we would stay on that chord progression and , with our bibles in front of us , we would sing simple phrases and songs . It gave us direct access to language that we could all rally around . It actually flexes that creative muscle , and it brings everyone along with you . We ’ ve all been in services where someone has gone off on a really long , blissful moment , and the rest of the room was left behind . The goal is to take everyone with us and to create an experience for all of us to share in together .
Paul Young said , “ In a healthy family , the family moves at the pace of the slowest person .” We have to keep that in mind too . We have to be sensitive to the person in the back who negotiated a really hard week just to come to church , and it ’ s all they can do to just sit there . Their “ yes ” is just the fact that they showed up . We need to keep that in mind , with compassion . There is always a starting point . Just start right where you are , and where your people are .
I think that having a clear vision of communion and connection with God is important , and to understand what that means . If we understand the reason why , then we will practice it . It ’ s like when I was learning piano . For the first few years I would listen to music that I wanted to play , and then I had to practice to get there . It didn ’ t just happen overnight . I had to return to the simple things that I knew and practice them . Sometimes we want to fast track it , but the beauty can be in the one note that you learn how to play delicately , or with fervor .
[ Kalley ] I really try and take the pressure off of leaders and teams when I talk about it . Maybe when you finish a song , just loop on the chorus chords and go through the progression a few times . Let the band know what you ’ re going to do , and that you ’ re not going to throw them off the deep end , and maybe just try singing the word “ Alleluia ” over the progression . Maybe just try some “ ooo ’ s ” over it . And then maybe you wrap it up and you say , “ We tried something new . We did it !” And then maybe the next time
you give a little bit more space . But it ’ s about exploring together and taking the pressure off to try and make something happen . Just be yielded and leave room for God . It doesn ’ t have to be perfect . That ’ s when it becomes a performance . Just give it a shot .
Sometimes an album like the Moments album will come out , or you ’ ll see YouTube clips of a worship gathering , and it can be easy to think that either you have it , or you don ’ t . I see how it comes out of Steff and Amanda , but I ’ m still waiting for that . That ’ s not what it sounds like when it comes out of me ! But it ’ s really not like that . We all just have to start somewhere , and it ’ s going to sound like us . We ’ re worshiping a living , eternal God , and in my experience , it ’ s always going to feel a little clunky . That ’ s not a disqualification , it ’ s just a part of it . I like to encourage people that if it looks like we ( at Bethel ) have it all together , we don ’ t ! If it looks like we know everything that we ’ re doing and we know it ’ s going to land and be perfect , we don ’ t ! For every “ Spirit Move ” on the Moments album that you see , I have so many songs that didn ’ t go that way ! You just gotta try , and have a lot of grace for yourself and for your team for trying something new .
[ WM ] Do you keep a click going when you break into times of free worship ?
20 June 2018 WorshipMusician . com