OK I have been slack, well really more busy than slack, but either way I haven’t posted in a while. I have been busy with leading worship and playing a lot so that is a good thing but it does cut down on my time to do other things.

All that along with spending quality time with my wife and sons consumes all of my time. Unfortunately right now worship is not my full time job so I still do graphics as a day job. Between spending time with my family, working for a publisher full time, coordinating worship every week and playing as Revived I stay a very busy person.

So please forgive me if I do not fill my site with daily posts and all kinds of fun and excitement. I enjoy this space and the interaction I have with other people, but I can not let this become an addiction. To many other things are more important.

So I can tell you, Lord willing, I will continue to post on a regular basis. Subscribe to the RSS feed and you are sure to know when there is something new.

JB

*****I have to start this post with a disclaimer. The photo to the left is NOT someone from my church. This is simply a stock photo!*****

Now that I feel like a responsible blogger, I was approached by one of the ladies that attends my 9 am traditional service Sunday and I was told that they were older, but they were not dead! She said that I needed to play some faster songs.
I just didn’t know what to say. Looking back on my previous set lists I could see songs that were fast and up-tempo. On the other hand the vast majority of hymns are moderate in tempo or slower.

I’m not sure which way to go! I know they love the hymns, but maybe they would like a little light contemporary.

Of course I have never looked at these older folks as being dead. I love each and every one of them, and I enjoy so much the opportunity to worship with them. It has not been my intention to lull them to sleep, I have just been following the mandate by the pastor to make the service “traditional”. Hmmm, it could be time to do the unexpected!

Any Suggestions?

JB

My wife always gives me a hard time when we go to an amusement park. I just do not ride roller coasters. I don’t know what it is but I just have a hard time trusting them.

Well when this story and picture came out yesterday I felt a little redeemed! The power went out on these folks and they were stranded upside down for 30 minutes 150 feet above the ground.

Yes, even my wife had to admit that is something she would not like. After all the heckling, after all the “what’s wrong are you afraid”, after all the torment I could finally say, “see this is why I do not ride roller coasters!”.

They were all saved, but what could have happened?

JB

This will be a written version today, I just didn’t have the time to do a video. The set list for 6-3 was:

You Are Worthy of My Praise (Charlie Hall)
Beautiful One (Tim Hughes)
Grace Like Rain (Todd Agnew)
Offering (Paul Baloche)
Step By Step (Rich Mullins)

We played the worship in the chapel so no video this week. We had some sound problems but we managed to work through them. The main problem is that so many different things go on in the chapel that there is no way to keep things squared away on a regular basis. This kind of puts us in a place where we have to start from scratch each time.

The set went well. I counted off Beautiful One and really got it to slow so that one is on me. The song went OK but it could have could have been a little faster. Over all the set worked out well. Heather Wilson came in to help us with back ups and did a great job. I have asked Heather to work with us anytime we do contemporary. Her voice is very much suited to it and she has a great attitude and willingness to work and learn.

We had to work around the VBS stage props a bit to get setup so that was a bit of a challenge but it worked out. VBS will be in full bloom next week so there will be some work needed to setup.

Well thats all, I hope that you all had a great day of worship.

JB

I just wanted to throw out a couple events that I will be playing. I will be playing at the Grey Wing Studio in Walkertown on June 9th. They are having an event called “Celebrate Life Through Art”. It is a fund raiser for a Kernersville boy named Joey Curran.

Joey is seeking a donor for a bone marrow transplant and the proceeds of the day will go to help him out. There will be live music from local artists, food, drama, as well as a few surprises. Come out and support this young man!

On July 23rd I will be playing for the senior adults at the First Wesleyan Church in High Point. From time to time they have a dinner and I have graciously been asked to come and share some acoustic hymns with them that evening.

OK, that is all for now. Don’t forget that I lead worship at First Christian Church in Kernersville every Sunday morning in the chapel. Come on out and worship with us. Services are at 9 am in the chapel and the main sanctuary, 10:15, and 11:30 in the main room.

Hope to see you there!

Peace

JB

This is Andy Mckee. Makes me realize just how much I still have to learn.

Platinum selling Dove award winning artist Mark Shultz is in the midst of his bike ride across America. He is doing this to raise support for orphans and widows. Mark will be keeping a video blog of his travels. You can check it out HERE.

We all need to give mark Kudos! This is part of what being a Christian is all about. Way to go Mark!

The set list for this coming week will be:

Let The Praises Ring (Lincoln Brewster)

Let It Rise (Big Daddy Weave)

O Praise Him (David Crowder Band)

Blessed Assurance (My own arrangement)

You Are My King (Billy Foote)

Invitation: We Fall Down (Chris Tomlin)

Rehearsal is Wednesday evening. Any questions or concerns let me know.

Peace

JB

Holy is the Lord by: Andrew Peterson

Your thoughts?

Technorati Tags: trials, worship, God, family

My daily devotional was from Mark 15:1-21 where Jesus was sent before Pilate. Pilate’s custom was to release one prisoner in honor of the the Jewish passover so he gave the people a choice between Jesus or Barabbas.

Thanks to the chief priests they worked hard to insight the crowd to choose Barabbas. Then in verse 12 Pilate asks them “but if I release Barabbas, ” Pilate asked them, “what shall I do with this man you call your king?” (living Bible). They cried out crucify him. Then in verse 14 Pilate asks them why he should crucify Jesus. Pilate knew that Jesus had done nothing to deserve death but then in verse 15 the scripture says “Then Pilate, afraid of a riot and anxious to please the people released Barabbas to them. And he ordered Jesus flogged and crucified.”

Pilate ordered the death of the King of the universe, the living God in the form of man simply to please the crowd. He knew what the right decision was but made the wrong choice because of what other people would think.

Have you ever done that? I have! Sometimes we as Christians water down or possibly even gloss over the truth because we are concerned with what people will think about us.

As worshipers and worship musicians we naturally want to play songs that WE like and that we know the CROWD likes and, OK, songs that we can play really well. But we have to go beyond that! The job of the worship group is to usher the body of Christ before the throne of God and we can not let our own likes and dislikes stand in the way of what God wants to accomplish through us. How arrogant we would be to think that we can self serve that way.

I’ve done it, I have put set lists together with more thought about how songs flow together and what key they are in than what God really wants to accomplish, but I do try to seek His will for every worship I plan. The reality is that as a worship leader I have to plan in order to facilitate the services I am responsible for, but I can never put my plan above that of God.

God seeks those that will worship Him in spirit and in truth with all of their heart, minds and souls and the only way to do that is to make room for the Holy spirit to move in our worship services. When we do that, we will truly be God worshipers, and we will be pleasing the only one that really matters God Himself.

Peace,

JB

Technorati Tags: God, worship, music, scripture study

I have a house! Yes, my house has a yard! Yes, I mow my yard myself!

Just a word to the wise; If you mow your grass never, ever, ever touch the hot, small, shinny chrome muffler on the engine after it has been running. This is on my ring finger of my left hand. It should make playing guitar a more challenging and fun thing to do this week.

Technorati Tags: stupid, guitar playing, worship,

Confess Yourself!

Technorati Tags: worship, confessions, music