Church was different this morning. Because of restrictions due to COVID-19, we didn’t have a service per se but were open for those who wanted to come and pray, with ample space between them.

I provided some music for that hour long period – guitar and bass run through my Helix LT floorboard and into my amp, with unamplified singing. I set up a second screen linked to my iPad so those who wanted to see the words could view them but it was also possible to sit on the other side of the church and have the music as a background sound rather than a main focus.

Actually, I rather enjoyed it. I wasn’t leading per se so I didn’t have to sort out sheets of music for the team nor even worry about unfamiliar songs. I could draw on some material I love but haven’t used for a long time as well as some which I have used recently. In some ways, it was quite a useful dry run for an event I’ve been planning for mid-April – that will probably be cancelled but I’m seizing the opportunity to do some preparation.

Overall, I used nine songs during the hour, including repeats, instrumental passages and periods of silence. One thing I’ve learned is that for my intended ‘Presence’ worship hours, a shortlist of 15-20 songs is probably ample (and 163, which is how many I’d picked out last night) was overkill!