Surprise, surprise!

I got a bit of a shock at church last night. We had not planned on a big worship team, as the youth who make up most of the evening service are all on Summer Camp (joining another 1200 kids!!! WOW!). So we got a last-minute group of 4 together, with a quick practice before service planned.

Well, I turned up at church expecting to play the piano as usual - only to find I was on a keyboard, right out FRONT of the stage (instead of hiding behind the piano) and with a MICROPHONE! Now, I don't sing. Not if there are others listening. Sure I had to train the singers for a recent worship outreach programme, but I was nowhere near a mike....!

Slightly terrified, I had to make the best of it. The sound guys kept asking if I couldn't sing louder - but usually I can't sing and play at the same time, so it was taking some doing to concentrate on words, music and actually hitting the right notes. It's amazing how a mike can obscure most of the page of a music file, necessitating constant peering around the big blue sponge thing to see what you're playing/singing. Also, I have more a contralto voice than soprano - and those praise songs are usually written in Darlene-style (Hillsong) high notes!

Thankfully the church wasn't crowded, the congregation (hopefully) sang lounder than us, and I managed to multi-task without too bad a sound on either instrument or voice. Let the piano carry the instrumentation when it got too complicated. (Oh, the guy on the piano was also the preacher for the night - seems we were all multi-tasking!)

I've always wanted to lead worship, but I know I don't have the voice and have never been able to play and sing at the same time, which is how I'd probably do it. A while ago I told God "if You want me to lead worship, You'll have to get Richard to ask me. I'm going to say nothing, not offer to do it or anything. If You think I'm ready, You make it happen." Didn't think it would happen. But it seems God thinks otherwise. Looks like I'm on another unexpected learning curve.

Be careful what you wish for!!!