A Rockin' Weekend

This past weekend I was at Asilomar in Pacific Grove. I was blessed to be part of the band providing the worship music for the MPPC Men's Summit. Jeff Finger, the worship leader at our Cafe services, fronted the band, which included Derek Shaeffer on keys, Marc Swanson on electric guitar, Scott Clarke on drums, Steve Kreidler running sound, and me on bass.

We've been playing together for several years now, and for me, playing with these guys just gets better and better. Before each of the four sessions, we got to do some totally fun warm-up tunes, including "Feelin' Alright" and "I Won't Back Down." One of the surprise moments was having pastor Mark Swarner sit in on electric guitar for the warm-up song "The Thrill Is Gone." Mark is an awesome speaker and an equally good guitar player.

In addition to the MPPC guys, a bunch of guys from the School of Urban Mission attended the Summit, and they brought such a fresh and free spirit, particularly to the worship music. Every time we started a song they recognized... bam! They're on their feet, hands lifted up, singing with all their heart. It really helped take the singing to another level. Playing "Mighty to Save" and "Hosanna" with these guys was an experience I'll never forget.

Hanging out with the band has definitely made me a better bass player. And more than that, it's made me a better person. These guys are great musicians, but first and foremost, they're quality guys.

If anybody asks me to play at Asilomar again, consider this a standing "yes!"