Sunday Setlist - September 11, 2011

Ten Years.  In some ways, it seems like a long time.  At other times, it seems like yesterday.  But the daunting task of how to deal with the 10th anniversary of 9/11 has been on my mind, and the mind of other worship leaders, for quite awhile.

Bridgeport is in close proximity to New York City.  Gospel Light is a mere 54 miles from Ground Zero.  Many people from our city work in New York.  So it is very personal to us.  On that night, ten years ago, we had gathered at the church, because we had no where else to go.  Today, we came by choice.

Our goal in planning the service was to have a day of encouragement and hope.  Here's the setlist:

Opening:

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) (Excell/Giglio/Newton/Reese/Tomlin)(D)

Main Set:

Trading My Sorrows (Evans)(G)
Blessed Be Your Name (Redman)(G)
Our God/When I Think About the Lord (Myrin/Redman/Reeves/Tomlin/Huey)(A)
Moving Forward (Houghton/Sanchez)

Offering:

All Around (Coffield/Houghton/Lindsey)(E)

Just before the main set, we played a video from the Skit Guys commemorating the date.  It seemed to fit well with what we wanted to say.

The real kicker in this set was "Moving Forward."  We started with a simple piano motif based on the bridge ("You make all things new...") which built over 8 bars, where the drums came in, and then I echoed with a big guitar riff over the piano.  (In retrospect, it was kind of early-80s Styx, but it worked.) But music aside, that song always connects with our congregation, and today was no exception.

Today was communion day, but during the reading before communion, Pastor Pedro stopped and made  an invitation.  A woman and her daughter came up and prayed to accept Christ right there, and then they took communion for the first time.  It was amazing and powerful.

Check out other September 11 recaps at The Worship Community