Saturday Night Jitters...

A strange feeling in the pit of my stomach... practicing the songs for Sunday morning over and over trying hard to get every chord, every note - just right! Wondering to myself (and God) did I chose the right songs for Sunday or not? Lord, how will the congregation respond to the music? What will I pray about? Will I even say anything? Should I say anything at all? Will Mr. "B" or Mrs. "W" still give me the same strange look when I start the praise and worship music? Will they decide to even try to learn the songs, after all my noble efforts to sway them in our biblical calling to "sing unto the Lord a NEW song? I pray silently about tomorrow, wondering if Mrs. "G" will once again come up to me Sunday morning (just about 10 minutes before the service begins!) and ask me "so Dave, when are you going to pick some good old hymns for us to sing instead of all these new songs I don't know?" I smile politely, fighting hard the urge to say "It's not about US," quoting from Psalm 118:1 "Not to us O Lord, not to us but to Your name be the Glory..." but calmly I breathe in deep and breath out, give her a gentle hug and say "Mrs. "G" I will pick something special just for you next Sunday! (Even though the service this week is already made up of 2 traditional hymns (contemporized of course!), 1 new praise song and one middle of the roadder... Yes, four songs is about all we can handle right now, but I'm pushing them to add a few more in there over the next year! By the way, here was my worship set last week...

Opening Song - "We Bow Down" - T. Paris's - it's in their hymnal and I like to sing it in Bb (Capo'ed on 3rd fret) rather than D major. D is just a little too high for us to sing comfortably.
Then they usually greet after the opening song...

Worship Set - (2 songs)
"Here I am to Worship" - D - This is the "new" praise song I was speaking of...
"My Jesus, I Love Thee" - D - This is a wonderful "Hymn" that really does blend in well with the newer/contemporary "vertical" worship songs. It was written by a sixteen year old by the way!
"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" - also D. (I just did the chorus of this song right at the end to close the set!) Just sort of sneaked it in there last week!

Then for Special Music, I used the moment to teach them a new song "Love the Lord" by L. Brewster. Had them read the scripture verse before hand (Deut. 6:5) Then played it. Saw one or two of the "younger" kids singing along and moving their heads to the rhythm... That was cool!

And then the fourth song and last song we sing is usually our closing song - I often try to make this a Hymn, but once in a while I shake them up and do something different! Last week we sang "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us"

Now, here it is Saturday evening - and I am once again getting those Saturday Night jitters! Wondering WHY me O God? Why did you choose me for this task? Why here and why now? Lord, I think you must have picked the wrong person for this gig!

Do you ever feel that way? Regardless, we keep on hoping and hoping...

Then I read this passage from Psalms in my Bible...

But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. (Psalm 71:14 NIV)

Well, back I now go to my guitar and piano to practice for tomorrow mornings music.

Blessings to you,

Dave