I like to think that I'm a simple guy. Happily married. Worship leader. Professional photographer. Things aren't so simple sometimes, so here is where I share them. (Kyle Ellman took this picture. There is a link to his blog below.)



 

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Entries in music (2)

Friday
01Jan2010

10 Things Not To Do In 2010

DateFriday, January 1, 2010 at 11:20PM

I have noticed that lists are becoming a trend on blogs at New Years. Resolutions, highlights of 2009, lowlights of 2009, anything that bloggers worldwide can conjure up to wrap up the previous year. So to stay relevant with the all too meaningful blogging community, I have one of my own....which is:

10 Things Not To Do On Stage In 2010 That I Did In 2009

1. Wear the exact same outfit three weeks in a row (and I bet you can guess exactly what outfit I am talking about).

2. Rely on the cheat-screens in the front row to recite scripture.

3. Mumble through a line of a song that I have forgotten the words to.

4. Give the cue to the band to start an upbeat song in the middle of pastor praying for the offering.

5. Wink at someone in the crowd. It was totally by accident, I promise.

6. Close my eyes so much that I forget where the microphone is and consequently hit it with my mouth. A bloody lip during the worship is never good.

7. Call out the lyrics to the wrong verse. When we sing a song like Happy Day and I tell the congregation that the lyics to the next part in the song are "greatest day in history..." and then sing "when I stand in that place..." it can be quite confusing and equally as embarressing.

8. Say "good morning, High Street" to start off a Sunday evening service.

9. Say "come on, sing it out church!" in an Australian accent.

10. Take the stage and lead a congregation in singing praises to God with a prideful, unauthentic heart. Probably the dumbest and yet most common mistake I made in 2009. That might come as a shock, but with the responsibility of leading comes a lot of distraction, and unfortunately some weeks I found myself distracted more often than not. Reading the latest post on eddielyons.com reminds me that God is in control of High Street Baptist Church, and my greatest human efforts are not enough, but His faithfulness is more than enough. So I am going to let go of the baggage that comes with the position and truly worship Him with every note and every word. I would like to encourage you all to do the same. As you go to your respective places of worship today, or tomorrow, or any day of the week, bring Him your full attention. If you are going to sing then mean every word that leaves your mouth. You have a reason to sing because He has done countless things that deserve gratitude. Do me a favor by commenting on this post and naming one thing from 2009 that gives you a reason to sing praises to the Lord.

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Monday
30Nov2009

Singing For No Audience

DateMonday, November 30, 2009 at 11:35PM

As we were driving home from her parents' house tonight, my wife began to sing a song in the car. She is the most naturally talented singer I've ever heard. It was a fairly long yet routine drive from my in-laws' house in Rogersville, MO. I could drive the curvy, country road course with my eyes closed because prior to six months ago I had driven out there practically every day to see my future bride. The radio was turned off, and our conversations had run their course for the moment so it was mostly silent save for the sound of the car and the heater. She wasn't singing for me or even to me for that matter though I was her only audience. There wasn't any music to sing along to. She was just singing. She sang an entire song and then just sat there looking out the window as if nothing had happened. It was such an interesting concept to me. I can't think of the last time I sang for the sake of singing without any sort of agenda motivating what I was doing. I was either singing for an audience that I had hoped would like my music enough to go buy a CD or a t-shirt after the show or singing for a congregation in hopes of leading them effectively into the throne room of the King of Kings. Today we listen to "artists" on the radio who sing to collect their royalties and make it to the top of the Billboard chart. We all sing to gain some sort of reaction, even in the most minute amounts. But at it's core, what is it about the way we are wired that we feel compelled to sing even for no audience or action? It seems logical to make music so that other people will hear it, and yet it seems so natural to just simply make music. I used to understand this better before music became my job, but tonight reminded me that singing is a very spiritual thing that doesn't always necessarily have to be done for others.

PS. I posted this on my iPhone so be merciful if somehow I left out words or have poor grammar.

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