally renown conductors, composers, artists and teachers impacted my life, musical tastes and skills. Jazz too, became a major influence, for a time adversely, as I learned a general principal about worship. Whatever one worships deserves and demands everything. If it's not everything, it's not worship. However, therein lies another story!
School Teaching became my all consuming passion and after five years in Birmingham schools, and already a Head of Department, made a move to Lincoln, as a career move. Graciously working out His purposes in my life, God now had me in a place of his choosing. There was an outstanding acceleration of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Assemblies of God Church that we attended. With it came a release of worship and praise. There was very little with which to compare. `Scripture in Song’ had major influences but in the `sticks’ of Lincolnshire not much else. Songs were being written morning, noon and night.
I`d write what the pastors were preaching, what the teachers were teaching and what the prophets were prophesying. Church music rehearsals became extended times in the presence of God. This over-spilled into the Sunday services. Many of the songs were birthed in spontaneous expressions of devotion and joy. There was. no formula. It was simple, passionate response to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, drenched in love for Jesus and a deep and personal awareness of the Father Heart of God. The writing was fuelled by the teaching on `The Church’, `The Kingdom of God’, and a Restoration theology that ignited purpose and passion in the people. Neither was this divorced from a growing vision for mission. This was a time for dreaming the impossible. We became `Dreamers for the Kingdom’. I can never express enough thanks to friend and mentor Pastor John Shelbourne and Pastor John Phillips for their inspiration, leadership and risk taking during this time. Bruce McGrail, songwriter from New Zealand, too, came alongside to help nurture what God was doing in us and amongst us.
The music of Andre Crouch in particular and Gospel in general, Ken Medema and Keith Green became significant influences. The concept albums of King Crimson and the Moody Blues were also sowing seeds into my creative mind. I loved the fusion of Classical and Rock.
My songs were not written for marketing or recordings and a concept of the worship leader being a Christian Artist was a million miles away. The songs however, escaped. By word of mouth, clandestine tape recordings and at the growing number of national Christian events the songs travelled across the nation and overseas. I shall forever be grateful for the platform given to ministry and the songs at the huge Assemblies of God National Youth Rallies throughout the country. Events with thousands of young people, enthused by the new sounds of praise and worship, at the N.E.C, Westminster, St David's Hall, Cardiff, and major venues in Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham became releasing ground for the songs and their influences into the Churches. It is impossible to convey the sense of `newness’ at this time It was refreshing to many, threatening to most.
The Dales Bible Weeks too were most significant. Here, Chris Head, of Springtide, discovered my song, `Jesus, your love has melted my heart’. It was in print as `author unknown’. I am so appreciative of his diligence in researching the source of the song. He opened the door to contact with my lifelong friend and still my publisher, Robert Lamont. Projects with Word UK, especially `The Highest Honour’ produced by the outstanding Neil Costello, followed. Les Moir, a supreme Kingsway producer, crafted `Time for Tears’ along with Steve Thompson and to this date this is still the most representative of all my worship albums.
Where have all the years gone? And where have they led us to? In 'coming back to the heart of worship’ let us never lose the simplicity that was at the birth of our ministries. Let it be that we continue to be `lost in wonder, love and praise’ and never that we have lost.... the wonder, love and praise.’ Today, the passion is still to call the nations to worship and to mentor a new prophetic generation of writers and Levites.
Blessings to this increasing new generation that are beginning their own 'Journey into Worship’.
Chris Bowater 2002