One of the things that I love to do is lead music at our church. I play guitar, work with a band and singers, and organize the songs that we sing on Sunday mornings. Recently, though, something hit me as I was preparing to lead music.

I was working through our set list and I was stuck on a transition between two songs. There was some problem with the key or with the tempo that just didn’t seem to work with the flow. So I did what I always do. I decided to pray as a transition.

Then it hit me…

I was using prayer, conversation with God, as a transitional/musical element within a time of praise and adoration. I was taking the privilege of speaking with the Creator and reducing it to a substitution for creative arranging.

That has stuck with me and I’m not sure I have a good response to it. However, it has challenged me with several different questions.

1) Is it appropriate to use prayer transitionally during “worship?”
2) When we pray transitionally are we setting appropriate examples?
3) What does this reveal about my own prayer life?

For all you worship leaders out there, what do you do?

For everyone else, I welcome your comments!

It’s official. I will be teaching music at Lynwood Elementary this upcoming year. We actually start a week from Monday.

To be honest, this has been a tough move for me. As I’ve written in a previous post, I do not see myself as an elementary music teacher. Ironically enough, this is what I spent so much of my university time preparing to do. I trained to do K-12 instrumental and vocal. I spent a lot of time working with the Indianapolis Childrens Choir and almost planned on going to Hungary to study music.

How that all got changed is another post for another time.

There is a part of me that is excited about the musical side of this job. I like music and I’ve missed a more hands-on interaction, musically, with my students. The part of me that doesn’t like it is the part that doesn’t know what to do with elementary students.

I really am open to appreciating and even liking this job. I bet it can’t have nearly the same kind of drama that I’ve experienced with middle school and high school!

I’ve has such great help preparing for the job too! I went back to a teacher that I worked with back in my university days. He took a day to come quite a distance to help me out even though we hadn’t talked for almost ten years. Thanks Andy! One of my professor’s, Dr. Penny Dimmick, also spent a day working with me. She loaned out many of her materials so that I could re-familiarize myself with music for elementary children.

Where will all of this lead? I don’t know. I’ve spent a lot of time praying, whining, agonizing, and struggling over this decision. In all of this there is a bit of peacefulness that I am doing the right thing.

I don’t get it, but one thing I know. Come Monday morning the students arrive and I will give them the best musical experience of which I am capable.

Fascinating!

Not exactly musical, but how about this one?

I know I still have one more post on worship to go but things have been really hectic the past few weeks. I’ll post soon but until then let me give you this video to consider.