[Worship] RE: Urgent Song request (last minute song request)

["CHRIST,JEFF (HP-Roseville,ex1)" <jeff.christ@hp.com>]

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Hello worshipers;

I've been reading this thread with great interest because it beats a similar
drum with our church as well.  

I agree with both sides on this issue.  So, now that I've communicated my
two faced-ness, let me try to explain.  

I think that Michael brings a valid point to the table.  I get the
impression by the first post in this thread that this was an urgent request
by the worship leader (you can always gauge the urgency by the number of
exclamation marks at the end of the request :-)  In my situation, we would
have had to do just what Steve had to do...send out an urgent request
because we don't have this in our worship collection.  Whether it is
appropriate or not to have them there is up to the individual church body.  

On the flip side of this coin is the responsibility of the WL.  He/she is a
leader in God's church and is also subjected to the authority of a pastor
(in most churches).  Therefore if the pastor were to say "Jeff, we're having
a worship service where you will sing 10 or so songs in 4 days,"  I'm going
to do everything I can to make that happen, no matter how stepped on I feel.
If Steve is indeed frustrated by his experience, then  he has the
responsibility to address this with the pastor.  I imagine that Steve was
prepared enough to give worship God during his service...now it is his
responsibility to change that behavior that he feels is detrimental to the
pure logistics of getting a worship set list together.  My pastor is a
horrible planner (to be read with grace and not criticism)  and it has taken
me months to work with him on how he can be more effective in our
relationship together.  It is a difficult but rewarding experience that I
think needs to happen if our assumptions about Steve's now infamous 'panic'
are accurate :-)  

It's a relationship.  Needs and wants must be discussed without blame or
shame.  If you aren't able to communicate with your pastor about what you
need... Who will?  A leader must take responsibility for his own
situation...  It's not Steve's fault that he was put in this bind...but the
resolution is all his for the taking.

Praise Him,

Jeff
\o/