The worship team tonight was having too much fun. The electric guitarist was riffing and the pianist was jamming. You could hear it in their voices, so I wandered in to the sanctuary to just sit with them. They acknowledged me and smiled…and went on. It was upbuilding to me to see the energy and spirit in their practicing. I could have sung along if I knew the music, which I will learn on Sunday. But then they took the old hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated” and sung it so sweetly and beautifully. I felt honored to be in the room with them.
How open is practice time? Who gets invited to sit in and glean? How linked to Sunday worship is the time and spirit. What is the connection between the preaching pastor and the worship leader? I used to go into the Salem sanctuary when the choir was working on a particularly moving piece with the organ. I’d sit with my eyes closed and smile (or weep) and then quietly leave.
