Sunday Recap – 12.06.09

This past Sunday was really great for me, worship seemed sweeter than ever!  I think the reason was because of something that transpired the day before in a meeting we had with our Pastor the day before. He asked that I come down along with a couple other leaders in our church to just hash out the holiday schedule and to make sure that we were all on board with the plans and that we all knew where we were needed to help. As the meeting was winding down, he shard a word of knowledge that the Lord had given him concerning each one of us.  That moment is always kind of scary you know, someone has a word from the Lord for you…. usually ends up great, but I always start kind of hesitant. Well as the Lord would have it, this was definitely what He wanted me to hear for that day. The word was specific as to how He is going to bless the music that comes from my fingers… my guitar playing, the key was that I have to invest in it.

The word went something like this: “Brandon, your strength in ministry is in your guitar playing. Not so much in your prayers or what you say to people to encourage them while you are leading, but in the actual notes you are playing. God has given you a gift to be able to play the guitar right up there with some of the best, and the more you focus on your playing, that is where you will be strong in your ministry.”  – Not word for word but you get the idea. Now, I share all that not to toot my horn about guitar playing because I honestly don’t feel that I am THAT good. I know there is a gifting, and I recognize it’s from the Lord, but I know so many better players out there. I share this because of the effect that it had on my playing the next day.

So I went home and shared all of this with Kristen and then I did something that I haven’t done in a while, and that was practice… I am a busy guy, and to be honest, practicing the guitar is last on my list of priorities at this point in my life. I have been leading worship for half of my life (16 years) and it has become so second nature that I rarely practice… shame on me. So I practiced… it felt good… and the next morning at church, God proved the word that He shared with my pastor.  I felt the presence of God in a new way as I played through these songs, and felt that God’s presence was ministering to people as the notes were flowing.  Could have just been my perception and no one elses, but that’s OK, it’s what I needed!

So it was a great morning, and I am thankful to the word that was shared, and I am making it my mandate to spend more time cultivating the specific area that God is going to use as I serve Him in leading worship.

Songs:
Shout For Joy (Brandon & Kristen)
Great Humble King (Greg & Pam Fadness)
Holy Is The Lord (Chris Tomlin)
The Hope of Glory (Greg & Pam Fadness)
Oh Lead Me (Delirious)
Jesus Blood (Delirious)