A new song to touch my heart.

This Sunday was a busy day for me musically. I was "on team" at church today playing keyboard, which means I was up and out the door shortly before 8 am. I started playing some keys about a 2 years ago, give or take a few months. Growing up, I had studied Royal Conservatory piano because it was thought that if I could play classical, I could play anything.

Boy was that wrong.

Classical piano alone doesn't teach you anything about improvisation, chording or playing by ear. I quickly found that other than my carefully memorized classical pieces, I couldn't play anything else. Later at Grant MacEwan, I had a "funky keys", or Functional Keyboard, class that opened the door to popular music but I hadn't really used it since college.

Singing on the team really opened up my world to music again. I never feel as open, vulnerable and raw as when I'm singing worship songs. It is in those moments that I feel closer to my Lord than any other and in those moments that music because more than just a hobby or an interest. I connect with the songs.

The same thing happens when I play. In some ways, it affects me even more. I get lost in the music and the words and God becomes real to me. Every feeling, fear, joy and sorrow is pulled out of me when I play and I can rejoice. It's an amazing experience.

The music we play is a far cry from the traditional hymns I grew up with and I never knew this music could exist before attending Renaissance Community Church here in Edmonton. It is also a privilege to play with some really talented musicians. I call myself a "baby musician" but I feel like I'm growing leaps and bounds every day. I really think playing has also helped with my ear and hearing the music and that's always a good thing.

One song this Sunday had a real impact on me during rehearsal. It is called "He is With You" by Cindy Morgan. I'll have to admit, when I heard the song during practice, the words didn't really hit home to me and I really didn't connect with the song. During rehearsal, with the sounds and the notes of the band enveloping me, the words really touched my heart and tears welled up making it hard to see the chords.

I love it when music does that.

It is moments like these, when I'm tired and I don't feel like getting up for rehearsal on Sunday morning, that I'm reminded how much playing and serving in this way is a gift that to cherish and share. And I am humbled.

I've included the lyrics at the bottom of today's blog but to hear the song, check out the following YouTube link:



He is With You -Lyrics:

There's a time to live and a time to die
There's a time to laugh and a time to cry
There's a time for war and a time for peace
There's a hand to hold in the worst of these. In the worst of these.

He is with you when your faith is dead
And you can't even get out of bed
Or your husband doesn't kiss you anymore
He is with you when your baby's gone
And your house is still and your heart’s a stone
Crying "God what'd you do that for?" He is with you

There's a time for yes and a time for no
There's a time to be angry and a time to let it go
There's a time to run and a time to face it
There's love to see you through all of this
Through all of this

He is with you in the conference room
When the world is coming down on you
And your wife and kids don't know you anymore
And He is with you in the ICU
When the doctors don't know what to do
And it scares you to the core He is with you

We may weep for a time but joy will come in the morning
The morning light

He is with you when your kids are grown
When there's too much space and you feel alone
And you’re worried if you got it right or wrong oh oh oh oh
Yes He is with you when you've given up on ever finding your true love
Someone who feels like home He is with you
When nothing else is left and you take your final breath

He is with you.
He is with you