Collaboration's Greatest Champion-Paul Baloche

From Christianity Today:

For both A Greater Song and your new album, Our God Saves, you've decided to write songs in community, alongside other worship songwriters. Why the new approach?

Baloche: The result of collaboration seems greater than the sum of its parts. You always end up going someplace creatively where you would not have gone by yourselves.

It was such a privilege to write most of the songs with friends and peers that I respect and love, including Brenton Brown, Matt Redman, Kathryn Scott, and so on. There is nothing more fun than getting with a friend, singing some familiar worship songs, and seeing what springs up in the midst of trying to connect with God in the moment. I love the mysterious potential. From beginning to end, this project was created out of close relationships. The essence of life is about our relationships. The essence of worship is about our relationship with God.

If you are a worship leader like me, you are singing Paul Baloche's songs. But that isn't the whole truth--they aren't all Paul's songs. I've noticed in the by lines of some of my favorite songs that Paul has shared the billing with some of the greatest songwriters of our day. We've been singing WHAT CAN I DO from A GREATER SONG the last couple of months and I just looked up today and saw Graham Kendrick's name associated with it.

Paul works with everyone! He's written with Brenton Brown, Matt Redman, Kendrick, Glenn Packham, Kathryn Scott (her blog) and more. The thing I'm finding about these songs are not only their freshness, but I sense Paul's humble servant spirit coming through these. He's modeling for all of us in worship ministry how to collaborate on artistic experiences. This article helps explain some of that we see happening on his albums.

I take from this article the following:
1. Collaboration is a result of friendship---collaboration can never be forced--the results will always show it. The best collaboration comes from the well of those deep friendships where laughter, love and honesty remain.
2. Collaboration is born in the midst of worship--when these artists get together it isn't the top priority to write the next best song--they worship and the overflow of the worship gives birth to some of the greatest songs (YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE AWAY).
3. Collaboration is born of relationships--Paul has many friends, in many places and all of those bring to him a wealth of experiences. He doesn't have to depend on his experiences alone--he shares them with all of his friends.

I want to collaborate more--be involved with other artists who bring their gifts and talents to the table--but most of all to be in close relationship and community with them so we can see God move and create in our midst.

This post is part of Watercooler Wednesday's on Randy Elrod's site,