Spontaneous Praise
Posted by: tim <tim@...>
We do, though sometimes I plan ahead of time for it - so we call it
"open worship" instead. That way the band has a chord progression in
mind or a tentative plan to be flexible from.
The worship leader usually leads musically. Sometimes the pastor will
step in, and then the worship leader directs the team to follow that
lead as possible.
We've learned a lot from Don Potter's approach and also from the
International House of Prayer approach (IHOP) in Kansas City. They have
developed a helpful structure which really acts as a springboard for
creativity and spontaneity. Sounds contradictory but isn't. It makes it
possible for different people to lead musically or vocally and to be
able to do so in a way where the music doesn't fall apart.
I learned a lot from playing live in my college days - ways for the band
to communicate nonverbally so we know who is going to play an impromptu
solo, when they're going to stop and so on.
We build in flexibility as we learn songs so we can jump around within
the song, dwell or repeat as necessary. This allows us to grab hold of
whatever God seems to be doing at the moment. It's great for a time of
ministry.
One important thing is communication between the band, and especially
between the leader and the congregation so there's not that distracting
"what am I supposed to be doing now" kind of pause.
-Tim Miller
Zion Chapel
Goshen, IN