I enjoy playing rhythm electric, acoustic and bass, but I got back to my favorite tonight: lead guitar. I’m no Lincoln Brewster, but I have a blast trying to sing and play well enough to honor the songs that we did. Spring break brought back Kellen singing lead and Mark Anthony on drums, which is great since our regular drummer is in Haiti for a week. We had a great local bass player fill in, whom I’d never played with but knew I could count on, and I’d say all went well.

Songlist:

• See His Love – Jesus Culture
• Your Love Never Fails – Jesus Culture
• Light of Your Face – Misty Edwards
• You Won’t Relent – Jesus Culture

I am participating in The Worship Community’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?

Planned the whole set in the key of A with no breaks. So smooth. Powerful songs. Great set.

I gave Derek, our lead guitar player, the night off and moved our rhythm player to bass. I covered guitar, along with Emily on acoustic. We were excited to have Ben Harrell leading with us on keys. There’s that flexibility thing again. I’d love to have a fixed “A-Team,” but I also love being able to change the experience for the team weekly. Plus, it keeps our tribe guessing what’s coming up.

Songlist:

• My Savior Lives – Desperation Band
• Everlasting God – Chris Tomlin
• Open Up the Sky – Deluge Band
• Overcome – Desperation Band/New Life

I am participating in The Worship Community’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?

We had a smooth rehearsal Monday night, but I went home feeling that something wasn’t quite right. I ultimately had to make the decision to scrap the ‘Selah’ break between The Stand and Hallelujah. We usually do our best to build up a wall of noise a la Radiohead like the United album version. It just wasn’t going to happen.

I swallowed my rock-n-roll pride and planned the set without the break Tuesday. I was amazed at how well the song transitioned into the chorus without the ‘Selah’ and I can tell the group didn’t let go of the momentum like typically happens. Some folks look as that break as a self-indulgent solo unless there is open worship and full engagement. I suppose that we would have to prepare to go there and not put the breaks on it if need be, though. Be flexible. I’m learning.

Songlist:

• Song of Hope – RSB
• In Your Presence – Charity Von
• Mighty to Save – Hillsong United
• The Stand – Hillsong United

I am participating in The Worship Community’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?

We have a local Christian radio station that becomes the butt of many jokes. I’m sure you have a station like that too. You know the type…”next up we have a rockin’ new tune from Michael W. Smith..” and they go on to play something off Live the Life. Old stuff. After finishing up rehearsal last night, a church staff member pointed out to me that our first song from Robbie Seay Band is in regular rotation on said radio station.

Wow. My first reaction was to come up with a new song. The worship leader snob part of me wrestles with wanting to play the cutting edge material that no one has heard. In reality though, I believe that most of the folks in our community, especially those that listen to the local radio station, look forward to congregational worship using songs that we all know well. I’m not exactly doing my job when I try my best to avoid the top 25 list at CCLI.

Songlist:

• Song of Hope – RSB
• I Adore You – Phil Wickham
• Burning Ones – Jesus Culture
• How He Loves – John Mark McMillan

I am participating in The Worship Community’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?

Just before the worship service began, I had a chance to say hello to some visiting past members of our team, Alex and Alvin Fernando. I miss them greatly since they moved to Virginia last year. I couldn’t help feeling that familiar pressure of impressing them with our present team, as they always raised the bar when they played with us.

If you’re reading this, Alex, notice the lack of keys?  Alvin, notice me struggling to lead on bass?
Songlist:

• Heaven Is Here – Jesus Culture
• Shining – Phil Wickham
• In Your Presence – Charity Von
• Overcome – Desperation Band

I am participating in The Worship Community’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?

Tonight, we introduced a new vocalist/acoustic guitarist, Emily Moran. She did a fine job in what I know has been her most challenging gig to date, having only been given access to the charts and songs late Saturday night. She has very little experience on stage but I hope she feels welcome to become a regular member of the team.

Monday night rehearsal was rough for us all, on account of my efforts to bring in loops for all the songs, despite the fact that I had no way to control the loops once they started. As we often change the arrangement on the fly, we dropped the loop idea until I can either buy the Ableton Live Ability foot controller or build one of my own.

Songlist:

• Rain Down – Good mixture of Jesus Culture and Delirious version
• Hosanna – Paul Baloche
• Ready Now – Desperation Band
• Healer – Hillsong version with original arrangement

I am participating in The Worship Community’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?

We had more compliments with this set than we have had for quite a while.  Lord of Lords was a song that I’ve listened to a few dozen times but didn’t have any interest in playing.  Putting together this set, it seemed like a good fit and was well received.  Of course, our arrangement had quite a buildup and included much more electric guitar than the original.

Songlist:

• Beautiful One – Tim Hughes
• We Cry Out – Jesus Culture
• Cannons – Phil Wickham
• Lord of Lords – Hillsong
• You Won’t Relent – Jesus Culture

I am participating in Fred McKinnon’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?

So, I’ve been playing bass for a few weeks because Alvin works for a restaurant that doesn’t post the current week’s work schedule until Monday morning.  It’s hard to know when he’s available and I miss serving with him.

I don’t mind playing bass, but I have trouble leading from it.  It just so happens that I started out playing bass for a Misfits/Danzig cover band back in the early 1990′s.  I’m old.  Don’t hate.  I got fired from my first band after the first gig because I didn’t have enough “stage presence.”  That meant that I didn’t run around the stage and jump off of stuff.  I’m grateful that part of being on a worship team means that we aim to take the focus off of ourselves.

Here’s our set from this past Tuesday:

• Rain Down – Delirious?
• I Have Found – Kim Walker
• Hosanna – Hillsong/United
• Majesty – Delirious?
• Rescue – Desperation Band

I am participating in Fred McKinnon’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?

Surprise! I’m not David Crowder. I went hunting for a nice classic to start the service off with and fell flat on my face.

• Doxology – G – As performed by DCB on the Passion Hymns CD.
• Hosanna – G – Paul Baloche
• Ready Now – G – Desperation Band
• Cannons – G – Phil Wickham
• Following the message: Shining – F – Phil Wickham, but as performed by Melissa Wise

I’ve been delayed in writing this post due to wrestling with the comments of a bold worshiper who stated something to the effect that “none of these songs connected” with them.  On the flip side, someone else commented on how much Ready Now moved them.  If I consider the heart situation of these two people, I might find the root of this conflict.  I continue to listen to the Holy Spirit guiding me to put together the list of songs that play a (very small) part of (corporate) worship and pray that He allows the music to speak to their hearts at much as it speaks to mine.

I am participating in Fred McKinnon’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?

Sometimes you have to punt.

Our team this week consisted of myself on acoustic singing lead, David Dantzler on acoustic, Kellen Lariscy singing lead and Michele May singing background vocals. We had prepared to rehearse the following set Monday:

• Bless His Name – A – Jeremy Riddle
• Beautiful One – D – Tim Hughes
• I Have Found – D – Kim Walker
• Breathe – G – Vineyard

After running through the first song, we realized that a.) David and I do not blend well together with two acoustics like Dave and Tim Live at Luther College and b.) so many vocals with just acoustic do not blend well together like Shane and Shane. Something had to give, and I’m not a fan of pushing through rehearsal with something that sounds like a potential train wreck to begin with.

My plan b was the most difficult decision that I could have made but the easiest to execute: I simply walked off the stage. David’s intuition with lone rhythm guitar in a worship setting is improving, and I thought that the stage time would do him good. I’m always hopeful for opportunities to reproduce myself and we have just the team to do that, especially since every one of the guys that we sent off to Bethel in Cali has already served as a worship leader in some capacity.

So, after shocking the team by taking a seat, we agreed on the following set:

• Beautiful One – D – Tim Hughes
• Amazed – D – Jared Anderson
• Healer – G – Hillsong
• Breathe – G – Vineyard

Things went well.  There were a couple of speed bumps. For instance, I’m encouraging whoever is leading the song to arrange it on the fly based on how the community is responding.  We ended up singing the bridge in Healer too long, I felt, though that was a response to my observation during rehearsal that we only sang through it once the last time we played it and that wasn’t enough.  The group responded better to the oldie-but-goodie Breathe, and that could have used more time.

We also decided to add the second verse for Amazed, which we haven’t sang in the year that we’ve been doing the song, and I suppose that went okay.  I did notice more people staring up at the screens at that point.

Speaking of Amazed, I’m amazed at my continued dependence upon music stands and how distracting it is when the team stares at the sheets through the whole service. From a performance standpoint, nothing that we play is ever as complicated as Beethoven or Bach, so we can’t compare ourselves to an orchestra in order to justify using sheet music.  Isn’t it easier to engage in worship when the team is engaged in worship, not reading a sheet of paper?  I don’t mean to make this sound legalistic, but I believe that we’ll do a better job of leading a song that we actually know.  Let’s compare it to a pastor who reads his sermon instead of reciting a message from memory, one that he has actually lived and experienced.

Fred McKinnon has graciously let me get away with using a stand on Sunday morning because, otherwise, I had to memorize chords and lyrics, which I claim to be not so good at.  To be honest, this allowed me to continue my horrible habit of failing to thoroughly practice at home before rehearsal.  I know from experience that I can remember the chords and lyrics to countless songs from Led Zeppelin, Weezer, REM, U2, etc, so it isn’t really a memory problem.  The music stand is an odd security blanket.

I am participating in Fred McKinnon’s Sunday Setlists but, since we meet on Tuesday night, this post is really about Tuesday, see?

To fully experience this set, I suggest you obtain a copy of said songs, turn the stereo up loud, close your eyes, and lift up your hands…unless, of course, you are behind the wheel of a moving car. That could be dangerous.

What says you?