We were progressing through our second service yesterday when our usually 'on top of things' media tech missed a slide cue. Not long after the music portion of the service was complete and I was sitting listening to the sermon I received a text from the media tech: "Sorry. I missed a spot. Forgot I was doing slides for a moment." What he was really saying was he was so involved in his own conversation of worship with God that he missed advancing the slide.
I have been in those situations where a media tech just couldn't keep up because of lack of attention and not recognizing that there inattention to their job was creating a barrier for people in worship.
But the situation Sunday was different, you see I watched this person in our rehearsal and from the first moments he was not just engaged in his ministry task but engaged in a private conversation with God. I want media and other tech personnel to be involved in worship.
Missing a slide cue can be a distraction, however this time it was okay.
Here is our setlist:
Songs and Scriptures for Worship
Glory To God Forever. This is a song we have used often and put away for a while. Sunday we brought it out and tried a different arrangement based on a track on the new Vicky Beeching CD.
You're Worthy of My Praise. Here is a song that we have not in a long time. I wonder if our congregations get as tired of songs as we as leaders do. In the middle of this song I stopped and encouraged to sing the song as if God were standing right in front of them. It made a difference for me.
Psalm 23. I read this out loud and ask the congregation to listen and follow the text on the screen.
God You Are God. If you don't know this song...find it. We have introduced it as a choir feature and now the congregation can sing it with us...powerful words.
Prayer. Lately we have given specific instructions to our team members on what the subject of the prayer should be. The leader this week did a great job of understand the placement of the prayer and used the lyrics of the preceding and following song as a reference point.
Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:15; Romans 10:9-10 and Ephesians 1:7-8. Worship team members were assigned these scriptures to read in advance of the weekend services and they did a great job communicating not just reading.
Jesus Paid It All. As underscore of the scriptures our keyboard player begin to play the new chorus for the hymn Jesus Paid it All (oh praise the one who...) in the key of the next song. It word great as a follow up to the scripture and intro to the next song.
In Christ Alone. Is there a stronger lyric?
This post is my participation in the blog carnival Sunday Setlists which can be found at The Worship Community.