Doing the “shuffle”, Part One

Okay, so by now most of you know that I approached my old church, about the possibility of doing a worship workshop for them. I told the new pastor and his wife, who is also the new worship leader there, that I would be happy to help, in any way I could. So far, so good, right?

It was at that point that things started heading south.

At first she/they want some help, and then they don’t…and then they do…and then…they don’t.

Curious as to what the thinking behind the decision(s) was, I exchanged some emails with the worship leader. I magine my surprise when I read that the vision that she and her husband (the pastor) have for that church is to “steer away from any kind of streamlining, or corporate worship” process. What was that? Steer the church AWAY from corporate worship? I read my bible, and I’m sure that my bible says that corporate worship is MANDATED.

Are they kidding? This is the same church that FIRED their worship leader at the height of the most dynamic growth curve in the churches history, growth that was due in no small part to the very man they fired. The same church that then lost more than half their membership in a matter of weeks. The same church that then hired a young and inexperienced worship leader who literally drove most of the remaining worship team, and a good chunk of the congregation, away. The same church who then replaced HIM with a young woman who was partially DEAF. The same church where the worship experience, musically and otherwise, is just pathetic, and has been for several years. I swear to you, I am NOT making this up!

When I asked for further clarification, she responded that what they intend to do is to “keep one foot in the past, and one foot in the future” Okay. That is a nice sounding sentence, but what does it really mean? I will tell you what I think it means in my next few posts, and explain why I disagree with the statement.

More to come…

I visited my old church (update)

After a month or so of dancing around the whole issue, I was finally able to speak with the current worship leader of my old church. Keep in mind that this is after more than one member of the worship team asked during my visits there if I was going to re-join the team. After more than a few members of the congregation asked if I was going to come back and play for them. After I had spoken once to the worship leader and offered to help in any way I could.

The new worship leader, who is also the pastors wife, informed me that while she and the team were aware that they needed some help, she wasn’t comfortable with bringing in an”outsider” in an “expert capacity”. She then went on to describe the vision that she and her husband have for the church.

They don’t want to take the church in any kind of “streamlined, or corporate worship” direction. Huh? She wants to create a worship style that celebrates both old and new, “keeping one foot in the past, and one foot in the future” Huh?I wasn’t sure if I was hearing her correctly, but apparently I was.

She ended our discussion by inviting me to join the worship team! I smiled and politely declined.

I wonder what the future holds for this church?

Time will tell.

My “Elvis” Impersonation

It is late in 2003. I am playing guitar and singing on the worship team at my church in Eugene, Oregon. I am also leading worship once a month. One Sunday I am putting my gear away after services, when one of the older ladies in our congregation approaches me. She proceeds to tell me that she finds my “on stage gyrations” offensive, and that she intends to “take the matter further” (her exact words). My parents raised a respectful son, and so I immediately apologized to her for any offense I caused…but the story doesn’t end there.

Before I go any further, I should mention that the worship leader, and the rest of the team DID have a nickname for me – they called me “the happy, dancing guitar player”. I was no Elvis on the platform, but I enjoy what I do, and do tend to move a bit. On with the story…

She goes to the worship leader, my friend and mentor, and tells him “all about it”…but the story doesn’t end there. Next, she goes to the senior pastor, and gives it to him. As a result of her conversation with him, I am invited the following wednesday to a meeting with the senior pastor, the worship leader, the lady, and myself.

Wednesday rolls around, and I get the dubious honor of attending the meeting before worship rehearsal. The lady is allowed to speak first, and she airs a veritable laundry list of offenses – some of which have nothing to do with me – but she presses on. When she is finished, the senior pastor thanks her, and then gently informs her that he finds nothing offensive about my behavior either on or off the platform, and that he has no intention of asking me to change ANYTHING about the way I approach worship.  The worship leader speaks next, and tells the nice elderly lady the same thing, in slightly different words…and adds scripture references to boot. She is not a real happy camper when she leaves, and tells the senior pastor before she does leave, that “this isn’t over”. I will  never forget the look on her face when the senior pastor smiled at her and said “Oh, yes, Betty, it is.”…but the story doesn’t end there.

The following Sunday rolls around, and we are wrapping up our rehearsal in the sanctuary when we hear shouts and screams coming from the fellowship hall. It seems that my favorite older lady had decided to drum up support for her cause by complaining to one of the adult Sunday School classes. She chose the class that MY PARENTS attended. Bad move. Look up “She-Bear” in the dictionary…you’ll find a picture of my lovely mother. The senior pastor, the worship leader, and some elders manage to quell the near riot. I am stunned, the worship team is stunned, and the senior pastor looks like he could spit nails.

I had decided what my response to this woman was going to be, and so during the worship set, I played and sang…and stood as still as a statue. I didn’t move a muscle! I didn’t smile, didn’t wave to my mother (which I always did), but also didn’t miss a note or a vocal part.

After the service, the SAME woman who started it all, tells me that it didn’t look like I was enjoying myself on the platform!

I’ll tell you what…you just can’t please some people!

P.S. – The very next Sunday, the senior pastor spoke from the pulpit about his intention to move the church forward to “embrace positive change, in music, ministry, and missions.” My friend Betty, and her husband, were gently, but firmly told to embrace the pastor’s vision, or not, but if not, to feel free to locate a new church home.