One Voice

Sunday

The last-minute frantic preparations and the obligatory fretting over, all we could do was relax and go to morning service together.{g} Jack was picked up for a Christians in Sport event straight after church, but the rest of us all set to, rearranging equipment, figuring outputs, moving amps, plugging in cables and monitors etc: all the things I don't understand. When they talk about this, I try to look intelligent, but keep my comments to myself.

It's funny, you know.{g} Because Jamie was in a touring band for years, everyone seems to expect ME to know what cable to plug in where, as if I'd been a roadie or something. I don't have a clue. Set ups/strikes were not in the girlfriend's remit and I would have been smartly ejected by the real 'Tansportation Executives' had I attempted to interfere! Basically, my job was to be thin and look cool, neither of which I could manage, btw.

For the church's worship band, I can wind/unwind cables, stick stuff to the floor with gaffer tape and set up mic stands with the best of them, but that is the limit of my helpfulness! I sing. That's it. So while Jamie and the others sorted those things out, I helped make the dingy, windowless drama studio where we meet look a little more atmospheric and appealing. Michelle and I draped gorgeous fabrics, brought in lamps, set up nightlights and placed flowers and a banner across the wall up behind the musicians. The Lord is the Everlasting God. It looked OK.

Home for a bite to eat and back for the technical rehearsal. After a couple of hours, People started to arrive. We stopped rehearsing and wandered, nervously greeting people. More than we expected, but less than we hoped for, if that makes sense. Some new faces.

This was the shape of the evening:

Welcome
Scripture Reading
The Greatest Day in History (Happy Day)
Wonderful, so Wonderful (Beautiful One)
The King of Love
The Stand
Scripture Reading
All Heaven Declares
I'm Forgiven (Amazing Love)
You Are My Hiding Place
Solo- With Every Breath (Child of God)
Testimonies (2 interviews)
Duet- As Angels Looked on
Strength Will Rise as We Wait Upon the Lord
We Will Give Ourselves No Rest
Scripture Reading
Everyone Needs Compassion (Mighty to Save)
Choruses of Take the Shackles off my Feet (interspersed with audio of 'That's My King')
Your Mercy Taught Me (Dancing Generation)
The Greatest Day in History

It may only be others who are Worship Leaders who are interested in the details, but I thought I'd include it so WE don't forget what we did!

People's reaction was very positive. It was as though the church had been yearning for an opportunity to worship their socks off, in a contemporary, free-er style. Lots of excitement afterwards as we realised how God had blessed this venture. We need to pray about how to follow it up now.

And Grace sang in the duet. She has a voice like an angel. She seems to intuit music in a way she can't do with spoken communication. There were times when none of us could hear eachother very well, but we knew that all we had to do was to look at Grace because she would always be in time and in tune.{g} She just seems to feel music. I'm wondering if the way she can pick apart lines/tunes, come up with harmonies, be able to tell us later what the bass/cello/piano was playing at any given moment might be something to do with the autism. I mean, Jamie can all do those things, but he was taught and learned through years of being a professional musician. Grace just seems to know. We are trusting God to help her explore this gift for His purposes.

A good day.