Sunday, May 31, 2009

For Guitar Players


Ok, here’s one for the worship leader/ guitar player goof-up files.
Upon finishing first service this morning, I removed my capo, which I used for the last song of the set and clamped it onto my head-stock (Note: I was playing my Tele). When the second service started, I picked up my guitar and started playing the intro to the first song when musical chaos broke out. My E string was way out of tune. So much so that I thought I was the victim of a saboteur. It was a step and a half sharp and nothing but sabotage could explain why a perfectly in tune guitar would instantly go so horribly out of tune. So for the whole first song, I played avoiding the E string. At the end of the first song, I made a joke about it, re-tuned and moved on. The rest of the set went fine until we get to the last song again. I remove the capo from the head-stock to place it on the neck. Once again, the E string is horribly out of tune. Ahhh!!! What is wrong with my guitar?! I almost speed dialed Randy Hughes right then and there. It was all one frantic, harmonic swirl of dissonance. Then it dawned on me: I was the saboteur, unaware. After the use of the capo in the first service, when I moved it from the neck to the head-stock, I accidentally clamped the capo down onto the E string, of the very narrow Tele head-stock. When I re-tuned after the second song I was actually tuning a “clamped string” (capo is still on the headstock at this point). When it was time to play the final song of the set again, I removed the capo from the head-stock to place it on the neck, releasing the E string, but now it’s sounding a half step flat. Chaos again. Ahhhh! Fortunately for me, Bill Wellons was mid-prayer and I had time to re-tune again and gather myself for the final song without subjecting the Holy Ghost and all of Brentwood to another round of tuning torture. What a funny sequence of events. I felt like I was Chevy Chase when he got his own talk show that time: Trying hard, but not quite sure what to do.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Inspire 09 Report






For those of you who were there, you already know that we had a first class time at this year's Inspire Worship Conference. Our second annual event kicked off with registrants from 18 different states and 2 foreign countries (yes, we went international this year). Inspire International, a scholarship program for worship leaders across the globe, was launched at this years conference. We extended this year's award to Mrs. Joy King from Cape Town South Africa. It was such a great encouragement to hear her testimony and see what God is doing around the planet. Dave Buehring and Dr. Pete Sanchez joined me in a little preaching and teaching, Tommy Walker, Pocket Full of Rocks and the Inspire Worship Band led worship for the main sessions.
Once again God confirmed what he is doing in me by the encouragement of so many and the work of the Spirit in my heart. Pastoring worship leaders and encouraging them in their ministries is what God continues to add to this ministry. I'm blessed to be walking into this calling. It feels very much like an unknown country, but there is a light and a lamp for my feet.
Here are a few photo highlights form the 2009 conference.