CUT CAPO
PRIVATE WORSHIP VS . WORSHIP PREPARATION | Mitch Bohannon
December 2020 took us through another season of “ COVID lockdowns .” By the time you ’ re reading this , we should be well into a season of relief with vaccines available across the country . Today , I really feel sorry for those of you in the more restrictive states . In our Louisiana town , life is about 80 % normal . We eat out , dine in , go to church , sing in choirs , and shop inside stores all with most people not even wearing a mask . I teach public school and my classes are full . Occasionally , we ’ ll have a student out for contact-tracing quarantine , but they are back within 2 weeks and we carry on . Nationally though , tensions have been high and frustrations have been capturing our attention . It ’ s a good time for us to live like we worship . Do we really believe Romans 8:28 that God works all things for our good ? That would include all of the restrictions , lockdowns , and frustrations we ’ ve endured . So , I encourage you and me both to ask a question : What is my ratio of private worship vs . worship preparation ?
Short-Cut Capo Chord Chart By : Mitch Bohannon
E A2 B D2 F # m C # m7 Em E / G #
Dsus2 D Dm9 D9 D6 Dm7 Amaj7 Dm
Am Am7 A7 Am9 A6 Bm Bsus B7
I was a worship leader / pastor for about eighteen years before God lead me into a time of rest … if you call teaching middle school rest ! I can look back over the years and recognize many seasons when I was spending more energy on worship preparation rather than in private worship . Worship preparation is fun , it ’ s technical , and when things work smooth and everyone starts on the one , it can be so satisfying . However , getting caught up in satisfying self is to steal God ’ s glory … look what happened to Herod in Acts 12:21-23 .
Lately , I ’ ve been playing guitar for our worship team and the same question applies to me there . It ’ s equally important for the musicians on platform to spend more time in private worship over worship preparation .
The cut capo is so anti-technical … it ’ s really simple to play , and is a good tool to support private worship moments . It can be in those
F # m7 C # m E7 Em9 EMaj7 E6 Em6 Em7
moments that new melodies or new chord progressions are birthed .
What is private worship anyway ? Do you have to sit and sing a song from measure one to measure last ? I would encourage you to strum , pick , and pray . Try singing through
some song choruses and parts as you pray … as the Lord speaks . He may lead you to put together a worship mash-up that you ’ ve never considered . On a day leading up to Christmas this year , I was picking through some songs and ended up putting together ‘ Silent Night ’ and ‘ Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus ’.
It ’ s really easy to slip into practicing instead of worshiping as you play . That ’ s why I encourage you to pray as you play … read scripture as you play … listen as you play . I pray that the Lord speaks to us all as we embark into 2021 and may a worship revival sweep across America !
Mitch Bohannon Mitch Bohannon and his wife , Noelle have been married for over 27 years with three adult kids . Mitch developed the Short-Cut capo for Kyser and is a teacher / coach in Louisiana