particular effect that I got attached to .
But one thing I like listening to now that so many years have passed … After Allies , I did a record called Identical Strangers with Andy Denton . If you go listen to a song called “ Extraordinary Love ,” I have a lot of people who ’ ll ask me how I got my sound on that song . I really don ’ t recall what amps I was using , but I had so much fun because I set up two different amp rigs and two different Wah pedals . And , when I recorded that song , I could work the two Wah pedals together or work them against each other . That ’ s the only time I ’ ve had people come and say , “ I can ’ t figure out how you created that sound !” It ’ s hard to reproduce live though !
[ WM ] “ You Led Me to Believe ”, that song really impacted me as a teenager . Can you tell me some of where that song came from ?
[ Randy ] Well , I don ’ t want to name names , but yes . There were a couple of guys I knew that I really admired them as musicians . They went through a season . I ’ m glad to say it was a season where they had been examples to me as Christians , but once they went out from Christian music and got into some of the pitfalls of the world , they really fell into some ugly stuff . That song was probably the first time that I wrote something that was a true story . But these buddies of mine got to a point where I could no longer follow their example . The good news that ’ s not in the song is that they came back to the Lord !
I know for some , it ’ s very fashionable now to deconstruct their faith . I think it ’ s always going to be cool to be cynical . But , when you think you ’ re being cool to be cynical or sarcastic about spiritual things , you ’ re just repeating the sin of Adam and Eve . You know , Adam and Eve had everything , they had the garden of Eden , and they chose to go against God . So that ’ s my little speech to those out there who think it ’ s cool to be cynical , you ’ re just repeating an old , predictable sin . It ’ s not really cool !
[ WM ] You ’ re currently serving as a worship leader … tell us more about what you ’ re doing today .
[ Randy ] Well , it was somewhere around 2002 that I started to return to songwriting and writing worship music . I began at a church plant in Springhill , TN and then I got called to Westminster Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers , FL . It seems that there are a lot of worship musicians or worship leaders who do something for a couple of years and then they move on the next band or the next thing . Here ’ s a different idea … When I was called to this church in Fort Myers , I ’ ve now been there for sixteen years ! So , I feel like my calling is that when a pastor has left or when there ’ s been trouble in the church or when COVID or a hurricane comes along … through all the tough times the church has gone through , I believe part of what God has called me to do is to be a stabilizing influence in the church .
You know , as you read scripture , God does not highly prize following the next big thing . What God prizes is humility and faithfulness . So , I would encourage worship leaders … I know it ’ s cool to have the latest gear and to be playing the latest song , but what has eternal consequences is humility and being faithful .
60 March 2024 Subscribe for Free ...