Worship Mistakes

Last weekend we all enjoyed a little Hotel CA revision to highlight the move over to the College Ave facility. OK, maybe not everyone, but you have to admit the two guys with lighters downstage were a nice addition (not my idea, but was a good one). For those of you who weren't there, I'm not kidding about the lighters.

Then we turned around and wow'd the crowd again by starting "Rock of Ages" in the wrong key. OK, I shouldn't say 'we' because it was really ME. In the third worship gathering, I began the intro vamp in Ab. The rest of the band came in correctly in A. It sounded horrendous. I could read the faces of the worshippers - "a train wreck is coming."

So what do you do? Ask yourself a split-second question - how big of a mistake is this?

If it's small and only the musicians, techs, or a handful of people recognized it as a mistake - then simply keep going.

However, if it's a big mistake, the best thing to do is to admit it, give permission for people to enjoy the mistake by make light of it, and draw the attention back to God by admitting that we are finite beings worshipping a perfect God. Then try what you were doing again.

As one of the musicians prayed at our rehearsal - "we don't want to share the stage with You (God)." When we make a mistake, be human enough to admit it. It means that God owns the stage - and mistakes are a good reminder of that. Point people to God with the mistake by being authentic with it - don't be fake and cover it up if it's a big one (everyone already knows).

God, thank you for the good reminder that You want me to be the REAL THING on and off stage. Help me have the desire to give You my best (You deserve it) but humble to admit that my best will ALWAYS fall short of what You deserve...and sometimes what others expect. Help me be OK with that.