Been awhile since I’ve posted, but I have a ton to share with you all! First off, I accepted a position as the new worship leader & praise band director at Valley View United Methodist Church in Overland Park, KS. We just launched a new praise & worship service at 10:30a Sunday mornings. Needless to say, I have a ton of experiences, music, and reviews about gear to write.
Today, I wanted to share an arrangement of The Lord’s Prayer that I came up with earlier this week. We’re going to try it out this Sunday. Our pastor asked my thoughts about singing the prayer and sent me a few links of versions that he liked found on YouTube. We both really liked, Matt Maher’s, “As It Is In Heaven”. The problem that I had though is that I wanted something very true to the text and also brief, not 4:00+. We’re trying to keep our service to about 45 minutes, so adding a long version would cut into the rest of our worship music.
So, I arranged this and I’ll revise the recording and lead sheet as I make changes. Last night at practice with the band, we decided to repeat the C section “For Thine is the Kingdom…” so what I’m doing is rather than sing “Amen” I’m going back to “For Thine…” as if it’s a refrain then singing “Amen” after the second time. The band slowly works their way in with harmonies and instruments as the song grows. At each rehearsal mark, an instrument or voice joins in. I’m playing this capo 4 on the guitar G=B.
Please feel free to try this out at your service or with your ensemble and let me know how it goes! A note for my Catholic leaders out there: I would break on the E2 chord at the end of section B and either let that ring and wait for the priest to say, “Deliver us Lord from every evil…” and then come back in with “for Thine…” or you could just vamp that chord lightly and then come back in.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
and do not subject us to the final test,
but deliver us from the evil one
If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you
But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”