KEYS
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM | Ed Kerr
In my last two articles I ’ ve included lots of musical notation . That may have been a challenge for some of you because you don ’ t read music . Not yet . Flip through the pages of this magazine and I ’ m pretty sure there ’ s something here that will prove challenging for you . One of the articles might be talking about how to effectively EQ vocals , or how to apply compression to guitars . But you don ’ t understand the difference between limiters and reverbs . Not yet . You may read a review of a great new song that ’ s become a regular part of worship sets at other churches around the world . But your team isn ’ t playing the song . Not yet .
I ’ ll be honest with you . Everything I hope to do as a worship leader and keyboard player and follower of Christ hasn ’ t come to be . Not yet . Sometimes the challenges of integrating the newest technology for keyboard players into worship services at my church overwhelm me . Last week as I set up my keyboard rig for the service MainStage was doing everything I wanted it to . I could hit a button to start and stop my pad player . I could hit another button to choose a different key signature for the pad player . Ableton Live was amazing . A trigger for each song was set . Let ’ s go !
But then life happened . Maybe you can relate . We present two services at my church . The first is a very traditional service . Accompanied by our beautiful pipe organ and our beloved organist , our traditional choir sings classic hymns of the faith from our well-worn hymnals . During the service the choir presents an anthem as well . Again , quite traditional . And quite powerful for those whose faith is stirred and strengthened and stretched through the elements contained in this service .
As this service is happening , I ’ m downstairs with the worship team that will lead in our second service , the modern one . Our team is made up of what you ’ d expect : bass , electric guitar , acoustic guitar and keys accompanying several vocalists . We play along with clicks and guides and often use Multitracks to supplement our sound . Our song lists reflect what many churches around the world present each week .
After the traditional service ends and we ’ ve run through our songs and fine-tuned arrangements as needed , the team for the modern service heads to the sanctuary . We typically have less than 30 minutes to get ourselves set up , check monitor levels and run through a song or two . And you know what , this transition between services isn ’ t going as smoothly as I wish it would . Not yet . Every so often one of the mic cables we ’ ve used turns out to be defective . Or one of the headphone extensions a vocalist grabbed only works when they bend it to the right and hold their left foot up three inches off the floor . Okay , I ’ m exaggerating that one , but you get it . Things don ’ t go smoothly for us all the time . Not yet . The clock won ’ t wait , though , so I give a count-off when it ’ s time for the service to begin , and we start our opening song .
The team takes a seat after that , and as I listen to our pastor share his message for the day , I ’ m often making notes about what could have gone more smoothly in the songs or what issues reared their ugly head again as the team got setup .
Oh , right , sorry , I ’ m supposed to be talking about pad sounds and piano voicings and showing you music notation . Not this time . I simply want to use the space I ’ m given here to encourage you with something I ’ ve just read from 1 Chronicles 8:20-21 .
David also said to Solomon , his son , “ Be strong and courageous , and do the work . Do not be afraid or discouraged , for the Lord God , my God , is with you . He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished . The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God , and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work …”
What we ’ re doing is work . Challenging work . Sometimes frustrating work . But I sincerely hope that each of us who read this magazine is sensing that the Lord is indeed with us . With us when the vocal harmonies are gloriously tight and smooth on the last chorus of our final song . With us when the moment the band was so excited about in the opening song comes off just like it did in rehearsal . With me when my laptop goes to sleep during the sermon and I can ’ t get any sound from MainStage for our Communion song . With us when the slides for the first verse of our opening song aren ’ t on the screen . Not yet .
Those verses in 1 Chronicles contain something that I ’ m discovering is key to our services going well and key to what you ’ re doing too regardless of the size of your church or the skill of your worship team or the expertise of the people running your Livestream production . The key is that God knows that what each of us is doing in our services and in our day to day lives is a work in progress . All we can do is bring all that we are . Here ’ s the truth that you and I would do well to savor every day we live . God gives all of Himself to us . You and I can do the same . Do your best . Surrender your limitations and your challenges . In humility thank Him for your strengths . Ask for help if there are issues in your keyboard setup that keep frustrating you or not working as you need them to .
God in His mercy is not done with us . Not yet . Scripture is filled with reminders that God understands that we ’ re fragile , we have limits , we face challenges that sometimes overwhelm us . Next time something just doesn ’ t go right as you ’ re playing or practicing or living your life , tell yourself what Philippians 1:6 tells us . “ He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus .” He knows that we ’ re living in the ‘ not yet ’. Lord , help us all rest in that today .
Ed Kerr Ed Kerr lives in Seattle with his family . He serves as worship arts director at First Free Methodist Church , teaches keyboards in Paul Baloche ’ s leadworship workshops and is a clinician with Yamaha ’ s House of Worship . He also manages the Yamaha Worship Facebook group and invites you to join the group . www . KerrTunes . com