Open Mic on the Worship Symposium

After a weekend at Worship Symposium, I thought I would like to hear from you your experiences, sessions and thoughts on this year's Symposium.  Here are my thoughts in no special order...

For me, it was a variety of things that has me affirming my calling and where I am as a worship director.  The worship services were encouraging and refreshing as a musician.  They were not perfect and were always flawed by our human nature, but at the same time, the quality of the service always moved me into a time of worship that normally doesn't happen a the piano bench or organ bench.

Being a worship leader has a variety of facets.  We are not there only on Sunday to "do our thing" and then go home the rest of the week.  It has become a week long (or maybe longer) process of planning, praying, rehearsing, recuiting, mentoring, brainstorming, etc.  

As an organist, knowing how your instrument works is vital.  That's like a pianist never using the pedals to assist in legato playing, or knowing that if you raise the lid on the piano you get a bigger sound.  Same as an organist, you need to know what your instrument does - the stops, the kinds of stops, how they work in relation to singing, other instruments, and for congregational singing.  

These are a few of my thoughts.  As the weeks move forward, I'm sure that we all have reflections that will keep reminding us of the benefits of a confrence such as the CICW Worship Symposium.  

Did you attend, if so, what are some of your reflections?