Harp and Bowl

Ken Behrens · Sep 10, 2016

I would like to get your impression of the harp-and-bowl worship technique.

I am NOT asking for your opinion of the IHOP Kansas City Church that invented it. I am asking if the technique itself has promise, and if so, for what purposes.

For those who do not know, it is a method of holding an entire prayer meeting in music, over half improvised as you go. There are special protocols for intercession, Bible study, and prophetic utterance. It is designed for a small group, but can be used by any size congregation.

You can watch it at http://www.ihopkc.org/prayerroom/ The church that started it (though criticized by many for many things) has kept a prayer meeting going with its Bible school students for 17 years 24/7, and this is their webcam. Manuals are available online and training sessions at youtube are available.

Catherineanne · Sep 11, 2016

Ken Behrens said:
I would like to get your impression of the harp-and-bowl worship technique.

I am NOT asking for your opinion of the IHOP Kansas City Church that invented it. I am asking if the technique itself has promise, and if so, for what purposes.

For those who do not know, it is a method of holding an entire prayer meeting in music, over half improvised as you go. There are special protocols for intercession, Bible study, and prophetic utterance. It is designed for a small group, but can be used by any size congregation.

You can watch it at http://www.ihopkc.org/prayerroom/ The church that started it (though criticized by many for many things) has kept a prayer meeting going with its Bible school students for 17 years 24/7, and this is their webcam. Manuals are available online and training sessions at youtube are available.

I would find it too much but I can understand it being attractive to others.

I am not sure that filling every moment with noise/music is the right way to approach God, though. He speaks in the still, small voice, and that voice might well get thoroughly drowned out.

In my own church I love the moment after the organist stops doing whatever he has been doing for the past ten minutes; the relief of silence is marvellous. Sadly it doesn't often last long; we have lost our tolerance for quiet.

Ken Behrens · Sep 11, 2016

Catherineanne said:
I would find it too much but I can understand it being attractive to others.

I am not sure that filling every moment with noise/music is the right way to approach God, though. He speaks in the still, small voice, and that voice might well get thoroughly drowned out.

In my own church I love the moment after the organist stops doing whatever he has been doing for the past ten minutes; the relief of silence is marvellous. Sadly it doesn't often last long; we have lost our tolerance for quiet.

Thanks, I hope more will comment. There is something that is not quite right, since this is so slow to gain acceptance, but I cannot put my finger on it.

Dave-W · Sep 12, 2016

Catherineanne said:
I am not sure that filling every moment with noise/music is the right way to approach God, though. He speaks in the still, small voice, and that voice might well get thoroughly drowned out.

There is biblical precedent. Solomon's temple was filled with music 24/7/365.

Ken Behrens · Sep 13, 2016

DaveW-Ohev said:
There is biblical precedent. Solomon's temple was filled with music 24/7/365.

You are correct, and this is one of the arguments they use. I think the answer must be more int he style of th music itself, since much of it is improvised. It would be great if someone who has some experience with this could share.

farout · Sep 13, 2016

Ken Behrens said:
I would like to get your impression of the harp-and-bowl worship technique.

I am NOT asking for your opinion of the IHOP Kansas City Church that invented it. I am asking if the technique itself has promise, and if so, for what purposes.

For those who do not know, it is a method of holding an entire prayer meeting in music, over half improvised as you go. There are special protocols for intercession, Bible study, and prophetic utterance. It is designed for a small group, but can be used by any size congregation.

You can watch it at http://www.ihopkc.org/prayerroom/ The church that started it (though criticized by many for many things) has kept a prayer meeting going with its Bible school students for 17 years 24/7, and this is their webcam. Manuals are available online and training sessions at youtube are available.

The web site had nothing to show. 9/13/16 @ 1605. My daughter attended IHOP when she lived there, she liked it. It has taken us more than six months to have her compare Scripture with what she experienced, slowly we are making progress.

Ken Behrens · Sep 13, 2016

farout said:
The web site had nothing to show. 9/13/16 @ 1605. My daughter attended IHOP when she lived there, she liked it. It has taken us more than six months to have her compare Scripture with what she experienced, slowly we are making progress.

It's working fine now. 5:28PM EDT. 7 leaders on stage, about 60 total in the room. You certainly have experienced it. Do you have anything to report that might help the discussion along? Like maybe deviances form Scripture in the harp and bowl techniques as taught?

Hieronymus · Sep 13, 2016

Haven't clicked on anything yet, but i guess it's about seeking to experience God or a feeling 'as if' you experience God ?
Creating an atmosphere / ambience type thing.

Later:
Have looked, i guess i was right...

farout · Sep 14, 2016

Ken Behrens said:
It's working fine now. 5:28PM EDT. 7 leaders on stage, about 60 total in the room. You certainly have experienced it. Do you have anything to report that might help the discussion along? Like maybe deviances form Scripture in the harp and bowl techniques as taught?

Well the drums are tamed down by the glass room, and it looks ok just as some places I have seen on TV before. As you requested not to dialogue about IHOP itself, so I won't.

Ken Behrens · Sep 14, 2016

Thanks, Hieronymus and FarOut. Your comments are valid, but apply to any kind of Christian music group with this instrumentation. I am concerned with the musical worship itself. The purpose of the technique is to improvise an entire prayer meeting, words and music as a cooperative effort. In a typical two hour session, about an hour of new sung musical prayer is generated by the group. The technique is supposedly instrument and style independent. I want to know if this idea has any real potential for worship, or it is just a new creative idea someone came up with. Part of my problem is that IHOP KC only seems to be able to continue the prayer by requiring participation from each student in its Bible college. The spinoff churches seem to require a city of several million people to even get one or two days a week going on a regular basis. In theory, 24/7 prayer should be attractive to a lot of people, yet few seem to care about this sung prayer idea. That's my interest.

talitha · Oct 2, 2016

I absolutely love Harp and Bowl, which IHOP did not invent (I encountered it before the KC ministry started), and I love the 24/7 worship and prayer at IHOP. Most people there from my observation come for the worship and want to be in that atmosphere so they go to the Bible college there so that they can stay in that atmosphere of worship. I love the creativity in musical improvisation, though sometimes I feel that they take themselves too seriously. Misty Edwards was once reprimanded by Mike Bickle for making a joke during one of her sets.

Taking it beyond IHOP-KC, I have friends here in Honduras who are working toward starting a prayer room in the capital city. It will be adapted more to the Latin American culture but will include both worship and prayer like the KC model.

Ken Behrens · Oct 2, 2016

I'd like to get more information of how you are using it. I would be interested in seeing any non IHOP adaptation simply for comparison of the logistics and the musical styles. Maybe you could livestream sometime, and let me know where?

Kyle Meythaler · Aug 6, 2019

Hi Ken, I am on staff with IHOPKC and just came across your post as I was informally researching how to best communicate the values of the harp & bowl model and potentially developing an online course. Would love to help if you are still interested in this discussion. Whereas the harp & bowl model has a specific expression here in KC (because of the 24/7 nature of our ministry), we prefer to promote the values that undergird it when we teach it elsewhere...values such as enjoying intimacy with God, praying the prayers of the Bible, honoring other parts of the Body of Christ, team ministry, platform ministry style that points to Jesus (not individual personalities), following the leading of the Spirit musically, etc.

tampasteve · Aug 6, 2019

It is worth noting that Ken has not been here for several years, and this thread is from 2016, I am not confident you will receive a reply.

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