Josh Head
To say that “the third time is the charm” for leading music for a Diocesan event is an understatement for Josh Head. For this time, he is overseeing the music for an event featuring one of the world’s most celebrated preachers: Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
Head, the worship coordinator at Grace Episcopal Church in Ocala and the Director of Grace School of the Arts, will bring together musicians for the third consecutive year when the 50th Annual Revival is held Friday, Feb. 1, at First Baptist Church in Orlando.
“When doing a musical event with this many groups and at this prestigious “50th anniversary” level, the temptation was at first to blow it out of proportion in my mind, and just become overwhelmed at all the logistical hoops to get through,” Head said. “That’s definitely an uncomfortable place to be. As I’ve been praying, though, the Holy Spirit has brought me back to the Gospel.
“The fact that we, as followers of Christ, can boldly approach the throne of God is still a mind-blowing truth for me,” Head said. “I want to know Jesus more and more. It’s why I feel called to lead corporate worship in the first place. And so, as I’ve kept Jesus centered in my vision, this whole process has just felt natural and empowered by God’s Spirit.”
Head said he has tried to avoid the trap of leading a “talent show” at the Revival. “It would be so easy to plan this event as simply a celebration of our diversity and of our talented musicians,” he said. “Instead, I’ve sought to craft the revival service’s music to do one simple thing: understand Jesus on a deeper level. If we want folks to “Keep Saying Yes to Jesus,” we shouldn’t expect them to make that decision based on an emotional response to great music; that will never fuel our faith. Instead, our decision to follow Jesus should always be in response to who Jesus has revealed Himself to be in Scripture. That’s what our lives are about! Music and the Gospel can be the perfect recipe for bringing people closer to the Lord, and that’s my goal.”
Head said he has been blessed with God sending diverse and Gospel-centered musicians his way to accomplish the challenging task of presenting music in a way that will bring people closer to Jesus Christ. “I’ve been really blessed to grow in relationship with them over this preparation time and they are deep lovers of Jesus,” he said. “They all aren’t here to perform, but to give glory to Christ through their music, inviting all of us to participate.”
Some notable groups leading will be a Gospel choir led by Gospel music veteran Timothy Hearn from the church of St. Luke and St. Peter in St. Cloud, an excellent young jazz worship team from Southeastern University, the worship team from Iglesias Episcopal Jesús de Nazaret, led by Nivia Ramirez, the New Beginnings Band with a group of youth singers, and our convention worship team returning from past years, with added string quartet and choir, Head said.
But for all the musicians’ talent, Head is looking to the congregation at the Revival to bring it all together. “I have a deep conviction that the main instrument in worship is the congregation’s voice,” Head said. “So, all the diverse music during this service will be focused on empowering people to sing with the joy of Christ in their hearts!
“My favorite verse is Colossians 3:16,” Head said. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Head said he is grateful to Bishop Greg Brewer for this historic opportunity. “I definitely have been grateful to Bishop Brewer for investing in me as a young leader,” Head said. “My whole life has actually been marked by older clergy taking me under their wing and mentoring me. Bishop Brewer and others have demonstrated to me the purpose of authority and leadership: to empower and raise up others. Isn’t that the essence of the great commission’s disciple-making charge?
“The Episcopal Church has been the context for my spiritual growth my entire life, from my mom holding me as a baby in choir practice until today,” Head said. “In any case, I’m half the age of many clergy in this diocese and I’m so grateful for a place to serve at the table with so many wise saints.”
Head said he will take this opportunity to help create disciples of Christ. “We want people to pray with a unified voice,” he said. “We seek to rest in the Gospel, drawing from a deep well of living water. We will reveal the beauty of Christ to the unbelieving world through our unity. In all of these things and more, music holds an important function.
“When we corporately sing, we know that the Holy Spirit is working in our hearts,” Head said. “And so, we aim for engagement by everyone present. That’s the purpose of our singing: not musical skill, but joyful engagement. Everything we do as musicians in the Church should support the work of the Spirit in the hearts of God’s people. And I’m so grateful, in this 50th year of the Diocese of Central Florida, to be on this journey together.”